Make New Friends

But keep the ol-ld!

Hello new Asics!

I went to Inside Out Sports here in Charlotte to be re-fit for sneakers after work. I came home with the same pair I had – new version of course. I tried on Asics, Saucony and Brooks. The Asics (2150) felt the most comfortable. The Sauconys had a big arch lump that I feared would hurt on long runs, but the shoes were super comfy. And I hated the Brooks! They felt like plastic tennis shoes from Wal-Mart. So my old favorites it was!

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Is that not the most beautiful shoe insert you have ever seen!?!?

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I did end up eating my yogurt at 4:30 in the car on the way there. I really liked this blueberry flavor of Siggi’s! Normally flavored yogurts are super sweetened, but this was NOT! In a good way. It was flavored but tangy with only 10 grams of sugar. Fun times!

photo

Once I had raced back home, raced to pack (and photograph!) my lunch, straightened up the house and unpacked my work bag, it was time to head back out! Karen was treating us to a mid-week dinner!

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Sporting my Pilar bag (there are still a few blue ones left!) and my greens

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Our destination was The Palm, a famous Charlotte restaurant that we had yet to try out in almost 5 years of living here (man, I can’t believe we’ve lived here for 5 years?!)

The restaurant has all kinds of faces and signatures over the walls

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I just happened to notice one in particular. My old boss at the publishing company I worked for right out of college (I was the editor of a small visitor magazine for a year and a half).

But tragically, Mary Margaret passed away last year from lung cancer :( It was very sad to see her photo.

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Karen and I enjoyed mocktails of Pellegrino and lime -

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Fizzy!

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And in the St. Patty’s spirit, Matt got a Guinness

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The killer bread basket featured GREAT HARVEST bread!!! We were all pleased :)

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And as if we had never had it before, we tasted them all. For quality purposes, of course ;)

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The purpose of our visit was to check out the $3.50 Bar Menu, but we all ended up with salads ("for the nutrients") to complement the pub grub.

I got the East Coast, which was a pile of green beans, tomatoes, bacon and shrimp. I thought it would have been on lettuce and that the toppings would have been sparse, but it was all chunk!

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Our server noticed when I comment on the lack of lettuce and asked if I wanted a side of lettuce to go with my salad. LOL – I said yes!

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I enjoyed it so much!! I ate about 2/3 of it and gave the rest to Matt (dressing was vinegar and olive oil on the size that I drizzled on)

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Bar food came out shortly after

We got the crabcakes with mango salsa (which were my favorite!)

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The Filet Mignon Sliders with Tomato, Mozz and Basil (which were a bit cold and just OK – but the basil was delish!)

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And calamari (which was standard but good)

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I had a taste of all three, although I gave half my slider to Matt cause I’m just not the slider type.

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Two after-dinner mints for dessert!! Oh, and one more bite of bread

It’s been one of those days where I just haven’t had time to breathe. I’m going up to bed at 8:18 and going to read some blogs and hopefully will be ASLEEP by 9:00 so I can get in a full 8 hours tonight.

Already excited about oats + coffee :mrgreen:

                       

by Kath on March 17, 2010

in Dinner,Restaurants

{ 67 comments… read them below or add one }

1 Lana March 17, 2010 at 7:30 pm

Love the new shoes!
I sometimes have that too – buy the same pair since they are “familiar.” Best wishes with breaking them in (and I do love the insert!!!).

Two questions:
1) Did you find a lot of things / anything in your RD course that you would consider “mainline” but with which you disagree?

2) More importantly, what do you think of food combining? On two levels…..as in trying to make meals “balanced” wiht the “food groups,” and also in terms of eating different things at different time for digestive health (ie fruits seperate, grains separate, etc).

I’d love feedback from anyone!
:) Lana

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2 Kath March 17, 2010 at 7:39 pm

I disagree that artificial sweeteners are safe :)

I don’t believe in food combining at all. The body has the enzymes needed to digest foods at all times or we wouldn’t be able to eat! Do you think our ancestors on the plains worried about eating fruit and nuts or grains at the same time?

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3 Allison (Eat Clean Live Green) March 17, 2010 at 7:58 pm

I’d wondered the same thing about food combining – I always thought it seemed a bit excessive! Glad to hear that an RD-to-be thinks so too :)

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4 Kate March 17, 2010 at 8:17 pm

very refreshing to hear that second one (agree with the first one of course also!) :) it’s interesting the stuff you see in blogs v. what RDs KNOW. Thanks kath!

