Rocky Balboa and his constant influence on my life.

So another thing about Rocky Balboa….

I'll bet you can't do this like Rocky can.

HOW on earth did he run so many miles a day wearing Converse All-Stars?!?!?!?!?! HOW? How. H. O. W. Even.

In fact, this past summer, I was running alongside the beach by my house.  It’s about a 4.5 mile run all together, and everything was going really well.  But all of a sudden, while I was listening to my iPod Shuffle (gotta have that techno) and running along the white-capped waters of Revere Beach, letting the endorphins fly like CONFETTI, I managed to fully HurtBruiseBreakSnap do-something-terribly-awful to the outer side of my foot.

I’m serious.  I even had it X-Rayed.  I couldn’t exercise for weeks.  The doctor said it was all because of my shoes.  Pumas.  Something happened where my foot expanded (gross I know, but your feet expand while you exercise it’s a part of life so deal with it) and as it expanded the outside of my shoe pushed it inward causing the bones inside my outer foot to become inflamed.  Ew.  I apologize, but the graphic explanation is necessary.

Dear athletes, don’t buy Puma sneakers.  They are casual pieces of trendy footwear disguised as running sneakers.

But I digress.  The point is I would sooner choose to run in Pumas than in Converse.  Running in Converse would be like strapping two wooden boards to my feet with bungee cords and hitting the gym.

But Larry Bird played basketball in them.  Squince and all the other Sandlot boys played baseball in them.  Rocky Balboa – he ran in them.

This is just another reason why Rocky is probably the most badass individual on the planet.

Just a thought.

I’ll admit it.  I have a Rocky poster in my bedroom.  And so it’s safe for me to say this will NOT be my final post about Rocky Balboa.  I might even work it into my column somehow.  It can be done.  There’s NO doubt about it.  Rocky can do anything he puts his mind to.  Duh.

To my most loyal friend and companion….

While I will always acknowledge my love for the brilliant industry of fashion design, I constantly find myself at a crossroads between comfort and personal style.

As fall begins to creep in and temperatures drop to a measly sixty-eight degrees (I get cold easily!), I can’t help but admit that I long to spend my days at QU in a full blown sweatsuit.

And often times I do.

(On a side note, my spell check has informed me that “sweat” and “suit” are actually two words. But various online dictionaries have proven otherwise. Whatever the true spelling may be, due to the seriousness of this entry and the sky-high pedestal upon which I have placed the “sweatsuit” personally, this entire blog will refer to the clothing combination as it is one word).

Nothing compares to the fleece lining of a cotton pullover sweatshirt, or the elasticized bottoms of a pair of Russell Athletics navy blue sweatpants.

When I’m feeling saucy, I’ll pair a grey hoodie with grey sweatpants – both of which will unavoidably illustrate “Quinnipiac University” in one form or another.  Grey on grey is undeniably the most satisfying sweatsuit to sport, as a Rocky Balboa inspired confidence and comfort level is automatically exuded from the wearer upon adornment. And while I’m certainly not running my sweatsuit up the infinite steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, it should be noted that the cozy combination will remain my reliable companion. Whether I’m on the Quad on a blustery fall afternoon engulfed in a cool autumn air, sitting at a desk in an under-heated Tator Hall classroom, or cuddling up to a textbook while sinking into a brown leathery chair in the Library, it is a sure thing that my sweatsuit is there to keep me company – hugging my limbs, covering my head if the mood strikes, and keeping me warm like no other outfit could.

And so, although my passion for jeans and flats and blouses and blazers will not be ignored, I must still pay tribute to a dear, dear friend of mine.  I must honor the garments that have overcome decades of trends and useless materials.  I must confront my own emotional attachment to the tailored silhouette of the sailor pant and black high-heels and holler “Move over, you hindrance of warmth and comfort!  Step aside you silk-threaded frock!  Make way for my loyal cotton-polyester companion.”

Alas, let me speak the words that ruminate inside. Let me embrace the fabrics that supply comfort to my being.  Let me honor the threads that have been machine-woven together and screen printed to accommodate my tastes.  Thank you, dear sweatsuit.  Thank you.

office life and the anti-funfetti generation

CLICK FOR RECIPE!...You know you want one

And so, the candies and goodies that inevitably go along with a work-study job in an office on campus are too luxurious to be ignored.

All over QU, bowls of M&M’s, chocolate kisses, Jolly Ranchers, the teeniest of snickers, and other bite sized treats reside in baskets on desks in close reach to on-campus employees.

Not to mention the baked goods.  OH MY.  And at holidays?  Sugar cookies decorated as pumpkins or Christmas trees? Am I expected to NOT indulge in a blonde brownie when it’s given to me by one of the lovely ladies at my work-study office?  Am I not to snag some leftover cookies or munchkins from that meeting this morning?  Come on.

During a day in age where counting calories is more popular than baking gingerbread, I can’t help but say NO! to the calorie-cutting bandwagon and YES! to the seven layer bar being handed to me on a confetti infused napkin.

Long live the moms.  “You’re too thin…have a cupcake,” they say.  And I Don’t mind if I do.

What for, exactly?

To all males who wake up and lather on that hair gel, strategically spiking your hair all over, specifically in the area above the forehead…

WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS?

I understand that Joey Fatone and Lance Bass found this style to be fully appealing, even necessary, during their days in Nsync.  Then again, they were in fact members of Nsync.  And it was 1999.

Has it been almost a decade?

Think of it this way – What if, in 1998, people were still styling themselves as they had been in 1988?  Or better yet, 1968 versus 1958 – Sorry ladies, jeans are only semi-acceptable.

Perhaps I’m getting carried away, but the difference in fashion trends between the 50’s and 60’s are so prominent as opposed to the 90’s and 00’s – I can’t help but wonder, when will you boys stop spiking your hair?

Thoughts?

It’s cold in there!

from nataliedee.com

Am I the only undergraduate who sits in class wishing she had a winter jacket on? I’m failing to understand the reason to pump up the AC during the spring and summer months, bringing the temperature down to forty degrees at most.  In January, when it’s actually this cold outside as opposed to in, the classrooms are comfortable.  I can even wear a T-Shirt!  Imagine. But in August, when it’s eighty degrees outside and even warmer in the sun, I’m forced to lug a giant hooded monstrosity around campus so that I can better equip myself for the arctic environment that is the classroom.  What gives?

What good is it to put on a decent looking outfit if it’s just going to get covered up by a large piece of outerwear?  It’s far too sad.  Sad news bears.  Bad.  News.  Bears.

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