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In Iowa, there is nothing like the MoT inspection required. There used to be. They got rid of that when I was a kid. I remember the sticker you had to put in the corner of your windscreen every year. Then they went to requiring inspection only when you sold the car. A decade later, they got rid of it completely. I remember as a pre-teen looking through the newspaper classifieds (remember them?) at used cars. The seller would list them as "red title" if the car couldn't pass inspection. One used to be able to pick such cars up for a little bit of nothing. We have never had any kind of emissions test. I am completely ignorant of what the other 49 states do or do not require. Expanding on the general subject, and again this is for the State of Iowa, if a vehicle sustains damage that exceeds 70% of its fair market value before the damage, then it is given a Salvage title, and cannot legally be operated on public roads. If one repairs such a vehicle, at that point it must be inspected. If it passes inspection, the vehicle will be given a Rebuilt title (which, up until a few years ago, they used to call a Prior Salvage title).

At a meeting today, two 4 inch stilettos, two 4 inch block heels, one kitten stiletto, two 2 inch block heels, five tennis shoes.

That is great to hear. My co-worker just bought an old car to drive around and restore as well. I don't know what it is, but I know it has a 455 CID engine in it! My daughters are all into Theater which I have always supported. There is so much too it, from breaking out of their shells, to public speaking, to the creativity of making the costumes and scenery, as well as engineering for some of the sets, and obviously not getting into trouble after school because they are so engaged in theater. So there is a lot to it than just what meets the eye and so we support them. So much so that we went to a Broadway show just to keep encouraging them. Great to hear your son is also stepping up while you're at work so much. Sounds like you are doing well as a parent!!

Land yachts for sure, but relatively easy to drive, good visability, and comfortable for long trips, provided there are plenty of fuel stations along the way

I just completed my quick 1.5-day trip. And @pebblesf, the airline was SWA. I wore my Jessica Simpson black faux suede with block heels both ways. Stilettos would have been a nightmare of the airport floors. First with jeans and returned in dark red cords. I was one of the very few in colors other than white, black, blue, grey, and beige. Also, I had the highest heels everywhere. I saw some SWA flight attendants in short (2 inch) heels, and a Spirit FA also on short heels at the hotel I stayed at. Almost all the CLEAR and TSA agents complimented me on my knee-high boots before saying anything else. The guy at the car rental also complimented me on the ‘fierce’ boots before I got to his station. At least 20 other travelers also complimented me on the boots. Many, many double takes. Good quick trip. Another trip in a month. Again boots

Sounds like an interesting meeting. No such sophistication here in the rural north of England although I did see a woman sporting knee boots with 3-inch heels in the local grocery store the other day. the first time I've seen heels in town...

Funnily enough a couple if my pair of boots have been doing something similar. One of my low-heeled boots, I wear almost daily, and one of my OTK mid-heeled boots have both started rubbing in the top of my third toe on my left foot. Weird. And for no reason I can understand.

Apologies for going back to car talk, but I'm impressed with the Oldsmobile and its swift resurrection. Is it necessary/obligatory to have an old or rebuilt car officially tested as being 'roadworthy' in Iowa (or elsewhere in the US), as with the annual UK MoT test (for anything over three years old)?

I don't have any more car stories today. Actually, I do, but I think we're all getting tired of car stories. Today, I wish to complain about my shoes. When I say complain, it's in a softer sense. It's more of a puzzlement. My poor feet have been taking a beating lately, in more ways than one. As the weather gets warmer, I am gradually breaking out the lighter shoes and sandals. They who had been my longtime friends are not necessarily so friendly at present. During a particularly warm day a couple of weeks ago, I ventured out in my Bebe wooden sandals, which are normally good for several miles/all day. I consider them mid-heels, and they are real leather. Not the nicest looking things, but they are comfortable. However, they ate holes in my feet in under two miles on their first journey of the season, severe enough that it's taken about three weeks for them to heal completely. And then last night, I wore my Steve Madden beige colored pumps for several hours, including to choir rehearsal. Although they did not do any visible damage to my feet, I could feel a lot of pressure on the outsides of my feet around the bases of my little toes (left and right equally). The pain was limited to that, but that's bad enough. It's very distracting when you're trying to have a conversation with somebody, and all you can think about is that you want to get out of those shoes. That ain't no way to live. So what gives? Why would these former friends turn on me like this? Do you suppose I'm pregnant?

That’s such a great project and one that will bear nice fruit in the future. Wonderful for bringing you closer together and giving him some valuable skills and treasured memories.

I did not expect to be writing this so soon, but the Oldsmobile rides again! She starts, runs, moves forward and backward, turns, and most importantly, stops. I drove it about 5 miles last night. It's all right. Pretty much what I remember from when I was a kid. Whitewall tires are ordered (almost impossible to find now), and the beast actually has insurance on it now. Once the tires get here, we'll have to take it out on the highway and see how she behaves. Ain't no way I'd go over about 40 mph with the tires that are on it right now. To bring it back in, no, I did not wear heels on my first time behind the wheel. But I did wear my favorite nude patent flat sandals! I don't know if my son really wants me wearing heels in that car anyway. It would be a shame to poke a hole in pretty much pristine 52 year old carpet.

