Summer Jam: All About That Bass

My music taste is all over the charts (#punintended), but one of my favorite guilty pleasures is bubblegum pop music. I'm not just talking about Britney and Christina either, I'm talking about random stuff too (Ever heard "Viva la Radio" by Lolly? You can thank me later.). Whenever I hear a wonderfully infectious track I'm compelled to share it with others, which brings me to my latest obsession, "All About That Bass" by Meghan Trainor.

I'm not going to get into the lyrics or comment on the song as a "body acceptance anthem" like Jenny Trout does on her blog (interesting read though, definitely check it out if you're into that type of thing). Why? I don't care. It's pop-tastic and I'm a petite woman with a "cakey booty," as a salesgirl at Alice + Olivia once told me, and this song makes me want to "shake it, shake it, like I'm supposed to do." Keep the bubblegum coming, Ms. Trainor.

Enjoy:

13.1 and Done!

This past Sunday I [finally] ran my first half marathon in Philadelphia. It was part of the Rock ‘N’ Roll Marathon Series and I had a really positive experience. My goal was to start slow and finish strong and I accomplished that, crossing the finish line at 2H 41M.

The race was well organized and the bands (for the most part they had a band or a water/fuel station for every mile) and crowds along the race route did a great job of keeping us energized.

So here’s my takeaway:

Random signs are more motivational than you’d think: The race route was littered with people holding signs saying things like, “Go, random stranger, go!” or “Worst parade ever.” These signs kept me entertained and distracted and that is huge when you’re running for any length of time. I think my favorite sign was; “Run like there’s a hot guy in front of you and a creepy guy behind you.”

Anyone can be a runner: If you’ve ever thought about doing a race (of any length), but talked yourself out of it because you’re “not a runner,” I beg you to reconsider. The Rock ‘N’ Roll Marathon Series draws people of all shapes, sizes, ages and backgrounds. As someone who, until her mid-twenties, had only ever gone to the gym to socialize I can tell you that as long as you keep going forward you are a runner and you can do this.

Take the Gu: Sure, Gu Energy Gel is basically the same as that weird gel candy you used to buy from the ice cream man, but it really does give you a nice little burst of energy. A random volunteer handed me a strawberry banana flavored Gu at mile 9 and, let me tell you, at that point it tasted like a delicious smoothie.

Don’t take the Gatorade*: This may seem counter-intuitive, but hear me out. For starts warm water > warm Gatorade. Also, the Gatorade at these races is made from the powder (something I actually forgot existed), so you have no idea how potent of a cup you’re going to get. If you must grab the Gatorade, then get a cup of water too so you can a) water it down or rinse your mouth if necessary b) wash off your hand from the stickiness of the Gatorade that sloshed out of the first cup. That stuff is nasty and it makes your sneakers sticky too. You’ve been warned.

*I love regular Gatorade on any given day, this advice is specific to this situation.

Your fellow runners can be quite amusing: I ran this race without headphones and my fellow runners were a great source of entertainment. There was a pair of older women discussing their husbands (one woman “gave in” to her husband on Friday night because she knew she’d want to get to bed early on Saturday, the night before the race), two young girls discussing the guys who were waiting for them at the finish (Girl #1: Matt and Jason are there. Girl #2: I’m going to date Matt. He doesn’t know it yet, but he’s going to be my boyfriend. Let’s hope Matt’s a strong runner too), and a variety of people in interesting and entertaining outfits featuring everything from tutus to clever shirts to capes. If you’re bored or tired or loosing your mind, look around, distractions are everywhere.

Do You: Yes, I’m semi-quoting Jersey Shore cast members here, but seriously, you should run your race whatever way you live your life; for me, that means smiling and mugging for the course photographers. My sister took the picture at the top of the post right before I crossed the finish line and, as my friend Catherine pointed out, I had full jazz hands going. When I got the email with my race photos I laughed out loud and I know that when I look back at those same photos years from now I will have that same feeling of pride mixed with just the right amount of amusement.

SoulCycle Goes Gaga

Some people love a parade, but me? I love a theme. So when my local SoulCycle posted that instructor Nick S. would be doing a Lady Gaga themed ride I was all about it. Nick S. is tough and definitely more "city" than the other Long Island SC instructors (translation: he curses and talks about rewarding yourself with cocktails post-class), but I enjoy that about him. Besides, it didn't really matter who was teaching it because I will go just about anywhere if it means I can dress up in costume.

Most of Lady Gaga's stage outfits don't exactly translate to the gym (her raw meat dress would probably cook in the heat of a normal SoulCycle class), so I decided to go Gaga-esque instead with a tomato red, studded motorcycle jacket (this was left in my locker during the ride), a black tank, black footless tights and -- the pièce de résistance -- a pair of silver spangled hot pants (side note on these: I bought them at an Urban Outfitters in London for about 10 pounds and everyone asked 'when are you ever going to wear those?' Really? Do you know me, my friends? I also wore them as part of a circus ringleader costume a la Britney a few years back.).

