Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Free at Last!

My husband (lovingly referred to as "Mr. Cooked") is the proud owner of a souped-up Mini Cooper S in British racing green, with white trim and clay red interior.  It's got fancy rims, is overloaded with chrome and has more stripes then a brigadier general.



When he's not driving her, she lives in a "Mini Coop" (like a chicken coop only without the chickens).

Mini's coop is spotless and well organized.  A mat rests outside the drivers side door so Mr. Cooked can wipe his feet before entering.  He wipes Mini down after ever drive and buffs her a bit more before taking her out.  

A Mini baseball cap is on display in the center of the back seat.  On the front passenger side floor are a pair of grasshopper green Piloti driving shoes that have never touched the ground.

Mr. Cooked wears them only when he's driving her.  

I didn't even know driving shoes existed before I met Mini.  




(Is it just me or does it look like she's sticking her tongue out?)


Last month, Mr. Cooked attended a Formula One race in Canada.  It was a boys ONLY week - Mini and I were not invited.  He needed a bigger ride so he took my SUV and left me home alone with Mini.

I'd never driven her before and wasn't sure if she was deserving of all the attention she gets. She's cute - I'll give her that.   And tiny - cute and tiny.   And thanks to all that buffing, she's shiny.  


Instead of whipping out the driveway the minute he left, I settled in with endless episodes of Sex and the City, oreo's and high end chardonnay.


(for those of you who read me regularly, you'll notice this is a reoccurring theme)

The following day I took her on a test drive.  I put both dogs in the front and tossed the driving shoes in the backseat along with the baseball cap.  She handled the twists and turns of back-country roads well but she was stiff on the bumps  and the dogs didn't like being so low to the ground.

Later in the day, I dropped the dogs at the office and picked up my co-worker in crime, Miss Pegged.

Before buckling up, she popped on the cap and shoes.   It felt wrong.  The cap was sized perfectly for Mr. Cooked's head and the shoes.... well, she wasn't driving.

Not only did it feel wrong, it felt bad.  And a big part of me liked that.

As copilot, I put her in charge of the music and the sunroof.

The next thing I knew, the shoes were free.  




Doesn't it seem wrong for shoes NOT to touch the ground?

Shouldn't shoes be going places?

Until Miss Pegged's dastardly deed, these shoes didn't see the light of day!

We spent the week showing them around town.  It was our twisted version of Flat Stanley.

I have a friend who recently documented his time with Flat Stanley after my sister's son sent him one.

Steve's adventures with Flat Ryan in Hawaii  are exhilarating and highly entertaining!




Steve spent so much time and effort on this school project that I felt inspired to do something creative with the shoes.

We considered visiting Steve in Hawaii but neither of us could get the time off work.

We decided there was plenty to see and do in our own back yard.

We started out slowly....


by resting them ON the car.  




And then we took them down to the pier to gaze at calm, blue water ...



Not quite Hawaii, but even so, it was a very enjoyable afternoon.



Miss Pegged pushed the limit when she dangled them off the stone wall.


To relax, we took them to the liquor store to hang in the wine bins ...


but they became enamored by a bottle of Crystal Head Vodka.



So much so that they tried to escape.



After a brief bathroom break...

we continued on our merry way.  


To sooth the lonely sorrow of Mr. Cooked being away, we decided a bit of pampering was in order...


(carpeted entry - STILL not touching the ground)

Ahhh... a fresh manicure! 


And pedicure...

 

For some reason, Pilot(i) and Co-pilot insisted on a hot dogs from the truck outside the park. 


 It was only a matter of time before we went shopping.



(right heel touching sidewalk - its just a matter of semantics now)

One shop had a cute little army truck in the display.
Not sure if it was the size, or the shade of green...

but Piloti jumped right in!

(dangling from the wall are ultra cool belts - CoPilot and I had to get one - mine is green)


The following day, Piloti took time out to hang with my Dad.


Later that night, we met "My friend Flicka" for drinks and dinner.
(notice how Flicka's eyes and blouse match)


Piloti enjoyed his time in the spotlight...


It's clear someone got a bit carried away here...


And on our final day of play...


we went to church and asked for forgiveness.


The week FLEW by, before I knew it Mr. Cooked was back home.  

Our mouths laced shut, we kept the tales of Piloti to ourselves.  Oh if those soles could talk!


I am, if nothing else, easily entertained.  Especially when encouraged and inspired by my creative friends.  


photo's of Piloti shot on a Droid Incredible.  
Incredibly complicated phone but a great little camera.  



My Turn to Drive
Miss Lucy, Mylo and I take Mini for a spin.


34 comments:

  1. LOL, I wonder if Mr. Cooked would freak if he knew of the MisAdventures of his Shoes, LOL.

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  2. Now that they've tasted freedom, I wonder if the green shoes will revolt when confined only to the car again?

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  3. Thanks for the laugh! That is a riot! One time a friend was house-sitting for a guy who had, like 10 Emmys (for technical awards). He kept them hidden in a closet. She took one Emmy out for an adventure, took tons of pictures, then left the pictures on the coffee table of the house! LOL!

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  4. I'd walk a mile in your shoes and be just as easily entertained. Stephen King and I can imagine those shoes waking you up one morning in search of another adventure. Be afraid.

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  5. Congratulations on the Mini Cooper S. My first mini was a souped-up Mini in Pepper White. Had it for five years and got $15,000. for a trade-in. My new souped-up Mini Cooper S in dark grey with the burnt orange interior. It's almost 2.
    Enjoy, they are the best! Those shoes are pretty awesome too, love all the photos!

