A really girly girl.
So girly, in fact, that last year I chose to go to Fest with four pairs of shoes.
One pair of Tevas and three pairs of heels.
Note: The only time I generally wear heels during Fest is in the Femme Parade. But I needed three pairs. So that I could try on various heels with various outfits so that i could look my best as I was strutting down a dusty road.)
I figured things would go fine as per usual. Things at fest always work out, regardless of the circumstances.
But alas. The first day I was there my airbed died.
Apparently SOMEONE who lives in my apartment decided to go walking across it and dig her little nails into the airbed fabric.
The bed deflated as soon as it was inflated. The air came gushing out through little holes that were in the pattern of little kitty cat feet.
I resigned myself to the thought of sleeping on the ground all week.
Without a blanket of course, because who needs bedding when you have an airbed to sleep on?
I figured I'd suck it up. It could be worse.
Then my water bottle died. Not my plastic one, the big three gallon plastic monstrosity that I bought to keep water at my campsite.
I drink a lot of water. A LOT. So I figured that having a big container at my website would keep me from having the dehydration issues that plagued me my first year and kept me in The Womb for quite some time.
I decided I could live without the water container. I would just have to be extra careful to keep myself hydrated.
I was sad about these setbacks, but I figured it could always be worse.
Then my Tevas fell apart.
The sole completely separated from the rest of the shoes.
I was pissed.
They were less than a year old.
What was a girl to do?
I dug deep into the recesses of my mind to figure out a plan of action. As femme as I am, I couldn't spend the week walking around in heels.
Even I'm not that femme.
After ten minutes of profound thought, it hit me.
Duck Tape!
Surely on a piece of land containing several thousand lesbians, there would be a few people with duck tape.
I searched high and low. Nobody at my site had any. Then I walked down to Triangle, where they had ROLLS of the stuff.
They must have bought it in bulk.
I duck taped my Tevas back together.
It was ugly, of course, but functional. Kind of like a fanny pack.
I spent all damn week in those duck taped Tevas.
Walked everywhere in them.
And oddly enough, I got compliments on them.
Girls commented on them in the shuttle.
In workshops.
In the lunch line.
I was pretty pleased with my ingenuity.
After Fest, I came home and put them in the recesses of my closet.
Only brought them out to go to the SOA/WHINSEC protest in November.
A few months ago, I bought myself a pair of hemp sandals. Figured I would wear them to Fest.
This morning I dug out my hemp sandals.
(It's Fest packing time. Yes, I'm packing already.)
Dug out my New Balance Shoes.
(Picked out a few pairs of heels to take as well.)
Just in case my hemp sandals fell apart, I wanted to be prepared.
Then I brought out the Duck Tape Tevas.
Took off all of the old Duck tape.
Washed the old Fest dirt and sand off of them.
Dried them carefully.
And re-wrapped them back together.
With electrical tape.
They are going back to Fest this year.
As Electrical Tape Tevas.
