Fun on the Road

Last weekend I headed south of the border for that oh-so-famous of cycling adventures --- the Rosarito to Ensenada 50 Mile Fun Bicycle Ride. I agree, that is one long name for an event that only last a few hours, but, I suppose, the longer the name, the more illustrious the occasion. I have been wanting to do this ride for a couple of years now, so I was so excited as we made our 7 hour trek down, down, down, through the southernmost regions of California and into the land of our spicy, southern neighbors. On the way, I realized that I had forgotten to make the most important of preparations. This ride is known for being “fun;” thus the reason for “fun” being in the title. I had seen photos of people dressed up in fun outfits for the ride, but in all the rush to get on the road I had forgotten to plan out my fun outfit. So I did the ride, loved it, but also found myself just a tad perturbed that I hadn’t gotten that part of my act together.

You see, I have an ever-growing, truly wonderful Life List – things I want to do, places I want to go, activities I want to try in my lifetime. On this list are “do the Rosarito to Ensenada Ride” (I took poetic license and shortened the title) and “wear fun outfit or head decorations in bike ride,” among many other things. I could have done two things on my List, but now I was going to only get to do one. Making the best of it, I pedaled my way to Ensenada doing some really fun people-watching along the way. I made note of the outfits others had on – what was cool, what worked, what didn’t – so I could do a bang up job on my own outfit in my next ride.

Here’s the cool thing about cycling. It has a built in element of fun. Cyclists get to wear some fun, crazy, loud jerseys and no one thinks a thing of it. It’s just part of the sport. The whole idea is to stand out visually in order to extend your life, so wild jerseys are just the ticket. So I rode along, checking out the many different jerseys people were wearing. Some were pretty sedate and some were bright, and cheerful and fun. This is the one thing I did have prepared. I had my favorite, funnest jersey on. It’s got a huge Cookie Monster stuffing himself with chocolate chip cookies on the front and back. I am happy to report that I didn’t see anyone else wearing this same jersey. I got some compliments on it, and smiles as people checked it out. The one guy who stood out to me the most in the Fun Torso Coverings category wasn’t even wearing a cycling jersey – just a t-shirt with these words on the back in big red letters “I’m over 65, but I’m in front of you.”

Some of the riders stepped it up a notch from a fun jersey but still kept it simple, with just a fun decoration on their helmets. Some people got creative and used nothing more than zip ties to make helmet spikes. Others used colored chenille wire to make antennae. I loved the helmet Mohawks, myself. Simple, yet very fun. They were brightly-colored, thick strips of faux hair running the center length of the helmet. There were afro wigs in many colors to be seen and a variety of hats attached to the tops of helmets – Viking helmets, big tall sombreros (how they got those to stay on, I don’t know), and cowboy hats.

Small creatures and other sundry items were attached to helmets for laughs as well. A stuffed crab was perched on one rider’s head. Flags of various countries were abundant and other stuffed creatures. My favorite in the Helmet Decoration category was the man wearing the Barbie doll on his helmet. He had her nicely dressed, seated, facing forward on his helmet. She looked mighty happy to be enjoying the ride from that vantage point.

Some cyclists took their fun ride more seriously and put out some real effort in their costumes and decorations. I saw quite a few people with various types of capes flying in the wind behind them. A cape has a way of making someone look fast and superhuman. They may have been keeping only a moderate or even a slow pace, but I still looked at them with awe. Red capes, blue capes, short capes, long capes. Capes made from a country’s flag or the flag of a favorite soccer team. They were all so cool. That is a one thing I just have to make a part of my Ultimate Bike Riding Costume in the future.

In the Cool, Yet Impractical category, were all the guys wearing the Lucho Libre masks. They were fun looking, but there’s no way they did the whole ride that way. Their faces would have melted off. I think I even saw one guy’s skin dripping out from underneath the mask around mile 43. Then there was the guy wearing the Nacho Libre costume – the whole thing. He looked good at the start when we were just pushing our bikes through the mass of people trying to get to the starting line (which took about 10 minutes, by the way. What do you expect with 7,500 riders?). I saw him again about midway and I think he was seriously reconsidering his choice. Those tights were making his legs unable to breathe, and the mask was off. The cape was still looking mighty fine though, flowing behind him.

