But she swam too far against the tide

Going swimming is absolutely one of my favorite things to do. And I know a lot of others who feel similarly -except for one horrible thing, which is putting on a bathing suit. Swimwear is one of those things that very few feel really comfy in, so if you’re not Michael Phelps, the odds are good that you feel exposed and uncomfortable in a bathing suit. For some butches, who already have issues with their bodies and how others see them, this is a horrible no good thing – and some of us skip the beach/pool/lake/river all together just because of the whole bathing suit issue.

As spring/summer swim weather is starting to roll in to most parts of North America, I thought I’d do a post on bathing suits so you could get a good swim outfit together and not be caught unprepared when your buds ask you to go jump in a river/lake/stream/pool….etc.

Over the years I’ve done the cut offs/tee shirt thing, which is ok, but um, kind of chaff-ey, and you end up with wet underwear and it’s not comfy to dry in. More recently, I’d wear a speedo one piece (which, of all the “girl” suits are the most…I don’t know, gender neutral, in my opinion) and then throw on a pair of guy’s board shorts. This is okay, but it takes a long time for the bottom part of a girls suit to dry, and even longer when under wet shorts – even if they dry fast. Not comfy either.

As I am about as pale as a white person gets (seriously, sometimes my legs glow kinda green) and because skin-cancer runs rampant in my family, and because I can be forgetful with the sunscreen, AND because I’ve spent a lot of money putting ink on my flesh, I think I’ve come up with the best and most comfy and fashionable swimwear solution for butches, gender-queers, transmen, etc….

I give you the Rash Guard/ Board Short combo.

I got this Cryp rashguard at their E-bay store and last time I checked they’re about $14-20 bucks. They offer incredible UV protection, so I only need to remember to put sunscreen on my face, ears, and forearms (unless I want to nap, then I have to do the backs of my knees) and my tattoos are fully protected all day long.  There are TONS of surf companies who make these, all at different prices, but this guard was the most cost effective and gets the job done.

Additionally, you can bind underneath the guard, or wear a tight sports bra – I usually wear a lightweight sportsbra under because the guard dries pretty fast, and I like my bra to as well.  I don’t have a large chest at all, but I live where the beaches are such that the ocean only gets up to like 60 degrees on really really hot days.  I’d rather not appear so visibly cold to all of the other beach dwellers. I thought I had a photo from last summer but I can’t find it so…you’ll just have to imagine how it looks on.

You can get good fitting board shorts almost anywhere, I think these are from Old Navy. I wear the shorts tight enough so that I can go commando if I wish (I usually do) and one more tip, it helps to cut out any “netting” that may be in the shorts – more comfy for us with girlparts.

Any other butch comfort hints for summer days and swimwear?

Black/brown casual kicks

First a note about sneakers as footwear. I LOVE sneakers as casual footwear, but am a little snobbish in that I feel like if they’re runners, well, they belong in the gym and are more function than fashion.  This is JUST my opinion, and you can of course, do whatever makes you feel comfy!

I own more casual footwear than I should, and I’m going to start showing what I like for basic black and brown options in this department.

When I was 11 years old I got my first pair of Adidas Sambas. I got them because the cool kids (the “older” boys) at the summer camp I went to had them and well, you know, I wanted to be like them.  So I got some and they were totally comfy and awesome and for years people asked if I played soccer.  And then, somewhere in the 90’s Sambas became really cool footwear and have pretty much been readily available as casual wear since then, and became available in more styles and colors.  Ever since 1988 I’ve ALWAYS had a pair of the original black and white Sambas, and they’re my go to for black casual sneakers/footwear.

As for brown? Lately I’ve been wearing Onitsuka Tigers by Asics. I couldn’t find my exact  color combo but they make lots, and usually a brown version!  Just like the Sambas, these are a really casual, really comfortable shoe.

Both of them are fairly neutral as footwear – they won’t take away from any part of the outfit you’re wearing, they look good, and aren’t shouting (which sometimes isn’t a bad thing and we’ll get to that at a later date,) ” hey, look at my amazing shoes!” They just blend really really well.

What kind of casual footwear do you like to wear?

And a good butch continues to admit her failings…

This post has little to do with being sartorial. And not terribly much to do with being butch. But because I KNOW that queers are more likely to partake in the activity about which I’m writing, and I’m looking for support wherever I can find it AND because of the AutoStraddle link I know there are lots of new friends reading and because the SB cares about you and about our community, I’m going to come clean about my worst habit.

