Breaking in my brand-new Avia cross trainers

I walked my 10,000 steps through town today and was sad to see two more stores are going or gone. One was an American Mattress location, which is sad for the people who work there, of course, but there will still be two other stores within a 5 mile radius. The other was an independently-owned design studio that specialized in feng shui. I'm afraid high-end decorating is not a high priority for most home owners in this economy. This is all so sad ...

Which makes me feel almost predatory for being so excited about my trip to Famous Footwear. The new cross trainers were on sale for $30, thank you very much. Also picked up these adorable Roxy plaid flats for 1/2 price. I haven't been shoe shopping in soooo long and I was gratified to find such great deals. While I'm confident that I'll be employed through summer, I still don't think it's wise for me to spend the way I used to. (It's possible it was never that wise, but that's another story for another time.) I understand that the retail sector has been hit very hard by the economic downturn, but I have to tend to my personal economic health and welfare, too. It's seductive to rationalize indulging in retail therapy as my patriotic duty, but that's a trap I'm trying to avoid.