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5 Lana March 18, 2010 at 7:32 am

Good point.
Thank you – that frees up so much mental energy and worry!
I can focus on making the food balanced, healthy, and visually appealing. :)
You’re super!

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6 Sarah (Running to Slow Things Down) March 17, 2010 at 7:32 pm

Girl, your shoes are *adorable*!! I’ve been looking for a pair like that, but have never spotted such a cute color. :D

I have the same pair of Asics and *love* them. So spongy and airy, with just the right amount of support. And the color is just so fun! :D

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7 Anna @ Newlywed, Newly Veg March 17, 2010 at 7:33 pm

I love Asics!! And yes, the inside of those shoes are beautiful!

That looks like such a fun restaurant!

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8 Mom March 17, 2010 at 7:33 pm

Well darling, you just bought ASICS that look a lot like your mother’s.

Sad about Mary Margaret. I remember the day she hired you.

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9 Nicole, RD March 17, 2010 at 7:41 pm

I want a full 8 hours tonight, too! It hasn’t happened all week! I would want those sliders AND the Guinness! :)

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10 Monica (Musings of The Granola Girl) March 17, 2010 at 7:43 pm

I love those shoe inserts! & your salad looks DELICIOUS! :)

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11 lynn (The Actors Diet) March 17, 2010 at 7:45 pm

those inserts ARE quite beautiful! i’ll take some of those sliders….

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12 Mara @ What's for Dinner? March 17, 2010 at 7:48 pm

It’s so funny, I can ONLY wear Sauconys for any sort of impact activity, and asics totally hurt. The pub grub looks great :)

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13 Allie (Live Laugh Eat) March 17, 2010 at 7:51 pm

What a fun mid week treat! Hooray for new running shoes–your feet will thank you.

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14 Jessica @ How Sweet It Is March 17, 2010 at 7:53 pm

Love the inserts in the shoes – those are super cute! I love me some calamari, too. :)

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15 Lily @ Lily's Health Pad March 17, 2010 at 7:55 pm

I’m a huge fan of the 2110 line! I’ve been wearing them since the beginning. I hope you love your new Asics! They’ve been great to me.

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16 Estela @ Weekly Bite March 17, 2010 at 7:56 pm

Congrats on the new shoes!

I use to run in Sauconey’s all the time… I switched to Mizuno’s and LOVE THEM!

Hope you get a plenty of sleep tonight :)

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17 Stef March 17, 2010 at 7:57 pm

the food looks amazing and so do you! i love asics, they’re my favorite. that insert is way cooler than any i own though!

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18 Food Makes Fun Fuel March 17, 2010 at 8:00 pm

LOL gotta get the lettuce

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19 Cynthia (It All Changes) March 17, 2010 at 8:08 pm

I love my Asics and always end up with the updated model even though I get refitted each time.

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20 Abby March 17, 2010 at 8:12 pm

Yay! I love new running shoes! Especially Asics! I don’t buy any running shoes BUT Asics! Enjoy!

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21 Chelsea (Chelsea's Chew and Run Fun) March 17, 2010 at 8:13 pm

While I no longer drink, I still adore bar food. So simply, sinful, and delicious. Sometimes nothing beats it!

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22 Stacey@http://stacey-healthylife.blogspot.com/ March 17, 2010 at 8:18 pm

I always look forward to breakfast, it’s my favorite meal of the day.

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23 clay March 17, 2010 at 8:20 pm

Those are the coolest inserts! Always excited for morning oats!

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24 Jessica @ The Process of Healing March 17, 2010 at 8:22 pm

Asics are the best!!! I tried out some Nikes for a while but I went back to my Asics… nothing compares in my opinion.

What a fun dinner!!!! LOVE calamari!

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25 Run Sarah March 17, 2010 at 8:29 pm

Love the signatures and faces on the walls. Great idea with the mocktails too, how fun!

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26 Kelly @ Local Foodie Fight March 17, 2010 at 8:42 pm

hahaha I love all the pictures!!! looks all sooo delicious.

and congratss on the new sneaks! I need to get new ones myself. my nikes aren’t ctting it lately, i dont think I am meant to wear nikes. Maybe asics are in my future?

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27 Sarena (The Non-Dairy Queen) March 17, 2010 at 8:45 pm

I always get excited about my oats and coffee the night before! Best way to start the day!!!