Winner in the Most Unusual category had to be the guy with the butt. Now I know, everyone out there had a butt, but this guy had the foam butt strapped on over his bike shorts. This is a pretty realistic looking set of cheeks, so it gets your attention. It got mine, at least. I’m pedaling along, working my butt off. I look up and what do I see? A guy’s bare butt cheeks – oh wait, it’s just a costume. I thought maybe this guy was working even harder than me and his butt was just about to fall off. Fun! Made me laugh – and that is what it’s all about sometimes.

This ride was a good physical workout and an educational experience. I came away with lots of ideas about what to wear when I’m ready to dress up in my Ultimate Bike Riding Costume (the date is still to be determined). For this ride, I should have at least brought along my stuffed Cookie Monsters (a 10” one and my 2” one) and strapped one to my helmet and one to my bike. A tiny bit of effort for a whole lot of fun. I’ll have no such regrets on my next “fun” bike ride though. You know I’ll at least be sporting a cape and looking superhuman as I cruise through the course. There are so many great hats and headpieces to decorate a helmet with, there's no way I'm going with a "naked helmet" next time. At the very least, I'll have some sort of head bopper or antennae on top. All of these little touches are sure to keep me smiling and laughing even while I'm working hard and sweating up a storm.

Stay tuned for my next installment – more on the Rosarito to Ensenada Fun Bike Ride. “Yippee” and “Yucko” awards to be announced. Don’t miss it.

I Want to Feel Like a Woman

I have become a Biggest Loser watcher. I didn’t start until just about 3 weeks ago – with only a few episodes left. I am just floored every single time I watch this show. I’ve even cried a couple of times – that’s saying a lot since I’ve only watched the show three times. I amazed at the determination, the heart, and the progress of these folks. When they show clips of the contestants from the beginning of the series and you see the person now – WOW! They look totally different. Some of them have lost well over 100 pounds – they have lost more than my entire bodyweight. It’s like they had been living their lives with me hanging around the neck or waist. They just carried around that load of extra pounds everyday of their lives.

So last night, they showed a clip of one of the final two women contestants. At one point several weeks earlier, she said she wanted to lose weight so she could wear dresses, heels, pantyhose, and feel like a girl. She kept re-stating that – she wanted to wear clothes that made her feel feminine, like a woman, pretty.

Isn’t it amazing the power that clothes have on our minds? Wearing certain clothes can make us feel happy, silly, glamorous, sexy, or frumpy, serious, dark, or tired. If you wear baggy sweats, you probably are feeling comfy, cozy, and like lounging around, right? If you wear something snug fitting, with a low neckline, along with some pants cut in a flattering way, dressier shoes, all topped off with sexy panties, you probably feel a bit different than you did in the sweats. I am very aware of how the way I dress makes me feel and I use it on purpose. Feeling kind of down or low energy? Time to put on a goofy shirt. Want to feel sexy and “like a woman?” Slip into a fun, sexy bra and panty set, and then build from there. Pick out the shirt that shows off your best features, the pants that make your butt look just right, and so on. Then just watch – your walk changes, along with the look on your face, and the way you feel.

So, basically, you could say everything we wear is a costume in some way or another. We wear our work costume to the office. We wear our lie-around-the-house costume. We wear our I-just-want-to-be-happy-goofy-and-silly costumes. We wear our workout costumes for those fun and sweaty times. We wear our swimsuit costumes for our beach and poolside appearances. We wear our sexy costumes to make dates and bedroom time extra fun. Costumes, costumes everywhere, everyday. Each one works for us in a different way. Some we wear for others. Some we wear for the way it makes us feel. Think about the costume you are wearing right now. Now think about how you’d like to be feeling – and pick out a “costume” that makes that happen for you. That can be anything from underwear, to lingerie, to shirts, or the full-on, official costume.

