Hump Day Hotness!!

Happy hump day everyone! It's that time of the week again when we're all feeling a bit restless for the weekend. Hey, you know what is a great remedy for feeling sad? Hottie of the Week!! If you enjoyed last week's ab-tastic pic of Ryan Reynolds, then this week surely won't disappoint. Feast your work-weary eyes on Mr. Gavin Rossdale...yes, the lead singer of now defunct 1990's band Bush and husband to hottie in her own right Gwen Stefani (we'll get to her in a sec). Apparently, Gavin not only rocks out on the gee-tar, he also enjoys a nice, athletic game of tennis. Leigh and I took some lessons a couple summers ago, and I think we would welcome the opportunity to take him on.

Physical Fitness: 7/10 - He is rock star fit, which means just in shape enough to withstand a grueling tour and still make the ladies toss their brassieres on stage. He's too cool to waste his time at the gym, but you can bet he works up a sweat on that tennis court.

Body of Work: 5/10 - this might be a bit subjective, but Gavin hasn't really done anything relevant since Sixteen Stone came out in 1994. He's tried his hand at acting with minor roles in films "Zoolander", "Constantine", and some upcoming movie called "Frost Flowers". Overall, not exactly A list material.

Mental Stimulation: umm...5/10 again. I don't think his lyrics qualify for a Pulitzer (although the line "there's no sex in violence" did freak my mom out when I was 14). and the movies have bombed. He did contribute a cover of Lennon's "Mind Games" to a "Save Darfur" campaign CD, so that was charitable. I think the real point-getter in this category is his "stay at home dad" factor. He's clearly very comfortable being Mr. Mom to his two young sons with superstar wife Gwen Stefani. You gotta give the washed up rock star credit for that! A secure, confident man is uber-sexy!

Bonus for being British = +1

Overall Hotness Factor: 18...not exactly Ryan Reynolds territory, but still worthy of being a Hump Day Hottie! Every girl loves a brooding rock star, and a paternal one is even better. If you have any doubts about his hotness, consider this: he married Gwen Stefani. Gwen has long been one of the most beautiful and talented women in music and fashion. She's adorable and loses baby weight faster than Kate Moss does lines. Together they are one helluva hot couple.

Working it out....one smelly gym sock at a time

While cooling down on the treadmill yesterday at my local gym, Lifetime Fitness, my eyes were drawn to a 40ish male gym newbie, (it's easy to spot the first timers, they have to read all the directions to figure out how to operate the machines), who had the entire cast of Scooby Doo tattooed around both his ankles in full color!! They were about 12 inches high and even included some of the villains from the series. It was clear that his tatoo wasn't the result of a drunken night in Tijuana, it must have taken hours, maybe even multiple sessions to get Shaggy and the whole gang inked on his calves!! Don't get me wrong, I'm a big fan of cartoons like Southpark, Animaniacs, Care Bears, She-Ra Princess of Power, Rescue Rangers, Ducktales, etc...but you're not gonna find me getting Uncle Scrooge or Pinky and the Brain inked on my back for the whole world to see, what kind of obsession must someone have to get a tatoo like that?!? And moreover, what are you trying to tell the world by putting it in a place so highly visible?!?

Anyway, enough about Scooby's tatoo...all this to tell you that it was at this point when I started to realize what a wealth of blogging material the gym could provide. The gym is like a blogger's sweat dream...eww, I just grossed myself out...I think there's enough material about gym culture, gym people, gym clothes, gym etiquette and of course, the infamous locker rooms that I think I can feature my observations about all this weekly!

So, here's my first observation/complaint, and boy is it a doozy!!! I was putting away my dumbbells in one of the studios following my Total Conditioning class on Monday night when I noticed a woman in the next studio doing a step aerobics class in black capri pants and a black sports bra, this is a normal sighting at my gym and usually I just silently curse the girls that have the confidence, and more importantly the good abs to pull this look off but suddenly she did a spin around her step bench and I was horrified to notice her jiggling pregnant belly!!! I called Nick over to check her out and immediately promised to NEVER commit such a ghastly crime! Look, pregnancy is a beautiful, natural, special event but let's be honest, females don't look their best at 6-9 months pregnant! In fact, I plan on staying under house arrest once I can't fit into my own jeans! I know it's harder to do normal stuff when you're pregnant and it's great you're trying to stay fit but if you got the sports bra on can't you go the extra step and don a shirt of some sort?!? I don't care if you're 5 months or 9 months along, if people can tell you're prego then cover it up at the gym. It's not a pretty thought having to wonder if the little bitty baby inside you is being jostled around getting a concussion so please, please, please, stop putting the fact that you have a bun in the oven on public display especially in a step aerobics class where you're bouncing all over the place!!

