SEARCHING FOR BRA BARGAINS

I’ve been frustrated with underwear prices recently. To understand why, you’ll need a Seyi-shopping education.

I don’t believe in paying full price for clothing; in fact, I’m an extreme bargain shopper, meaning I generally purchase items that are 50% or more off the Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price. I can’t even remember the last time I paid full price for something. I was about to bite the MSRP-bullet for an evening gown in March 2005, but when I got to the register, it was 30% off. It's just smarter to pay less.

I go to your usual deal-hunter stores, such as Ross and Filene’s Basement, but I also hit more upscale places such as Bloomingdale’s or Lord & Taylor, because, as all good bargain shoppers know, when those stores clear clothing, it can be up to 80% off. Also, their evening gowns are reasonably priced. I don’t hit really-upscale stores such as Saks, because I can’t afford 50% off $2,000. I also don’t do used clothing stores—even consignment shops (which are not always bargain anyway), because, face it, someone I don't know has worn it (and more than just to try it on). To me, that's not cool. Perhaps there's some Dateline/20-20/48 Hours/Fox Investigates Special out there about how purchasing new clothes is actually like purchasing used clothes, but I'm going to trust that what's labeled "new" is actually so. Friends who do that kind of shopping always say I’m missing out on high-quality clothing, but I guess it will always be my loss.

Despite my love of “cheapy” (but nice) clothing shopping, I think I’m about to forgo it for one important item: the bra. I unfortunately have one of the most popular bra sizes—actually, my real size is rarer and also never available at retail stores—so I go for the next-best thing. It’s especially hard to find at bargain stores. I always seem to end up at their underwear racks when only the really small or really large bras are left—neither of which fit me. You basically have to get to the racks the day the shipment comes in, which I’ve only been able to do by-the-way one time. Just yesterday, I saw the most adorable pink satin bra for $5.99 (MSRP $26.99), but it was, of course, an A cup. I guess I could go bigger, but I definitely can’t squeeze into something smaller. The only exception to the scarcity of my bra size is those mega-padded wonder bras, which always seem to be in abundance in every size. However, I believe in wearing mine, so I pass on those.

I guess I could shop online for bras—but I like to carefully inspect clothing before purchasing it—even if I don’t get to try it on. You can’t always determine the quality or comfort of a clothing item by looking at it on a computer screen. Plus, my online-shopping track record is abysmal—I don’t have the patience to find the good, quality cheap stuff on sites such as E-bay (that’s the domain of a relative of mine whom I won’t name because I don’t know if he/she keeps it a secret)…

Or maybe I just need to expand my already extensive shopping-venue selection. I think this week I’ll cross over into the God-forsaken state of Virginia, because I will concede they have great outlet shopping. If I have no luck, I guess I can stick with the less-than-50-percent off sales at the local Macy’s. Those prices aren’t so bad. It’s also some solace that I get everything else cheap. I’m fresh off a deal-seeker high after purchasing a Calvin Klein suit for interview season at $69.99. MSRP? $300. With that in perspective, what’s an extra $10-$15 for a cute bra?

I DON'T CARE ABOUT MY HEART...

Sometimes people ask me if I work out a lot. I don’t. I hate working out. It’s time-consuming, especially cardio. And results take time. What is it—150 calories burned for every mile you run? That’s enough to melt off just a small cup of yogurt—forget losing the rest of your meals. To put things in perspective, if you eat a 600-calorie dinner, that’s considered healthy, right? That means you have to run, what—at least 4 miles to burn off that meal? And that’s only if you’re eating right. My biggest gripe isn’t so much running itself—I can do it—I just find it unbearably long and boring.

Then there’s the cardio “sweat” factor. I hate sweating. Yet that’s the essence of cardio. Sweat. I hate to smell my pits after a good run/bike/elliptical/cross-trainer session. After it, you immediately have to shower—at least you should. I don’t play with my showers after cardio. I end up spending more time scrubbing off and getting dressed for the day than I actually do working out. By the time I finish both working out and showering, I’ve been in the gym for more than an hour.

The woes of cardio are the reason that, when I do work out, I lift weights. The more muscle you have, the more fat you burn…so, I like to build muscle. I use a stomach machine of some kind (don’t know what their called); a bicep curl thingy, the inner and outer thigh machines and something for the hamstrings. I do four reps of ten on each machine with medium weights—those rinky-dink ones won’t get you anywhere, and the heavy weights I can’t lift. When I finish my work out, I look at my watch, and I’ve been in the gym for twenty minutes (thirty max), there’s not an ounce of sweat on my back, and I still smell fresh. And if I’m consistent for a couple weeks (big IF), I see results. However, I’ve never been consistent enough to claim that my body is the result of working out, but I’d like to at some point. Physically speaking, lifting weights provides the most efficient work out (My only exception to my weight-lifting-only rule: jump roping—you do it for 10 minutes, and you burn as many calories as running for 20-30 minutes. It’s also actually fun).

Today I was further reminded of how cardio is just not for me right now. After lifting weights for about 20 minutes, I passed the treadmills and decided to give it a go for nostalgia’s sake. I’ll run one mile, I told myself. I set the treadmill to my optimal fat-burning zone, which is about 3.2-4.0 miles per hour. That’s like, a 12-14-minute mile. Twelve to fourteen dreadful minutes. By the time I hit .30 a mile, I had already been on there for like, five minutes, and I still had .70 to go. Screw that, I said. I have thaanngs (i.e. “things”) to do. Trying to hit the mile and run OUT of there, I doubled my speed. But somehow, I still felt the workout was taking forever. So I sped up a little more. And I still felt I was getting nowhere. I just wanted to complete the stinkin’ measly mile! By the time I finished, I was all nasty and sweaty, and I suddenly had to bolt from the gym so I could take my second shower of the morning. I’ve had my cardio fill, and I won’t be doing it for a while.

