11.30.2007

At the Brink of Another Crossroads

You know how sometimes you just get to a point where you feel like your life is just bursting with opportunity just waiting for you to take hold of it? I'm there again. I didn't feel like this when I graduated from college. I just felt lost. Upset that my group of friends was being scattered across the country-- two to Fort Wayne, IN (I know, right?), one to Georgia (or did she go to Dallas first? I think it was Georgia then Dallas "What was her name? What was her name?? Don't get involved with me. I can't remember the name of a woman I was such good friends with I wouldn't get involved with her boyfriend... Amanda Reese!!" If you can name that movie I will love you for the rest of my life.), one to Baltimore, me to Charlotte, Stace was already in Florida since she deserted us junior year, one to Hartford. Scattered.

They all had jobs. Me? Not so much. I wasn't jealous. I didn't want to work. I did, but I didn't. I was scared. Mostly of being an adult. The day of graduation I felt a bit odd. Like this is it? This sheet of paper sums up the last 4 years of my life? What does it all mean? Very melodramatic and existential, I know. Speaking of existentialism. That is the oddest concept ever to me. Do I really exist? Do any of the people around me really exist? Is this an alternate universe and the real universe is something we aren't even aware of? Like the Matrix. I'm sure you philosophy types love that movie. I live in the here and now. I need practicality. (Except in fashion.)

Me and Stace knew this guy at Hampton who probably loves that movie. She told me all about him one night at 28B (the place where you could always go for people to talk to-- I think sophomore and junior years were the height. They got kicked out partway through senior year and even before that it wasn't the same). She was like "Go ask him about infinity," and started snickering. So I did. He started talking to me about how amazing infinity and zero were and something like zero was a social construct and didn't really exist or something insane like that. I kept making eyes at Stacey about the hilarity of this whole operation while engaging him in conversation. I can do that with anyone. If someone's really interested in a topic, ask 3 open-ended questions and they can talk forever. Plus he was cute. That always helps. He offered to let me borrow his books on infinity. How nice of him. Crazy physics major. I'll pass!! Lol. He also tried to get me back to his place. I'm cool on that, too. We did hang out a couple of times, but that night it was all about my homies.

Moving to Pittsburgh was another crossroads. It had become clear that getting a job in my field was not going to happen in my hometown. I had a huge fight with my sister to precipitate me leaving my retail job and heading up north to live with my father. A month later I was employed in my field doing exactly what I'd always wanted!! Yay!! I don't know what's coming next but I think it's coming sooner than I think. It could have something to do with this...

In its simplest form, my purpose is to create compelling documentaries about the lives of African Americans. I want to create the sort of films people not only want to see, but that by watching, they learn, feel and become absorbed in. I want to create films that can tell a story while leaving the viewer room to draw their own conclusions. One day documentaries will be my life. Right now my crossroads might just be me completely understanding Britney and shaving my head.

*NABLOPOMO IS OVER!!!!!! (Was this post good enough for you La?) I want to give a shout out to all my readers who came here everyday and left comments. You really kept me going. If no one was reading, I wouldn't be writing as frequently. I would also like to give a big WASSSSSUPPP!! to the bloggers-- new and old-- who joined me on this journey and posted daily or near-daily in no particular order: Joy, Liz, Agent Ness, Amber, Rashan, Pro, Sandy, Sparkling Red. Hope I didn't leave anyone out!! You are all fabulous!! It's like the Academy Awards. Thanks to all my fans!! *Tear!* Or a Miss America wave. *elbow elbow, wrist wrist* Combo even. The poo poo platter of thanks. Did I ever tell you I hate blog awards? I wouldn't mind getting one (lol) but I hate the campaigning for them. I always stop reading people when they start campaigning for these fake awards you can't do anything with. Will you print them out and put them on your refrigerator for your children's approval? More importantly, does the internet even exist? Or is it a part of an alternate realm? Do my bloggers exist? Is any of this real? Lolol. I couldn't resist.*

11.29.2007

Dad + Daughter =

Daddy Daughter. Thursday again. I scowl at his phone when it rings on Thursdays. Whoever that is knows what's up. Tell her she can call after 9 when Grey's is on and I'm not paying attention to him anyway. 5(ish)-8:59 is Daddy Daughter Day. Quit trippin.

Sometimes I get the impression I'm supposed to be embarassed to be living with my father... but I'm not. Before I moved here two years ago, we hadn't lived together since I was 13, when he and my mom separated. And prior to that, he'd been on the road incessantly with his job. So for the first time, my dad and I were living together full time. Well... now I'm the one with the job with the crazy hours so maybe still part time. No matter! I'm saving money (sometimes) and I like living with my father... most of the time.