I had my first cigarette courtesy of my best friend, RB. We were probably 13 or so years old, and she’d gotten some from a friends older brother.  We went to the playground of our elementary school and we secretly smoked in the corner, near the fence, where hunysuckle flowers were just starting to push through in the mid-spring sunshine.  I remember it being totally disgusting, and going home and telling my mom that she never had to worry about me being a smoker because it was so freaking disgusting.

Well. I was wrong. And through the 20 years that followed (holy shit, really? 20? Damn) I developed quite an affair with cigarettes that I’m hoping to finally end today. I didn’t smoke through all of them. I didn’t become a true smoker till my sophmore year in high school when I had my first girl crush and she smoked and so…you get the idea.

In college I could smoke IN MY ROOM. How cool was that?

My first partner smoked. All of my friends smoked. I worked in the restaurant industry and many of my co-workers smoked.

My next partner smoked until we decided to try and use my body to make a family and so we quit for almost 2 years save for one day every month when we knew that failure was once again real, and we had one day of debauchery before climbing on the wagon again.

And when we fell apart my nicotine laden friends were there to get me through, and they did a pretty good job of it.  And I worked really hard to convince myself that smoking was cool. I even told YOU that you should have a lighter on you at all times “just in case” someone needs a light.  And while I love my flashy Zippo and know how to do some neat lighter tricks,  I’m realizing that maybe it isn’t so cool. I’m not James Dean and never will be, and I need to remember that he didn’t live long enough to get emphysema, or have his activities limited by his lung functions.

And now, with so much good to look forward to on the horizon, it’s time for me to quit. The reality is that I want a family. I LOVE being active. I like to run and bike and hike and push my body. And I know that smoking is not helping me to achieve any of this.  I went mountain biking yesterday and my lungs have STILL not recovered fully from the outing – and It’s not like I smoke a WHOLE lot – probably about a half pack a day. But it adds up, and takes its toll, and…well, enough.

Additionally, I want to be around the SL for a long time – and we owe it to each other and the love we have to be as healthy as I can for her, and she for me.

It’s not going to be pretty or easy – but I’m going to rely on all of my strengths and my support team and my love and my friends and all of the characteristics of me that make me a strong and confident butch to get me through this.

Butch Cooking School: Love Episode

Today is the SL’s birthday – and therefore, since I LOVE birthdays, it has been SL’s Birthday week since Monday. We’ve gone to a baseball game and to get drinks w/ friends while our most talented butch friend sang at a swanky downtown club and we’re going to do tapas and drinks tonight and special special dinner out tomorrow. But the other night I kind of went over the top and went nuts and made her a dinner that was just….decadent and amazing. I’d like to share this with you!

So, if you’re a vegetarian who doesn’t eat fish or a vegan or someone who doesn’t like to have to kill their own dinner, you’re probably going to want to stop reading right now. If you are someone who likes to work for their food, then I can pretty much guarantee that preparing this meal for your shellfish eating companion is going to earn you some major major points, and quite probably get you laid.  I mean, you know, if you’re not incredibly exhausted by doing all of the work to make this dish happen that all you can do when your head hits the pillow is fall asleep. Not that I know what that’s like. Cough.

Also, this is kind of a pricey meal, so even if you’re not going to get any, make sure you like the people you’re making this for a lot. I’m blessed to have once worked at a plant that processes seafood, and so this is pretty easy on my budget because they never let me pay for stuff, kind of like being an Amex holder, membership has its privileges.

Anyway, here is my recipe for crab ravioli with creamy lobster sauce.

This recipe makes 16 large ravioli and serves 4 – it’s too much for a big serving, and goes great with a salad.

You will need:

Ravioli:

1 lb lump crab meat*

1 cup part skim ricotta cheese

1 package of chives

¼ cup parmesan cheese**

Good pinch kosher salt

Fresh ground pepper – to your taste, I like a lot

4 sheets fresh pasta 8 in x  14in (or there-abouts)***

Sauce:

1 1lb lobster (or ¼ pound of already picked lobster meat)

3 tbsp butter

1 tbsp flour

1 cup heavy cream slightly warm or at least at room temperature

¼ cup vodka

1 tbsp of tomato paste OR 1 slug of prepared jarred tomato based pasta sauce

1 bunch watercress

1 squirt sriracha

Generous pinch salt

Pepper to taste

Ok, it seems like a lot, and it is, but it’s an easy recipe to follow, and I’ll do my best to break it down. This is a made up in the head of the SB type recipe, so if there’s something you don’t like, feel free to swap it out for something else. Don’t like watercress? Baby spinach will work. Hate ricotta? Try mascarpone. No likey the spicy? Omit the sriracha Abhor Parmesan? Try Romano….get the drift?

