Toxic’s comment reminded me its been a while since my last wine review. Here’s one sponsored by Chie Mihara, my new obsession. (See previous post) I’m considering adding a section to my site for shoe reviews, whatcha think?

Indecisive. I know, how odd. For some reason I remember liking the wine more the last time I had it. It’s pretty woody and, I hate to say it, just okay. I have another bottle, perhaps I’ll like the next better. In-store, $35.99.

or, the day I declare my self and Anthropoloholic. Almost, not everything is from Anthropology. My friend Kathy made the necklace and I bought the Current Elliot jeans and black dress from her store, Denim Depot. I am working on a new system for shooting, I just haven’t figured out the new camera yet – until then, it’s iphone pics for you.

Jeanne will have her fashion shoot posted tomorrow.

• Belt – American Eagle
• Blue with Gold Coin Heels – Chie Mihara (my all time favs), Amazon
• Gray Strappy Heels – Fry, Anthropologie.
• Brown and Fabric Wedges – Pink, Anthropologie
• Brown Heels – Retro Donald Pliner, Nordstrom
• Patent Black Peep Toe – Cole Haan, Nordstrom

Internet people, protesting is some mighty hard work. My toe is jammed or sprained or something and I’m covered with chigger bites, from the waste down and in places where naughty chiggers should never be allowed to bite. (I’m sure Williams Gas is going to get a good laugh out that one.)

But, I’ve found a good remedy. White wine. Who knew? I thought red wine was the cure all. I’m throwing this in for all of you readers who don’t live in my small town – don’t think I’ve forgotten you, I still love you guys.

I also swam today, 1600 yards – nothing record breaking, but it was good. I looked like a chigger-bitten-polka-dotted-blubbery-whale, but hey – it was calorie burning. A step in the right direction. You know what he best thing about swimming is?  I’m so focused on not drowning that I’m not thinking about the damn gas companies polluting the hell out of us. Who knew swimming had such perks? Although, in case you were wondering, chlorine does nothing for chigger itch.

In other news, I’ve decided that I will not allow the gas companies to take away my need to purchase fine footwear! Take that Williams and take a look at these babies.

Hey, purple toes, new shoes, wine . . . I guess I’m starting to feel a little more like Runner Susan again. I’m so glad, because I like me and I’ve missed me. Go me!

Now, if Runner Susan can just figure out how to fit in running with her activism . . . because I miss my runner friends.

I may have gone a little crazy with the hooks, but something had to be done with the handbags. So hooks all over the world was the solution. If you have a better solution for the March 2010 Closet Reorg, I’ll be happy take suggestions. I’ve even made room for new spring shoes & bags, because I’m nice like that. I’ve also decided that I’m WAY under fashionable and I need to step it up a bit – but in a reasonable I’m not going to break the bank so the Chef won’t yell at me too much sort of way  . . .

Now, I have some packing to do 10 miles to run in my spanky new shoes. Official shoe of the NTRT! Don’t they look super-fast?!?

Coming up soon is the Runner Susan official Should I Stay or Should I Go Shoe, Bag and Clothing Fest!

On Saturday my Chef and I loaded up the car and headed to Oklahoma. The plan: drive 3 hours, run 3 hours. And it happened just as so, and it was a spectacular 50-degree sunny day. If the weather turns out like this on race day, the Martini Twins are going to kick some serious marathon ass. We ran our 17 miles in 3 hours and 5 minutes – a perfect training pace for us. This is the most I’ve run in a long, long time and it made me really happy and really hungry.

After our spectacular run, our wonderful hosts, Michelle and Phillip, fixed us the most delicious meal, which I proceeded to inhale in approximately 2 seconds. Hey, I ran 17 miles, I was hungry. And I proceeded to be hungry for the next 3 days. I normally have tons of pictures from my Oklahoma trips, but this is the only one that wasn’t blurry from my shaky hands from running 17 miles. We took this on Sunday, the day after we ran 17 miles and then proceeded with 17 miles of retail therapy to recover from the 17 miles of running we did.

