FastFreddy2

The part time job lurches onward. Now looks like early January before they close. I've been trying to make the most of the heel wearing opportunity, but the place has been that busy [Christmas] getting time without an audience has been difficult. 'No peace for the wicked' ..... then?

On balance, my fav's would still be the grey boots. The shoes look great, but I just can't hold that type of footwear on my feet very easily. I use V.5 of Paintshop Pro. It's very basic, very easy to use. I tend to rotate and crop quite a bit, plus lose some of the distracting background by using the 'clone' feature to make the background as plain as possible. This adjustment took about 4 minutes. And 3 minutes of that was losing the yellow labels, and red shelf edging. Reason for edit: Edited piccy added.

Well, the snow came ...... and went. So did the camera. On balance, it is a great tool, and I got it at a great price. But it'll be quite a while until I would be in a position to do anything useful with it, so I'm going to keep the money in the bank for a bit longer. The unreleased GH3 may be available mid 2012, and maybe I'll get that. It's supposed to be even more sensitive in dark conditions, though a good deal more expensive too.

For the balance of today, until end of play tomorrow, ALDO have further discounts on some of their online Clearance lines. I'll be spending. If some of the UK readers are looking to treat yourselves ..... ALDO do many styles up to a size UK9/US11. Just found >> these << £20 leather man boot with moderate heel. Reason for edit: Link added.

I never did get into Barratts earlier in the year to get those boots, and when on offer for £12 were quite a bargain. For most of the subsequent months this year, the SAME boots were on offer for £50. I guess they wouldn't have sold many with a 400% price increase...... No surprise then, the company has gone into Administration and with it the daughter company, Priceless. Bargains are currently to be had at Barratts, with Mrs Freddy acquiring some Skecher Shape Ups, for £40 rather than the usual £90 [in that store.] I've been critical of their styles, and prices in the not too distant past. I think I mentioned they do have interesting styles from time to time, but are generally, poorly made and of poor value. Looks like I'm not alone in that view. To be honest, the days of the high street shoe shop may almost be over, Many clothes stores now carry them, as do the smaller high street ladies brands. They are so cheap to import from China, why wouldn't anyone sell their own (re)branded styles? Office, and the newer Canadian import ALDO, are the notable exceptions, with Kurt Geiger trying to make headway in the larger shopping centres or Malls. ...

They were dressed to be inside dancing in the warm. Believe me, it was bitterly cold outside, especially given that it's been unseasonally mild for some time. Mrs Freddy didn't/wouldn't leave the car a second time - it was so cold. And we may even see snow tomorrow ...... This taking photographs in public had gotten me a bit bothered. I've done a fair amount of reading, and spent some time on You Tube. Seems there are similar problems in the US of A. There are no laws against it either here or across the water. In fact it remains one of our basic freedoms, but the police on both sides of the Atlantic prefer not to agree. [On a personal level.] I've found at least one instance here in the UK were the Police had to issue a public apology, and pay damages for interfering with and subsequently arresting a 16 year old for no better reason than they chose to. Which of course is itself, unlawful. I think on balance the Nokia might be a better solution. And funnily enough, as a girl approached the club while I stood there watching the queue, blatantly took a photo of the venue with her phone before she herself joined the queue? ....

I soooooo know that feeling.