Let’s cook the lobster first, because we can do other stuff while this happens. If you’re cooking your own lobster, bring a big pot ¾ full of water to the boil, and add about ¼ cup of salt to the water.  Throw in your lobster when you’ve got a good boil, and let it cook for about 7-8 minutes.

While this is happening, let’s make our ravioli filling:

Chop the chives into teeny tiny little circles

Throw the salt and pepper into a mixing bowl. It’s good to get this in first (and you can add more later) but when your hands are a mixed up mess, it’s hard to grind.

Note, this can get a bit messy. If you’re squidgy about stuff like this, break into your safer sex supply and throw on some gloves, but rinse them off  (on your hands) before touching food.

Pick through the crabmeat making sure there is no shell pieces (they’re small, do this diligently,) and picking out the black/orange pieces of “skin.” Break up the meat a bit in your fingers, not to shreds but enough to break it up a bit into not huge chunks and put it into the mixing bowl.

With your hands mix in the Parmesan and ricotta, and the chives though reserve a small amt of chives for garnish.. Make sure everything is thoroughly blended.  Cover w/ plastic wrap and put in the fridge.

That’s it for filling. See? This is easy.

Your lobster should be done now. Take it out of the pot (carefully!) and throw into an ice bath or into the sink w/ cold running water. If you’re a quick worker, you can be chilling this while making the filling. No rushing, it’ll all come together, great. Just don’t over cook your crustacean friend, he’ll (and I prefer boy lobsters) get rubbery. Let it chill out for a few minutes before attempting to pick the meat.  SB method for lobster extraction:

1-     Twist off claws and legs at the body. Yes, all the legs. There’s good eatin (the best meat, I think) in there.

2-     Separate tail from body in a firm twisting motion. Rinse green stuff off tail meat. Throw body away. I mean, you can pick through it but there’s not a whole lot of useable meat in there. Also, hang on to the white filmy stuff. It’s yummy and will break down in the sauce.

3-     With nutcrackers, break apart the claws and pick meat from claws and knuckle. Remove cartilage piece from middle of both claws  – not yummy and kind of gross.  Don’t worry if it’s not “pretty” claws etc, you’re going to chop it all up.

4-     Use a rolling pin and push out the meat from the legs – if you do it right it will come out in a perfect stick-like tube.

5-     Break fins off of tail – yes, there is yummy in the fins, worth digging for.

6-     Crack open tail and push meat through larger opening.

7-     Chop up the lobster in to ½ inch-ish sized pieces – don’t worry about perfection, rough cut is fine. Put in a small bowl and cover/refrigerate until it is sauce time.

This: Turns in to this:

I KNOW. A lot of work for just a little bit of meat. But trust, it’s worth it.

Ok. Now lets assemble ravioli:

Lay out 2 of the pasta sheets out and space 8 1/3 cup-ish sized (Just eyeball it. You don’t want to overstuff but you want them to be filled) portions of the filling a few inches apart from each other on each of the sheets.

Use a pastry brush and lightly moisten (hahaha) the visible pasta on the sheets.

Place the other two sheets over the filled sheets and gently with your hand, cup down over the filling lightly pressing on the edges outside of this. Do this for all 8 balls (hahaha.)

Cut each sheet into 8 square raviolis. You can then press the edges together with more pressure, starting from the filling and work out towards the edges, and then you can go one step further to prevent leakage/separation during cooking.

Put all your ravioli’s on a wax paper lined sheet pan and in a cool dry place until you’re ready to cook. You can do this HOURS in advance and cover lightly w/ plastic wrap and refrigerate.

Let’s move to the last frontier – the sauce. It’s a good idea to eat immediately after making the sauce so you’ll want to have a very large pot of salted water at a gentle rolling boil at the ready – things will move quickly towards the end.