Summertime = Swimsuit Time

I was talking with a friend yesterday about her upcoming trip to sunny, warm, Mexico. She leaves in just 2 days and I was asking her if she excited and if she was ready to go. She laughed and rolled her eyes and said that she had packed way too much and was in the process of weeding out the stuff she didn’t really need. She said, “Really, I don’t know why I packed so many clothes and shoes. The truth is, I’m going to spend just about all my time in my bathing suit.” Ain’t it the truth. She said she had already unloaded 4 pairs of shoes and was going to trim down her load even more. It’s all about the swimsuit when we get to vacation in a sunny, warm destination, isn’t it?

We had, what I call, a mini-summer last week. For about 8 or 9 days, the sun was out, the temperatures were up, and everyone’s mindset changed, it seemed. Everyone was thinking about summer and swimsuit season. On my treks through town, I was amazed at the sudden transformation. People were out in droves – biking, walking, running, sunbathing on the beach, surfing, paddle-boarding, working out with their personal trainers or exercise groups, or playing beach volleyball. Santa Barbara is just like that – the second we get anything close to summer, everyone comes outdoors. We have a pretty steady representation of the die-hard, committed fitness and outdoor folks – those who are out there year-round. The sun shares a bit more of its rays, boosting the temperature one degree above 70, and everyone else joins the die hards. It’s as if they are sitting at their front doors, gear in hand, ready to burst outside at the first hint of summer.

The beaches transform from a places of solitude, sprinkled with a few runners, walkers, or folks getting taken on walks by their dogs, to busy, happening places, crowded with people. And what thoughts do we have as soon as one of these mini-summers appears? Where is my swimsuit? Does it still look good? How will it fit? I need to get in shape, summer is almost here. I need a new swimsuit.

No denying it, I am right there too. I’ve already bought 2 new suits this month. Hey, I needed them. And I do mean need. If you say, “want,” then it just doesn’t have the same effect. “Need” sounds so much more serious, almost as though your life depended on it, and really justifies buying one or even two.

I really put my suits to the test too. Another great justification for owning two! I have the bikini that is meant more for lounging about on a Santa Barbara beach or on a tropical island. These types usually have strings, and ties, and are cut a little lower or a bit more skimpy – giving them a bit of a sexy flavor. Then I have my functional – yet still cute and fun looking – one. This is for my in-the-water time where I swim, snorkel, or kayak. Between the two types, I’m set for summer, mini-summer, or a tropical vacation. Welcome back, summer! I’ve sooooo missed you.

Ride the Chicken

I love dressing up – nope, I don’t mean “dressing up” in the adult sense like fancy dress, high heels, nylons (torture!), along with makeup and jewelry. I mean “dressing up” kid-style. You know how you did it when you were a kid - you became a superhero by tying a “cape” (also known as a towel, or a sheet) around your neck, wearing your underwear over some tights, thermals, or pajama bottoms. Or you put on a Halloween costume just for play, dressed up as your favorite TV or movie character, as an animal or something. My kids even had a big trunk full of costume pieces – left over Halloween costumes or their parts, capes, hats, masks, . . . the list just goes on and on. Kids know how to have fun. We grow up, become “responsible, mature adults”, and somehow lose that part of ourselves. Or do we? Maybe we don’t lose it. Maybe we just hide it away for most of the year. When October rolls around, out comes that love of dressing up and we go all out for Halloween parties.

Here’s the thing though, I love dressing up so much, I don’t want to just do it just once a year at Halloween. I look for opportunities to dress up and be someone else for awhile. Don’t be making a face like I’m the only one. There’s a bunch of us out there.

I know this one guy who got himself a full-body chicken suit – bright yellow feathers, mask, red wings, and rubber chicken feet. Very fun. One day (not in October) he put the thing on and just wandered around and hung out in downtown Santa Barbara in it. He got looks, he got comments, he had a blast. He even went into a restaurant – didn’t say a word, just picked up the menu and looked it over. Everyone turned their heads and waited to see what was going to happen. What was this 6 foot chicken going to do? Apparently the chicken was in a fowl mood, didn’t like what he saw on the menu, or maybe he felt he was over-dressed - and turned to leave without a word. Someone stopped him, saying, “What are you doing? You can’t just come in here and then leave without saying anything at all.” The chicken just turned and looked and said, in his most dignified voice, “Cluck, cluck,” and walked out. If you ask me, this guy has got it. He knows how to have fun. He got even more creative when he moved off to Boston.

