My Dog ate my Chacos.

I've been trying to write this post for three days now. Time to just get it out.

Long story short, one of my dogs at one of my Chacos, which is really too bad, because I love my Chacos almost as much as I love my dogs. For those who aren't familiar with Chacos, they are a footwear company that produces tough, reliable, sandals. For those who aren't familiar with dogs, they are adorable, four legged mammals, sometimes equipped with unending appetites for love and loose nylon.

Damage Assessment: non-critical.

Flyer, my family's six month old mini Australian Shepard, gnawed into one of the buckle straps of my Chaco Hipthongs. The sandal was laying on the floor (go figure, its a shoe) and he got into it. He's just a little boy though, and he's still teething, so its really my fault. When I found the damage, I told him sternly "Flyer, you're VERY lucky that I love you." Then I scratched his belly. I can't hold a grudge against a puppy.

Seriously though, I love these sandals. I was an ardent Birkenstock devotee until about a year and a half ago when I was given a pair of Chacos. You could probably count the number of days I haven't worn my Chacos since then on two hands.

Just as an example, as evidence to substantiate my rave about these sandals, consider the following. I worked at Saddleback Ski School in Rangeley Maine nearly every weekend (and some weeks) last season. Sometimes the temperatures on the hour drive from Farmington to Rangeley, Maine, would drop below -10 Fahrenheit and there was routinely a 70 yard walk through the snow to get from the employee parking to the lodge. On any given weekend it was my Chacos that carried me through the ankle deep snow. If only I could have fit those suckers into telemark bindings, I would have skied in them too.

Needless to say, those sandals are going to see China.