Siriously, I want this phone

October 5, 2011

Apple unveiled the new member of the iPhone family today, iPhone 4S.

No, this wasn’t the completely redesigned iPhone 5 many of us were expecting. For that fact alone, a bunch of people bitched and moaned and sprained their eyes with all the rolling.

But not me. I am an unapologetic Apple groupie. I want whatever they’re selling, no matter what it is. They could actually unveil an apple and I’d buy it.

Behold! The iApple.

 

My love affair with Apple products runs long and deep. We used the Apple II in school, back when screens were black and green and everybody died of dysentery in the Oregon Trail game. My first printer was named Wozniak. I took a Mac to college and carried my trusty iPod mini around the world. My version of heaven is filled with apps.

And I damn near make out with all this electric candy, as you can see in this photo of my now-vintage iPhone.

 

The thing is that I’m an early adapter. So I enthusiastically buy the products when they’re hot and fresh, and then I can’t afford to get the newer, better, more updated versions later. Like that iPhone you just saw in the photo? That’s the phone I still use. It’s not even compatible with half the apps in the app store.

It’s about time I get a new phone. And I can’t imagine anything better than the new iPhone 4S — except maybe Steve Jobs himself, riding a unicorn made of cotton candy on my front porch.

The new iPhone 4S is everything I ever needed and some things I haven’t even thought of yet. It’s faster! It has an 8 megapixel camera! And it comes with a personal assistant named Siri! Do you know how long I’ve needed a personal assistant named Siri? Well, not long at all. But now that I know she’s out there, I covet her.

All the minimalist stuff I’ve been preaching for the past couple years? It is a facade. Because all I want to do is walk into an Apple store when the new phone is released on Oct. 14, hand over my credit card and say, “Gimme everything you got.” Then I’ll wallpaper my room with iPhones and listen to Siri reprimand me for going over budget. I want to roll around on a stack of iPhones like Scrooge McDuck with his piles of money. I want to crawl up inside an iPhone and let it rock me to sleep.

This is the first phone that makes me wish I had more shit to do. As it is, I live a freelancer lifestyle with not very many appointments. But that won’t stop me from pushing Siri around and demanding, “Phone, reschedule my walk with the dog for 9:15. Phone, add wine to the grocery list. Phone, remind me to shower.”

Oct. 14 cannot get here fast enough.

Month of fun: Day 30

September 30, 2011

I had a blah-blah day of routine errands and other unremarkable stuff. I started to fear that I would end my Mouth of Fun on a not-very-fun note.

Then my husband came home from work, created a spontaneous date night and absolutely swept me off my feet. Even though there was a thunderstorm outside, we were cozied up inside with a romantic dinner, dancing and each other. Bliss!

I love this dude. We’ve been to the ends of the earth together, and we’re still holding strong. Every day feels like our anniversary.

 

 

 


 

 

Month of fun: Day 29

September 29, 2011

Oh, it’s National Coffee Day? Well, this is a holiday I can wholeheartedly embrace.

I am a total coffee freak, which is why my caffeine-fueled trip around the globe could easily be subtitled: Americanos in Argentina, Lattes in Laos and How I Grudgingly Learned to Love Nescafe.

Aside: I once contacted Starbucks about sponsoring me on a bean-themed trip, where I would travel through some of the biggest coffee-producing countries in the world, writing stories about the process from bean to cup and the people who get it there. Sadly, Starbucks turned me down.

Back to my story. It’s coffee day. Yay!

 

Since today was my kind of day, I kicked it off with a total brewed awakening — a coffee mask, coffee scrub and piping hot cup of coffee.

That’s a lot of coffee!

First, I made a pot of coffee and put it in a carafe where it would stay nice and warm. Then I started working on the other stuff.

For the mask, I took 2 tablespoons of just-brewed coffee grounds, mixed it with 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder and 2 tablespoons of soy yogurt, then slapped the mixture on my face. While the mask dried, I made a coffee scrub using a couple more tablespoons of coffee grounds, a tablespoon of sugar and a drizzle of olive oil. I applied the scrub in the shower, washed it all off and then relaxed with super-soft skin and super-yummy coffee.

