weekend wrap up and observations

while running saturday AM:

--summer street fairs in nyc. why?

--definitely more runners in west than east village. in the east village it's all yoga doers, but they all go west to do it since there aren't very many good studios east (except for bhava). a conundrum. hm.

--saying good morning to those you pass while running is a friendly and neighborhoodly thing to do that makes you feel like you live in a town not a city.

sunday 3 pm:

--took in the last 15 mins of the west 4th pro classic ladies b-ball game. those girls are fierce as hell. really good game, very close.

--and just a note, why doesn't foot locker sell women's b-ball shoes? you'd think they would want to get on the get. pick up the clue phone people.

in general:

since summer has actually STARTED here in nyc, i am also proclaiming the make-out season as in full swing. i encourage all to make out whenever possible. makeout sessions are very key--why? for all that lovely potential that just hangs in the air around you like a very ripe fruit. highly recommended activity. it's free, easily available, fun for all involved and can get you just as drunk as a lychee martini at the anyway without the hangover.

also, another tip i have yet to vet but will very soon, from a v. reliable source, apparently jeffrey has quite the shoe sale in the summer and no wading thru masses of shoes thrown every which way, but instead a very civilized experience with salespeople and many sizes. will get back to you on this.

THE FLIP FLOP FLAP

had some feedback about the flip-flop flap (and numerous calls from across the country re: sunday styles flippie segment!). poet mary donnelly has written in defense of the flip-flop in midtown. she claims nyc city streets are so brutal, that even a pair of dr.scholls gives her blisters from a one block walk to work. point taken. however after some back and forth we still agreed that midtown investment banker women should not don the flip flop and instead invest in some 1) naturalizer sandals or b) puma trainers, if they are looking for comfort. plenty of strappy comfy sandals at naturalizer and not so offensive as the flop with a full suit, non? and a puma trainer can look quite cute with a long trouser pant.

ON THE NEW BLOGGER

must agree with heather havrilesky of rabbitblog.com. this new version of blogger has got me all discombobulated. it is as if the earth is shifting underneath my feet. is an improvement always necessarily an improvement? i mean i still love the version of palm software i bought 3 years ago better than the one now.

NEW BALANCE 950's

picked up apair of new running shoes (new balance 950's if anyone has any comments pls let me know since it is possible i made a very uninformed decision at foot locker when i was paying more attention to the latest justin timberlake video while i was jogging around the store, instead of my shoes--sometimes i do get distracted from shoes--not often, but possible)

going to try them out tomorrow when hopefully the jungle heat we are experiencing will have subsided to a manageable temp and humidity. might have to be up v. early in the AM to catch the cool hudson river breezes. look for me--i'll be a mean streeak crusing across 10th street!

OOPS, forgot that part...

so now. apparently you must stretch both BEFORE and AFTER running to reduce the pain. i forgot the after part. ahem, petite crimp in my thigh muscles.

"seduction from the ground up"

ok. so let's discuss. times article "seduction from the ground up" in the 6/17 nytimes. have to hand it to those kids for being ON IT when it comes to identifying the trends. (see metrosexuals in sunday styles and of course their citation of havainias in this very article--see my coverage on very same in jc report). anyhoo. mr. guy trebay claims the female foot is now openly sexualized as never before. toe cleavage, open toed sandals in the workplace, and of course that thing that continues to cause controversy in certain midtown establishments: flip-flops. sandals as liberating. sandals as key factors in biblical figures lopping off people's heads, and the rise of expensive toe cosmetic surgery. and interestingly enough the only other time in history where aristocrats and commoners alike wore sandals, was in the ancient world. hmmmmm. definitely food for thought. maybe, we could hop on this footwear fete and start a revolution via shoes. i don't think it would be so difficult, non? i am going to start right now and mail laura and w their first pairs of matching his and her flip flops. power to the people.

shoe tip: neiman's in dallas.

heard from an excellent source that those southern girls don't go for the same styles us northern ladies do. as a consequence, many a coveted style to be had at their headquarters. do i hear the call of the texas wild?

i've returned to my old favorite running route

east to west across 10th street--and have been rewarded with a beautiful park on the river on the west side! of course not just for me, but the landscaping, the sidewalks are all done now, and it is exceedingly pleasant to run all the way out the one dock and see the statue of liberty and west side skyscape. back in the day that dock was very abandoned but you could get out to the very edge and sit on its crumbling side with the other brave people who had made their way through the broken chain metal fence.

what is it about caffeine?

i think whoever invented or discovered it should be given some sort of prize for humanity. how else can you go from sleepy-eyed friday morning zombie to alert, clear-thinking creative person with can-do attitude?

TRACEY KNAPP ON FLIP FLOPS

well, had a wonderful poetess, tracey knapp, write in to me about the flip-flop flap. she pointed out, that being on a student budget sometimes prohibited the sorts of shoes i endorse in lieu of the flip-flop. which i can certainly understand. and i would beg to say it is probably appropriate for someone who is in a campus environment, to don flip-flops come summer. however for those lovely ladies here in nyc making their first 100K out of college on wall street and midtown investment banks, i still campaign for the flip-flop to be squelched in favor of a lovely kitten heel, or if you must a puma trainer for comfort. and tracey--do check out target for some lovely blue suede beaded thong sandals--not good for city streets but great for bucolic campuses and a steal at $14.

also frank rich's column

in the sunday times about being inside a "mediathon". sound both intense and incredibly vacuous. why does the media put all it's dogs on one trail and then so abruptly leave it, just as they started the attack? is it our innate human slowing down to see the car wreck and promptly forgetting what we saw as we turn up the music or take the next turn?