Cheap and Chic

I've been struggling to find something worthy of this category for a week now. I think it's mostly because I've forced myself to stop shopping (on the wagon for a week). I was horrified to see my bank account dwindle and realized that the only way I'll ever retire is to throw away the Anthropologie catalogs the moment they arrive. If I open them, it will be too late and I'll have fallen in love with every $400 dress or $100 t-shirt in sight. I don't even want to talk about the bags...the amazing vintage inspired leather bags. Ok, back on track! So what is my cheap and chic inspiration for the week? Well, it's something that's actually not cheap at all, but with the right sales pitch and guilt trip, your employer could be footing the bill! It's a genius invention called the "Walkstation" and it's a treadmill desk! Yes, an actual treadmill that serves as your desk! Are all you office workers with me?! I spend 8 hours 5 days a week sitting on my ever-expanding rump and I'm not going to take it anymore. I'm too young to worry about secretary ass. My job has stolen my perfect vision and I'll be damned if I let it steal my once perky booty. Here are some details:
- It's a height-adjustable, flexible desktop integrated above a treadmill.
- You can answer e-mail, chat on the phone, videoconference, and otherwise prevail at your PC (or mac) as you work off those calories!
- It only goes 2 mph and doesn't incline, so kiss those treadmill injuries goodbye!

A business owner in Birmingham, MI currently uses the Walkstation as her main office desk. Here's what she has to say:
"You don't work up a big sweat," says Brogan, who runs the Brogan & Partners advertising agency in downtown Birmingham. "After a half-hour on it, I just get a little rosy."

And a little bit skinnier!! As of 2008, Michigan is the 10th fattest state in the nation. Nearly two-thirds of Michigan residents need to lose weight; 27.7% of state residents are obese, and 36% are overweight. And I bet 99% of them are office workers. Employers are really jumping on the "a healthy employee is a productive employee" bandwagon lately (not to mention the money they would save on health insurance for all the obese people). Why not pitch this miracle desk to your employer?? It's easier than installing an office gym, cheaper than paying for health insurance premiums, and is sure to boost employee morale. Each unit costs about $4000, but think of all the lives (and tushes) that could be saved in the process. I have already forwarded the information along to our HR person and I expect to have a treadmill desk installed shortly. I'll just have to make sure they custom-fit it with an easy access drawer for all my Halloween candy. God knows I need my 3pm Almond Joy break.

Check out the Detroit Free Press article:
http://freep.com/article/20081007/FEATURES01/810070388

Imaginationland lives at Brentwood

I'm becoming increasingly suspicious that there really are mythical creatures living under our couches, beds, and in the dark corners of our closets. Much like the Kleenex Monster I've previously described, a mitten/glove elf is now terrorizing my winter accessories drawer. I swear to all of you dedicated and trusting readers that this picture is no fake. Yes, I realize that it would be really easy to throw aside the mates to these guys but these five single gloves are literally all I found in my winter accessories drawer on Friday night. I'm not even sure how it's possible that I wound up with 5 single gloves when none of them match...do I have a hole in just one pocket of all my winter coats? I have about 5 winter coats so I find that difficult to believe. Do I have some magical black hole in the drawer where I keep them that sucks out only one of the pair? Maybe...I'll have to investigate that further... it's so frustrating! I was forced to go to the game on Saturday with one green and one white...I mean I didn't even have a blue and yellow one, I was practically supporting Sparty!! Yuck!!

Anyway, I think I've discovered a solution, and I'm more concerned by the fact that it took me this long to think of something so simple yet revolutionary! I'm only buying one color of gloves from here on out! Think about it...it's genius!!! This way if I lose one glove then I'll still have 3 left to rotate between and it won't matter which one I lose! Just call me Sir Isaac Arch people, next I'll be curing cancer!

Sports Desk....

Well unfortunately the weekend in sports for Michigan fans was extremely disappointing; the Wolverines bombed against Illinois who ended up breaking all sorts of Michigan records like the most points scored at the Big House in some 30 odd years! It seemed like they had a spark at the beginning but quickly defused during the 2nd and 3rd quarters. It wasn't even a fun game to watch and I was pretty bored by halftime and of course I forgot my seat cushion so my butt was falling asleep which is never comfortable on those cold metal bleachers. Thank god the chili was delicious or the whole day would have been ruined! As for the atta boys, I have good news and bad news...I didn't get the chance to go down on the field this game but I did get the okay from Big Dave, (Nick's Dad), to hand a few out the next time I'm down there as long as it's not a super intense game or its after time expires...in fact he seems to think the players might enjoy it so now I'm totally pumped and I plan to practice on Nick, and maybe even Lisa until gametime!! As for other Michigan sports, the Lions never cease to amaze their miserable yet stupidly loyal fans by somehow managing to get worse each week. For the fourth game in a row they failed to come within 20 points of the opponent! Seriously, why are people still paying $75.00 to go to these games and then shell out $9.00 a beer when you could just sit at home and spend the $9.00 on a pint of Captain Morgan's to induce a blackout just before the game starts!?!? I don't get it! Thank goodness for Michigan State who won their 5th game in a row against Iowa, (sorry to all my Iowa family!)...those Spartans are doing something right, so Sparty On!!!

