Before I begin this post, I need to express profound disappointment in the new Gillette five-blade Fusion razor. After shaving my face with the complimentary Fusion I acquired at the Denver Ski and Snowboard Expo, not one random woman came up from behind to feel the silky soft contours of my freshly shorn, chiseled face. I waited for a while looking in the mirror, figuring she just got caught up in traffic. No luck. Maybe, as Mike Nelson puts it: "Unlike other men, whose features are chiseled from the finest marble, mine is molded from the cheapest non-dairy butter supplement."

I couldn't have said it better myself.

So anyhow, this weekend was as much about lining up freelance work as it was trying to have fun (which I did by mountain biking at Heil Ranch both days). Here's some of the stories in the pipeline:

* I have recruited John R's help to review HDTV receivers (whatever THOSE are) for Consumer Guide. Techy, nerdy and good for the inner geek.

* Today I'm visiting Bow Wow Buddies here in Boulder for a feature piece I am writing for the Boulder Weekly. This cool dog rescue organization has saved strays in Greece and relocates them with loving families in Colorado. Cool stuff, I'm looking forward to writing the piece.

* I'm reading up on my Kiteboarding piece for Men's Journal, which is the thrust of my December trip to St. Lucia.

* I have a pile of shoes I've been alternating for my Outside Gear Guide reviews. I wish sample sizes were just a wee bit bigger, as cramming my feet into size 9 footwear (I'm a size 10) is threatening to reduce my toe nail count. Remember, it took me a year to get from 3 to 10 after my hikes for my book!!

* Finally, I'm writing an environmental piece for Gaiam's newest blog about the chemicals in plastic water bottles. Apparently, some water bottles are made from chemicals that decrease testosterone, increase breast tissue, etc. which is great if you want to sit around all day watching Oxygen and Lifetime, not so great if you want slinky women to pop up behind you and touch your face when you're done shaving.

Posted by James Dziezynski @ 9:17 AM