LOVED the interview with matt drudge in radar by camille paglia

and radar's editor maer roshan. (tell me again why people think camille paglia is soooo controversial). anyhoo, drudge had a lot of interesting comments (so did she) about the state of the media at large today. his concept of pulling from headlines in split seconds to put together his report is an interesting one, not a reporter but alomost an editor of editors. and his love of the dramatic element of it all. there is a major change afoot in media via blogs et al and the internet. i would venture to say this because my main sources of daily news now equals one grey lady, three blogs, maureen dowd's column online (which i consider a blog), drudge report and sometimes cnn.com for a quick check, and i am sure i am not the only one who turns to blogs for 75% of my news these days. there is a blending of print and online sources that are each starting to get equal billing in the mind of the reader. a major sea-change.

RUNNING AGAIN

yep. went running again (and canoeing). i'm turning into a regular athlete. cough cough.

fyi, proper shoes to wear canoeing are ones that you don't mind getting extremely wet.

GOING RUNNING AGAIN

going to attempt running again tomorrow in the leafy confines of essex, CT. wish me luck -- i am going to try to exceed my 25 minutes and push it to 30. will let you know how bad the pain is come monday.

MON-O-GRAMS.

yes indeed, these signposts of preppydom and good breeding have invaded the world of shoes. seen in both Oprah magazine as one of her favorite things these days and on the corner of Madison and 52nd--a pair of jack rodgers-like sandals, but instead of the signature round leather circle in between the toes, a plain flat piece of leather with a stiched in monogram in coordinating color. the heels, everything else the same. just that monogram. hm. i don't know how i feel about monograms on shoes. it's a little bit too elementary or something. like you have to look down at your shoes to remember your name. it's almost a bit garanimals.

ON MAUREEN DOWN

maureen dowd cracking me up today with her column leading with the fact men should not accompany women shoe shopping. i have to agree on this one. women should assist men (when asked) to shop for shoes, but men should just be happy and excited when you show up with three-inch strappy sandals that make your legs look amazing and enhance your working it walk. as long as they appreciate the look, it's all good. but no, men do not need to involved in the decision process.

ON RUNNING

and running. yes i went running for the first time in about two years. wait, that is a slight exaggeration because i think i ran last summer before it turned 150 degrees. but anyway, needless to say, it's been a long time since my legs were put through their paces. so today i am feeling it, but in a good way. the run itself was gorgeous--intense green, beach with not a soul on it and cute little gardens. i loved the running so much i can't believe i ever stopped. why why why. all that blood rushing around and the slap slap of your feet on the pavement. a little zen breathing. plus, you are always going somewhere.

i do think that a new pair of running shoes are in order. anyone have thoughts/opinions on best ones? right now i've got some etonics which i love, but they are very old and not so cute. and if i am going to be doing this running thing again, cuteness is of the essence while i am inhaling all that new york city air. email me at missmeghan@missmeghan.com and let me know.

also anyone know is it really true you're supposed to change your running shoes every six months? or is that just a savvy marketing ploy?

CYDWOQ sandals in the pouring rain

so maybe i should be buying stock in companies who make RUBBER RAIN BOOTS since that seems to be the only kind of summer sandal we'll ever get to wear this year. i mean yes, i did wear my new CYDWOQ sandals in the pouring rain in sag harbor on saturday. i was adamant that summer festive fashion would prevail in the face of downpours. but all that happened was i looked a little off in a giant LL Bean raincoat and kitten heels. and my feet got soaked, leading me to take a 2 hr nap.

let's discuss. michelle k.

a new line from skechers. pouring major promotional $ into it. price point 125-200 (yes this the point we like ladies!) and some cute styles. not all of them quite make the mark, but a few very cute styles including a wonderful mule with a lovely flower shown in a few different colorways including melon and black. v. cute. and according to a skechers insider, who spoke off the record, the workmanship is actually top notch, materials sourced from Europe et al. i'll be investigating further and reporting back.

AGAIN WITH THE FLIP FLOPS?!

scandale continues. reaching even the creative echelons of society. a certain songwriter who shall remain nameless (though i will say he's penned many a celine hit, and was a minor hit himself in the 80's) showed up at a certain songwriting meeting wearing a full suit and you GUESSED it, flip-flops. this has especial significance because 1) this is now a cross-gender phenomenon and 2) a cross-industry phenomenon. ALSO if you worked in a creative profession and you were SONGWRITNG why would you wear a suit to begin with? why not wear more, well, songwriting clothes. perhaps something comfy and creative? then to take that suit look and pair it with flip flops. well, i don't mean to be mean, but it's just wrong. you are in a creative PROFESSION. you already have wardrobe FREEDOM. don't mix your metaphors. it's not good for your career. you might end up with a bad celine las vegas haircut or even worse, boring blah songs for balladeers.