I know cardio has other benefits—it makes your heart healthier, which lowers your risk for cardiovascular diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and clogged arteries that lead to heart attacks. Those are pluses lifting can’t give you. But at 25, I’m only slightly more than marginally concerned with these issues. I’ve had my check-ups; my blood pressure is great, my cholesterol is low, and my weight’s fine. That means I can concentrate on more relevant things—such as liking me in that dress. This may sound shallow, but please, put my whole person in perspective…Right now, I don’t care (that much) about my heart…I just wanna look good.

UNTITLED

My recent entries (minus the news articles) have been on the serious, reflective side. I can’t help it; I just write what’s on my mind, and that’s been the trend. I wanted to change the tone this time, but I can’t. What I can do is go from solemn to sappy...

I’ve been down the last few days. Yes, I’m known as a happy-go-lucky person, but of course that doesn’t mean I don’t get depressed. People disappoint me. Events rattle me. Thoughts defeat me…But in the midst of my woes, God always finds a way to pull me up before too long. This time He used a call from a friend whom I hadn’t seen in a while. It showed me how blessed I’ve been this summer. I’ve strengthened existing friendships, made new ones, tried new things...all while being reminded to give the worries to Him. It feels good to let go…

I’ve always been better at giving than receiving; it comes naturally for me to give, and I love it. I’m so used to being the giver that I have to reprogram myself to let someone else in. It’s one of my biggest challenges. But as my awareness of this flawed gift increases, I've begun to fight not to let it overtake me. It helps when I get a reminder of how I need others—like a phone call. Thanks, buddy.

PRICELESS STORY...

Check out this article about the stir surrounding John Edwards' expensive haircuts. It's hilarious...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/04/AR2007070401258.html?hpid=topnews

What Makes a Good Love Story?

Recently, I’ve been bombarded with stories of love and marriage. First, I’ve seen a lot of romantic movies lately. Something New (again; worth seeing more than once). The Wedding Date (so-so). Failure to Launch (funny). Two Can Play that Game (one of my long-standing favorite movies, minus a couple distasteful parts, but a must-watch for guys and girls)…I’ve also been around a ton of newlyweds, and every other day it seems a wedding invitation comes in the mail. And, a couple weeks ago on gmail chat, a good friend of mine told me she’d be getting married. Finally, I was getting a new blow dryer at my local beauty supply store when I happened to hear another customer say she and her boyfriend were getting married after dating for five years…it’s a season of love, and I can’t escape the let’s-get-hitched stories!

These happenings got me thinking about what I believe makes a good wedding (or love) story. I’m not much into the love-at-first-sight tales; as I’ve said before, I believe only in infatuation at first sight. Loving someone requires knowing that person’s flaws and being able to handle them—“unconditional commitment to an imperfect person(author unknown),” if you will. You can’t see and accept another’s flaws immediately. That’s not to say it’s impossible to meet someone and believe that you’ll marry that person (although I doubt I’d ever say that; I’m not that trusting), but, again, even if you say that, you’re still just recognizing that you have a feeling for another that could turn into love. Also, assuming you get married, predicting that you’ll marry someone is bound to be true at some point; just because that statement is fulfilled does not automatically mean you were in love at hello.

At the other extreme, I also don’t like those break-up-and-get-back-together-then-break-up-and-get-back-together-and-do-it-all-again stories. Granted, there are legitimate reasons to end a relationship with someone you really care about, only to end up with that person later, but I’m no expert on what those legit reasons are. What I’m griping about is a multiple break-up situation where the main problem is…the people. One person is really committed to the other; the other party, not-so much. Yet the wayward one strings the other along because he or she “treats me right/better than anyone I’ve ever been with” despite the fact that this unsure person doesn’t love the other…no, wait…does…or might…but wait, “just needs more time to decide.” And, of course, the other faithful one always stays true to that fickle person, because that boyfriend or girlfriend is “just so awesome.” If these couples finally decide to get married, it’s often because after a few years of relationship-exploration-relationship-exploration-relationship, the unsure person finally concludes “there’s nothing better out there for me than you, O Faithful One.” I know God can work out these situations, but I think that, if you’ve been nothing-but- faithful from the start, settling for someone who has been unfaithful repeatedly amounts to charity dating—i.e., selling yourself short. I also think that we get what we pray for, and why pray for that “happy ending” when you can be with someone who loved you and was committed from the start of the relationship? I guess I just don’t get it…"Love"?

Okay, now that I’ve gone on a somewhat-cynical tangent, what are the ingredients for my favorite love story? There’s two. First, it’s the pure friends-to-lovers thing (not the friends-to lovers-to “friends”-to “lovers” saga). In these cases, bonding begins outside the realm of romance; even if two friends were romantically interested in each other, for a time they put hormones aside to discover the other simply as…a person, not a lover—sometimes for years. Granted, friends-to-lover relationships can often be the hardest to establish because you risk losing a friend—but the foundation on which they’re built makes them sustainable. And to me, sustainability is what makes a relationship beautiful.

My other favorite ingredient? A tale where God is in it from the beginning, because the couple were praying for the relationship even before they got into it; they didn’t fall in love, then decide to consult God. I’ve seen so many examples where relationship drama is eliminated because of prayer—which doesn’t mean these unions aren’t difficult, just that the unnecessary hardships that come when humans are in control are eliminated. When God’s guiding a relationship from the start—and continues to be part of it— it can only have a happy ending.