Working on an old car can be a great bonding experience as well. My buddy managed to connect my old Camaro with a telephone poll so many years ago, just after I had ordered and received a new long block for it. We spent most nights in his garage pulling the front of that car off so the subframe could be straightened, and we could find used body parts to put it back together. Became best buds sharing this project together for sure. It's great to hear about young guys doing something other than the usual phone stuff these days, especially sharing a project like the Olds with a friend. "Free time" is surely not a friend to most youngsters, they usually find "unproductive" ways to fill it. I know I sure did! So, having a project like this is a great learning experience, and will make owning and driving the Olds even more special. Plus, the guys are hanging out at home, so less worries about what trouble they might find while "out and about". I know they will have many great memories taking road trips in that great old beast of a car.

I will let you know when the Olds is reliable enough to actually drive it. Sometimes I worry that I don't say "no" enough to my kid. This certainly would have been a time to do so. However, I figure I'm doing the public a valuable service. Not only is my son too busy to get into trouble, he usually has someone over to help him, either work on the car/motorbike, or play music. By extension, I figure I'm keeping several young boys out of trouble, which is good for them, and good for the community. See how I justified all this expense? Plus, once mowing season starts, my son owes me some money. Since I started working all this overtime, my son has stepped up and is cooking three meals a week, which was about three times more than I expected. I figured one, maybe two occasionally. On Sundays, we go through the cookbook, make a list, and go grocery shopping together. For having little experience cooking, he doesn't do all that bad! Even Mama has quit yelling at him in Vietnamese quite as frequently these days. I don't mind spoiling him a little bit.

That would have been priceless indeed!

I think that got carried over for the police as well, at least in the United States. Typically, when they enter a person's home to talk to the occupants, they remove their hat before entering. In a similar situation, but different I watched a woman talking on her phone, absentmindedly doing heel play with one of her heels. All was good until it fell off... and she was on a bridge over a river! The look on her face was priceless when she realized she had to walk home with one heel on and the other lost to the watery abyss. It was the look of pure shock!

Sounds normal and expected to get the Olds running reliably again. He will learn alot for sure. We all went through it when we were younger, "the curse of youth"... Good lessons learned one at a time. Just hoping he isn't planning to use the Olds as a "daily driver"... The gas will kill him, and it will rust quickly in the winter...

That’ll be a great education for him!

The Oldsmobile almost rides again! My son, though quite sensible for his age, was not really grounded in reality when he decided he had to have this land yacht. What initially began as simply needing a starter has ballooned into completely cleaning out the entire fuel system, including dropping the gas tank, to get rid of the skunkiest gasoline I have ever encountered in my life. I tried to light a paper towel soaked in this gasoline. It would not burn. I am somewhat impressed by him though. There are not very many 16 year old kids left in this world who can take a carburetor to pieces, put it back together, and still have it work. Next, with the 455 Rocket engine back in the game, we blew a hole in the side of the radiator. New radiator. Next, the brakes ceased to function. That's kind of where we're at right now, waiting on parts (which are surprisingly available and cheap). He, in his teenage brain, did not see all of this coming, but I sure did. . . Oh, and we need to buy tires, which are not cheap. Good thing I'm employed again.

(sorry) We call those vehicles land yachts. To large to maneuver the mountain roads around here (with speed). But if he learns how to parallel park in that, then everything else will be easy.

So cool! Always loved full sized Olds, and this four door body style looks great as well. Sure, will suck down the fuel, but I'm sure he will only use it for special occasions. I hope there is a nice dry place inside to house this behemoth, so the rust won't consume it.... Wish I had my 73 Chevy back...

That’s certainly a classic. I’ll bet it’s a thirsty beast too.

Thankyou! I have always disliked Amazon after having a bad experience so many years ago... And now with the current state of affairs in the US, I refuse to use Amazon as well, don't care if they are giving the stuff away...

Thanks! I think I’ll pick up a copy

It's available from Hive who are an ethical bookseller: https://www.hive.co.uk/Product/Gail-Rolfe/Vogue-Essentials-Heels--A-gorgeous-celebration-of-the-ult/23098533

I’ve just come across this book on heels by Vogue. It looks interesting although it’s on Amazon and these days I’m reluctant to give Jeff Bezos any of my money. https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1840917679/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&psc=1

These (from M&S) for example?

I would say that Chelsea boots can be flat, or have Cuban, block or stiletto heels. The 'Chelsea' aspect seems to relate to the elastic sides, although zip-sided boots are also called 'Chelsea' style. These (Calvin Klein) are sold as 'Chelsea boots' (and would surely look good on many men):

Yes it wasn’t meant to be an academic or scientific study just a woman writers take in heels. It sprang from an essay in The Atlantic, I think

I acquired and read a copy of the 'High Heel - Object Lessons' book Shyheels mentions. I can't say I found it particularly inspiring or enlightening as it is clearly one woman's take on 'high heel' matters rather than any type of scientific study, but her opinions and experiences are quite interesting. But worth reading for the insight, such as it is.