Wear, Watch, Want #52: The Musical Hemp Boots Edition

Wear: Dansko Marilyn Boots

I'm a huge fan of Dankso shoes, which is convenient, because as my aches and pains grow more prevalent I've found that I can pretty much only wear orthopedic footwear. I fell in love with the Marilyn boots the moment I saw them on Nordstrom's website. I was completely interested in purchasing them, even at full price (orthopedic shoes don't come cheap). But! Then I was browsing 6pm.com (a great source for Danskos, among other things) and I found the exact same boots, but half off. When I say the exact same boots, I mean exactly the same. I know because I was worried that the sizing might be different between boots and sandals (I've only owned Dansko sandals before) and the 6pm boots were final sale. So I ordered a pair from Nordstrom to check the size, returned them, then bought the shoes for half price from 6pm. Having had the same pair of boots delivered to my house I can tell you, the half price ones aren't a slightly different color or anything else you'd expect from a discount website. They're 100% the same shoes, but for half the price. Also, the boots are super comfy and a clog-lover's dream.

Watch: The Pajama Game

While everyone else my age was watching Adam Sandler movies I was watching movie musicals from the 1950s. This is not to say the two are mutually exclusive. I'm sure there's someone out there who knows every song from Seven Brides for Seven Brothers and every line from Happy Gilmore. I, however, am only familiar with one of those things. It's not just musicals - two of my all time favorite movies are Charade and Bringing Up Baby - but oh man, I love a good 1950s movie musical. One of my all-time favorites is The Pajama Game. Nowadays The Pajama Game is a bit of an under the radar gem. If you're into The Pajama Game I bet you're either a real musical theatre nerd or you've been in a production of the show. But guys, it's fantastic. First of all, the film is an adaptation of a Broadway musical, and they wanted to keep as much of the Broadway cast as possible for the film. To make the film marketable, they needed a movie star, and that's the only reason why Doris Day plays the part of Babe Williams instead of Janis Paige. Second, it's choreographed by Bob Fosse, and because of his work with Carol Haney the role of Gladys Hotchkiss in The Pajama Game was created for her, AND she won a Tony for her role, which she reprised in the film (The Pajama Game also won a Tony for best musical, btw). Slightly off topic, but since I was a tiny tot who desperately wanted to be on stage my dream role was Gladys Hotchkiss. I'll also add that when I was a kid I told my parents that when I grew up I wanted to be in a union, and when they asked why I said, "Because I really like the songs." Not only did I grow up loving The Pajama Game, I also grew up on a heavy diet of labor songs.

I was trying to pick a musical number to include, and a settled on "There Once Was a Man," because it simultaneously shocks you with how offensive the lyrics of the 1950s are, and then totally knocks you off your feet with what a dreamboat John Raitt is. My absolute favorite part of this number is when he pantomimes picking and apple off a tree, takes a bite, and then before moving on makes sure to also mime tossing the apple off the porch so that his hands are "empty." Now that's the way to a theatre dweeb's heart.

Of course I own The Pajama Game on DVD, but I've always been bummed that you can't buy it in digital format. Sometimes you want to watch your favorite musicals on the go! I hate messing around with DVDs and eventually I'd love to have none at all, but I can't when my top movies aren't even available. Well, Amazon Prime is getting a little bit closer to making my dream a reality. The Pajama Game is now available on Amazon Prime streaming. I think this means that they could make it available for digital purchase in the near to immediate future, but I'm no tech wizard. As it is, I'm just happy that I can watch Babe Williams and company fight for their right to a seven and a half cent raise without fumbling with a DVD.

Want: CBD Oil

CBD oil, or Cannabidiol oil, is very popular in chronic pain circles. It can allegedly provide relief for myriad symptoms, of which I have many. I've been on narcotics, on a lot of narcotics, on anti-seizure medications (despite not suffering from seizures! Science!), and a whole handbasket of drugs to help me just get through each day. The idea of taking something natural that could help me live without pain is very tempting. I am, however, wary of products that make broad, sweeping claims like, "It cures cancer and nearsightedness!" so I'm still in the research phase. Charlotte's Web looks good so far, and I like that they have a patient advocacy group that they work with in case you want to talk to a live person and get more info. Anyway, the hope is that in a little bit I'll be on less drugs and feeling more like a human being! Imagine that!