Finally! Pool season! I enjoyed my first splash of the summer on Wednesday, courtesy of my pal Olga, whose apartment complex has a pool. Usually, we get to have it all to ourselves between 4-6pm, before the wild hordes arrive. (The wild hordes comprising a mum and her two toddlers.)
The only bad thing about pool season is that it prompts me to contemplate my wonky toes. Actually, there’s aesthetically challenging parts to be found at both ends of my legs. But let’s not go there…
The next morning started with a nice breakfast with my friend Gill in a medieval church-turned-concert-venue-bar-art-gallery-and-café round the corner. And it was a very special day indeed: It rained. No, it poured. In Toledo. In July. Totally unheard of. It’s usually dry as a nun’s nasty in these parts from June till September. Even the frequent summer thunderstorms don’t yield any precipitation.

The wee bowls of fruit salad were a surprise addition. A bit strange, though, as they had cucumber in them.
Later on, drinks with Maria:

There she is, perusing her water bill. She’d not got to the bottom of it at that point, hence the glowing smile.
And on Friday morning, I was notified that I had shot to international fame once again: An article I wrote eons ago was published. Yup. In the world-renowned trade publication that is… Potato Business. Here’s the proof.
You’re all overwhelmed now, aren’t you, by the glamour and relentless excitement that is my life… and by my twisted tootsies.
Jenna asked me what it is you do for a living (besides this blog), and I think I did an ok job explaining – but now I have this brilliant potato prop!
What is that sandwich behind the fruit salad? Must have details…
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Oh, I sure wish this blog made me a living, lol 😉
You would have loved the “mollete”. Filled with pork and cheese. Delicious!
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YES YES YES OH GOD YES
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I knew that would do it for you. Seeing as you’re not into toes all that much.
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I just got my toes done actually! A nice bright salmon color.
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The perfect complement to every poolside….
I don’t want to draw any extra attention to mine 😉
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they’re fine!
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They’re curlier than my HAIR!!!
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I even commented on the article!
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WHAT?!?
*dashes off to inspect the damage*
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Oh, OK… I see what’cha did there 🙂 ❤
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OUCH!
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Are the wonky toes making you stand at a strange angle, or have you just been drinking too much?
And “dry as a nun’s nasty”? You have a rare turn of phrase but I think I might start using that one 🙂
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Funnily enough, I find it hard to walk in a straight line. Even when stone cold sober. Though I’d never thought of blaming it on my toes… you may be onto something there 😉
I didn’t come up with that expression myself – stole it from a friend. No idea why it hasn’t caught on yet!
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My sister uses it, except she says “Mother Theresa’s” and replaces “nasty” with a much ruder word…
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I must try that out next time… even if only to see how many search hits it gets me, lol
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Your toes aren’t that bad! I think mine are probably worse…
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Wait till you’ve seen them squashed into shoes… open-toed sandals are problematic, to say the least 😉
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I have a problem with flat feet. I can’t really wear many kinds of shoes otherwise it feels like I’ve broken a bone, it’s so painful! So I feel your pain about problematic shoes!
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Aw, I have the opposite problem. My arches are way too high. I can’t wear heels. Wearing shoes with just an extra inch, to me, it feels like I’m on stilts!
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Potato Business! That is hilarious!
Your toes look fine to me. You have a long second toe and probably a good prehensile grip! That can be useful 😉 As for me, I think I last wore 3-inch heels in the early 90s…
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Potatoes are very serious business! …and good with cheese 🙂
I gave up on heels in the 80’s. There’s. just. no. way.
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I don’t think ANY feet are pretty. Best kept covered up. Unless you are swimming of course. Mine are a bit podgy now (like the rest of me) with very dry heels – so NOT nice in sandals 😦 Your ‘dry as a nun’s nasty’ almost made me choke!!!
have a good day Simone 🙂
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I had a friend who was quite proud of her pretty feet. They were very nice feet, but she kept her toenails freakishly long, which always weirded me out, lol.
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11% drop in the use of potato! I knew people were going crazy with lchf diet but that huge! I think the trend is wearing out now though so will be interesting to see if more potatoes are consumed again!
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I think a lot of people just can’t be bothered with the washing, peeling, slicing… it’s all too much effort 😉
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I guess if you compare with pasta…
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You certainly have a rare turn of phrase..the nun’s nasty must be one of the best yet! And I’m so glad you didn’t elaborate on the aesthetically challenging parts, that would have been information overload…. BTW, the cucumber in the summer fruit salad seems to me to be a nod to Pims
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I’m not sure about it… why just just stick to melons, which also taste cucumberish?! I like iced water with cucumber slices (instead of lemon).