Did I mention that we ran 17 miles? I’m not normally a beer drinker, but I think that was the best beer I’ve ever had in my life. I needed those carbohydrates for all the shopping we were about to do. And, Internet People, you are going to be so proud: I bargained shopped. And, I got some fantastic deals – for some unknown reason my Chef keeps reminding me about some recession?!?

So, humor me while I’m in the mood to ramble.

Our first stop was at Tuesday Morning where I procured a Spiegelau wine decanter for $5.99 and another wine decanter for $16.99. Now I have a total of four wine decanters. Which is good, because they are so pretty and for some reason wine decanters don’t last very long in our house.  I also got a set of nested mixing bowls, which I need because since I’ve met Michelle, I’ve been inspired to cook stuff that tastes like real food. FYI – I’m still in training and have a long ways to go.

Our next stop was TJ Maxx where I got an adorable sofa throw and some salt scrub – I also had a really heated love-hate relationship with a gorgeous Steve Madden handbag that I reluctantly ended. I still haven’t recovered from that break-up. Then, we headed over to Ross where I found some really cute salad servers – and the most amazing thing happened as we were walking to the check out line – I found a salad serving dress. And for only $19.99. Is that not amazing? Because I totally did not own a salad serving dress of any way shape or form. Now I can toss salads with reckless abandon. I’m such a lucky girl.

(I feel a salad making picture going right here in the near future.)

I also ended up with a bread basket from Target, and a pepper grinder from a different Tuesday Morning. Do you see the trend in kitcheny stuff? I’m almost a full professional now – or, at least I look like one. I don’t think I spent much over $100, which makes the Chef me really happy. And all that after running 17 miles.

We headed back to Michelle’s house and had another better-than-gourmet meal, drank some good wine while we watched the Olympics with our husbands. Our husbands who bought us flowers for Valentine’s Day.  A lovely, lovely weekend.

You know how you can retweet? What’s the universal sign for reblog? This from Christopher McDougall’s blog – it made my morning.

Menstrual-controlled running shoes, new from Asics.
by Christopher on February 11, 2010

No, seriously. I only wish I were kidding. Just when you thought the shamelessness of running-shoe scams had reached bottom, whaddaya know — they find new depths to the cesspool. Asics is kindly offering to sell you a $190 running shoe that will magically adjust its midsole to your menstrual cycle. Read on, and marvel at how the Asics flack gets this stuff out with a straight face.

I wish Chris would open up his blog to stalkers commentators, it would make it so much easier for his fans to connect with him.

In other news, I’m loving my Nike Frees – it’s not barefoot, but I’m hoping it’s a step in the right direction. It’s the first time I’ve ever worn a shoe that didn’t set my feet on fire or give me serious blisters until I broke them in for a month or two. I’ve even run with them in the rain, and NO BLISTERS!

In other news, I’m positive my feet are going to love these and keep me blister free this summer:

Someone needs to put a lock on the Anthropologie store door and throw away the key.

So, you voted, Internet People and “Running Stuff” won by 3 votes. What is this a Running Blog or something? Seriously, is the RS shoe collection so bad that it loses by THREE whole votes to come in second? Jon, did you not vote? In third place was the “Other” category – and let me enlighten you with the interesting “other” suggestions:

• Wine! (hello, is it noon yet?)
• run, bike, rowdy all the time.
• how about a new ‘under construction’ banner with you just wearing a tool belt? (creative, if anything)
• nude can be done tastefully (and stretch marks cannot)
• Running and biking
• RS doing Cindy sessions (who doesn’t miss the paper plates?)
• All cleavage all the time? (hmmm  . . . . No)
• shoes and wine
• The Chef! (how about Chef in the nude?)
• Roses
• with a little help from her friends (awww, how sweet)
• The pretty pink you had
• Sometimes running, sometimes shoes, sometimes something else. (sometimes I think that’s what I had and maybe a good thing shouldn’t change?)
• RS in the nude x 13 that I kept deleted as fast as he or she was voting

And in fourth was “All Rowdy All the Time”.  I’m glad some of you love Master Rowdy, but I’m secretly glad you voted RS shoe collection before him, even if it was second.