When I first walked in it was kind of like that scene in Legally Blonde where Elle walks into the non-costume party dressed as a Playboy Bunny, but only because everyone else was dressed in their usual mix of Soul-branded apparel and LuluLemon. Thankfully, anyone who acknowledge my sparkly hot pants took a moment to compliment my nod to the theme (including Nick S., naturally I did an internal *woot, woot* when this happened, despite the fact that it was the big push most instructors do to challenge you right before you switch to arms).

The ride was great. My favorite thing about SoulCycle is the great lengths they go to to coordinate the movement to the play list, so the theme just kicks it up a notch (provided that you like the artist). "Marry the Night," "Born This Way," and, my personal favorite, "You and I" were all included and Nick S. even managed to slip in a Gaga song I wasn't familiar with - well played, sir.

The crowd at the Roslyn SoulCycle can be a little standoffish at times, but everyone checked their egos at the door for this ride and I loved it! Guys, girls, 15 year-old North Shore girls riding courtesy of their ridiculous allowances, we were all one in the light of the grapefruit-scented candles.

Nick S. was fantastic -- not only did he instruct a kick-butt class, as per usual, but he showed up all Gaga-ed out in a blonde wig, over-sized sunglasses, patterned sports bra and crops, topped with a denim vest emblazoned with "Born This Way" on the back. Bravo, Nick S., bravo.

Bottom line: if you have the opportunity, I highly recommend checking out a theme ride at a SoulCycle near you.

"You Know the Movie Song..."

As a girl obsessed with movies, I suppose it's only natural that I enjoy the soundtracks as well. Frequently a song will come on that immediately triggers the corresponding scene in a movie to play in my head.

The other day I was driving and "Sorry (I Ran All the Way Home)" by The Impalas came on and my mind immediately flashed to poor Vern in Stand By Me, huffing and puffing in the tree house amongst his decidedly less plump friends, just trying to tell them a story, but constantly being interrupted by the guys singing the song in his face. Good times.

This got me thinking of other hits that conjure up movie scenes and a new post category, titled after a line in the Dire Straights song "Romeo and Juliet" from that '90's classic Empire Records, "You Know the Movie Song..."

Here are a few to get the ball rolling:

"Don't You Just Know It" by Huey "Piano" Smith in A Bronx Tale - The scene where Calogero and his friends are taunting Phil the Peddler by singing this up in his face while others are stealing fruit from his cart. My friend Anthony loves this movie and on many occasions I have tried to recapture the singing-into-the-camera-fisheye-lens effect of that scene; needless to say these videos have all been deleted. I apparently lack DeNiro's directorial skills.

"Dancing with Myself" the Billy Idol version (the original is apparently by a band called Generation X, thanks Wikipedia!) in Can't Buy Me Love - As one of the many people who finds New Year's Eve to be an over-hyped night that almost always ends poorly and/or dramatically, I think this song fits the scene of Ronald's downfall at Big John's NYE party perfectly. After overhearing Ronald/Donald use her cheesy sappy heartfelt love poem to seduce another chick at the party, a very drunk Cindy Mancini chooses to expose him for the creepy nerd he really is, telling the rest of the party guests that he paid her to go out with him (gotta love the excess of the '80's). And just like that Ronald goes from "King status to no status," as his brother Chuckie later succinctly sums up later. But who could ask for a better soundtrack to their demise?

"Wild Horses" The Sundays version (the original is of course by The Rolling Stones) in Fear - I'm willing to bet that you will be hard-pressed to find a girl who was a teen in the '90's who does not remember this scene where Mark "Marky-Mark" Wahlberg manually pleasures a teenaged Reese Witherspoon on a roller-coaster ride with this tune playing in the background. Nothing says committed relationship quite like going to third base in a rusted metal bucket with torn pleather seats. It truly captures young love at its finest. This definitely isn't the most ridiculous scene in the movie though; on occasion, say for instance when waiting for a friend to open the door for me, I like to repeat the line, "Mr. Waaaaaalker - LET ME INTO YOUR F*CKING HOUSE!"

More of these little gems to come.

Image courtesy of flickr.com user Joshua Rappeneker.

Up and at 'Em

2 days after Bootcamp my muscles decide it's time to be sore. Every muscle in my body resisted getting out of bed this morning.

During the abs section of our workout Nia told me not to pull on my neck so much, "you might need that someday" she quasi-joked. Today I feel why; the left side of my neck is tender to the touch. Oops.

She gave me a helpful hint though: while doing bicycles think shoulder-to-knee rather than elbow-to-knee. This is also harder on your abs, but I suppose that's the point.

I have some house guests this week and they're staying on the level with the treadmill, so working out at home is out. Looks like I'll have to work some extra walking into my trip to the city tonight.

My friend Steven's in town so me, him, and our friend Laura are going to dinner and then to see American Idiot on Broadway. I can't say that it's a show I would have selected on my own, but it's received good reviews so I'll give it a shot.

Review to follow.

In My Online Absence

While I was on my unintentional blogging break I went to Vegas for a friend's 30th birthday. We stayed at The Hard Rock, where I had never stayed before, and I loved it!

