My friend Ashley turned me on to these shoes called Campers. Camper Shoes. From Spain! Some look like soccer shoes, some look like bowling shoes, some look like hip shoes. A lot of them have soles that are rubber with circular bumps on them. Pretty neat. A negative is that they come only in whole sizes.*

So I saw some at American Rag a week or so ago, but Ashley told me that I had to buy them on Haight, because they're a lot cheaper there. So, today, Thursday, I went over to the Haight and walked around and looked at shoes. I only saw Campers at two places, and they didn't have any I wanted. And, I don't know if they were really that much cheaper, Ashley.

So, then I went over to American Rag and saw some that I liked. They were black with some white piping. I think they call it piping in the fashion world. So, when I went in this girl/woman took my bag and helmet for me while I looked. Then she was like, if you need any help let me know. Then I was like thanks. Then I looked at the shoes for a while. And she came over and said, if you see any you like, let me know, I'll get your size. And I was like thanks. And then I found some I wanted to try on and I went over to her.

I said, these come in whole sizes only, right? And she said yeah. And I said could I try 10 and 11? And she went to check, but she said they were really scarce on size 11 of those. Then she came back and didn't have either. And they run a little small, so I'd probably want 11.

Now here's the good part. Here's when we sort of became friends. She was like you know, we're getting in 5 whole boxes of Campers tomorrow! And I was like, really? Hmmmm, what time of day you think you'll have those out (I asked this cause I was leaving for the weekend on Friday)? So, she was like, mmmmm, you know by the time we have them priced and everything, it'll probably be Saturday.

And then she said she'd call me when they get them out. So, she asked me for my phone number and I wrote my name and number on an American Rag card. Then she wrote her name on one of those cards and gave it to me and said I could call her too.

I kind of liked the girl. I also got the vibe that she was: 1) in need of a man, and 2) into me. I am a man, by the way. I bought some Diesel jeans there and then the person who rang me up said, did anyone help you with this and I was like, um, yes, this girl did. I am hesitant to put her real name out here on the web. Lots of psychos out there. You know. Ever since that disastrous motorcycle accident in June when my brand new wonderful Diesel jeans were ruined, I've been trying to replace them. But as Diesel says every pair is different. And I just haven't found the proper successor.

*You know what I don't like? When shoes come in only whole sizes. I wear 10 1/2. Do I get 10 or 11? It's okay if I'm somewhere trying them on, but how about ordering them over the internet? Let's change to world, not just accept "whole sizes only". -- from an email I wrote in late 2000

Mid-November Tales, "Shoes III", is here.

Trip to Los Angeles Story, "Birthday: Shoes Pt II", is here.

American Rag San Francisco story, "Shoes", is here.