Fabulous quote, and shoes

[blamebrampton]

One of the things that makes the medium of television bearable is the fact that it provides Stephen Fry with a comfortable living. His quiz show, the very funny and usually correct QI, has a wonderful quote book on the market, which I quickly snapped up (when doing freelance subeditorial work, being able to provide fresh material for pullquotes is e mark of a true professional). I have been slowly reading through it and taking the occasional note, my favourite so far is this, mostly for the attribution: 

"The most difficult thing in the world is to know how to do a thing and to watch someone else do it wrong without comment."
T.H. White, multi-talented English schoolteacher, storyteller and countryman, who was also a sadomasochistic homosexual and alcoholic. J.K. Rowling claims him as a key influence on the Harry Potter books.

I think it shows.

Also, I was possessed by the spirits of raitala  and pingrid  today, with that of shiv5468  whispering in my ear. Which is why I now own these shoes.


 

J came into the shop when I was trying them on. 'Do you want them because they remind you of your fast-fading youth? Or because they make you look like a proper grown-up?' he asked.

'I can see over the counter!' I replied.

Comments

[thisgirl-is.livejournal.com]

They are awesome. I have some major shoe-envy going on. :o)

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

If you're ever in Sydney, I will reveal my sources ;-)

[aldehyde.livejournal.com]

eheh those shoes reminded me of pratchett's witches for some reason :P

that stephen fry quote is hilarious!

[tomatoe18.livejournal.com]

Wow, badass shoes for the win, BB! *impressed*

[aliciajd]

I had those ... in fire engine red! In 1976.

Seriously, I loved those shoes.

[i-autumnheart.livejournal.com]

How exactly do you manage to walk in shoes wiht soles that thick?

:is impressed and quite amused:

[noeon.livejournal.com]

Nice shit-kicking fabulous shoes. I liked the first book, Sword in the Stone, but the other two of that series were creepy. Your characterization of him (or the quote thereof) makes sense. He really got into Lot of Orkney as a character. Eww.

[symetric.livejournal.com]

'I can see over the counter!' I replied.
*pets* I feel your pain. :p

On the other hand, the shoes really do look quiet comfy and um... thick. Hats off to you; good luck walking.

[pingrid.livejournal.com]

I approve! Chunky boots FTW! :D And also seeing over the counter. ;)

Oh, oh, and while on the subject of footwear: I recently went to Aladdin's Cave (eBay) and got a pair of these boots, which needless to say have a bit more of a gap in the side lacing when worn by me, but are REALLY comfy! I believe that this last may possibly be the high heel that you can wear - it's fairly wide in front and it's almost like walking in flats. There's a shop in Melbourne that carries Fluevogs, so if you like the look of them you could try them on next time you're down that way! There are lots of different styles that use the same sole.

And speaking of Fluevogs, that whole buying a new flat thing put a spanner in the works for my having horribly expensive boots shipped via you plan, but hopefully the accepting a new and better paid job thing will make it possible Really Soon Now!

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

I have been planning a shopping trip there for MONTHS, only hampered by the fact I keep spending money on other things. What I should do is just hold off buying fripperies for a few weeks, use my Europe air points to fly down and catch up with Push and Mere and my RL peeps, then come back with MAGNIFICENT SHOESES!

As to yours, we are aiming at the Baltic states early August for a wedding, then Scandinavia here we come, so you have time!

[melusinahp.livejournal.com]

Those shoes are teh awesome. I would totally wear them. I had this black leather quasi-biker jacket for years and one day I decided that I'd outgrown it (psychologically) and bought a much more sedate black leather jacket without buckles and straps.

I want that old biker jacket back so badly now. lol.

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

I know that feeling exactly! I do recommend that, should you ever see a similar jacket in a shop, you buy it. These shoes go with only a few things I wear, are silly and not spectacularly well made, but they are cheering me up every time I look at them let alone wear them!

I think this all started when J and I bought play equipment last year so that we could just do things like skip and throw balls. Since then, when I find something I used to like that I still like, I grab it even if it's age inappropriate. It's working so far!

[glass-violet.livejournal.com]

fantastic shoes! i bought new shoes the other day (had too! they were on special, $35 instead of $120!), they are foolishly tall and tottery and i'm wearing them out to a burlesque/vaudeville evening at the republic bar in hobart on saturday! woo hoo!

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

That sounds SPECTACULAR. We will need a shoe-off next time we are together ;-)

[lilian-cho.livejournal.com]

Didn't know that about T.H. White! Now I want to look up his biography in addition to re-reading The Sword in the Stone.

