If you find a shoe on a shelf

it is bound to cause you to ask questions and make you remember stories.

Mostly you will wonder why it is there, and who put it there.  How long has it been there?  A while evidently.  I posted yesterday about the shoe on the shelf.  It's been there for a few years ( maybe 3).  I guess you can tell I don't dust up there very often....  but I digress.  This isn't about my cleaning abilities, or lack thereof.

When we celebrated Nick's birthday last week, we talked about the shoe AGAIN.  It all starts when someone notices it. 

 Nick: Mom, you still haven't taken the shoe down? 
Me: I always forget about it until we all sit down here.  I don't know who put that up there, fess up, who did it?
Chase:  Whose shoe is it anyway?
Jake:  I think it's dad's
Dad:  I don't think it is mine
Nick:  Does it have your special insert in it?
Dad:  No, those are in the shoes I wear every day.
Jake:  I'm going to see what size it is
Jake:  It's an 11 1/2. Who wears that size?
No one answers.
Chase:  Jake must have put it up there, he's the only one that can reach it.
Dad:  Chase, isn't that your shoe award for running cross country
Chase:  No, I didn't win that award and it's not some old dirty shoe
Nick:  I won that award, that isn't it.  Remember, it was the shoe that Coach spray painted gold and mounted on the board.
Dad:  How could I forget Coach.
LOTS of laughter from everyone.
Meredith:  Why did he spray paint a shoe gold and mount it on a board?
Chase:  It was the Golden Shoe Award, it had some special meaning, maybe the most improved runner, can't remember.
Dad:  Remember how he used to talk and smack his hand at those award ceremonies that went on forever?
Chase:  I remember him talking about what to do if you had to go to the bathroom while you were running.  ( In a funny voice), Just go ahead and go in your pants. 
Mom:  NO!  He did not tell you to crap your pants while you were running
Chase and Nick:  YES he did!
Jake:  I had him for class and all I remember is him telling the whole class  (in the same funny voice) Don't put tic tacs in the floppy drive.
Mom:  What?
Jake: someone shoved a whole thing of tic tacs in the floppy drive of the computer and he had to pick them out, he wasn't very happy about it.
Mom:  I'm glad you got something out of the class
Nick:  I just remember him not caring about walking around naked after practice.
Mom:  That probably wouldn't fly so much today
Dad:  That is something I would not want to see
EVERYONE:  me either.
Lots of laughter.
Lauren:  Wonder whose shoe that is.....

The shoe is still on the shelf.  I don't think I'll ever take it down.