Experienced chefs know that most great cream sauces start with a roux, which is just a fancy French word for a butter/flour paste that helps thicken sauces. We’re going to make one now!

It also helps to have ALL of the sauce making supplies at the ready for ease of preparation.

In a 10 inch (my preference, use what you have) sauce pan melt the butter over medium low heat. When it starts to bubble add the flour and start whisking.

When the mixture starts to turn a nutty brown, you’re ready to add the cream.

Move the pan OFF THE HEAT and slowly add in the cream while whisking – it will get thick pretty quick. When all the cream is incorporated, move the pan back to the heat and reduce to the lowest setting. CONTINUE whisking. Be diligent about this – if you stop before the designated stopping point, the sauce may fall apart, and that sucks.

Once back on the heat, add the vodka and whisk in, which should thin the sauce out to a really nice consistency. Add the tomato paste/sauce, salt, pepper and stir.

Next add your ravioli one at a time to the gently boiling water (a harsh boil might make the ravioli break apart – and stir so none are sticking to the pot.  The ravioli will take no more than 3-4 minutes to cook and it’s one more thing you don’t want to over cook – but I promise this is not that hard.

After putting in the ravioli, lets finish up the sauce – Add sriracha if you like it spicy-ish (it really just adds a small bit of heat)  and then put in the lobster. Stir. Then add the watercress and stir it in as well. DONE with the sauce.

Scoop out ravioli, or gently drain into a colander. Place 4 ravioli on a dish and spoon a generous portion of sauce over the pasta.  Top with a pinch of the reserved chives, and maybe an extra quick grate of parmesan.  If only serving two, add pasta to remaining sauce and remove from heat – this will prevent stickage for later portions/reheating.

You are so so so done. And um, if you do this right? You’ll be someone(s) favoritist person in the world – at least for the next few hours.  Enjoy!

*I live in New England and prefer Jonah or Peekytoe crab meat. I find it sweeter and more delicious than any other crab around. But that’s my preference. If you’re in the mid-Atlantic? Maryland Blue crab all the way. Or Stone crab in Florida. Or Red crabs on the West Coast….go local on this one! And if you HAVE too? Research and buy the best canned meat you can find.

**Yes, I’m a foodie, but I understand that there is a time and place for “snow” or canned “Parmesan” cheese and this is NOT it. Save it for pizza. If you’re that lazy, buy the pre-grated stuff but freshly grated delivers the best Parmesan punch. And yeah, the good stuff is pricy, but worth it.

Couldn’t pass this one by….

Nope. Couldn’t do it. Couldn’t walk past these “Daddy” boxers. Not for a second. Mine now. Not new favorites but certainly most fun:)

Also? I’m newly in love with TJ Max – saved a TON on shirts, boxers (the Papi ones retail for $22 and I got them for $4.99,) undershirts, and found a pair of Lucky Jeans for $30.  Note, as the SB is trying to be wallet sensitive  these days, I didn’t buy said $30 jeans. Just wanted you to know they exist.

Where have you been finding bargains lately?

Why is a raven like a writing desk?

At the request of favorite femme friend and her dashing butch, I’m going to dedicate this post to hats.  Some may be familiar to you, others, not so much, or maybe you just didn’t know what they were called so when you were trying to describe or look for one you didn’ t know what you were looking for!

Oh yeah- One thing before I get to the hats. I’m somewhat of a stickler for hat etiquette.  If it’s a casual, night time event, feel free to leave  your hat on. If you’re out to dinner, or in someones home? Take the hat off, ‘kay? A good rule of thumb is if you are eating outside (like at a baseball game, where your hat SHOULD be taken off only for the National Anthem) then your hat can stay on.  If you’re eating indoors? Hats off.

For extra hat etiquette points, I’m going to quote from Andy’s hat etiquette page:

“A gentleman takes off his hat and holds it in his hand when a lady enters the elevator in any building that can be classified as a dwelling such as an apartment house or hotel. He puts it on again in the corridor.

A public corridor is like the street, but an elevator in a hotel or apartment house has the character of a room in a house and there a gentleman does not keep his hat on in the presence of ladies”

Ok. On to the hats!

I’m going to start out really easy with this one, and usually it’s a staple for many butches – the baseball cap.  This one is my favorite ever- fitted please.  For me? Unless I’ve coordinated a ball cap to an outfit, or am going to a sporting event, I don’t wear ball caps as “fashion.” Generally it means that I haven’t done my hair and need to go outside or run to the supermarket or something.

