Flats are so much more practical, comfortable, and often cuter than heels. I am an advocate for them! But there's that 2% of the time when you're wearing that adorable dress, when those heels are so tempting because they just make your legs look so much better than flats! And then you wear them dancing, your toes hurt to the point where you wonder if they might fall off altogether, and you quickly remember why you always wear flats. :|

I think I need to check out Piperlime. It looks awesome. :)

You know this already Melissa, but I cut out McDonalds (and that variety of fast food in general) from my diet probably two years ago, and I've never regretted it. If you can get to the point where thinking about eating it disgusts you, that is key! It will effectively keep you from going back. Heh. Huzzah for "Super Size Me!"

Your professor sounds intimidating, as does your syllabus. If Ulysses is anything like Portrait of an Artist as a Young Man, I would probably run away screaming.

Melissa & Ztraces, Ditto on the flats vs. heels. As I watched five senior girls walk painfully across the stage during a Homecoming coronation earlier this week, I thought about how these shoes are the most ridiculous footwear ever invented. You could see the pain on their faces with every step. Studies have shown that long-time wear does long-term damage to women's feet. Who came up with this idea, anyway? Yes, they do make your legs look slimmer, but is it worth it? Maybe you think it is when you're 17, but believe me it's not.

Interesting blog, Melissa!

OMG, you are a busy woman! But it's great that you take time to go out on dates.

Those books and terms are, well, intimidating to be sure!

I don't blame you for giving up heels! They should be only for special, special things. Besides, compared to a few years ago, flats are super cute nowadays and can be worn with all kinds of outfits. Go shopping!

all right, i realize footwear is a hot topic and i do also like the flats that are out this season. However, swearing off heels is just not an option for us vertically challenged chicks with a little "junk-in-the-trunk". i have size 4 height and size 10 hips; heels help me avoid looking like i've been playing in my mother's closet. :)

oh, and i envy your class reading list. i so miss taking literature classes ... gotta love a good heroic quest!

Melissa - how did you find a babysitter? has anyone tried out sites like sittercity.com?

I actually found my babysitter through sittercity.com. So far I think it's an incredible tool. Wish I would have built that site! It also helps people find pet sitters.

Hey GF. Sittercity screens sitters to a certain extent. Each sitter has a criminal background check performed on them. Parents can send each sitter an e-mail requesting permission to see a sitter's check.

This is what parents will learn:

1. Identity Check
Identity Check verifies personal identifying information provided on an application such as name, current address, Social Security Number, and previous addresses or aliases in order to establish a person’s unique identity and to ensure the applicant represents him or herself truthfully.

2. National Criminal Search
National Criminal Search is a comprehensive review of the following criminal record sources:
State and county criminal record repositories;
State sex offender registries;
Prison, parole and release files from state Department of Corrections, Administrative Office of Courts, and other state agencies;
Proprietary LexisNexis criminal record information.

3. Traffic Violations
In some jurisdictions, traffic violations may count as misdemeanors or felonies. If committed in these jurisdictions, these traffic violations may appear on the National Criminal Search as well.

The National Criminal Search will find offenses in the following states ONLY:

AL,AK,AZ,AR,CA,CT,DC,FL,GA,ID,IL,IN,IA,KS,KY,ME,MI,MN,MS,MO,MT,NE,NV,NH,NJ,NC,NY,OH,OK,OR,RI,SC,TN,TX, UT,VA,WA,WI

Sex Offender and Violent Crime Registry will find offenses in the following states ONLY:

49 states (excludes Vermont)

Offenses for minors may not appear in the public record are therefore not accessible in the background check. This is part of why Sittercity recommends using a sitter who is 17 or older.

I get your point about high heels, but high heels have advantages of their own, men perceive women with high heels as more attractive and that's a fact. It may seem unfair for poor women to wear such shoes but this is something that they assume and eventually everything becomes natural. By the way, I also found nice items on Zappos.

SitterCity also now offers house-sitting and senior care matching (I'm on their e-mail list because I once signed up to work as a pet sitter). I haven't needed to hire a babysitter or a pet sitter for awhile, as my daughter is grown and my pets either travel with me or my neighbor watches them. Not sure how comfortable I would be letting someone I didn't know stay in my house while I was away and, since my parents live in Florida (and will not ever be returning to the cold Midwest, thank you ver much), I won't need to arrange to have them cared for while I'm at work. But it's good to know such things are available for people who need them.

And, as for shoes, I bought some stylish sandals this summer that I really love but they SQUEAK with every step I take. Is there any way to quiet this problem?