What I'm Running To: Happy Pills by Norah Jones

Now I'm not saying that I'm running to Norah Jones's new single, Happy Pills, just because I like her hair in the video . . . but the girl's got some great hair! See for yourself:

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What I'm Running To: I Call it Love by Lionel Richie

Okay, just kidding. I'm not really running to this song, I just love Nicole Richie's clothes in the video! For the record, however, I am not above post break-up run-crying to "Say You, Say Me." Don't judge. Pin It

What I'm Running To: Sydney (I'll Come Running) by Brett Dennen

An esteemed lawyer friend likes to create iTunes playlists with unfortunate names like: Patriot Mix, Super Patriot Mix, and Shame Mix. When she decided to create a Lawyer Mix, I was more than happy to offer up some legally inspired song titles for her attorney pop hit list. And by "some legally inspired song titles," I mean, one legally inspired song title: "Lawyers in Love" by Jackson Browne. But had I been aware of "Sydney (I'll Come Running)" by Brett Dennen, I totally would have offered it up in tribute to the almighty attorney playlist. If you are the process of compiling a similar list, you would not go wrong by including "Sydney." And if you are not compulsively organizing your music into themes, you can just run to it, like I plan to. Yes, I am aware that this song has the vague odor of "Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard" by Paul Simon. And no, I don't see any problems with that. Happy Monday!
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What I'm Running To: Somebody That I Used to Know by Gotye (feat. Kimbra)

Yes, this is the alternative song du jour. No, I don't care if this means that I am not as cool as the hipsters who  are already over it. WARNING: This video may be NSFW if your office is kind of squeamish about slight nudity and body paint. But on a side note, how cute is Kimbra's chin-length bob with blunt cut bangs?! Happy Tuesday!  Pin It

What I'm Running To: Somebody to Love by Justin Bieber

Can you keep a secret? Because I have a confession to make. Sometimes, when no one is looking, I eat Nutella straight out of the jar. By the spoonful. While standing on one foot. Like a flamingo. Carrie Bradshaw dubbed it "secret single behavior." I dub it "damn good."

Unfortunately, my secret single behavior has some not-so-secret consequences. Nutella, while delicious, is not exactly calorie free. Which leads me to my second bit of secret single behavior: I'm a Bieber Believer. Like Nutella, Justin Bieber hails from Canada. Unlike Nutella, Justin Bieber does not add inches to my hips. He does, however, move my feet. Happy Monday, friends!

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What I'm Running To: Daydream Believer by The Monkees

To say that my mother was averse to change would be a bit of an understatement. Reportedly, when my parents first moved to Long Beach from the San Gabriel Valley in the late 1970's, my mom found the task of finding a Long Beach-based hairdresser so daunting that she drove the 30 minutes back to Alhambra every time she needed a haircut. It allegedly took her almost a year before she felt comfortable enough to try out a local stylist. Flash forward to 1990. While my 5th grade classmates were listening to Dee Lite, Biz Markie, and Vanilla Ice, my sister and I were dancing to The Beach Boys, Elvis Presley, and the occasional Simon and Garfunkel (my dad's influence). Modern pop music had no place in my house. Thus, it should come as no surprise that my first crush was not New Kid on the Block, Jordan Knight, but Monkee frontman, Davy Jones.

I was pretty convinced that "Daydream Believer" was about me. Even though it was recorded 13 years before I was born and even though I would end up at a high school that didn't have homecoming queens. I was sure that The Monkees really meant "international ambassador," but didn't know how to make that rhyme with "sleepy Jeanne." That's okay. Sadly, my first crush, Davy Jones, passed away earlier today in Martin County, Florida. He was 66 years old.

Rest in peace, Davy. You will be missed.  Pin It

What I'm NOT Running To, But Kind Of Wish I Was: Pumped Up Kicks by TayZac Swifron

First, it would be great if I was clever enough to come up with TayZac Swifron on my own, but I wasn't. Entertainment Weekly was, however, so kudos to them. Second, how cute are they?! Oh, how I want my little Taylor to find a nice boy so that she can stop singing sad songs about going Back to December and White Horses (even if she is finding new ways to employ Laguna Beach hottie Stephen Colletti). Rumor has it that Zac is currently wooing Lily Collins, set to star as Snow White in the first of two Snow White films to hit theaters this year (the second stars professional Twilight pouter KStew), but still, don't Zac and Taylor seem just a little too comfortable together here? Rumor has it.   Pin It

What I'm Running To: Kerosene by Miranda Lambert

If, like me, your favorite thing about Valentine's Day is that it's the one day a year when there is no line for the elliptical machines or those weight machines that tone your inner and outer thighs; this one's for you! 60 minutes on the elliptical burns over 500 calories. That's 5.6 chocolate truffles or 83 conversation hearts. Just sayin. Pin It

What I'm Running To: Creator by Santigold

After a rather unfortunate bout of the stomach flu this weekend successfully rid me of my last five lawyer pounds, you'd think I would be taking a little vacay from the 24 Hour Fitness, right? Wrong. It's time to get back on the elliptical! I will be heavily relying on this Shuffle staple to get my feet moving again. Take a look.
 p.s. Close your eyes while this video is playing if you tend toward motion sickness. This footage has a definite Blair Witch quality to it.