Went to London with Mrs Freddy to visit a store that had a toy we specifically wanted for a family member. While there we anticipated eating out, which we did. It was bitterly cold. And a little windy. Alone, I took the camera close to where I know there's a popular night club. The cold had either kept people in, or taken them somewhere that wasn't troubled by a queue. I walked about taking 'happy snaps' to avoid being noticed. The camera had the focussing illuminator switched off, the on-board flash switched off. The electronic 'click' switched off. To all intents, I was an idiot playing with a broken camera. After hovering for a while, testing the speed of the auto-focus, one of the doormen from the club approached me, and TOLD me to stop taking photo's of people. "It's illegal". I told him I wasn't talking photo's of people and offered to show him .... [Almost all I'd done to that point was take photo's of buildings and empty streets.] He wasn't interested. He just said "Stop, or I'll call the police." I suggested he did that very thing. In fact, I waited even longer than I wanted to, to meet the police. None arrived. I know enough about Bar licenses to appreciate you want to avoid calling the police, not get them called out [which can affect your licence status]. It was after I'd been threatened with the police, I actually took the two interesting photo's attached. Just for the record, I wasn't being obtrusive to anyone. In fact I have my doubts anyone noticed me other than the 'group' working on the outside of the club. [it looked like they had something going with the cars hired to bring/remove customers .....] But I am someone who likes to use the rights I have. UK law says no-one has copyright on their face. Anyone can take photographs of people/objects in public space. As long as I don't defame anyone, I legally have free reign to do as I please. If I did upset anyone there, I would have gladly deleted any images someone would rather not be held anywhere. [ie. Boyfriend out with his mates girlfriend.] I got so cold I had to leave whether I wanted to or not. Back at the car, Mrs Freddy was ready to go too. Interesting night. Could have gone better, but if there's a next time I'll be better prepared. The pictures..... This really was a test of the camera. The ISO speed was set to max: 6400. This is quite fast for anyone who might not know what this figure means. The lens used was a fixed f1.7 though I wasn't bright enough to make a note of the shutter speeds. I would guess at 1/30th to 1/60th of a second as there was some blurring with moving objects. Quiet street Outside club 1 Outside club 2 I'm really quite pleased at what the camera can do.

The camera was out last Saturday. Mixed results, some due to my ineptitude. Little bit of grief from a clubs doorman, full story soon, along with a couple of piccies.

This makes pleasant reading on a number of levels. Well done you. I have to admit, I think I've always got moral support with me when I'm trying on womens shoes ....... I might be on my own when I'm trying them on, but I've always got 'International Rescue' circling somewhere. Frankly, I'm impressed. Looking forward to seeing some piccies.

Ooops!

Hmmm. Not a simple answer ..... Answer 1: Primarily, the gaff is closing as the owners have had enough. They've worked there nearly 8 years on the project, and want to get their lives back..... Answer 2: I was offered (at no cost) the balance of the tenancy, stock, fittings, and all the guidance I might need to run the place. I already have a license to sell alcohol, but working 7 days every week often for 12 hour shifts, isn't for something I could do with my other commitments. We often regret the things we don't do, usually more than the things we do and shouldn't. I'm still blessed with a fair amount of stamina, and my preferred work period would have fitted in. ['Night owl' shift. ] But there's no backup if I got ill for anything past a couple of hours, and little time for arranging something. Mrs Freddy has a good/secure full-time job, and understandably would prefer to stay where she is. 2 years ago, before I took on the home that is my personal 'building apprenticeship' project, it might have been a very different story. Maybe. Walking around today in heels while there, was very pleasant. If I miss anything, or if I ever feel I lost out on something, it'll be that. Unlike walking around home in heels [something I almost never do] a walk is never more than 6 or 7 paces long. An each way walk at my part time job could be 30 paces. I had said I would be reluctant to stay past Christmas anyhow, as I wanted to leave last May. Travelling had made the job uneconomic, and the only reason I really started the job was a quiet venue for wearing heels. I get out in heels quite a bit, so it's not like I still need the practice, though walking inside beats walking outside - in winter. So it looks like I kinda got my way, though not the route I expected. ....

Saw this article while browsing the on-line Daily Mail (newspaper). >> Cheryl Cole 1 << There is a short video at the bottom of the article too. And bit of an update >> Cheryl Cole 2 << Should she be our mascot? P.S. And while you're there ....... [looking at celeb's in heels] >> Kirstie Alley << in her US$1000 shopping shoes ... >> J-Lo << playing football in 6 inch Louboutin heels .... ....