He brought that chicken suit with him and one night there was a party going on in his building. Lot’s of college age folks having a party. Into the chicken suit he went and off to the party. Here’s where he got really innovative. He started offering the party-goers a chance to ride the chicken for a buck. Yup, he had those inebriated people paying him a dollar to jump on his back and go for a ride. I wonder what people thought when they drove past, seeing people riding big yellow chicken? My friend had fun and made a few bucks in the most creative way I’ve heard about in awhile.

I look for times to dress up and have some fun in a weird way. It makes me laugh and feel young and sort of wild and crazy. Other people get a kick out of it too, just seeing me dressed up all weird. So give it a try – you can keep it at home and dress up for some bedroom fun, or take it out into public for a good time. It keeps you young and keeps life fun.

The Dash

What are we doing here? Isn’t that the big question in life . . . and for some of us, myself included, often in the grocery store or in a room I’ve just entered. I ask myself, “What did I come in here for?” or “What was it I supposed to buy?” Then at some point, we ask that question about life – what am I doing here? What did I come here for? I suppose for every 10 people you ask, you might easily get 10 different answers to that all-important question. Well, since I’ve had my own epiphany pretty recently, I’ll share my expert thoughts as well. Why not, right? I’m as much of an expert about life on planet Earth as anyone else. I’ve been here for over 40 years, tried a bunch of different stuff, and have actually learned a few things along the way. I suppose this is my biggest lesson of all.

Years ago I was in a cemetery – wish I could tell you why, but I can’t really remember. I told you it was years ago. Anyway, I was checking out the gravestones, because there really isn’t much else to do in a cemetery. Of course, when you are there, walking among dead bodies, it’s a bit hard not to think about the obvious --- death, your own in particular. There I am, checking out these headstones and they have the standard birthdate, a dash, then the date the person died, along with some profound statement that is supposed to summarize the essence or life of person whose bones are buried six feet below. The most important thing on those headstones to me is the dash, not the numbers and not the phrase. Yup, that little hyphen between one date and the other. That’s where the person’s life was – right there in the dash. It’s not so important what date they were born or what date they died. Life is all about the dash. Don’t tell any history teachers I said that, because you know how they love to have students memorize dates (of birth and death mainly it seems). So how do we evaluate the dash? This is where my big epiphany comes in.

For me, the quality of your life can be measured in the fun you had, the experiences you had, and how much you loved. Maybe that’s not terribly deep or philosophical, but that’s my truth. If you want deep and philosophical, this just ain’t the place for you. When you get to the end of the road, that big jumping off point, the end of the dash, that’s where you really get to figure out what’s important. I’ve never heard of anyone, in their last few moments, wishing for more time at work, wishing they had done more tedious housework. It’s usually all about things they wish they’d done, tried, or taken a chance at. Or it’s about relationships – wishing they had loved more, not lost a relationship over something dumb, or said they were sorry when they had the chance.

For me, a full life is a life where I played, I had fun, and I loved with all my heart. For me it’s never been about “the American dream” – amassing stuff, being rich, attaining some position, having a secure long-term career. I want to play. Sound a bit immature? Sound like Peter Pan syndrome? If so, then I must be saying this just right. I want to experience life in its fullest. I want to squeeze every last drop of life out of each day. I want death to have to run to catch me. I’m not going to just plod along in the rat race, watching each day slip into a fog of where-did-the-time-go. I’m going to go after my dreams, no matter what anyone else thinks of them. I'm determined to look back over my life, when I’m nearing the end of the dash, with no regrets. I don’t want to look back and have a bunch of dreams unfulfilled, things I was too afraid to try, or regrets.

I’ve recently taken to writing little reminders and mantras for myself on rocks. I bought myself a Dremmel and have been inscribing words on rocks that I pick up on my walks on the beach. I just wrote myself a reminder on a big rock. “Make time to play.” I put it up on the kitchen counter where I see it everyday. It’s my reminder to live, live big, and make the most of my dash.

Is it that time of year AGAIN??