    

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What I'm Running To: Learning to Fly by Tom Petty

"Well, some say life will beat you down
Break your heart, steal your crown
So I've started out, for God knows where
Guess I'll know, when I get there"

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What I'm Running To: Living for the City by Stevie Wonder

Girl, when you are Living for the City, you can run all the way to Funkytown.
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What I'm Running To: Let it Whip by Dazz Band

Is there anything better than walking into a store to get your shop on and hearing your jam blaring over the speakers? I don't think so. I happened to experience this special kind of euphoria last week while doing some last minute Christmas shopping. I'll give you three guesses as to what song was playing. Congrats on surviving Christmas, friends. Let it whip!

p.s. Does this song remind anyone else of that very special episode of Felicity where Noel found out his girlfriend (played by Road Trip's Amy Smart) was pregnant and sought counsel from everyone's favorite bad boy with a poet's soul, Ben? And Ben realized that he was in love with Felicity (again), but she had started seeing that guy with the weird hair, Greg? And then they all came together to paint Noel and Elena's apartment to this song?

Man, that was a good show. I actually went as far as to YouTube that video so that I could post it here and drown you all in my early 2000s television nostalgia. But guess what? The YouTubed Felicity painting party video does not contain that song. I'm guessing that the CW or whoever did not obtain the rights to put "Let it Whip" in the DVD version of the show. That's just my guess because I pulled out my personal VHS collection of Felicity episodes that I taped back in the day and confirmed that "Let it Whip" was, in fact, the song Ben's quiche-making roommate, Sean, put on at the painting party. Anyone else out there miss the adventures of Felicity and her amazing head of hair? Pin It

What I'm Running to: Do They Know it's Christmas 1984 by Band Aid

When I think of Christmas, I think of Boy George. What? You don't? Well, you will now. Behold the original Band Aid. Never before was a better group of shoulder-padded blazers assembled, and never would there be again. Enjoy. But Band Aid wasn't done. Band Aid II recorded Do They Know it's Christmas in 1989, with an extra side of cheese. Oh, hi, Kylie Minogue. Then along came Band Aid 20 in 2004. Now with Chris Martin! And rap!  And finally, because no popular music is immune from the Glee treatment . . . Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, friends! Pin It

What I'm Running To: Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays by NSYNC

Remember when Justin Timberlake was a bleached blond curly top and everyone thought that Lance Bass was straight (I was pretty sure that old Lance gave me the once over at an NSYNC concert in 1999, but I guess I got that one wrong. Oops)? 13 years may have passed, but I still love everything about this song. In fact, if I hear it playing in Sephora, I am 68% more likely to spend more money on skincare products than I would if this song was not playing. It's a scientific fact. Enjoy this video. I'm pretty sure NSYNC spent all of 15 minutes making it. Oh, and rest in peace, Gary Coleman.     Pin It

What I'm Running To: Make This Go On Forever by Snow Patrol

Fun fact: sometimes when I'm running, I like to pretend that I'm one of those angsty teenagers you see in the movies. You know what I'm talking about, right? When you reach that moment in the film where everything starts to come crashing down on our little heroine and she takes off running. At night. In a rainstorm. With an internal black and white montage to illustrate her struggle (man, I love a good montage!). Then the rain stops. Our protagonist stops running and realizes that she already has everything she needs to fix her life. She just needs to face her fears and put the wheels in motion. Yeah, sometimes I like to pretend that's me. This song provides the perfect soundtrack for an angsty, rainy run. Even if that angsty run is more like a slow jog in the 24 Hour Fitness.

Funner Fact: in searching for a good YouTube video of this song, I learned that this is a very popular song for emo fan videos. Among my favorites are the videos for The X-Files, Grey's Anatomy, and my personal favorite, Firefly's Mal and Inara. 

Funnest Fact: as an angsty tween, I went to not one, but two X-Files conventions. I'm pretty sure that I even met Agent Scully at one of them. No, I did not dress up. Although, this is only because they did not make trench coats small enough for my 4'11" frame. Thank goodness for small miracles. Of course, I would never do something that overtly nerdy now. Unless, of course, someone created a Hunger Games convention, in which case I would be the first in line dressed up as Katniss. Or as a tracker jacker. 

Press play. Have a great week friends! 

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What I'm Running To: Lonely Boy by The Black Keys

Instructions: Press play. The reasons why I am running to this song should become readily apparent. Have a great week, friends! Pin It

What I'm Running To: Shake it Out by Florence and the Machine

This song reminds me of the early 90's. It's got a real Sinead-Cranberries-Corrs quality to it. The early 90's was a time when my body was a little tighter and my feet were a little faster. Maybe that will make me a little faster this week? Yeah, probably not. It's hard to dance with the devil on your back, so shake it off. See below:



So this song also reminds me of a weekend I spent in bed moping as an undergrad at UC Berkeley. I think that I spent a full 48-hours in bed listening to an old Corrs CD (I know. The Corrs were no longer cool in 2002-3. You don't have to tell me that.) and watching an MTV Sorority Life marathon. Man, that was a good show! And by "good," I mean absolutely terrible. Was I the only who spent 5 minutes every episode watching Jordan spray her entire head with hairspray? Anyone else remember the episode where Candace was supposed be "sober sister" for the night and ended up getting wasted? Or the episode where Jessica got slapped across the face? Drama, drama, drama. Take a walk with me down memory lane, won't you?

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What I'm Running To: Rumour Has It by Adele

Let's face it, there really is nothing like a song about a low down, dirty dog getting his comeuppance to get your feet moving. Rumor has it this is the week I'm getting back on my workout schedule. . .

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What I'm Running To: Paradise by Coldplay

So you're probably like, Girl, who runs to Coldplay?! You must be the slowest runner in human history. Well, guess what? I am the slowest runner in human history! But there is something about the elephant jumping for joy at the end of this video that moves my feet. Totally confused? Take a look . . .

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