Skip to main content

Now, where did I leave that paintbrush?

A pair of new shoes, won recently on Ebay.  Vintage Florsheim Imperial Wingtip Brogues in Tan. . . for the rediculously low price of US$ 20.00!  Can tweed 'plus fours', knee-length Argyll socks, and a long weekend at Aunt Agatha's be in the picture?


May Term ended today, and none too soon.  It's always a great deal of fun sharing my love for all those old 1940s and 50s films noir with undergraduates in their late teens and early twenties.  It is also a great deal of work reading and preparing nightly for almost a month of daily three hour classes, reading through student assignments, and so forth.

It is, therefore, with great internal fanfare that I celebrate my final day in the classroom. . .   at least until mid-August rolls around again!  Time to get back to more important things like painting model soldiers and pushing them around the gaming table in their hundreds.  Along with somewhat more routine nattering on about it here on the Grand Duchy of Stollen blog than has been the case during the last few months.

We have the first long weekend of the summer coming up here in the United States -- Memorial Day Weekend, and I have already informed the Grand Duchess that some of it will be spent painting those darn Minden hussars that have sat gathering dust on the painting table behind me since March.  She seemed strangely agreeable to the idea, which makes me wonder uneasily what might be percolating within her own mind.  We have been together, more or less, for about ten years now (married for five at the end of next month), and while I think we know each other pretty well at this point, one can never be entirely sure what thoughts and potentially nefarious deeds might be lurking in the recesses of others' noggins.  As the great Michael Caine stated in the lukewarm 1984 farce Blame It on Rio, "You just never know!"

In the meantime, take a look at what I found and won on Ebay a couple of weeks ago.  Maybe not to everyone's taste in footwear, but I've been after a pair of tan brogues for some little while, and they returned from the cobbler's yesterday afternoon, where I took them for some refurbishing and a shine.  Normally, I shine my own shoes, but these needed extra care to get them back into presentable condition after I took delivery a week or so ago.  

Now, if these strike you as too fancy, that's fine.  To each, his own.  Remember that I am something of a clothes horse, as I have mentioned previously here and there on the Grand Duchy of Stollen blog.  An appreciation for sartorial splendor is, after all, one of the driving forces behind this rather odd assortment of posts on model soldiers and painting them, wargaming, tabletop scenery, bicycling, Nordic skiing, and etc.

And hey, at least my new brogues aren't the ubiquitous athletic shoes, what we used to call 'sneakers' back in the 70s and 80s, or the much hated 'comfort shoes' with man-made soles that can't be replaced and velcro fasteners.  I cringe -- CRINGE, I tell you -- every time I catch sight of some poor schlubb ambling along in those kinds of shoes.  While I understand that orthopedic issues force shoes like this onto some individuals, who might prefer to wear something a bit more attractive, I'll stick to lace up shoes with leather uppers and soles as long as I'm physically able, and as long as you can still find them for sale.  It's just one of those things.


Comments

Mosstrooper said…
Snazzy shoes !!! , I like ! sort of Old School Shoes .
Man I'm envious; those are some nice shoes!
Well played on the old E-bay.
As a former teacher I can understand the delight the summer expanse offers to toy soldier enthusiasts.

Don
Thank you, men! Yes, they are charmingly old school, aren't they? I feel almost like a latter day Bertie Wooster when I have them on my feet.

Best Regards. . .
Bluebear Jeff said…
Ah, nice. They do look splendid . . . and sort of harken to an earlier more civilized era, don't They?


-- Jeff
Der Alte Fritz said…
As Fernando once said, "it is better to look marvelous than to feel marvelous".

Nice clogs. Buying them on eBay seems a little bit risky as you can't be entirely sure that they will fit properly.

I wouldn't call them Old School though, I wear wing tips all the time in the banking business. :)
Conrad Kinch said…
Looking sharp. I must retire my battered brogues. I only several pairs of running shoes, but curiously enough I only ever wear them for running.
marinergrim said…
Nice shoes. Vintage styles have more apeal than the modern ones for me too.
Gentlemen,

Happy to learn that we share, more or less, similar tastes in footwear! I really, REALLY like these shoes and delayed taking them off for as long as possible yesterday before finally retiring them to the wardrobe (with some cedar shoe trees inside) for a few days of rest. Yes, it can be a bit risky purchasing shoes online without trying them on first, but since the as a 9.5A (narrow width. . . akin to 42-43 in Britain and Europe, I think), I figured I would take the plunge since I wear a narrow shoe anyway, and narrow width can sometimes be hard to find. The price was simply too good to pass up as well. Jim, I must ask. Allen Edmonds? Johnston Murphy? Or Church?

Best Regards. . .

Popular posts from this blog

Presenting the Anspach-Bayreuth Kuirassiere!!!

Here they are, with the rearmost nine figures still drying, three squadrons of the Anspach-Bayreuth Kuirassiere, now in the service of the Grand Duchy of Stollen. And now, it's onto that artillery!

Taking Stock Part II: The (As Yet) Unpainted but Planned OOB. . .

  Two companies of Reichsarmee grenadiers painted back in 2017 or 2018.  Minden Austrians of course. A lovely early autumn day here in the grand duchy.  Bright sunshine and a light breeze with cool temperatures will make for some very pleasant late afternoon lawn mowing in a little while.  But first a bit more discussion of painting plans for the future. Last time, I looked back at the various and sundry units, support troops, and civilians that I've managed to paint in the last 17 years as the Grand Duchy of Stollen project has developed.  So today, let's look into the seemingly bottomless Drawer 'o' Lead to my left for a clue to the new direction.  Be forewarned, it's not going to be a quick job getting everything painted and based, but there we are. The following plans are based on the pile of unpainted figures already here.  Any future purchases will be limited to small things that might be needed to fill out the envisioned units (the odd few officers mounted o

Having a "No Day". . .

  F or the almost 20 years that she lived in Mexico, one of my late mother's Irish friends frequently mentioned having a "No Day."  A day with no social obligations, chores, tasks, or other work that interfered with whatever personal interests took one's fancy on the day in question. Since today -- a gray and chilly Saturday -- is Mom's birthday, the Grand Duchess is out with friends, and the Young Master is ensconced on the sofa in the TV room with a cold, yours truly is taking his own such No Day.  I think Mom would approve of my decision to make the world go away, as the old Eddie Arnold song intoned, even if only for a little while. So, I will spend Saturday afternoon focused on that first squadron and small regimental staff of Eureka Saxon cuirassiers.  These have stood waiting  untouched over on the painting table for almost three weeks while we skied and otherwise gadded about with snowy, winter outdoor activities. I hope to share a painting update Sunday a