Since The Hard Rock is a boutique hotel it was the perfect place for us to stay. We were a group of about 10 so the small size of the hotel made it easy to meet up at any given point.

We had (2) regular rooms and a suite and they were all really nicely designed; they kept with the rock and roll theme and had fabulous bed linens and great stereos (the suite even had a touch screen stereo that you could hook your ipod up to!).



I particularly enjoyed gambling there because their roulette table was just a $5 minimum bet all day and night. I'm not sure if it was because we were there in the office season or because they're located off the strip, or a combination of the two, but this allowed me to play for quite awhile.

Everyone who worked there was beyond friendly in a chill, relaxed way, rather than an overcompensating customer service way, which I see as a huge plus.


Saturday night we ate at Nobu and there was a plate for every price point and delicious drinks as well. Think kobe beef, sushi, tuna tacos, and even the more basic dishes with chicken looked and smelled amazing.

After dinner we headed up to the suite for a few pre-club cocktails (and a mini photo shoot, my friends crack me up) and then headed down to Vanity, the nightclub at The Hard Rock.

A good friend had been to Vanity over the summer and did not like it, she even went so far as to warn me against it, and I seriously trust her opinion and taste level. Due to this information I went in with low expectations, but I am happy to report that it far exceeded them!

The crowd outside resembled a bunch of Rock of Love rejects, but that's to be expected. I was a happy little fashionista dressed in Gucci H2T, and my friends all looked amazing as well, so I didn't really care about anyone else.


Once inside the design was very cool, very Vegas, total excess. Mirrors, LED lights in waves on the ceiling, velvet seats and an enormous chandelier as the centerpiece. The bathroom was quite literally a vanity with huge mirrors with round light bulbs going up either side and stations to sit and fix your make-up. Cute without being kitsch.

Ladies drank free champagne until midnight so we squeezed a glass in before they cut that off. You cannot be sad while sipping a glass of champagne (or prosecco or cava or any other country's version of sparkling wine for that matter), and I was in a good mood to start, so the night continued to go up from there.

They played a great mix of dance and rock and the crowd was attractive and well dressed (for the most part, that can't keep all the riff raff out) and we danced into the morning before heading back down to the casino to gamble a bit before bed.

Today I Miss My Friend

It's overcast and breezy outside and as I stood in the parking lot at work I thought; it's a perfect day to be on Fire Island.

My mind went back to so many summers when, as great as the sunny days were on the beach, my favorite days were always ones like this. Dressed in a sweatshirt and shorts and no shoes, our feet calloused to the point where no splinters from the boardwalk could penetrate, my friend and I would go down and enjoy having the deserted beach to ourselves.

My first instinct was to text or message her on facebook, knowing that she would agree, my second was that she is no longer with us to do so, and then I thought of this song.

But I can still feel the sand between my toes...

Miley's "Rumors" - Eh, I mean "Fly on the Wall" Video

So I'm getting ready in the morning with MTV on and I hear annoying little Miley Cyrus with her catchy pop tunes in the background. When I actually pause for a moment to see the video, I realize that it's a cross between the Lindsay Lohan "Rumors" video and Michael Jackson's "Beat It." Now I know that no one is original anymore because it's just about impossible to accomplish, but if you're going to copy someone, why LiLo?

Back when "Rumors" first came out I was still quite the LiLo fan. She was from a neighboring hometown and a felt a certain sense of simpatico with her. The video cracked me up because the dance moves were strongly reminiscent of the cheerleading moves at the High School she went to, but I figured that's what I would have done had my pop star dreams ever come true.

Now Miley's doing it over again and she doesn't even attempt the choreography really. She just throws her arms around and wiggles her fingers together (I guess to symbolize "creepy little") like all the girls listening to it at their winter formals will be doing. You would think that with all of her dance war videos and whatnot that she could come up with something better, but maybe "Manders" (of Milers and Manders YouTube fame of course) was the brains behind the operation.

Frightening.

New Music Please

Last night, despite my plan to get to bed immediately after watching my CW11 shows, I stayed up until after 11:00 trying to put together a new mix CD. Being as anal retentive as I am the amount of thought and effort that goes into burning a mix CD on my part is completely ridiculous, but nothing drives me nuts when listening to a perfectly good CD than a song that's out of order or one that I get sick of too quickly because the CD is then ruined for me. Irrational? Yes. Ridiculous? Sure. Bordering on insane? One of the many things about me.

My problem with last night's CD was a lack of selection. I was looking for happy tunes, but nothing holiday (one week after Thanksgiving is still a little early if you ask me). The songs can be mellow (I'm all about the singer/song writer and piano-rock tunes) or upbeat (the last few songs include Britney Spears and Lady Gaga), but mostly they have to be positive. The working title of the mix is "Can't Get me Down." And yes I have a "working title" for it.

So this is a call out to you, whoever you are reading this, to share your favorite tunes with me. Ones that always put a smile on your face and force you to sing along. Remind me of an oldie-but-goodie or hit me up with something you think no one else has probably heard before, I'm open to anything.

Thanks in advance.