Tonight after I bought dinner he said, "Thanks Jameil. I never thought my daughter would by me dinner." "Never? You never thought your daughter would buy you dinner??" (He has 3.) He said, "I never thought about it. I never thought my girls would grow up." Tell me that's not the most adorable thing ever. I wanted to pinch his cheeks. But instead I turned up the NWA. XM strikes again.

Let's Talk About It

**Before I start, I missed Project Runway last night. I fell asleep and didn't set an alarm (yes I set alarms to watch tv) so let's not talk about it!! Thanks!!**

100 Things to Post About. A few of the things Jameil will NOT be doing, and a few things she might, (and why).

1. Go for a walk. Draw or list things you find on the the sidewalk. Because I'm not that weird.

2. Write a letter to yourself in the future. I considered this. But I wasn't that bored.

3. Buy something inexpensive as a symbol for your need to create, (new pen, a tea cup, journal). Use it everyday. I'd rather buy clothes.

4. Draw your dinner. I'd rather eat it. Look at that. I just searched food on my blog and look how much stuff came up. Someone's hungry!! Who's cooking?

5. Find a piece of poetry you respond to. Rewrite it and glue it into your journal. I don't journal. I blog. (Didn't that sound snobby? I love it) I don't think my dad would approve of me glueing a poem to the computer screen. Plus it would be hard to see through.

6. Glue an envelope into your journal. For one week collect items you find on the street. That is disgusting. What if I lived in a rundown area? I'm supposed to collect condom wrappers and McDonald's cups and beer cans? And what if I live ANYWHERE!! I don't want to pick up your trash and collect it!!

7. Expose yourself to a new artist, (go to a gallery, or in a book.) Write about what moves you about it. Actually, bloggers get me to do this quite frequently-- explore that is. But I don't think I'll be writing about it.

8. Find a photo of a person you do not know. Write a brief bio about them. Come on. This just reeks of desperation. (Probably not unlike writing an entire post about what you WON'T blog about.) But maybe it works for you if you're writing a novel and need some random inspiration. Yes? No?

9. Spend a day drawing only red things. I'm doing NOTHING else? Just drawing red things? Tomatoes. But not tomato soup. Salsa. But not pureed.

10. Draw your bike. Don't have one of those. Well, I do. But it's at my mom's house and needs air in the tires. I don't even remember what it looks like. I think it's teal, tho. Pretty sure of that. I remember the name of the shop where we bought our bikes, Soft Spokin. I thought it was clever. (What? I was 10 or something and read a lot). They closed a few years later.

11. Make a list of everything you buy in the next week. Is this some sort of sneaky attempt to get me to budget? I did have a dream last night that I spent $310 that I did not have on a $256 skirt and a dress (obviously that piece was on sale). I was heated with myself!! I woke up and was like, phew! Thank God that was a dream!!

12. Make a map of everywhere you went in one day. Why? I already have one stalker that I know about. Let's not add to that.

13. Draw a map of the creases on your hand, (knuckles, palm) WHY? WHY? WHY? WHYYYYYYYYYYYY???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

14. Trace your footsteps with chalk. Didn't we do this in kindergarten? Or was it first grade?

15. Record an overheard conversation. Ha! Now this one I actually might do. A la Liz talking to strangers.

16. Trace the path of the moon in relation to where you live. Sigh. Your tracing and drawing etc. is driving me batty.

Pause. I just realized these are just random ideas, not necessarily things to blog about!!! LMAO!! I saw it on a post about possible blog topics!! Wow. That was such a Stace blonde moment!! HUH-larious. I think some of them are supposed to be possible for blogs but as you see... lots of them are not. Sigh. BUT on the flip side, I did get a post out of it! One more day!! WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!! Rashan has already offered to keep going the entire month of December. Let's give a hand to Rashan!! Out of curiosity, who's posted everyday?

11.28.2007

Here HE Goes Again

My dad just walked in and said "Don't call me no mo. Don't text me no mo." I'm takin his XM radio away. If you don't have children or have not been to the south lately, this is what he's talking about.



"Real" post below.

Stitched Up

So I was reading 55 Blog Posts I Hope You Write because as you see, I was really, really, really hurting for something to blog about. NaBloPoMo is KILLING ME!! Sometimes I just want to NOT POST. But there are only 2 posts left after this one. You. Can. Do. It. Say that just as slowly as it looks. So here it is, the story of my most serious injury.

