1,000 Mile Boot

I was in Salt Lake City this weekend and had a chance to swing by D. Grant, Ltd. at The Gateway shopping center downtown. I have been following the Wolverine 1,000 Mile Boot since they started making them again in 2008. I have wanted to try them on and someday own a pair, so when I saw that D. Grant, Ltd. had them I couldn't resist.

The boots are made in Michigan using welt construction. The have a leather sole, rubber heel, and waxed canvas laces. They were originally made in the early 1900's and were called the 1,000 Mile Boot because of their durability and quality construction. The exact same design, molds, and construction techniques have been used again to re-create this classic American boot. It is quality you can feel!

http://www.wolverine.com/us/1000mile/

Last night I looked closely at my boots again. Although the moisture from the Mink Oil was still there, they looked pretty haggard again. I decided it was time to shine them again. Shoe shining is a manly ritual that is also therapeutic.

The process starts with having the proper tools: two horsehair brushes (a "clean" one for polishing and dusting and a "dirty" one for applying the shoe polish) and some Kiwi Shoe Polish. You use the "clean" brush to remove dust and clean the leather. Next, you use the "dirty" brush to apply a nice even coat of the Kiwi Shoe Polish. Let that dry for about 30 min and then buff it with the "clean" brush". This develops the shine by removing excess polish and only leaving a thin layer over the leather.

The before picture is above. The after picture is below. The after picture doesn't do my shine job justice. It looks much better on my foot right now!

The Chive Always Delivers

A day in the life of radio components

Saw this today in Denny's

I think they are on to something. . .

So last night I ended up at Five Guys Burgers and Fries. Some say they make the best burger in town. They are known for having a large selection of toppings and fresh cut fries fried in peanut oil. I ordered a half pound burger with bacon (makes everything better), mushrooms, grilled onions, and mustard. The result is pictured above.

The burger was well built. It didn't fall apart in my hands even though it was such a large burger. I was impressed by that. The earthy note from the mushrooms complemented the savory bacon and onions but none of the toppings overpowered the flavor of the hamburger meat. The texture was consistent throughout. I ate a little too fast and burned my tongue when I got to the center. I give this burger 4.5 out of 5. I will eat here again.

Visitor

Drex decided to come visit me in my office this afternoon.

New Car!

So. . . I got a new car! The whole process started when my 2003 Dodge Durango R/T turned 70,000 miles. I have heard about transmission and engine trouble on those cars between 80,000 and 120,000 miles and I started to worry about it. I didn't want to have to put thousands of dollars into a car that wasn't hardly worth thousands anymore. So I decided to look for a more fuel efficient new car.

My search started with the 2011 Ford Fiesta. They are cool little cars, but they are REALLY little! The search ended when I bought the car pictured above, 2011 Mazda 3 hatchback. It has a lot of great features for a car in the $20,000 price range. My favorite feature on the interior is the bluetooth. Not only can you make handsfree calls in the car but my iPhone can also play music over bluetooth and the audio quality is actually really good!

Standby for more pictures of it later today. . . . .