You can just call me Sir Mix-a-Latte.

 

I got the idea from this Crunchy Betty post, which you can read for more details. (NOTE: The face mask can be made with honey and/or cow yogurt, for those who aren’t vegan.)

How does it work? Basically, caffeine detoxifies your skin and cuts down on puffiness and swelling, which is why it’s used in so many expensive beauty products.

Well, here you’re just cutting out the middleman and using straight-up, fresh grounds within 20 minutes of brewing. You’re isolating all the wonderful properties of caffeine without wasting all your dough.

Of course you know that your skin absorbs 60 percent of whatever you apply topically, which translates to an extra caffeine kick in your day! But don’t blame me if you end up running a triathlon instead of going to work.

Month of fun: Day 28

September 28, 2011

My bike is a commuter bike.

I bought it for the purpose of getting me places. Picking up groceries. Running errands. Riding to the coffee shop.

It is not built for speed or anything extreme.

But it is AWESOME. Chocolate body, blue rims, cream saddle and handles. I attached a silver wire basket on the front handlebars, which made my neighbor squeal, “Ooh, girl! Look at your little Toto basket!”

 

Also, I have a bell. I ring it frequently and inappropriately.

 

Sometimes I go out riding in the mornings and I catch myself grumbling and swearing. I get 10 kinds of frustrated over the fact that I’m not going as fast as the people on zoomy $2,000 Trek bikes. And that’s when I have to step back and remind myself, “Girl, you have a Toto basket. You are here for FUN.”

Today I rode farther than I ever have before. I came to a long stretch of road near Indian Canyons, where a beggar was camped out in the creosote bushes. He was draped over a stack of buckling cardboard boxes and bulging plastic bags. As I got closer, the man leapt to his feet.

“Oh no,” I instinctively thought. “What’s he going to do?”

Then the man smiled so wide, I swore the sun was peeking out from his teeth.

“There you go! There you GO!” he cheered and clapped his hands. “You are winning this race! Everyone else is behind you. Stay strong!”

It was wonderful. How could my day possibly go wrong after having my own personal cheerleader first thing in the morning?

 

 

Month of fun: Day 27

September 27, 2011

A sunny afternoon ride in a convertible. A delicious lunch. A fantastic conversation with a beautiful friend.

What could possibly be better than that?

This is the salad sampler at Palm Greens Cafe, 611 S. Palm Canyon Dr., Palm Springs.

 

I swear the salad sampler is a force of nature. I am physically incapable of ordering anything else whenever I go to Palm Greens.

The dish comes with a big bowl full of crisp greens, shredded carrots, tomato slices, cucumber and other fresh veggies. On top of that they put scoops of other salads: Red quinoa, lentil, soba noodle, sweet potato, curried tofu, seaweed, potato salad.

But wait! There’s more.

Three dollops of vegan goodness top it off: Hummus, star-kissed seed salad and cockadoodle tofu. (They’re underneath the tortilla chips in my photo). Then you can slather it all in vegan caesar dressing.

In a word — amazeballs.

But if you think the food was the highlight, you’re wrong. Because sitting across the table from me was this lovely lady:

 

That’s the wonderful Tammy Coia, who has a huge heart, radiant spirit and energy to spare. You can learn more about her and her remarkable work here.

Tammy is one of those rare people who is unflinchingly supportive and genuinely cares about the people in her life. I’m lucky to call her a friend.

 

About Me.

Maggie Downs is an award-winning journalist with more than 15 years of professional writing and editing experience. She lives in Palm Springs, Calif., with her husband, a blind dog and one ninja cat.
Contact her at maggiedowns (at) gmail (dot) com.

About Me.

Maggie Downs is an award-winning journalist with more than 15 years of professional writing and editing experience. She lives in Palm Springs, Calif., with her husband, a blind dog and one ninja cat.
Contact her at maggiedowns (at) gmail (dot) com.

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