Socks

A show of hands: How many of us think about what covers our feet? Time was, when we bought socks for athletic pursuits, we opted for a bag of white tube socks or suffered in itchy silence as we slid our feet into a new pair of ragg wool socks. No more. With summer over and people trading in their sandals and flip flops for socks and shoes, it's decision time. Dr. Ross Taubman, a Baltimore area podiatrist, says he's beginning to have conversations with his patients in transition to fall footwear.

Aberdeen Linwood O. Burke, 47, of the 400 block of Chestnut Street, was charged Tuesday with obstructing and hindering police and second-degree assault. Sara Montgomery, 30, of the 300 block of North Philadelphia Boulevard, was charged Tuesday with fourth-degree burglary, trespassing and theft between $1,000 and $10,000. Teon Lamar Edwards, 29, of the 300 block of Oxford Avenue, was charged Wednesday with distributing drugs and possessing marijuana. Fruit trees were vandalized with chemicals Sunday in the 3400 block of Nova Scotia Road.

Looking to change both his image and his luck, Orioles utility man Ozzie Guillen has decided to stop wearing his socks pulled up in the old-fashioned style that had become his trademark.Guillen liked the look, in part, because it exposed the bottom of his right knee brace, reminding him of the effort he put forth to return from torn ligaments that ended his 1992 season after 12 games.Why the switch?"That was the White Sox image," Guillen, who remains bitter about being unwanted in Chicago after 13 seasons, said yesterday.

Was glad to see The Sun article drawing attention to Comcast charging for digital adapters ("Comcast starts charging monthly fee for digital adapters," May 5). I called Comcast when this appeared on my bill because I have two Comcast adapters on old TV's in rooms where they are seldom, if ever, used. I got them at the time of the changeover to digital and gave away my free government-subsidized converters because I thought I didn't need them. I guess this senior citizen has gotten you-know-whated again.

In the warm days of summer, a flirty skirt worn with smooth bare legs is not only appropriate, it's also downright sexy. But as it gets cooler, sometimes that bared-leg look comes off as a little impractical. It's hard to be cute with legs covered in goose bumps. Instead of pantyhose or tights this fall, why not try a funky pair of long socks, which are not only warm, but one of the more fun sub-trends of the season. Knee-high socks worn with boots, flats, wedges and loafers are a whimsical way to show some fashion flair -- and keep your legs cozy and warm at the same time.

I turned 42 yesterday, an occasion of such importance that my family marked it by presenting me with several pairs of navy blue socks.Later, as I placed the navy blue socks in the drawer next to the nifty black socks they gave me last year, it occurred to me that 42 is a watershed period in a man's life.Some men become morose and detached -- after getting socks, who could blame them? Me, I've become strangely energized.I want to take up yoga and Tai-Chi and synchronized swimming. Maybe bridge, too. Bridge seems like such a neat game.

COLLEGE PARK -- It must be the socks.The eighth-ranked Maryland Terrapins have made a number of fashion statements during the course of this season, but they are undefeated since All-American Joe Smith went to black ankle socks for last Sunday's game at North Carolina State.A few more players wore the socks in Wednesday's victory at Clemson -- including Johnny Rhodes, who pulled them up to just below the knee -- and the rest of the team is expected to unveil the new look for today's game against Duke.

At Saturday's Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association football championships at Towson University, a collection box will be set up for socks and football cleats that will be donated to children in Kenya. The collection is being coordinated by two brothers on the St. Paul's football team -- junior linebacker Keifer Rawlings and freshman quarterback Kurt Rawlings. The boys are asking for socks and cleats size 8 or smaller for the orphans in Kenya. Keifer was featured in a Baltimore Sun article earlier this year as part of a Fellowship of Christian Athletes mission trip to the African country . The Crusaders are playing in the B Conference championship game against John Carroll at noon.

Sad to say, the decreasing fall temperatures means fewer days of going without socks. But while toes will no longer be wiggling free, there's nothing to say that they can't be contented. Ullfrotte Original, a Swedish company, makes terrific socks out of merino wool terry cloth. The 200-gram socks are perfect for everyday wear. This year, I took just four pairs to get me through a three-week assignment in northern Italy for the Winter Olympics. After a sink washing, they were ready - and fluffy - to wear the next day. For alpine skiing and sliding events, I wore the 600-gram variety and my feet stayed toasty.

When people run into Jerry Bray, they often ask him to do the same thing: lift his pants leg.If that sounds odd, you've obviously never seen Mr. Bray, vice president of French Bray Inc. commercial printers, in a pair of Mickey Mouse socks.Fanciful socks, bow ties and glasses give him a memorable style, which works to his advantage with clients, he says."People don't always remember my name, but they remember the guy who wears the bow ties," says Mr. Bray, 37, who lives in Timonium.His family, however, is more divided about his look.

