The Boots of a Millionaire

Have you ever wanted to know what it feels like to walk in the boots of a millionaire. Well I have done just that, and let me tell you... It Hurts. I guess I should start from the beginning.

I recently went on a trip. It was fathers day. During my visit it was the consensus that we would go hiking. Right in the middle of bear season mind you, but that wasn't the big problem. Big problem was that along with my dress shoes I only had a pair of sandals. Neither suitable footwear for a trek into the mountains. Even though my wearing sandals would be the equivalent of bear repellent it didn't seem like a good idea.

I could get into whose fault it is that I didn't have boots with me but for the sake of my marriage I'll only say that if I had wanted boots I should have packed them myself. ;)

Anyway, It just so happens that a multi-millionaire who frequents the location had left a pair of boots he no longer wears. They were left under orders that anyone who could fit them were welcome to them. As it turns out this little Cinderella was the only person with size eleven feet who tried them on. Perfect fit. Or so I thought.

Adorned with my new to me boots we set out on a trek up the mountain with a couple of cans of bear mace and .45 just in case. Our goal was to make it to waterfall by following the stream to it's source. Off we go, through the field filled with cactus, through the tree line, to where we run into large boulders which must be scaled in order to continue our journey. Here is where our little party divided into 2 separate teams. Those wishing to push on toward our goal, and those wishing for a more leisurely wait in the shade of large pine while watching the rushing stream roll by.

Always one wanting to take a challenge onward and upward I go. Along with me my brother and his wife, my sister, and my wife. Over and under we go navigating ever so carefully through the maze of boulders knowing that one wrong move with my new boots could send me sailing off the ever growing cliff downward to the stream below.

Yep they still fit, only I think this millionaire might have a little swelling in his right foot. About this time I notice the right boot is much more loose on my foot than the left. On occasion as I leap from one rock to the next I can feel my foot roll over the outer edge of the sole. Still doing okay.

Soon we reached the pinnacle of our journey. No not the base of the waterfall where we could frolic about, but where the danger of going on far out weighed the benefits of reaching the base. Sounds sensible doesn't it. That's right, my wife told me we were going back. Somehow I think I missed out on the part of common sense that says, reaching a waterfall is not worth risking your life.

We started back. Soon, after a few wrong turns and complaints from my sister about my not even knowing what direction we were headed our party met back up with the first. It was a good day. Some amazing pictures were taken.

So what does all this have to do with these fancy new boots? Blisters. Blisters is what I received walking in the shoes of one of the richest men in the country.