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Well, you have a point about the melon….
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I have ‘Monster Munch’ toes 😉 They’re quite the thing 🙂 Very envious of your poolside frolics and your potato fame!
Also love ‘dry as a nun’s nasty’ – was that a thing before or did you make it up!?
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Monster Munch toes! That’s them!
I didn’t come up with that… I’ve picked it up from my friend Vickers (of Key West fame).
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I also like ‘I’ve a mouth as dry as Gandhi’s flip flop’ 🙂
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LOL! I like that!
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That’s my condition today 😉
Germany won again by the way 😉 And I practised my little bit of German on real people in the bar! 🙂
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Well, they won… you could have been practicing satanic rites and they’d still have smiled benignly 😉
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Ha ha! They were lovely! And very happy that I’m moving to Germany – they wanted me to move to their town and open an Irish pub 😉
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That’s always a nice fall-back option in case they can’t get used to you as an Oirish teacher…
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Ha ha, I would LOVE that!
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Maybe that’s your true calling… I can see you in leopard print and a bombastic swept-up hairdo. You’ll need a new moniker… Lyncha!
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YES! That would be so much ‘Betta’ than English-teaching! 🙂
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What’cha gonna call your place? Is “Never To Riga I Shall Return” too much of a mouthful, you reckon?
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Hmm, it is a bit 😉
How about ‘The Anti-Latvian’ 😉
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The Smiles Inn 🙂
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Perfect!
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My toes are much uglier than yours!
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I think we should have an ugly toe competition…now that would be a photo challenge and a half… might break the internet!
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No way am I exposing my toes fro a ll the world! lol
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Chicken!!! …feet…? 😉
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It’s sandal season here in NYC and I’m telling you that some things are best left covered. *shudder*
The pool looks so inviting. I wish I could dive in and hang out until my fingers get wrinkly.
Congrats on the article in Potato Business. I see that they are an affiliate of Potato Storage International. You’re moving up in the world! 🙂
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It’s only a matter of time until I conquer all… got my eyes firmly trained on Chips and Crinkly Cut Monthly.
Incidentally, am always on the hunt for summer shoes that are airy but cover my crinklies.
Join us at the poolside!
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I actually LIKE my toes…and potatoes! Good old spuds, well, I am from Somerset 🙂 congrats on the article!
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Oh good! I’m glad someone does 🙂
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I see what you mean about your toes now. ONLY JOKING!
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Bloody hell. You’ve seen those beauties LIVE!
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Wonky-toed people unite! I have the typical toes of my mother’s family – all long, with the second toe longest. No shame though!
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I’ve also got my mother’s… plus her dodgy eyes. sigh.
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I was excited for you being a Published Author! until I looked at your article. My joy was quickly overwhelmed by the dreary news you reported…potatoes on the decline?! Horrors! I wish there was a link to the full article so I could ready your inspiring advice, whatever it was.
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LOL, you’re not missing much, I have to tell you 😉 It’s just work… which I’m glad to have, I hasten to add 🙂
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Pingback: Toe Woes And Other Weekly Highlights | puisidancerpen
Dry as a nun’s nasty… *chortle*
I have weirdly long toes. They almost look like fingers.
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After all these descriptive toe comments, I’m seriously starting to wonder whether anyone out there has got a “normal” set of them 😉
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I think toes are just generally weird things!
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Does anyone like their own feet? I have Flintstones toes. All fleshy and chubby (the big toe) but then long and skinny (the middle toe). My baby toes are tiny and have the teensiest tiny toe nails. Ed teases me when I get pedicures. Him: “how did they paint the baby toe nail, with a toothpick?” Me: Fuck off.
p.s. Congrats on the potato reporting!
p.p.s. You look stunning in that potato photo!
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Flintstones toes, lol!
If only I had potatoes, I’d have submitted a picture of those instead 😉 PotaTOES, geddit??
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I DO have pota TOES!! That is a perfect description. 🙂
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I actually like my feet, too!
Very sad to hear potatoes are on the decline. You wouldn’t think so here in Lithuania where they are part of most meals. I only recently saw the clip from Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution where the school kids didn’t even know what a potato was and that chips were made from them, so I guess I’m not that surprised that they’re in decline. I love ’em!
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Funny you should mention that… I was going to write a piece about that issue (kids’ ignorance when it comes to food) this week. Not for the blog, but for work, you understand.
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What is it about toes anyway? It’s a small minority of people who are happy with theirs … and I’m inclined to think that a big chunk of them don’t realize their toes are odd too.
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They are funny things, toes… and that toe fetish thing, I don’t get it at all!!! 😉
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