Smitten with Bitten?

I checked out Sarah Jessica Parker's new clothing line, Bitten. All of the pieces are under $20. It's nice to see another star launch a line that's affordable to divas of all price ranges.

But, be forewarned. While I applaud the price points, the quality is lacking. It's just not feasible to produce clothes for under 20 bucks and expect them to be top quality. As a point of reference, when comparing the quality to H&M, Bitten bites.

That being said, the poor quality didn't stop me from buying a pair of seersucker hot shorts. (You: Seersucker? Me: They were $10. You: Hot shorts? Me: They were $10. You: With your legs? Me: Easy...) Can't you seem em' with a white skinny tank and red heels? Smokin'!

My take: Even if they just last one season, I got my money's worth.

Consumer Retorts

My sad saga starts like this: The warranty on my iPod Nano expired after 12 months. On the 13th month, it crapped out on me. Sigh. Online troubleshooting didn't help (does this EVER work?) nor did tech support. I had to visit the nearest Apple store for a little one-on-one action.

I made a 1:40 appointment at the "Genius Bar," where Mac employees repair iPods and iBooks. I arrived, checked in and waited. And, waited. And, waited. After 25 minutes of playing, "Guess who wasn't in drama club," they called my name.

To my dismay, there was no acknowledgement OR apology for the tardy. Why make an appointment if Apple's not going to honor it? I can hardly stand waiting at the doctor's office. Do you think I'm going to stomach it at the Mac store?

I then learned since the Nano was no longer under warranty, it would cost $79 for them just to open it and determine why it wasn't working. Then, there would be a cost to fix the 13-month old iPod. Our "timely" Mac "genius" suggested trading in the old Nano and receiving a 10% discount toward a new one. WOW! You mean I could get 35 whole dollars off the price after just 13 short months?! How generous. Not.

I'm sour on Apple.

Don't fall flat

At social events, the tall comments always come out. My favorite from a baby shower this weekend, "You're too tall. I don't want to stand next to you."

Sigh. I have so much work to do.

But the saddest comment? It was from a fellow glamazon.

"I never wear heels. I don't want to be any taller so I always wear flats."

Ugh. The dreaded flat. It's like nails on a chalkboard. That's like saying, "I'm looking for a shoe to make my calves look bigger."

Tall women around the globe have long debated the high heel. Do you wear them and risk looking taller in exchange for great legs? Or, do you pass on the flat to avoid adding inches?

Kat's take: Burn all the flats. (Unless you're a librarian.) Even those cute ballerina shoes that are in style. I mean, do you really think someone my height is going to be a ballerina? I didn't think so.

Where's the LUV?

Can you save the emergency exit row seats when flying SWA?

I vote yes. Our flight attendant voted no.

Our packed flight didn't bode well for my "B" boarding pass but fortunately, my travel partner was an "A." Translation: a strong shot at getting the coveted emergency exit row seat.

I boarded the plane, took a deep breath of recycled air and smiled. There she was, a vision of loveliness, sitting in the emergency exit row with two seats saved. Cue the bright lights and harp music. My long legs would be spared the circus moves of my youth.

But, there was tension in the air.

"You can't save emergency exit row seats," said an SWA flight attendant, providing a loud verbal spanking to my friend. "That's rude."

Rude? What?! Since when?

I fly SWA enough to be a frequent flyer. And, I've been greeted by more than one 4'10 gymnast in this row saving a seat for a friend. This is America. We save seats everywhere we go. We save spots in line, too.

I get that these seats are a premium. Some airlines even charge more for you to sit there. But, if you're going to make these seats un-savable (is that a word?), you have to do it on ALL flights...not at the whim of the flight staff.