Obviously, I’m biased here, but you can buy pretty much ANY sports team cap at The Sports Authority.  And if team sports aren’t your thing? Well, you can get a ball cap for pretty much anything – check out Lids or Pacific Coast Sunwear – or even better, a local store in your town with really original product.  You can look cute with one of these worn back or front, high up or down over the eyes. Additionally, if you LIKE wearing ball caps, don’t think you can’t – just make sure it’s not ALL you wear – people will notice that they’ve never seen the top of  your head before.

Next up? One of my favorites, the Ivy hat.  I always wear mine backwards, and even though it isn’t the late 90’s anymore I still really really dig Kangol hats.

I really like this hat and would certainly put it on my coveting list. You can pick one up at Hats in the Belfry.  Here’s another version of an Ivy hat, courtesy of the Village Hat Shop.

Similar, yet different to the Ivy is the Newsboy.  I’ve never seen a butch not look hot in one of these. This one is courtesy of  Dad’s Hats.

Another cool hat is the duckbill or pub hat – I really like this one that I found at Hats in the Belfry.

Now on to some more nighttime hat selections. My favorite, and current popular hot hat is the Fedora. I really really like this straw one, available at Urban Outfitters.

A more dressy, felt version can be found at the Village Hat shop:

Another dressy hat is the Pork Pie – I think this one looks really awesome when you’re all dressed up and ready for a night out on the town. I found this one at Sak’s Fifth Avenue.One more really classic dress hat is the Derby or Bowler hat. I found this awesome one at hats.com.

So…I know, I didn’t hit upon EVERY kind of hat there is to be found – I passed over Panama hats, Cowboy hats, and a TON others, but I hope I’ve been able to show you a couple of different examples of hats that you may not already have, or ones that you’d never thought about wearing before.

Are there any hats that I shouldn’t have missed? Any hat makers that you particularly like?

I’m in a bad bromance

I mean that in the most best way possible. My pal Beelisty has once again proven her brotherly love right here, in celebration of “butch month, 2010.”  And note, I already bought the interrobang cuff links, and a tie bar for a friend, just from the awesome links from that post! Thanks Bee!

Butches bringing sexytime back

Normally, Beelisty and I are incredibly busy people during the day, giving well over 100% of our energies to our respective employers.  Today? Not so much.

What follows is a transcript we had earlier today about music selection for….you know.

SB: i like the idea of sexytime music, but i have to be honest. I can only perform if I’ve never heard the music before.

BL: So you’re constantly on the lookout for new sexytime music?  Wow.

SB: Yeah, well if I know it, the beat/words get caught in my head and I lose concentration.

BL: I can totally understand that.  I’ve been known to sing along. Some folks find it funny, others? Not so much.  But I find sex funny, and have no interest in having sex with people who can’t laugh during sex.

SB: I think sex is funny too.  I mean, sometimes it isn’t. But funny laughter-filled sex is awesome.  I wish I could be all 1997 because I LOVE Portishead for sexytime music.  I’ve exhausted that possibility now.

BL: Ooh, Portishead is good sexy music.  They need to keep making records just for you.  Or people like me need to keep sharing Portishead-type stuff with you. Have you checked out Electrelane?  They’re super sexy sounding (and looking).  Massive Attack.  Faithless.  Tricky.   Also, I’m gonna recommend this record by Bows– it’s called Cassidy and I have spent many hours making out to this record.

SB: You’re amazing.  I’ve burnt through a lot of people. Morphine.  Massive Attack.  Erykah Badu.  One thing I won’t do is work it to really really lesbo music.

BL: I can’t get down to really sincere R&B.  Like Keith Sweat?  No way.  I’d be laughed out of the bed from chuckling.

SB: HAHA Yeah. No Keith Sweat.

BL: There’s the fun, fast stuff– and I won’t lie.  As a hardcore riot grrl fan, I love to have sex to Sleater-Kinney, Bratmobile, Bikini Kill, etc…  Anyone who would play at a Ladyfest or Homo-A-Gogo is a good time for me.

SB: BUT – Sometimes R. Kelly (I know, I know) is not bad.

BL:  R. Kelly?! LOLZ. Nope.

SB: I’ve had awesome sex to Metallica.  Just sayin.