[uminohikari.livejournal.com]

It would be really painful to be stepped on by those shoes :D

[cinnatart.livejournal.com]

those shoes are great and I want some too =P

[norton-gale.livejournal.com]

Oh man - c'est formidable. I hope you have some striped bell-bottom trousers to wear those shoes with!

[sassy-cissa.livejournal.com]

Cool! I bet I could see over the counter in those!!

*ponders swiping them*

*considers distance to travel to swipe*

*sighs and dreams of swiping*

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

If you made it all this way, I would hand em over! (They are jolly good fun, I do recommend the occasional shop in the young person shops!)

[jadzialove.livejournal.com]

Big girl shoes! You will be soooo TALL!!!

They're fantastic! I would totally fall over wearing them.

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

I AM! J keeps laughing as I stand beside him. I am being very careful and not walking quickly or over rough ground!

[glass-violet.livejournal.com]

I just put the cardboard castle together for the small girl (will be painting it tonight after she's gone to bed). Upon emerging from her bedroom and catching sight of the castle sitting on the table she gasped, and stared enraptured for a moment, before declaring "Wow! A castle! And when you lock the doors, the naughty Princesses can't get out!" She is currently imprisoning all those Princesses and cackling like a mad thing...

[glass-violet.livejournal.com]

And now the Princesses are running around the castle searching for Mr Filch :D

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

*SNORT!* Ah Small Girl, you are a bringer of much glee. I suppose this means we should find her a Mrs Norris ... GO Princess Prison, the photo is GORGEOUS!

[mific.livejournal.com]

Loved T.H.White when I first read him (longer ago than I'm prepared to admit). Stephen Fry is funny and terrifyingly smart. Have just finished his audiobook of Philosopher's Stone, which is so good it's bloody hard now to adjust to Jim Dale doing the rest of the books less well. Am still in initial stages of intense HP fascination so immersing big-time - net, audio, fanart, fics. Would be worried if I allowed myself any time for independant thought, but no risk of that. Shoes are kickass - and essential to be able to see over counters of course.

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

I've only read The Once and Futire King and Mistress Masham's Repose, but I hugely enjoyed both even though I wondered at the mind of the man who wrote them.

Fry is terrific, I have been slowly working my way through The Ode Less Travelled, his how-to book for poetry. I WANT the Potter audiobook, but continually fail to remember to buy it. It may be that this will push me over the edge! And HURRAH for the first stages of HP fascination! I hope you are really enjoying yourself, I know I did!

I cannot tell you how much fun it is to be fake-tall, too ;-)

[deensey.livejournal.com]

I LOVE THEM!

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

ME TOO! (And reasonably cheap, though the build quality is good, not great ...)

[ms-kilian.livejournal.com]

I love the shoes; although, given your track record, I do fear a little for your ongoing safety :)

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

Oh fie, not a bicycle or a taxi in sight! It will be fine because I will be walking slowly and carefully and I do have v good balance!

[annes-stuff.livejournal.com]

'I can see over the counter!'

But will the top of your head reach above my shoulders? ;-)

*ducks, and runs for cover*

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

You ARE unnaturally tall, you know ;-)

And yes, I think it might!

[annes-stuff.livejournal.com]

he he he

And I am the SHORT one in my family!

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

Me too, you'll not be surprised to hear ...

[annes-stuff.livejournal.com]

I am (173cm or 5'8") and the tallest in my family is 6'6" tall, don't know what that is in cm though.

You get excited over shoes that make you fell taller, I get excited when I find a pair of pants that is actually long enough!

[drgaellon]

Ahahahahaha! You can't be THAT short?!? (Have I ever mentioned that my mom is only 147cm? I am 180cm.)

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

I'm a bit taller than your mom! At 156cm I'm actually around global average height for a woman, but so many of my friends are tall, and my dad was tall and my family are all taller, and there are two shops J and I frequent where I do actually need to jump up and down and wave my arms a little ... but whenever I feel a pity party like this starting up, I console myself that at least I do not live in Holland!

Did I reply to your post on populous/lace? That one drives me INSANE!!

[drgaellon]

You did not, but I'm glad to know I'm not the only one. I am a total grammar Nazi... but that particular error really makes me stabby.

PS: the icon on my first comment was randomly selected... but eminently apropos. (If you are unfamiliar, it's William Daniels as John Adams standing next to Ken Howard as Thomas Jefferson in 1776, my all-time favorite musical. Howard is nearly a foot taller than Daniels...)

[grey-hunter.livejournal.com]

Ack. I so need to buy a new pair of shoes, too. The one I'm wearing has a crack through one of the soles. Why is it that you find a good shop and then when you need a new pair of shoes couple of years later, you go back and it's not there anymore? :(((

[arcanetrivia]

Or because they make you look like a proper grown-up?' he asked.

'I can see over the counter!' I replied.

LOL!