Looks like 'fate' has played its' hand ....... My part time job with 2 hours everyday high heel walking benefit, ends Christmas Eve. Slightly mixed emotions ..... It's a PITA to travel to (now I've moved home), but a great opportunity for wearing heels everyday [including weekends]. Money wasn't good, but it paid for a lot of heels!

Update ..... [bit of light trivia really] I now know this style is circa 2 or 3 years old. I'd trawled many many stores, only to find [by contacting head office] they are an obsolete style. Talk about temptation ... The Peacock shoes are on sale at a much more reasonable £12, I discovered recently. Too late to go back for an 8. Hey-ho. ....

I'd hoped to include a piccy of Rihanna's boots from the internet .... somewhere. So far, no luck. I did stumble across a piccy of some clone boots on a well known auction site. I've used a section of the image there for illustration and review purposes only. Any copyright claim is acknowledged. The boots appear to be the same style the singer was wearing when we saw her, and when she got 'papped' that evening. Looking at the platform and heel height, it's understandable as to why she seemed so tall ....

Yessir! Not quite "Designer" priced [which I would suggest meant £400+ as a starting price ..... ] but still quite expensive as a high street brand, which it very much is these days. Kurt Geiger has a [franchised?] shop in most of the larger towns that I visit, and in most of the Malls I visit. Perhaps best described as being at the luxury end of the high street shoe brands? It has acquired a number of other brands [Nine West you will know] and several others you might not, and very much has a group face to it. Nine West used to be considered 'affordable' to young buyers. KG is moving the brand upmarket to be amongst the rest of its portfolio, and a plain basic boot has doubled in price in only 3 years. [From £80 to >> £160. <<] ... P.S. Mrs Freddy gets her shoes at 'Sale' prices, and often at promotional sales [double discount] rather than pay full price. Good with money, that one.

Had a surprise visit by some close family members this afternoon. Halfway through their visit, I spotted two pairs of my boots left on the kitchen floor [in plain view] waiting to be polished by Mr Shoe Cleaner [that would be me]. Since neither of the visitors are sight-impaired, the boots MUST have been seen. Mrs Freddy has quite a shoe+heel collection, but these are mostly KG branded. Neither pair on the floor were from KG .... Nor would they look to be inside the typical KG price or style range. [Meaning: the boots are not expensive nor particularly 'girlie'.] Nothing said during the visit ...... Which might be a good sign ..... More to follow?

So far, the camera has proved very difficult to use. The setup button [for all the camera settings] is sat on the rear of the camera where the inside of my palm grips the camera body. Consequently, when I grip the camera, I seem to keep pressing the 'setup' button. Maybe the camera was designed by a left-hander? I think it's going back. £1000 is a lot of money to spend on something that seems to have something of a handicap? [back to the drawing board.... ]

Well, I had to have a disaster eventually (law of averages...) Set off a tad late (nothing new), and drove into the longest traffic jam I've enjoyed for some time. Lost an hour of the evening. Rain hacking down together with the lost time pushed a decision to go to Brent Cross rather than Oxford Street. With the exception of TKMaxx and NEXT, it's mostly inside, plus it's about 25 minutes closer. Strangely, the place was empty? Got some finger wagging from one of the security chaps there, because I brandished my new super-dupa camera. Annoyed me more than it should. [What adult enjoys being 'told off'?] I kept touching the setup controls while trying to use it, which meant I was seldom ready to take a picture anyway. Although I had a couple of hours in heels, I left pretty deflated. Rain, traffic jam, security chap finger waving, struggle with camera ..... I almost wished I'd stayed home..... Apparently, cold enough for snow in a weeks time .... P.S. Did get a look at some leggy black girls promoting pantyhose in one of the larger stores. See picture >> here << of one of them wearing really attractive shoes. [The model was a stunner too!] If I was in a better mood, I might of asked if I could photograph the two of them, but I only wanted a photo of the shoes really. It was a good test for the new camera ..... ....