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  6. OMG, that was so fun to read and see the pictures. You are sooooo brave. My husband would have totally blown a gasket. Does your hubby still not know?

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  7. That was really funny. Those shoes have a much better social life than most people.

    Ummm ... oreo's and chardonnay? Wow.

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  8. This post was hilarious! I loved the adventures those shoes went on and I am a tad jealous.

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  9. these comments are HYSTERICAL! clever, clever bloggers you are.

    Mr. Cooked is EXTREMELY easy going :) so I think I'm safe. Lets see if he reads my blog ...

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  10. This is so hilarious! I also had similar adventure with my nephew's school project. He had a Flat Tristynn and we took him on a very inappropriate girls trip to Vegas!! HaHa!! Loved it!!

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  11. Mandy!!! you naughty, naughty girl!!! Pictures please :))))))))

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  12. OMG, I still cringe at seeing the dog's paws on the leather and hanging out the window on the paint! That said, the shoes' outing IS hilarious. It's a good thing he loves you. haha I suspect that he likes that you're a little naughty, too. LOL

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  13. Loved this post.

    For a second there I thought the shoes were gonna go in the water. Eek.

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  14. Oh, Flat Stanley will be jealous!

    Come by when you can...

    www.frugaltractormom.blogspot.com

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  15. This was GREAT! LOL, LOL! I might have to do me a flat school project and plan an adventure (no kids).

    I'll bet you had one heck of a good time freeing those shoes. Have the shoes met Flat Stanley?

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  16. LOL, if you and your friend is anything like me and my friends, you had to be laughing your asses off doing that. I know I would have been.

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  17. I am so happy to have found you - visiting from SITS. What do you think would happen if the shoes and Flat Stanley got together? I am right across the LI Sound from you on the North Shore. I look forward to reading your blog regularly!
    Best,
    Colleen

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  18. EXACTLY Green Eyes!

    ahhh....NOrth, you and my sister share the same name AND you are right across the sound. I'll have to yell to you next time I'm out there :)

    Tractor Mom...on my way

    Jules...so glad you LAUGHED!

    Stacy...I was also worried about the shoes falling in the water. (I requested a drink after watching Miss Pegged dangle Piloti over the edge.

    and SAM...

    for those of you who don't know, Sam is Mr. Cooked's long time friend/college buddy. Sam is smart and clever (as you will see from his comments) and... SINGLE. If you know anyone looking for a great accountant type who'd rather be acting boyfriend/lover and lives near Warren Pa, let me know and I'll pass the info along :)

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  19. We are impressed that the shoes even have a preferred type of vodka! That was a fun trip around town with the shoes, can't wait for the next adventure!

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  20. I left you a blog award at my blog. You can grab it when you get a chance.

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  21. Ha ha ha! I loved the shoe tour, those shoes were made for touring, thanks for taking us along and documenting this, lots of fun!

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  22. This is an outrage! Does Mr. Cooked know what you've DONE?
    Dog paws ON THE SEAT!
    Driving shoes ON THE STREET!
    Don't you know that a rock can get embedded into the shoes, and one could lose grip of the pedals or floor? It could cause a miss-shift at 6,000rpm, and that could be the difference of passing, or not passing a Porsche! You could even scuff the floor mat!
    Oh, the humanity.
    What about drool?!
    And feet on the headliner? I think you hurt MINI's feelings, and should attone with an octane booster offering.
    MINI owners are nuts. In a way I appreciate.
    Boy, oh boy, if you did that to my car, and shoes.. Bang, ZOOM, right to the Moon!
    Other than than my personal feelings about that, it's a great story :)

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  23. You bring those shoes to Burning Man and let them jump the rope on fire at our camp BRC Boardwalk!

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  24. Wow! What an adventure. I'm tired just looking at it all. The shoes must be exhausted. And Oreos and chardonnay? You are my kind of lady. I have more of a bitter taste and quite enjoy Cheetos and Cabernet.

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  25. Your Friend FlickaJuly 28, 2010 at 3:53 PM

    LOVE The story and pictures. So funny and so you! I am really flattered to be included. Now I am famous! Who knew you had so many fans who are so serious about cars? I have to admit I was more worried about Mylo than the Mini. Please tell us when Mr. Cooked reads the story (and we know that he will).

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  26. Fun post. Brings to mind two teenage girls messing with Dad's stuff while he's on a business trip!

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  27. OK, the shoes cracked me up. I especially loved those pics because they remind me of "100 Boots" by conceptual artist Eleanor Antin. So creative and fun! I'm still smiling. And sooooo wickedly jelluz of the car!

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  28. OMG Shannon.... You've got big balls for a woman. Since you're still alive I assume that Mark took it all in stride?

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  29. I am cracking up here! These shoes really got out and about and are thanking you. Ummmm...Is hubby still talking to you?

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  30. Absolutely absolutely love this blog post!!

    ~Sandeep
    Http://sleeplessinnewyork.wordpress.com

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  31. Adorable! How did the husband feel about his shoe adventure??!

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  32. Amusing! Enjoyed reading it thoroughly!
    The shoes surely look like they had a great time..
    And the Mini cooper looks inviting indeed!
    About your question, Rs. 500 ~ $10!
    Have a great week ahead:)

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  33. Hi There..you are on LOL today..so link up and enjoy...Oh and visit your commenters blogs...EnJoY..!

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  34. My god u are good...I'm so happy I found you...thank you so much.

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Thank you for encouraging my JOY of writing. By reading and commenting you are feeding my soul, stroking my heart, and in the end...making me a better writer.

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Thank You For Encouraging My Joy of Writing
greenmonkeytales@live.com

Shannon E. Kennedy

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Photo by Joan Harrison