40 Whatever

"Your Mustang will be waiting for you at the Ritz"

Bad Kitty and I are lounging in our room at the Ritz-Carlton in Dearborn after just having raided the hospitality suite on the 10th floor. Note to hospitality suite people: you might want to hide the self-serve Rolos and Reese's peanut butter cups and champagne while we're staying here.

We have a gorgeous view of the arboretum surrounding the Ford campus and way, way off in the distance we can see downtown Detroit under a blanket of thunderclouds.

We've had a moment to let it all sink in and...

WE CAN'T BELIEVE WERE HERE.

Tomorrow we hop into our torch-red Mustang GT coupe (with charcoal black turned leather interior and a 5-speed manual transmission) and wing our way across the state to Fennville, MI to have brunch with the lovely and talented Danielle Wiley at her cottage by the lake, and then we continue on to Mackinac Island for our "Somewhere in Time"-inspired romantic getaway. (Cue giggles.)

Four months ago when we pitched our idea for a series of roadtrips around America to celebrate our 40th birthdays, we had low expectations that the folks at Ford would say yes.  But they did, and tomorrow we kick it off in grand style. After spending a couple of days on Mackinac Island, we'll return to Dearborn to pick up our next car, a Taurus SHO, and then we cruise down to Chicago for Blogher.

As we embark our adventure we'd like to thank our lovely sponsors who made this possible:

First and foremost, Ford (particularly @scottmonty) and Ogilvy, for indulging our crazy idea and for comping us our room (for one night) at the Sheraton.

To Intel and Ogilvy for providing us with an Intel-powered Dell Mini 9 minibook so that I can blog/Twitter and Facebook our adventures on the road AND for providing one for us to give away to a lucky Twitterer who follows our all-girl agency—@clevergirlscoll—on Twitter We'll pick a winner at BlogHer and if you are there, you will get to take it home with you.

To Fiona Goldstein and the Ritz-Carlton for welcoming us to our first night in the midwest with champagne, chocolate, and cookies.

The Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island who is putting us up for two amazing nights and who have arranged for us to interview their historian. We promise that only 99% of our questions will be about Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour. (Words cannot express how magical this place is. Being in the Jackie Kennedy and Roselynn Carter suites were a luxe touch that we were NOT expecting.)

Anna at Allison and Partners and the Best Western North River for being the first stop on our 6-day long visit to Chicago. (Excellent service and family-friendly accomodations that made us feel like we were staying at a 4-star, fancy hotel.)

To PainePR and Sony Vaio for providing a minibook so that Cat and I can craft our stories and keep everyone updated on our roadtrip.

Tomorrow the adventure begins and if you follow us on Twitter (@dearbadkitty and @citymama) you can come along with us!  Here's to great cars, the best of friends, and to turning 40 with no shame!

Alicia Silverstone and Alanis Morrisette Star in a Trailer About our Ford-y Whatever Roadtrip

My Mother's Red Hat w/Alicia Silverstone & Alanis Morissette from Alicia Silverstone

Hey, so you know how Stefania and I leave on Friday for our big Ford-y Whatever roadtrip through the mid-west?  Funny or Die just posted this movie trailer about it, starring Alicia Silverstone (me) and Alanis Morrisette (Stefania).

I always suspected that our lives are ripe for an IFC feature length film, and now I have confirmation. But just for the record, our real soundtrack has a lot more rap, the kind with with very explicit lyrics. No Diggity, No Doubt!

P.S. to Scott Monty, Ford Social Media Czar: even though I'm devastated and heart-broken that we can't have a Shelby, thanks for giving us the Taurus SHO to drive to Chicago. I hear it's badass, and probably less likely to get the attention of speed trap monitoring state troopers.  Speaking of, if we get any tickets while driving the non-Shelby Mustang, can we expense those back to Ford?

P.S.2 Don't worry, both our moms are alive, kicking and far too well-dressed to ever wear a red beret. But they do plenty of other crazy shit (Love you, Mom & Tata!) so the movie will still be an Emotional Laugh Riot.