So, it’s all good and well that you’ve voted, but guess what? I have the flu. I have a headache. I have a sore throat and I am partially delirious and really bored of doing nothing but staring at the ceiling. With all that in mind I decided it’s “All Unicorns All the Time” as the new masthead.  Maybe it’s the fever or perhaps I’m just feverish all the time, but let me enlighten you with my inspiration from The Magical Unicorn Collection:

If you ever had a reason to question my sanity, now you don’t. Yes, this near 40 year-old-woman sits around in front of her computer and take pictures of her  gravity-defying hair in unicorn poses. It’s a gift, I know you wish your hair could defy gravity too.

So the masthead will change with boring “Running Stuff” (maybe)  just as soon as I feel well enough to do something more creative than unicorn stuff.

Another question? Do you Internet People like it on the top or the way it was on the side? I’m undecided, so I’m doing both right now. And if you like the unicorns, maybe I’ll keep them. FOREVER!

But I really don’t feel I have anything post-worthy to post. So the randomness will pursue once again:

• On Monday I ran 1 x 800, 4 x 400, 1 x 200, 4 x 100 and 1 x 800. My first 400 was 1.36, but I’m not sure what my other times were because my watch got stuck on NO OCCN. The others, I can guarantee you were not 1.36. Maybe 1:50s. I don’t know what NO OCCN is. But last week my 6 yo Timex died so I went back to Target and got the EXACT same model but all the buttons are in the wrong place. And now everything is wrong. WHY would they do that to me? Why?
• On Tuesday I bought my last 23 bags of mulch and I finished mulching. We used 233 bags of mulch. That’s a lot of mulch. I reckon I didn’t figure that into the plan when I made the world’s largest flower beds around my house.
• The vineyard is going slow. We need soil sample and well water sample results before we can move on. We have a person from the parks and recreation department coming to consult with us next week.
• Today I am finishing a stone walkway and then, if the weather allows, I am riding with my friends Zoe and Lisa at 1. Cindy, you should come ride with us too, I’ll call you in a bit.
• I have been to every nursery and cannot find bamboo or a giant Buddha for my zen garden. I find plenty of skinny Buddhas, but the fat one is so much cuter. Heading into Dallas tomorrow to see if I can find one.
• Saturday I am running 11 miles with T. Then the next Saturday, I am running the OK Half. It will not be a PR, that I can pretty much guarantee.
• I’ve found a pair of shoes I REALLY love. Really. I’m not kidding. I love them and want to make them mine.
• I’m angry they are canceling Gardening by the Yard on HGTV. I have a secret crush on Paul James just like I did the old Alton Brown, (you know, the food science Alton Brown – I’m not crazy about the new Iron Chef Alton). It’s really the only REAL gardening show out there. Okay, so I watch the Victory Garden, but it moves slower than slow sometimes.
• Sister Runner Amy’s son, Cole, NEEDS a kitty. Yet, he is denied one. What’s the world coming to when a boy can’t have a kitty of his own?
• Finally, my teeth hurt. I need to get back to the dentist to get the temporary stuff off. I’ve put it off because we are in-between health insurance companies right now. But I’m guessing I should get this taken care of because the only thing worse than dental work is emergency dental work.

That’s about it my lovely Internet People. Hopefully I’ll have some juicy stuff to post soon.

I did it. I really did – I ran for 3.487 miles with my friends Cindy and Deana and my faithful sidekick, Cherry Berry. It was my first real run in the Newtons, albeit a slow one, but my first thought was: Did I step in dog poop?

After I got over the stepping in poop sensation, I felt like there was a cushy, padded bump under the balls of my feet. For such lightweight shoes, I was surprised at the amount of cushioning and the cush was in just the right place – under my metatarsals, rolling my foot forward. (See 3rd picture below)

I know forced is probably not the right word here, but I feel like my foot was forced to land mid-sole. Maybe guided would be a better term. As a matter of fact, Cindy and Deana told me I looked like a beautiful gazelle running through the forest. Okay, maybe not gazelle, but they confirmed I was running mid-sole.

