For those of you planning ahead for New Year’s resolutions of improved health and fitness, here’s a list of items that I’ve found indispensable:

Ultimate Direction Spree — This little pack frees me from the horror known as a locker room. This bag is very compact, yet somehow holds everything essential. With a headphone port at the top, and an awesome water bottle at its side, I could not live without it!

Apple iPod — If you don’t have one yet, it’s not too late to ask (or be your own) Santa. Having a wide variety of music guarantees a more pleasurable workout. Use the iTunes software to your best advantage by creating playlists to match different moods and intensities.

Harbinger FlexFit — Unless you’re a fan of calluses, invest in a good pair of weightlifting gloves. I don’t care who you are, you need to lift! Cardio alone will not cut it, and I promise, weights won’t make you manly as long as you wear gloves. These are even machine washable.

Brawny Cloths — As unglamorous as this may be, fresh towels are a fitness essential. I saw these in the dishwashing supply aisle and picked up a dozen of them, which turned out to be a brilliant notion. They’re inexpensive and made of soft, thirsty, purple microfiber.

DeFeet SpeeDe — This one came as a surprise to me: The right socks are very important! After some trial and error, I found that the best ones are made for cyclists. They’re constructed from better materials. Don’t let thinness fool you. Fluff does not equal long-term comfort.

8 comments December 16th, 2005

Wednesday’s optimism can now officially be chalked up to famous last words. Thursday afternoon my temperature soared to 103.9 and then camped out, despite the best efforts of vast quantites of Tylenol, while I enjoyed the various entertaining effects of delirium.

UPDATE: Is it possible that I’m still imagining things due to my feverish state? Because I could swear I’m getting mad traffic from The Manolo, the master shoeblogger himself… Hello fellow footwear aficionados — Thanks for stopping by!

7 comments December 15th, 2005

I’m nearly convinced that the whole United States is falling victim to this gnarly flu (slash bronchitis, slash croup) that’s going around… And that I’m the last hold-out battling against its malice with all kinds of shit from the hippie food store — PS: Thank you, tree-huggers! It’s nice to know you’re good for something after all.
Even my girl Natalie Dee seems to have succumbed. For all of you in the throes, avoiding, or recovering, I wish you my best. The hippies got me to down this homeopathic stuff called Oscillococcinum and it seems to be working. Plus, I have discovered the magical sweaty wonderland that is the sauna… Stay well, cats and kittens!

20 comments December 14th, 2005

This Week: Ten Things I Want For Christmas

I almost protested this week’s Ten on Tuesday. Even thought about going the altruistic “world peace” route. You see, I hate making wish lists. In reality, my fondest wish is for people to know me so well that it’s a cinch for them to knock my socks off with a perfectly-chosen gift.

But maybe that’s some perverted narcissism on my part, wanting my loved ones to take a deeper interest in getting to know me more fully. So just in case, here’s the makeshift list:

10. Apple 60GB Video iPod - White
9. Narciso Rodriguez Body Cream
8. Chanel Sunglasses - Tortoise
7. T3 Tourmaline Pro Hair Dryer
6. Nanette Lepore - Aubergine
5. Samsung MM-A900 Phone
4. Louis Vuitton Mini Pleaty
3. Thomas Pink 3/4 - Black
2. L.A.M.B. T-Shirt - Blue
1. And a long vacation!

7 comments December 13th, 2005

Hint number one that you might have a mild footwear addiction:
You receive handwritten postcards in the mail from the salesgirls…
Printed with not one, but two colors of ink… AND FILLED HEARTS!
I’m pretty sure that symbol means “Thanks for my paycheck.”

16 comments December 12th, 2005

There’s a universe of difference between being childish and childlike. The former I have in spades, but the latter could use some work. Over the years we suffocate our best childlike qualities, believing instead that our defense mechanisms will protect us, when all they really do is make us weak. It’s a great big lie that we seem to swallow whole.

Children don’t have our pathetic hang-ups. They lack sufficient fear. As such, they’re always ready to play, quick to forgive and forget, and best of all — They don’t understand limitations. It was in that final area that today I saw a glimmer of hope that some day I might finally strip away the mess I built and regain the purity of heart I once had.

Continue Reading 6 comments December 11th, 2005

We all have certain songs that get us in the Christmas spirit. Melodies that remind us of those very special moments with friends and family.

For me, although the surprise of seeing a different side of grandpa Matt through the Chipmunks holiday album is a contender, what really says Christmas to me are the classic Perry Como songs that my grandma Jasmine would play each year.

Every time I hear him croon, I am transported back to the sights and smells of her holiday celebrations. I remember every decoration, every detail. She was certainly the hostess with the mostest. Someone should tell Martha Stewart that abundance is useless without kindness, and my grandma had the market cornered on that commodity.

In her memory, enjoy twelve days of my favorite Perry Como songs. I’m sharing them with you as a little holiday gift…

Continue Reading 10 comments December 10th, 2005

When am I going to get it through my stubborn noggin that whenever I am intially suspicious of a person, it only means that later on they’re going to turn out to be one of the most awesome people I’ve ever met?

You’d think that after as many times as it’s happened I’d be wise to this game. Unfortunately, I’m still longing for the day when at this first impulse, instead of testing a person and shying away, I become excited and dig in to get to know them a little bit better.

16 comments December 8th, 2005

After all the bad press I’ve given my aunt lately, it’s time I balance the scales and tell you why I keep Martha around. Other than the fact that she does love me somewhere under the nonsense she spews, there’s also the fact that she’s been through a lot in her lifetime, and has some valuable wisdom to share as a result.

Case in point, one of her famous phrases:
The way people treat you tells you how they want to be treated.

When she first told me that, it sounded odd… Overly simplistic, even. But it turns out that after referring back to that tidbit now and then, it actually changed my life. I’m not even exaggerating. I used to think that the way that I treat people is entirely predicated upon who I am; that I should always behave in a manner befitting the best of my character. This often left me in situations where I was treated poorly while continuing to respond with kindness. I wound up empty and exhausted.

Since really meditating on this concept and working it in, I’ve found new freedoms. There are people whom I will love, but whose behavior prevents me from expressing myself to them. My parents are a good example. I have to keep them away because they’re just not safe. The way that they treat me really does show me how they want to be treated, and when reciprocal action is not in line with my personal standards, sometimes distance is the only acceptable response.

Thanks, Martha, for the good stuff… Like that.

9 comments December 7th, 2005

Today’s 10 on Tuesday is secretly being replaced with Folger’s Crystals. The recommended topic this week was “Chores You Hate Most” and since as we speak my beloved housekeeper is handling all of that crap for me, I feel highly overqualified to post on the subject.

Here’s something more entertaining: Jason Rohrblogger reports on the TOP TEN REJECTED CELEBRITY-ENDORSED HOLIDAY GIFTS!

10. Pez-Style Elton John Zoloft Dispenser
9. Saddam Hussein Beard Lice Extermination Kit
8. Dubya’s Guide to Surfing the Internets for Dummies
7. Desperate Housewives Upholstery Stain Remover
6. Rosie O’Donnell’s Carpet Cleaner / Dessert Topping
5. The Prison Farm Cookbook by Martha Stewart
4. Tara Reid’s Areola Cross-Stitching Hobby Set
3. The Barry Bonds “Shoot-Em-Up” Steroid Injection System
2. Michael Moore’s Washboard Abs Machine

And the number one rejected celebrity-endorsed holiday gift…
1. Paris Hilton’s Self-Taught Sword Swallowing Instructional Video

6 comments December 6th, 2005