- Cat/BadKitty

Ford-y Whatever Road Trip!

Badass 2010 Shelby Mustang, courtesy of Shelby Forums

So ... remember a few months ago, when Stefania and I started this site? And we said we wanted to take kooky trips and have adventures and generally spend the whole year celebrating?

(Please see: "The Not Bucket List" to your right.)

Well, wishing made things so, and we're taking a pre-BlogHer road trip, up through Michigan and then across the state to Chicago for the conference at the end of July.

Actually, it wasn't wishing so much as finding some visionaries at the Ford Motor Company, who agreed that our "Ford Fan Pilgrimage from the Past to the Future" idea was as awesome (or perhaps funny) as we did.

What's a "Ford Fan Pilgrimage from the Past to the Future"? Glad you asked! It involves:

• picking up a Ford Mustang in Dearborn, MI (is it wrong to wish on every shooting star that it will be a beautiful, powerful, badass Shelby GT500?)
  
  (Btw, if it's what God needs to make it so, I will also cross the threshold of a Catholic church and light as many candles as it takes.)
  
  (Besides, it's not like we're asking for the Super Snake Package, or being picky about colors or demanding the convertible. We're grateful for whatever we get, we just hope it will be a black and white Shelby, and not even a convertible because we're driving long distances, and that's a lot of wind and sun for your hair to deal with.)

• driving the absolute speed limit (at least whenever we see cops) up to Mackinac Island, where we will stay at the Grand Hotel, setting of the romantic cult classic film Somewhere in Time -- we even get to interview the Hotel Historian, who will hopefully clear up this whole "travel through time using only the power of  your mind" shenanigans.

• shooting back down to Detroit, where we get to tour the Ford plant and ask a million questions about their new models, sustainability, and who gets to name the colors.

• swapping our glorious Ford Mustang/Possibly Badass Shelby GT500 (which we plan to name The McKenna, after Jane Seymour's character in Somewhere in Time) for something else, perhaps a Ford Fusion Hybrid.
  
  (Naturally, our second car will be called The Collier, after Christopher Reeve's character in the film.)

• hanging out with the delightfully zesty Queen of Spain, who threatened to make us do shots promised to show us the "sights" around the greater Detroit area.
  
  
• making our way to Chicago, and arriving a day or two before BlogHer, all the better to receive a personal tour from our dear friends Sassafrass and Foodmomiac.  They're going to reveal the secret, best things about Chicago to us, before the other 1,000 crazy blogging women arrive.

After all of that amazing fun, we get to go to BlogHer!

Of course we're going to blog, tweet, Facebook and (gulp) YouTube every step of the way, so you won't miss a moment! Stay tuned for all of the exciting, over-sharing details.

And hey, if you have suggestions for places to see on the way, please, please PLEASE leave 'em in the comments!

WOOT! ROAD TRIP!

- Cat/BadKitty

The Cougar - Final Episode: Thank God That's Over

For the final installment of The Cougar, Stacey brought the two finalists, Sexy (Horny) Jimmy the Trainer, and Sexy (Elusive) Colt the Musician, home to meet her kids.

This is what we were all dreading the whole "season" -- she actually put her kids on camera. Yeesh.

Like Stacey, the kids are cute and appealing, but you have to wonder: wtf does this do to their concept of how people meet, fall in love and get married?

Oh, wait. Did I spoil it for you? Yes, the series ends with a proposal, a ring (from a sponsor, complete with prominent logo placement) and an acceptance. And then tons of macking out. Yick.

Of course, that doesn't give anything away because the kissing just doesn't stop on this show. You get the feeling she gives guy at the Starbucks drive thru a buck and a tongue bath. Seriously, who doesn't she kiss?

Doing it Well: Chaz Bono

Chaz Bono, born March 4, 1969

Some of you may know Chaz Bono better as the former Chastity Bono, child of Sonny and Cher. 

Chaz is just two months older than I am, and I vividly recall watching him join his parents -- he was still a she at the time -- at the end of every episode of the Sonny and Cher show. I never missed an episode, and I worshiped Chastity. How cool to be a kid on TV! And to get to wear an outfit that matched Sonny and Cher!

