THIS is an example of the kind of clothes my mother dressed me in during my high school years (and why, combined with my date, I only had one date during the whole time and it was a stag date with thoemeringue).

My Chucks are just about dead. The inner lining is falling apart. They have lasted almost a year, which is better than most of my shoes (deepfried and his wife Trish got them for me as an early Christmas present last year). I have to wear a pair that my mother got me until I can afford to buy another pair. I have been avoiding these shoes like the plague. Look behind the cut to find out why.

Oy.