The other day, I found $200 lying on the street.* Seeing as how our finances have essentially been frozen for the past 12 months or so as we renovated a house, sold a house, bought a house, moved to a new town, launched a new business and, you know, fed our children, I haven’t spent anything resembling mad money (or even mildly irritated money) in a long time. Add to that, as many of you know, I’m a fan of things that look good. And, it goes without saying, for the better part of 5 years now, I have wanted to throw myself at the alter of would have like to own an iPod, yet have managed to keep the craving at bay with a calm belying the occasional internal maelstrom.
So. Let’s do that math together, shall we?
($200 I didn’t have a minute ago) + (short financial leash) × (obsessed with design) ÷ (5 years of iWant)
=
Hello new friend!
And Oh. My. Got. do I love it! It weighs less than my eyelashes, and the brushed metal feels the way whipped egg whites look, and the tiny little click wheel with its rapid-fire tick so satisfying as to syncopate my dreams, and the red. Oh the red. Perhaps it is because I have become used to the limey pinky aqua of the old Mini/new Nano, and now the red is so fearless. Cherry soda. Candy apple. I almost want to lick it.
I’m even planning to {gulp} start going to the gym. Which is where you come in, and also why I’m telling you this whole Me! Me! Me! and My Stuff! story in the first place.
It’s been a long time since I’ve worked out to music other than the fuzzy beats thudding through the speakers of the YMCA. So I need you to tell me what you listen to when you go the gym or run or walk or whatever it is you’re doing that keeps you looking so fit, has anyone told you that lately? You look smokin. Really.
Individual song or album lists are great. iMixes (a la the ever clever Girl con Queso) are fab. Podcasts that distract you to the end of your run? Love em. Even an analysis of the arc of your workout and why you listen to what, when, would make my analytical self happy.
Hit me with everything you’ve got.
I’ll just be over here stretching. And licking my iPod.
——
*Figuratively speaking.
(Sorry, I had to take some creative license with that. Leaving the sentence as is up there was much stronger than adding a parenthetical “figuratively speaking” after it. Thanks for understanding.)
um, you might want another “*figuatively speaking” after that last sentence, too.
I may be a freak – you wouldn’t be the first to think so – and I don’t want to burst your bubble, but I have to say that I don’t actually enjoy listening to music while I work out. I find there is so little space in my life for letting my mind wander unobstructed that I find my workout to be more meditative without earphones. Of course, there’s that thumping at the gym you mentioned, but I mostly tune that out. If I play music of my choosing, then I’m much too interested in listening that I get destracted from my work. Hmmm… this is making me think that I’ll be interested to know what other people do listen to that supports continued movement rather than distracting them from it.
Congrats on the acquistion, anyway.
Whooohoooo! I’m so thrilled for you! And jealous is a good way. The RED iPod!!! You so completely rule!!!! That rocks so much casbah. And I’m making you and iMix.
You lucky lady. Red is so the new white. Hooray for you.
Not only is the red ipod soooo sexy but I love your description “weighs less than my eyelashes” it reminds me of a song you must have “You go to my head” by Billie Holliday. Good for warm up or cool down.
Laurie, congratulations on not buying a Zune.
Workout music, of course depends. Riding a bike/elliptical/treadmill while reading New Yorker? You’re gonna want something different than if you’re doing crunches, or some weight machine. If I’m reading I either have to listen to something instrumental, or something completely familiar, or something in a foreign language. Otherwise, the main factor is: does it involve grunting, or mostly sweating? Or: bursts of energy, or endurance? For the former, I get a lot of mileage out of MIA’s Arular, Prince, AC Newman’s Slow Wonder, Stones (dude! Stones!), Abba, and the like. The slow-burning stuff finds me with Juana Molina, good ol’ Grateful Dead, jazz, and anything generally mellow. Long songs are important. You don’t want to be riding a bike and listening to the Ramones because after nine songs you’ll think you must be done and it’s only been like sixteen minutes. Anyway have fun! There’s a reason everyone loves their iPod!
Jealous. absolutely jealous. nothing I need more than in the middle of the night ipod full of music. have labored folks with ipos – may have spent more time playing with them. but interestingly side with Susan. Except when running. music is absolutely necessary.