Ok, so it's been awhile (or almost a year!) since we last spoke. I have a few new items I wanted to share with you so you can all get a jump on the Halloween Season. First, let's start with this stunulicious Sexy Pirate Costume by Roma. The detail on this costume is amazing and it's made of the utmost quality materials. They've done a fine job here.

Next, have you seen our new Sexy Boots? We're thinking these boots just freshen up any spunky costume you decide on.

Our Bumble Bee Shoes are to die for though and complete any of our hot Bee Costumes. The one shown here is by Roma. While we sell a bunch of these bee costumes, I always wonder if all those people are walking around Halloween Parties or whatever with those wings on. It would really disturb me to no end if someone kept flapping all over the place and then to think if there were hundreds of them all gathered in one place - kind of a scary thought. But, the costume is a hit and we've never had any complaints about it - high quality and it's very comfortable and easy to wear.

Well, we'll try not to let so much time go by next time we write. We've got lots of amazing new Sexy Costumes to talk about, so we'll be back soon to give you the latest scoop.

And, if you're in Santa Barbara, CA - drop by418 State Street and check out our Costumes!

Ciao for now...

Cyber Shopping Simplified

I’m sure you heard the big news . . . the Monday after Thanksgiving has now been officially christened “Cyber Monday”. Online shopping is now even more popular. But who is out there in cyberland, the WWW universe, the ever-so-huge internet to help you navigate your way? Who is helping you avoid the common pitfalls that so many online buyers fall into? For today, I am. (You can thank me later.) We will use Scavengeinc.com as a model for our discussion, but the pointers given, if heeded, will help your online shopping experiences be pleasant and successful instead of stressful and upsetting. Here are the five areas where most boo-boos are made :

1. Billing address doesn’t match the credit card. Your credit card company has an address on file for the card you are using. The address you enter on the “Billing Address” line during checkout absolutely must match what your credit card company has on file or else your order is dead in the water. This is not necessarily where you want the package shipped, or even where you may be at the moment. It’s where the bill or statement is sent every month. Sounds simple, and it should be, but it is the most common mistake made.

2. CVV code. So many people have no clue what this is. Let me tell you what it is not. It is NOT the last 4 digits of your phone number, it is not the last 4 digits of your social security number, not your birthday, not your lucky number, and not the number of children in your family. And, most importantly it is NOT the last 4 four digits of your credit card number. Let that sink in. It is on the back of your Visa, MasterCard, or Discover credit card. It’s the last three digits in black ink usually on the right hand side. On your American Express, it’s the four numbers on the front of the card to the right, up above the credit card number. Scavengeinc.com gives you pictorial examples if you need them. This is a security measure by the credit card companies. Again messing this up will end your shopping experience just like that.

3. Shipping addresses that don’t exist. This seems like a joke, I know, but it seems many people aren’t sure where they live or where they want their package shipped. (This seems to happen mostly with students away at school). Simple fix – if you are having the package shipped to you, walk outside, look at the address on the front of your home sweet home and - presto! – that’s the one you enter in the shipping address. If you’re in a dorm, go talk to your resident advisor (they get paid to know this sort of valuable info). Basically whether you are shipping it to yourself or to someone else, ask or look and just make sure you’ve got it right before you type it into the “Shipping Address”.

4. Check the sizes. On every product page on Scavengeinc.com there is a link that says “View Size Charts.” It’s a real link. It’s not a cruel joke. It will tell you what size you should or shouldn’t order. Now be forewarned – if you are usually a size 8, you aren’t going to suddenly fit into a size 0 – nope, ain’t gonna happen.

5. When will it arrive? Now think about it – you are on your computer, clicking and shopping away. Your order has to be picked and packed. Then it has to be picked up by the delivery person (USPS or UPS) and then it has to make its way to you. Now with Scavengeinc.com your order is going to go out the same day IF it is placed before 2:00 p.m. PST. So if you order at 8:00 p.m. and want it the next morning, you have to realize the UPS man is sleeping and won’t get your package onto his truck until the next day. So pay special attention to those shipping times. No matter how big your event is and how badly you may need your item, online stores cannot make miracles happen – not even Scavengeinc.com.