I Always Fall for the Bad Ones

Act One: We enter in on a scene where Julia eyes a slice of cheese pizza in the break room.

• Julia: Oh, you again.What did I say about coming to my office?
  
• C. Pizza: You won't return my calls.
• Julia: So you just lurk in our kitchen here? What're you trying to do here?
• C.Pizza: I know we've had some not so great times.  I'm not going to pretend that whole thing with your skinny jeans didn't happen. It did. And you loved those jeans. But back in high school, we hung out all the time and there were no problems. I miss that.
• Julia: Yeah, but things have changed. I need to try to fit in my clothes.
  
• C.Pizza: Just one more chance, please?
• Julia: I don't think it's a good idea. I'm just not sure.
• C.Pizza: I have basil.  I know how much you love Basil. And red sauce, remember red sauce Jules?
  
• Julia: You had me at cheesey.

Exercising after pizza always feels like (what I imagine) Catholic* confession does. Like, hi hello, oops. I did this thing...and I'm already sorry for it, but I just feel like this isn't quite going to cover me.  And the preist is all "Yeah, you're right. Do you know what the Bible says about mozzarella? Forget Hail Mary's, you are going to have to ride your bike 10 miles, and follow that up with hot yoga- for 6 hours! Get a-toning." (ah see what I did there?) 

(side note, I was baptized Catholic, and my favorite family members are Catholic, so I think I'm allowed to make these jokes- I'll check and get back to you).

Anyway, while we're heading to confession, why not have our Sunday best, no?  I have used the Lululemon Align Ultra Mat for about 2 years.  I love it.  It isn't your top of the line when it comes to mats, I hear that the Manduka is the best, but alas, I don't have an extra $100 dollars ever. Especially since I'm buying all this pizza.  The Align Mat is soft enough to cushion you, sturdy enough it won't stretch during a down dog, and it's kinda cute. But the lines, oh the lines!  They have these lines on the mat to help you square up your posture.  When the teacher says to make sure your feet are in alignment, you can.  This is nice for the joints, but I especially love it because I'm not getting touched and adjusted every five minutes.  I like when you fix my posture, but when you touch my lower back, my brain goes "Danger ZONE!" Sometimes, I just like to do it myself, Bikram, I hope you can understand.

And while we're buying awesome mats, why not carry them in Modern Union's cute, yet functional bag.  If we have to ride our bikes to class, we might as well look awesome.


Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to file a restraining order against the pizza delivery guy.  Pizza stalking me in my break room? That's just too far.

Here we go...

It is officially cold season in Colorado. Not cold season as in "I hab a cold, but I'mb find," but rather the "Where did all my sweaters go? I need at least 7 to 10 sweaters on my body right now, wait no, nevermind, I'm feverishly hot, someone turn on the air please," cold season. The time in which the three seasons meld into one conglomerate season with multiple personalities. This is the time between October and May when any forecast could say it will be 70 degrees and sunny, or -2 degrees and snowy, and no one would be very surprised at either. This is when even young twenty somethings repeat senior citizen adages such as "If you don't like the weather in Colorado, wait five minutes," or "You need to learn how to layer if you're gonna make it in Colorado."  Yes, we get it, and yes, it's hilarious. I'm just laughing on the inside.

Actually, cold season is fun here because in the grand scheme of things, we have a very livable winter. The drawbacks of snowy and icy roads are often quickly dealt with by mass quantities of sunshine. The hills look like someone took a flour sifter to them, and the air is crisp and refreshing with not even a hint of muggy nastiness.

However, this season really cramps my style when it comes to working out outside. I have had far to many morning runs ("far too many" reads as "a total of maybe two") cut short because my fingers have frozen solid and the wind has sand blasted my legs with tiny frozen pieces of dirt through my cotton sweats. Don't get me started on the fact that my toes were numb before I even put my shoes on.

This winter I'm determined to find an exercise plan that will be sustainable through the cold days. My goals are as follows:

• Try out at least three new types of exercise for at least one to two weeks.
• Dedicate at least 30 days to indoor exercise that does not have the words "machine" or "cardio theater" anywhere in the names
• Dedicate at least 30 days to some form, or a few forms, of outdoor (I feel my nose hair freezing already) exercise.

I am notoriously cynical by nature (or nurture, discuss amongst yourselves), and certainly my woes will likely find their way onto this blog.  However, I am most interested in finding things that work, that I enjoy, that are delightfully good and share my experience of them here.  I think it's going to be a long winter, and so this is my project to distract me from the gray days and the Chinook madness.

Your thoughts?

Mad Muppets

I didn't know I could love Sesame Street any more than I already did, and then they had Feist on the show to teach us how to count. Just when I thought my heart had reached its maximum capacity for Muppets and ensuing hilarity, they go ahead and bring us this little gem.




Now Don Draper is not just a womanizer, and a chain-smoker, and God love him- he's the best at both of those things; he is in touch with his feelings. His dreamy, dreamy, feelings.

Say goodbye to Velour, for everyone's best interests

You're speeding back to school from the tanning salon in your Honda Prelude and listening to Britney's newest single: Toxic. And what is most offensive?  You are wearing a velour track suit.  Granted it is 2003, and thanks to J. Lo, 90% of females in the country were doing the same thing.  However, in 2009 (2 months from 2010- hello time warp!) there is simply no justification for velour track suits outside of...nowhere.  I tried to think of an appropriate place, but I just don't think there is such a thing.

Having worked at a yoga clothing shop that is to remain unnamed, I'm a sweats-junkie myself.  After a few too many grocery store run-ins with potential employers and fairly important acquaintances, I have been revamping my casual wear outlook.  Living in the most active city in the U.S. (fact check) I have seen my fair share of public grunge displayed as if it is appropriate to wear hiking shorts to a job interview, but I maintain that spandex is a privilege, not a right!

Here are some of my favorite casual wardrobe staples for every public situation that does not fall under the "I'm on my way home from the gym and need to pick up milk before tucking and rolling out of this place and back into my car" category.

In the words of Fashion Tribes:"AN ALTERNATIVE TO SWEATS Under no circumstances should you ever be seen publicly in a tracksuit or velour sweat suit (airplanes and gyms included). However, if you want a comfy walking-the-dog outfit, Gunn suggests leggings, a detailed tee, chic flats, and an interesting hoodie."

I substituted the hoodie with a luxurious looking wrap, and the flats with fold over boots (mostly because flats in winter in Colorado equal misery), but I think this outfit would be really fabulous with a pair of suede ankle boots.

Bye Bye J. Lo.