Red shoes and Steve Buscemi

I fell in love with a pair of shoes the other day. I got this email (entitled 'oooooo') and when I opened it I saw a pair of sparkly red mary janes. To say I drooled would be an understatement. I even went to the shop to try a pair on. I did bottle it at the last second and try the black version on. I did The Pook's trick of wearing pop socks under my usual socks so that I was not at the mercy of the pop sock the shop assistant always produces. The one that smells like something died in it. Well I tried the shoes on and I couldn't get the buckle across the foot done up. Damn my huge feet. Well, I got one done up but I felt a bit like one of Cinderella's ugly stepsisters and couldn't just give it a good yank in case I broke them. I could have cried. I managed not to, even though I was sure everyone was watching me make a monumental twat of myself.

Once again I am the reluctant victim of Imelda Marcos's shoe obession and The Incredible Hulk's feet. It's just not a combination that works. I returned from this shopping trip with virtually nothing except a DVD that I could have got cheaper almost anywhere else. (Con Air - my purse is repeatedly battered by a combination of my great love for films with Steve Buscemi in and my desire to cheer myself up by spending money.) Stupid HMV. I had a voucher for the place and they didn't have Con Air in, but they could order it for me for £10. Piss off!! I had to go to Virgin Megastore which had it, but was about a half mile away from HMV. Thank goodness I wasn't wearing sparkly red mary janes...

I got back from Brighton yesterday. Which I love hugely. I lived there for four years when I was at uni and there's nowhere else like it. I feel like I've come home when I'm there. I went to see one of my friends who teaches there. After a brilliant couple of days there I popped into town before catching the train back to London. I even went to HMV and bought a copy of Fargo with my voucher (more Steve Buscemi. Hurrah!) and as it was cheap I could also get this week's Indiana Jones celebratory Empire magazine. I knew the shop that sold the red shoes was there and I hadn't been able to get them out of my mind. (In fact I'm beginning to suspect they have some kind of magical properties.) While I was shopping I happened across this other pair of back shoes, which I rather liked and I ended up buying them. They're a bit tight across the toe, but I can't help thinking that they might be second best. Have I bought these shoes because the red ones are too flashy for me? Will I always be the woman in the sensible shoes? The thing is... I have a cheque in my bag from my dad for £50 for my birthday. The red shoes are £39.

The grant funding for my job runs out soon, and I won't be able to spend money so frivilously anymore. I can't really go around splashing money out on shoes I'll probably never wear and probably won't be able to do up and I bet they'll hurt like the devil. But they were just so pretty... It would be nice to be Cinderella for once. Wouldn't it?