In 1990 the tabloid rag the Star outed Chaz. Although he was already out to his family, Chaz denied it at first, because he wasn't prepared for the public scrutiny. He subsequently came out publicly in 1995, in an interview with the Advocate.

Through the years Chaz has been a champion for the rights of gay people and same sex couples, working with the Human Rights Campaign and against the vile and misnamed Defense of Marriage Act. 

This March, Chaz celebrated his 40th birthday with Cher in Vegas. That's a party I would have paid to attend!

The latest news is that Chaz started a sexual reassignment transition (thank you People Magazine RSS feed.)  I think that's a perfect example of seizing life at 40. You're experienced enough to know what you want and how to pull it off, and still young enough to go for something huge and life changing.

Best wishes to you, Chaz, on this latest chapter: It's been delightful growing up with you, and you're still an inspiration!

- Cat/BadKitty

PS - Doesn't Travis the Near Girl (see post below) sort of look like Chaz?

The Cougar - Episode 7: Vegas Baby

In this penultimate episode, Stacey and the "final three" went to Vegas.

1) Stacey had a "race cars and sex on the pool table" date with Jimmy, the 23 y.o. The date ended with the two of them going to bed.

2) Stacey had a "massage and wine in her suite" date with Travis-the-Near-Girl, the 21 y.o. The date ended with the two of them going to bed.

3) Stacey had a "helicopter ride and sex in the bubble bath" -- yes, naked on TV -- date with Colt, the 25 y.o. The date ended with the two of them going to bed.

You tell me. Did Stacey send home:

1) Hot sex

2) Relaxing afternoon with her best girlfriend

3) Other hot sex

That's right. Bye-bye Travis-the-Near-Girl! We secretly liked you best, no really. And we would totally do mani-pedi's with you anytime!

- Cat/BadKitty

No, I'm Not Pregnant, Just Fat, Thanks for Asking, You Bitch

A recreation of the look I gave that nosy bitch. I had to use wine, but you get the idea. Do I look pregnant?

So it happened again. For the second time in my life, someone asked me if I was pregnant. And I'm not. I don't even have kids. Plus, I feel like I'm always on a diet and workout all the goddamned time. How can I look pregnant?

It was not lost on me that this happened during my (extended) 40th birthday celebration. Is this the inevitable slowdown of my metabolism, which was never winning any races in the first place?

More to the point, how the fuck do you respond to a question like that?

Mad Atom - Cougar Reference Manual

Well this is a slice of genius with ice cream on top and crunchy Ativan sprinkles:  The Cougar reference manual, from Kitten to Snapping Turtle.

Brought to us by the deviants at Mad Atoms. Writer: Becky Bain. Artist: Marek Haiduk. Inspiration: my guess is the Spice Girls. Can't you just see Victoria Beckham as a Snapping Turtle?

Hat Tip: Thank you to the lovely and talented Kristen Seymour for sending this our way.

- Cat/BadKitty

Because it Does

Can you believe I resisted buying this for Stefania? What could be more fun -- or youthful -- to have on your desk? Plus it's the perfect size for mixing up fiber drinks!

- Cat/Bad Kitty

Vintage Doin' it well: My grandma

This is my grandmother who was by all accounts: fabulous. My mom and her friends often reminisce about her designer outfits, glittering jewels, how she was always well-put-together, and how she liked to have a cigarette with her cocktail. 

She wasn't the kind of grandma who baked pies and wore aprons. She was a carouser. She liked to throw parties and fly from Honolulu to San Francisco for semi-annual shopping trips. She got her hair and nails done every Wednesday, and was never without her lipstick.

This photo was taken as part of a 40th birthday photo session. I have always loved looking at old photos of my grandmother because she was such a style icon. My 4-year-old—whose middle name is Flora after her great-grandmother—is already showing signs of her fabulosity.

Thanks for showing all of us how it's done, Grandma.

—Stefania/CityMama