L.L. Bean is now off my personal “do not shop” list.

It took four years and a Presidential election, but I have finally ended my L.L. Bean boycott.

This blog post explains why I initially went on such a boycott.

But in a nutshell, one of the Bean family members donated a ton of money to Donald Trump’s election SuperPAC, and Trump used his Twitter feed to suggest that his MAGA lemmings all go out and buy L.L. Bean in support. You know, quid pro quo.

Well, in a few more weeks we won’t have Trump in office. However, I needed new shoes. After three and a half years of wearing the same thick shoes, the treads on the shoes were down to flatness. And when you have no traction on the bottom of your shoes, you can slip and fall at a moment’s notice. January 2020, QED.

A few months ago, I went to a local shoe store and bought a pair of black dress shoes, and although they fit nicely, they’re not designed for Northeastern winters. And all of you know how BRUTAL a Northeastern winter can get.

So here’s the deal. I refused to buy L.L. Bean gear – clothing, shoes, socks – while Trump was President. I was not a fan of that association and that little quid pro quo.

News flash – he’s a lame-duck President. The first Republican since George H.W. Bush to not achieve a second term in office. And no matter how hard he barricades himself in the Oval Office, his 325-pound orange ass is getting hauled out on January 20, 2021.

So I bought two pairs of strong boots for the winter. Size 11, with bottom treads that look like they were made by Uniroyal.

Long-time readers of my blog know that if I put a company or organization on my “do not shop” list, then I refuse to willingly shop at that location or patronize their services. Many years ago, I refused to play competitive team trivia at Recovery Room because after I won there several weeks in a row and claimed their big prize (which at that time were New York Giants box seat tickets), the owner told me I was no longer eligible to play, because I was a one-man team and I won too many times. And that I didn’t drink, either. He had a problem with me playing trivia in a bar and drinking diet cola instead of Bud Light. Meh. So Recovery Room was on my personal shit list for three years. It was only after winning a post-Trivia Bowl tournament there (and the new owner apologizing to me for what had happened prior) that I felt comfortable eating there and playing trivia there.

It’s also one of the reasons why I won’t willingly watch WRGB’s newscasts. See, WRGB is owned by Sinclair Media, a pro-Trump right-wing conglomerate who make their reporters read specifically-worded pro-Trump stories, as well as airing conservative bonkbrains like Sebastian Gorka and Sheryl Atkisson and claiming that they’re newsworthy. Forget that. The moment I saw Liz Bishop reading one of those “must-reads” with the same convincing tone that she used for decades in reading the newscasts … it just broke my heart.

Now some people might suggest that in being involved in these “shit-list” boycotts, that I’m holding a grudge for far too long. No. I don’t consider it a grudge, so much as I consider it an affront. You did wrong by me. I get to determine my conditions for forgiveness, you don’t. You can tell me, “No hard feelings, right?” and it’s up to me to determine if the feelings are still hard or not.

Yesterday, two pair of shoes arrived at my doorstep, all the way from Freeport, Maine. Okay. I have L.L. Bean shoes on my feet, and they do fit reasonably well. A little snug, but I figure they’ll stretch a bit if necessary.

Now does this mean I’m racing to Colonie Center tomorrow and strapping on a full L.L. Bean wardrobe?

Not likely. I’m still not shopping in major brick and mortar locations, especially not during the Christmas holidays, and especially not when COVID-19 is still charging around.

But for now, my L.L. Bean boycott is over. Trump is leaving office. Thus the boycott ends.

Now let’s see. Joe Biden is now our President. He’s been seen wearing Ray-Ban aviator sunglasses and driving a classic late-60’s Corvette Stingray.

Anybody know where I can get a 1960’s Corvette Stingray and a pair of aviator shades? 😀