I have to break my feet into these shoes, so I’m going to save my complete impression until I have 25 or so miles done, but quickly, here are a few other things I noticed:

• I have no actual proof, but I felt like the cadence was higher and I was leaning forward – like I was sprinting, but not.
• My calves cramped a little toward the end and are now sore.
• My feet were cold – the shoes are very airy, which will actually be great for the Texas summer.
• The balls of my feet were a little achy with a burning feeling after the run – and I have a very small blister on the ball of my left foot – nothing major, at least not picture-worthy.

So far, I’m liking the shoes. More later. Maybe even tomorrow after I run in them. Take that bike.

I can’t answer that yet. Why? One, it’s been muddy and I didn’t want to get my new shoes dirty. Figure that? And two, I’ve been a lazy bum and haven’t run. Next post involves stuff like “Running with the Newtons” and “What’s up with Januaryathon?”. Until then, here are a few Newton pics to tide you over – I’m a sucker for pink shoes.

My favorite shoe designer was having a secret sale. And not just any sale – a buy three pairs and get SEVENTY PERCENT OFF each pair sale . . . and Internet People, I about had my first heart attack. I’m feeling much better about the holidays now.

Now to decide which pair should I use in my next masthead?

Michael kept asking me why it was taking me so long to pack. Well, because everyone takes pictures of their shoes before putting them in a suitcase. He thinks I’m a nutcase. And, honestly, I have so many better things to be doing right now. It’s been a weird few days and I’ll explain more on that later. But here I am, packed and ready to run.

This is what the professionals at the running store gave me.  Anyone else wear these? Are they any good?

We’ve had this blister conversation before, many, many times. Yesterday’s run turned my “almost” blister into yet another giant, painful blister. I’ve had many theories in the past but now I have a new and improved theory. But bear with me, because this one is a little far fetched – but I’m desperate, so play along.

I’ve worn Brooks Adrenalines for about three or more years now and I’ve loved them like I birthed them out of my very own vagina. And ever since I was fitted with my first pair, I just walk into the store and say “hey, I need these in size 7, please.”

But over the years I’ve worked on my form. A lot. So much in fact that several of my running buddies have commented how much better it is (until I hit mile 17 and then all goes to pot). So here’s the theory: if my form has changed, maybe my shoes should too.  I do need a new pair of shoes to break in before Chicago, so I was thinking of maybe getting fitted for a new pair this weekend.

What do you think – am I stretching things a bit out of desperate attempt to be blister-free? Or, perhaps it’s just a bazillion degrees outside and everyone has blisters from sweaty feet and I’m just being a big baby.

Friday night was date night and to feel extra special I decided to wear my Donald J. Pliner Retro 70s Date Night Shoes, my new favorite pair of wedges that work perfect with my long, dark jeans! You may not like them, but damn, they do look mighty fine on my feet. I used them in my April Masthead and I heart them like I heart date night, and they heart me back.

Anyhow, for date night, we ate at a local Bistro owned by a friend of ours . . . and that friend of ours made us the best Italian Margaritas. I’m not sure if they were the best because they were the first Italian Margaritas I’ve ever had or if they were the best because she made them extra big, strong and tasty just for us. Either way, they were delicious and they made for a fabulous meal, a fabulous date night, and fabulously groggy morning after.

And why am I telling you this? Because the next morning as I was groggily doing my normal Saturday morning pool-boy duties, I saw a brown blob of something laying about in the far end of the yard and I immediately started to panic because I remembered doing something I rarely do . . . I tossed my shoes on the floor in a passionate flurry as opposed to putting them neatly back in their proper position on the closet shelf as a normal person does in a passionate flurry.

The echo of my scream . . . “NOOOOOOO, THOSE WERE MADE. IN THE MOUNTAINS. OF ITALLYYYY” . . .  is still ringing in my neighborhood.

Apparently, Miss Cherry Couture is feeling better from her patella surgery. She’s a thief, that stinking evil genius, and she is way too smart for her own good. Since there doesn’t seem to be any damage, other than a few bite marks, she isn’t requiring any additional surgery to remove my foot from her ass. All of you with puppies are warned: NO SEX FOR YOU! Because it is totally not worth the potential damage.