Weekend Update - eHarmony edition

Good morning! I crawled out of bed today at 11:30, flipped on the telly, watched Girls Next Door for a while and then decided I should probably check-in on my internet dating. Honestly, I haven't logged on in about 5 days so I'm sure my matches are not happy with me. Basically, if you don't respond within 24 hours to some of these guys, they CLOSE COMMUNICATION with you. The dreaded close. Allow me to briefly explain the close. If you want to end communication with a match, you click on close and then provide a reason (because it's only right). The reasons range from "I'm not ready for a relationship right now" to "You didn't respond to my questions." Then there is my personal favorite, the vague "Other." I'm not trying to get into a heated break-up debate with these guys, so I always select "Other." It's painless for everyone involved. On the flip side, my matches almost always select "You didn't respond to my questions" for the reason they close on me. Hence, why I'm committing one hour today to answering all of their questions. Side note: I did just receive my first "Other" close and I have not stopped over-analyzing what I could have possibly done to get "Other." I mean, does he not like my photos? Do I look fat? Do I sound like a complete moron in my profile? WTF! Ah well...rejection - the online version.

I logged on to find 115 matches and about 30 guys trying to communicate with me. How can one girl juggle all of these men at one time?! I can barely keep the names straight when there are 15 Nicks, 20 Matts, 37 Brians. But there is only one Julius. I don't know if I am communicating with him because his name keeps standing out on my list or because we're actually connecting on the 29 dimensions of compatibility. I wish I could just ring up Dr. Neil Warren and ask him how I'll know when I reach the magical 29th dimension. In the meantime, I keep plugging away through my matches trying to find Mr. Almost Perfect (Mr. Perfect is already taken by Ms. Jolie).

Guys, I have an online dating tip for you. When selecting your profile pictures, make sure you are smiling in them. It might have been cool and badass to keep a straight face in your high school basketball photo, but it's a different ball game when you're trying to woo the ladies. At this stage in the game, no woman wants to date a guy whose profile photo could pass for Nick Nolte's mug shot. We all know that you smile and find things amusing from time to time, so there is no reason to hide it. A nice smile is welcoming and inviting. Most single women are already paranoid enough as it is (deadbolts are a girl's best friend), we don't want to see the guy from "To Catch a Predator" staring back at us over that glass of wine.

I'll be back with another update as soon as I make some progress here. I'm hoping to get to the actual dating stage in the next month or two. In the meantime, I believe Leigh has some classic photos from our night in Ann Arbor. Maybe she can post them after the football game. Let's hope she's dishing out some serious "Atta Boys" today!

Cheap and Chic

Ok, so after nearly 18 years of doing my own hair I think I might have found a really fabulous hair product. First let me describe my hair type for those of you still reading this. My hair is super straight, very fine, and I have massive amounts of it! It is not an exaggeration to say that every time I've tried out a new stylist they've commented, "Oh my gosh, you have a ton of hair!" And tons of straight, fine hair doesn't do a whole lot for styling purposes, which is probably why my mom subjected me to perms for the first 10 years of my life, (seriously, I didn't even know I had straight hair until 6th grade!)...every time I smell that skunky perm chemical smell I swear my hair shivers in it's follicle! Anyway, while I was having my hair done at my wedding I asked the two stylists how often they washed their hair and was SHOCKED when both said they only washed it every 4-5 days!!! My first thought was 'Eww', followed a my second thought that I was clearly missing something. I've always read that it's better for your hair to wash it only once every few days and there's no doubt that styling my fine hair is easier when it's "dirty", but in reality my hair is so greasy after even one day that I could rock the 'Flock of Seagulls' hairstyle on day three with all that oil at my roots! I read in a magazine to try baby powder so I gave that a whirl and while it does soak up the oil it leaves a grey matte hue that covers the shininess of my hair. So, I'm here today to tell you I've found something that actually works!!! SAMY's dry spray shampoo, ($8 at Walgreens), comes in an aerosol can much like hairspray and contains oat extract that soaks up the oil and dirt at the roots. I first tried it after I washed my hair on a Saturday morning, went for a run on Sunday, (yes I washed my body after the run, I'm not a dirty, gross girl!), and hadn't washed it by Monday morning and I kid you not my hair was refreshed and easy to style after spraying the dry shampoo spray on my roots, and all this without having to wash it! It even has a nice fresh smell so if you're really stinking it up it might take care of that as well! All you do is spray it on your roots, (part your hair in several places to make it easiest), about 6-8 inches away from your head and fluff up your hair with your fingers, then wait a few minutes to let it soak up the oil before brushing and combing it through...it's fantastic!! Good luck to all you fine-haired ladies out there!!!