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28 Jenny March 17, 2010 at 8:59 pm

What a delicious feast! I love that you got a side of lettuce:))))

And those are beautiful shoe inserts- imagine if they said something operation beautiful-esque, like “bet your bootay looks great running” or “congrats on those miles.” or maybe im just silly:)

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29 Heather (Heather's Dish) March 17, 2010 at 9:01 pm

those shoe inserts are SO PRETTY :) you gotta love new shoes, but the first week is probably the hardest! i would LOVE to have that dinner…so good!

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30 steph: exercise physiologist and artist :) March 17, 2010 at 9:03 pm

Your pictures always look so amazing! So yummy!
I just got a new camera and I have been trying to practice with it but my pictures never ever come out nearly as lovely as yours. I hope one day they will look half as good as yours!! :)
Happy you had a great day and ate some great food too!

Steph

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31 Lindsay March 17, 2010 at 9:06 pm

Just a heads up, I bought those exact same shoes last week and wore them running and they were digging into my ankle and I took them back to the store and they said that was a common problem with the shoe. I ended up getting Brooks, but you might be great in the shoes you got!! :)

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32 Heather @ Health, Happiness, and Hope March 17, 2010 at 9:11 pm

Great new shoes! I recently switched over from Nike to Asics. I’m liking them, but I’m still looking for the perfect shoe. Maybe I’ll give those new Asics a try.

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33 Lisa @bakebikeblog March 17, 2010 at 9:12 pm

Wow what a day!!! Love the new shoes :)

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34 Bonnie @ BonnieAppetite March 17, 2010 at 9:13 pm

Kath–do you have a significant arch? I tried Asics and the arch seemed a little high and the heel a little snug. I have absolutely flat feet and went with Brooks, myself. I was extremely disappointed with them the first week. They sold them to me 1 1/2 sizes bigger than my normal shoes (I think they should have only gone up 1 full size, at most), and I felt like a weird space man moon walking and plastic like you said. But after about a week I got to where I like them pretty well. They are probably as comfortable as I will ever feel, given my flat feet.

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35 KatieF March 18, 2010 at 5:49 am

Bonnie–My husband tried Asics a couple years ago and the arch was way too high for his foot–he ended up with a blister on his arch that was huge! But I have ran in Asics in the past with no issues, as well as Sauconys. About a year ago I ran in Brooks for 4 weeks and got a stress fracture (they didn’t work with a biomechanical deficiency I have). I’m now in a pair of Nikes that are working out well for me–which surprised me, I didn’t really associate Nikes with running shoes! But I guess it goes to show that everybody is different.

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36 Kath March 18, 2010 at 6:32 am

I think I have a pretty normal arch?

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37 Tara March 17, 2010 at 9:45 pm

that dinner looks great! i have to say i love sliders though.

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38 Steph March 17, 2010 at 10:04 pm

So random, but I was at the Palm in DC tonight specifically for their $3.50 appetizer menu! I had never been, but always heard good things about the Palm, but decided I could only try it during Restaurant Week, when I could afford it! When I heard $3.50 apps, I couldn’t pass it up! I was with a group of 4 and we got 1 each and shared. We had the Kobe sliders, Filet Mignon sliders, Philly Cheesesteaks, and the crab cakes. I think my favorite was the Kobe sliders, but I did like the crab cakes too. I felt like i was eating “classy” pub food, if such a thing exists! I wish they had other happy hour deals-including ones on salads becuase i was definitely craving some veggies tonight!

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39 Kath March 18, 2010 at 6:32 am

Totally random!!

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40 Jenn (www. j3nn.net ) March 17, 2010 at 10:15 pm

Your pub grub looks awesome! Love the sliders; I’m definitely a sliders person. :) Aaah, the bread basket of doom. I can’t stay away from it. lol

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Jenn

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41 Ariffa March 17, 2010 at 10:39 pm

I want new shoesss =( the grip on mine is completely worn. your dinner looked sooooooo good

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42 Tay March 17, 2010 at 10:44 pm

OMG I really do love the insides of those new shoes!!! I might get them just for that ;-)

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43 Meredith @ Sweat Every Day March 17, 2010 at 11:05 pm

I have those exact sneaks!! Got em in January and they’re doing great, have really helped my running and my foot pain!

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44 Hillary [Nutrition Nut on the Run] March 18, 2010 at 12:32 am

The Asics 21 series is my absolute favorite shoe! Love the insole in that color.

In regards to yogurt and sugar, I was bummed when I noticed that Chobani [honey] has 20g of sugar – ahhh!