At Saturday's Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association football championships at Towson University, a collection box will be set up for socks and football cleats that will be donated to children in Kenya. The collection is being coordinated by two brothers on the St. Paul's football team -- junior linebacker Keifer Rawlings and freshman quarterback Kurt Rawlings. The boys are asking for socks and cleats size 8 or smaller for the orphans in Kenya. Keifer was featured in a Baltimore Sun article earlier this year as part of a Fellowship of Christian Athletes mission trip to the African country . The Crusaders are playing in the B Conference championship game against John Carroll at noon.

A literal case of cold feet and an article about students who eat one bag lunch and give away another helped inspire two Baltimore County classmates to organize efforts to benefit those in need. Joe Hash and Danny Sauter, both eighth-graders at St. Mark School in Catonsville, have launched individual collection drives that are making a difference in the lives of people served by two local institutions. Joe's project, which he calls the Double Lunch Ministry, involves encouraging students to bring two bag lunches to school once each month for donation to Our Daily Bread, a meal program in Baltimore.

Kacie Neeb has added designer to her resume. The company LittleMissMatched began with a simple mission: to build a brand that inspires creativity and self-expression. In a recent contest, Project Sock, Kacie did just that. This nationwide sock design contest took in more than 3,000 entrants, and Kacie was one of the six winners. The 14-year-old is a recent graduate of Sacred Heart School in Glyndon. Along with a cash prize, she received bragging rights as her sock design will be manufactured and sold as part of the company's Holiday 2011 sock collection.

So, you want to run a marathon, but you have a lot of questions. Should you load up on carbs before your race? Should you try going barefoot? Should you follow the “10 percent” rule, increasing your milage by no more than a small margin each week? A lot of the conventional wisdom about running is changing, and it's less than three months away from the Baltimore Running Festival. But don't worry. We're here to help. We've convened a panel of area running coaches - exercise physiologist and Baltimore-based running coach Brian Hand; Amy Horst, the head track coach at Loyola University Maryland; and Dave May, co-owner of CrossFit Frederick and a certified endurance coach - to give their advice on how to run long distances effectively and efficiently.

With one exception — the woman who snapped that she no longer darns socks because "women have better things to do" — everyone who called or wrote to me on Sunday seemed quite pleasant, even charming. Each was a proud darner of socks: frugal menders and fixers who hate to throw things away and who refuse to participate in our disposable society. "I've been a darner all my life, I even darn towels," said Linda Foster, one of nearly 200 readers who responded to my survey questions: Does anyone darn socks in 21st Century America?

I would like to know if anyone still darns socks. Please call and leave your name and number at 410-332-6166. It's for a study I've launched — how many Americans darn socks in the 21st Century. Please specify if you've always been a darner or if you've taken up the craft since the Great Recession. That's important to the study. Of course, if you're of a certain age, you don't even know what I'm talking about. In downloading the Beatles' "Eleanor Rigby," you might have heard reference to Father McKenzie "darning his socks in the night when there's nobody there.

Betty Currie got a cat for her troubles, and, so now, Maryland gets a tree. Socks, America's first feline in Bill Clinton's White House, died last week at the age of 20. The cat expired right here in Maryland, since the 42nd president famously dumped the family pet on Currie, the personal secretary who got caught up in the Monica Lewinsky scandal and who lives in the St. Mary's County town of Hollywood. The upscale kennel where Socks spent a week last summer has arranged to have a tree planted in his name through the Maryland Department of Natural Resources' "Gift of Trees" program.

MY SOCKS are destined to chase away deer. I'm not talking about new socks or freshly laundered socks that went through the dryer with a fabric softener. No, these are socks that my mother might joke could walk away on their own. Old socks. Worn socks. Sweaty socks. Ones that used to be headed for the trash can. These are the socks that repel deer. As a resident of a Baltimore suburb - where deer are plentiful and a common traffic hazard - I understand that I am closer to nature. I grew up on a farm and was very aware of the destruction deer caused in our cornfield and vegetable garden.

A show of hands: How many of us think about what covers our feet? Time was, when we bought socks for athletic pursuits, we opted for a bag of white tube socks or suffered in itchy silence as we slid our feet into a new pair of ragg wool socks. No more. With summer over and people trading in their sandals and flip flops for socks and shoes, it's decision time. Dr. Ross Taubman, a Baltimore area podiatrist, says he's beginning to have conversations with his patients in transition to fall footwear.

It's hard to pinpoint why Sydney Robinson can jump farther than other girls her age, though her quirky choice of socks may be one factor. Sure, the Amateur Athletic Union gold medalist is tall for a 9-year-old at 5 foot 1. And she's fast, always able to outrun kids in a footrace or a simple game of chase. According to Sharron Smith, who has coached the Pointers Run Elementary School fourth-grader for two years in the all-girl Elite Track Club, what it really boils down to is dedication and desire.