circa 2003
Emptying out my suitcase this morning, I found my uniform and beret. No t-shirts, thought I had them on a shelf here in Germany. Not true as it turns out; they all migrated to the UK over the last year. Except for one old and tattered hiding behind all my SciFi Convention t-shirts.
Now for boots. I own three pairs of desert type boots, all getting kind of old and worn down. Two pairs date from my time (2003-2004) in the desert and I do have some attachment to them. The third pair are Norwegian Army boots that I was given in 1998. More than 10 years ago, I only started wearing them in the last couple of years. Dating of course from the US Army changing to the ACU (Army Combat Uniform), transitioning to desert boots from the black combat boot.
It hasn’t been bad, polishing boots was never my thing. There are draw backs; the desert boots were designed for the desert. Seems obvious, right|? Now think about Germany and the UK. It can rain. A lot. Suede does not do well with water. If you spray you boots to seal them, they don’t let your feet breathe in hot environs. Not well insulated, your feet can get quite cold in the winter even ignoring the issues with snow. I do have options. I could spend the money on new boots.
Did I mention that the Army and Air Force don’ t have the same boots? That means a run through the clothing sales store while I am back here in Germany. Lots of money that I would rather spend on, oh lets say …..yarn, audio books, downloads from iTunes, books.
But they do look a bit worn, sad, ready to be retired.