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45 Anne @ Food Loving Polar Bear March 18, 2010 at 1:31 am

Ah, delicious looking food :)

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46 Freya @ Brit Chick Runs March 18, 2010 at 1:48 am

Yay for new trainers! I don’t blame you for getting the same sort – if it works well, why chane it!? Plus I’ve read in soo many places that Asics are the superior brand of running shoe (haha I wrote ‘Funning shoe’ for a sec, must be a Freudian slip :p) so I think you made the right choice :)

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47 Erin (Travel, Eat, Repeat) March 18, 2010 at 2:08 am

So much delicious food. I want to reach through my computer screen and gobble it all up.

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48 Joanne March 18, 2010 at 4:26 am

Love new running shoes. They seem to re kindle the excitement in my runs.
Eats look great at The Palm.

As for one of those days, I thought most of your days were pretty breathless. Relax enjoy the ZZZ’s.

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49 Hannah March 18, 2010 at 4:53 am

Have a good sleep! And Karen is so stylish – I love her scarf!

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50 Lauren @ A Fit Foodie March 18, 2010 at 5:35 am

Love the new shoes! That’s totally disappointing about the filet mignon sliders being mediocre. They look like they have the potential to be so yummy!!

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51 Whitney March 18, 2010 at 6:25 am

looks like a great night.

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52 Lauren March 18, 2010 at 7:30 am

I LOVE the Palm. Their chopped caesar salad with anchovies is quite possibly one of my favorite restaurant meals EVER! Do you know what the (sorry for lack of better description) darker bread with the seeds and such in it is??? It is so amazingly moist and I love the texture. I’ve been wanting to try to imitate it at home but I’m not sure where to start. Does Matt have any ideas??

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53 Kath March 18, 2010 at 8:10 am

Karen got that Caesar and it WAS great!! Fresh anchovies for sure :)

I think the seeded bread you mean is Great Harvest Dakota bread :)

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54 Whitney @ Whitinspired March 18, 2010 at 7:43 am

I LOVE those shoe inserts! I like when running shoes are pretty, you know, as well as functional. And those sliders look so yummy.

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55 Seth @ Boy Meets Food March 18, 2010 at 8:10 am

Ha, I just bought a pair of Asics running shoes two weeks ago! Nice choice.

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56 Lizzy March 18, 2010 at 8:17 am

I love Asics and have been wearing the 20_ _ series since the 2010s!!! They are amazing and I am completely brand loyal! Great support on long runs and totally worth the money!

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57 jillian March 18, 2010 at 8:37 am

Yay Kath!! Nice pic on the shoes! Hope they feel glorious! :)

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58 Dawn Hutchins March 18, 2010 at 8:46 am

LOVE Asics. I have bought the same shoe over five times now and I can just go to Kelly’s Running Warehouse and get them pretty cheap. Yes very pretty inserts.

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59 Carolyn @ lovinlosing March 18, 2010 at 9:42 am

It’s hard to take a chance on different shoes! I keep ending up with Saucony’s because they’re always the cushiest.

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60 Lisa @ Early Morning Run March 18, 2010 at 9:46 am

looks like a delicious feast!

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61 Stacey March 18, 2010 at 10:18 am

Coffee gets me excited every morning!!

Me lurrvveessss the shoe insert :D

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62 Kathi March 18, 2010 at 10:46 am

I bought those exact same shoes and am “loving them”. Like you I tried on other back game back to ACIS.

Hope you enjoy them

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63 Kay March 18, 2010 at 11:26 am

From the pic, it looks like they brought you out a side of iceberg lettuce(my doc says it has hardly any nutrients and is hard to digest). You would’ve been better off with a darker lettuce or none at all! My fav is romaine….YUMMY! And, doesn’t hurt my tummy, so guess the dark greens are better :-)

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64 Kath March 18, 2010 at 12:56 pm

You’re preaching to the choir my dear! Beggars can’t be choosers.

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65 Linda March 18, 2010 at 11:43 am

mmmm..i love calamari!

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66 Theresa March 18, 2010 at 12:41 pm

My best friend Pilar lives in Charlotte, I just might have to get her that bag =)

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67 Rebecca @ How the Cookie's Crumble March 18, 2010 at 2:15 pm

I almost got the exact same shoes! I loved the insides! But I ended up with a different pair of Asics, not quite as pretty, but super comfy and my knees have been screaming THANK YOU!!!

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