BL:  Ooh, I don’t think I’ve ever had any Metallicasex.  When it comes to the slower chill sex music, I like Electrelane, Portishead, Bows, Massive Attack.  Tricky.  Some Bjork.  *Sigh*  My goodness– you’re so right about it being the late 90s in our respective bedrooms.

SB: The Metallica S&M album (no pun intended, they’re just with the SF Symphony Orchestra) is awesome sexing music, and it’s a double disc.

BL:  Oh yea, that’s a great record. I don’t think it would have occurred to me to have sex to it.  The sincere jazz nerd in me (I used to play tenor saxophone) wants to have sex to John Coltrane records, but I haven’t ever slept with anyone that sincere.

SB: HAHA.

BL: Maybe my future holds a lady who will get it on to Miles Davis and Coltrane?

SB: Monk is pretty good for that.

BL: Oh yea.  Ladies, if you are jazz fans, you can email me.

SB: I guess – I just feel like w/o the music my life is kind of becoming Trey Songz “The Neighbors Know my name” in real life.

BL: HAHAHAH! AMAZING! This may need you to draw on distant memories since you’re in a monogs relationship with the Sartorial Love, but here’s a question for you.  Your readers need to know how to behave in this sticky situation.  And by “your readers”, I mean me.

SB: Ok, shoot.

BL: What do you do when you are having sexytimes with someone who wants to listen to something you hate?

SB: Uhm. Well, in my case that’s a non-issue.

BL: Never in your sexy life has someone wanted to jam out to something you couldn’t fuck to?

SB: It hasn’t been THAT long since the SL and I were just platonic friends so I can come up with something for you. You say the following:

“Babe. I’d really like to get down with you but I’m going to lose my s*** if we have to listen to Sarah McLachlan while we do it. Can we pick something else, please? Some Joan Armatrading, perhaps?”

BL: Wait, you can’t bang to Sarah but you can bang to Joan?  I’m so sure right now! I’m actually laughing out loud.

SB: Well, I probably couldn’t bang to Joan.  But I feel like if Sarah was the option, I’d consider Joan. Thankfully, it’s been a decade since I’ve been with someone who would want to listen to that.

BL: Still laughing.  Okay, so what we’ve determined is that I’m a music snob and you can’t fuck to stuff you know.  I won’t get it on to stuff I hate, and no one will get it on with me to jazz.  So is there a dream butch sexy playlist? Which reminds me, I will not get it on to kd lang.

SB: Me neither. Or M.E. I sometimes feel like the only dyke in America who can’t stand M.E.

BL: You’re not.

SB: Oh, good. Or we’re both just snobs about music, which you know, isn’t shocking.

BL: Melissa Etheridge’s music is not my thing. I appreciate her out-ness, her courage, her public battle with cancer. I value her place in the community and respect her…but I don’t dig on her music.  And that’s ok.

SB: I may need to get in to classical music.

BL: Yea?

SB: Well, it’s practically infinite in selection.

BL: Absolutely.  I’m an opera fan.  Never had sexy times to it though, but there is potential for the music being louder than a screamer.

SB: I think I can’t do opera.  This conversation may need to be opened up to the public for their opinions. Thoughts?

BL:  Oh absolutely. We need to know what the people bang to.

Ok. SB fans –Please help my swingin’ friend Bee (and me) find some really good music for sexytime!  Obviously, this isn’t something we can handle ourselves!

Pee Ess:  I hate the word “sexytime.” Bee loves it. But I don’t. If I could think of something else that wasn’t stupid or offesnive, I’d use it.

Because French cuffs are sexy….

And will lead us into a lovely post about cuff links next week:)  This is a French cuff shirt from the (ok, yeah, I know, but know what? The shirts fit really really  nice) Donald Trump collection. There’s always a little extra pep in the step when I’m wearing French cuffs – don’t know why, but they come along with this little bit of debonair attitude that really makes for an excellent outfit, day, and state of mind.

Do you do the French cuff? What are your favorite designers for this kind of shirt?

Coveting

It is gorgeous and hit 80 here today. In response to that, and the fact that as I can’t wear contacts I have to wear prescription sunglasses, I am coveting these Gatorz Velocity sunglasses in a major major way. Nevermind that Nascar drivers wear them – they’re made of aluminum. That’s hot in itself but they’re both lighter and more durable than plastic and well, I want.