Lost Shoe

I lost a shoe. This is not funny. I lost a running shoe.

I know I'm kind of a mess, but let me tell you. The one and only area of my life that I am fully organized and capable is my shoes. I keep every single pair of shoes that I own in their original box, stacked in my closet, picture facing out, according to style and frequency of wear. The ones that don't come in a box: AKA flip flops, shoes from Old Navy, are placed in a shoe organizer that hangs neatly in my closet.

I always have three categories of running shoes. They are:

1. Long Run Shoes: These are my newest, nicest shoes. They are reserved for only long runs, on nice days when they won't get muddy.
2. Short Run Shoes: These are previous long run shoes that have transitioned to being used for all shorter runs, going to the gym, and all my Jillian Michaels DVDs.
3. Dog Walking Shoes: The short run shoes go here when they get too worn out to actually support my feet during running and look too gross to wear to the gym. I wear these when I'm walking dogs or working in the yard (that doesn't happen).

I keep my running shoes in their original box under the guest room bed, right next to where I keep my running clothes so that I have easy access. There is no where else that they should be! When I come home from running, I take off the shoes and leave them out to dry. When they have dried sufficiently so I don't think I run the risk of athlete's foot, I put them back in their box and under the bed.

There is absolutely no room for losing a shoe in this routine. But low and behold, when I went to return my short run shoe to its box yesterday, there was only one there. One shoe! WTF?? This throws off my whole routine!!! Now I have to choose between wearing my ugly, no support, dog-walking shoes out in public and risking injury... or worse... embarrassment and shame at my loser-ish shoes. OR I could wear my long-run shoes and risk getting them dirty and worn out before their time and having to invest in new long run shoes before I'm ready... what is a girl to do?!?

I know this is the work of that brown dog. I'm sure he probably picked it up, chewed it up, and hid it. I wouldn't be surprised to find that he'd also peed on it. Well Mr. Dog, no running for you until my shoe is recovered.