6 years old. I was down in the nursery at church, doing what I do best... bossing people around. I was a leader out of the womb. That's right baby! Momma's first born!! The rest of you fall back. Get in line! Anyway some child down there was being super bad. And not like the highly inappropriate movie geared for teenagers that they can't see without their parents' accompaniment and no parent in their right mind would actually want to see. (Don't worry. They'll just see it at a sleep-over with some lax parent.) Was anyone else soooooooooo annoyed by everyone on myspace and facebook with the tagline "I am McLovin"? Ok, ok we get it. You saw Supe.rbad and thought it was hilarious. Womp womp.

Anyway, the boy whose name I can't remember, let's call him Dontrarius because I just have a feeling it was something made up, was down there being his usual unruly self so I told him to stop. He retaliated by throwing a metal helicopter at my head. I start screaming my face off as blood pours out of my forehead. I run through the swining double doors into the fellowship hall and my mom's trying to figure out what in the world happened. As I'm screaming and crying and telling her and blood runs down my face, a kid I think is Dontrarius comes up to me and I push him away. I later realized it was his brother who was a really sweet kid. I felt bad even with the pain and the blood.

Someone drives to the hospital as I hold a ridiculously bloody towel to my head. In the ER, it takes my mom, and at least 2 nurses to hold me down when they used a needle in my forehead to numb the area. That crap hurt. I was really screaming bloody murder then. (Notice I remember all of this like it was yesterday and it was 18 years ago.) To calm me down, the doctor starts telling the story of Brer Rabbit, BUT HE'S TELLING IT ALL WRONG!! (I was a know it all, too.) So while he sewed my head shut, I told him the proper story of Brer Rabbit as taught to me by my 1st grade teacher. Much later my mom told me he probably knew the story, but had only told it wrong to get me to calm down and not focus on the fact that there was a man with a needle and thread stitching my forehead closed. Genius.

I was fretting about my birthday coming and starting 2nd grade with 4 red and blue stitches in my face. Even then I knew looks mattered!! Lol. I kid I kid! (ish) I've been matching since birth. I stopped letting my mom pick out my clothes around this time. I knew what I liked. She was glad to relinquish that one. She gave me lunch packing, too. Anyhow, I was very excited that the morning we had open house, I got my stitches removed. But it felt soo weird. You know how it looks when you pull a thread out? That's how it felt. Very bizzare. Sometimes the scar itches, but rarely. It's still there, but very small.


See? Next to the mole and above my left eyebrow. You can barely make it out unless you really look. My mom was really nice to the kid's mom. She (his mom) was a single parent and worried about how she was going to pay for what her little devil's seed did. My mom just let our insurance take care of it. What a great person she is.

11.27.2007

Hefty Trash Bag

That's what my stalker makes me want to wear to the gym. He appeared again yesterday much to my chagrin. Lurking as usual. I didn't even really notice him this time until I stopped my pilates-esque leg exercises and walked past him to one of the quads machines.

He stopped me, "Hey, do you wanna work out together sometime?" Father!! Didn't we discuss this? You look 40-45 and therefore must be 60. NOT. INTERESTED!! I was so blown by the question. What gave you the impression I would be amenable to such an "adventure"? "Uhhh.... no thanks." "You sure." "Yeah, no thank you."

Then he proceeded to stare at me some more and hover. Then once again, I came out of the locker room and he's in the general vicinity. GROSS!! Dude. Let this happen again and I'm sooo reporting you to the front desk. I will NOT become your stalkee. I like life.

Before we leave, let's talk about his attire. This is how I recognized him from last time-- his shoes. He had on regular gym clothes up top and WORK SHOES!! Not like construction worker boots work shoes. Brown shoes you wear with khakis work shoes. With his black gym outfit. You buy your skin tight lycra workout gear, but can't afford running/walking/whatever shoes? Does this make any sense? Oh yeah, and there's also that eau de steroids thing you have. The whole unnatural, super buff look is not sexy to the average woman. I'm far from average, but I do not find it attractive. Lest we forget, tho, mostly because YOU'RE OLD!!

11.26.2007

Weirdo

Liztastic tagged me. You know I generally loathe these things but I'm feeling rather lazy and it's slightly different from the others. Tag yourselves at will or not at all. I really don't care.

7 Weird and Random Things About Me:

1) I like to plan my funeral. I've probably told y'all that one before but here I go again. I think about death a lot. I don't dream up ways to kill people or anything, but I think about my own death rather frequently. It's quite odd but then, so am I. Part of it is this job and the fact that I write about the demise of others on a very regular basis. Make that daily. Multiple times a day. At least five. You actually get kind of desensitized to some of it to maintain any semblance of sanity. It's good and bad. And of course some things still hit you hard. I know I won't be around to hear it or know whether or not my wishes are carried out, but don't think I won't haunt you for a while if I can and you don't do what I say!! If I die before my homie Sheena's mom, I want her to sing "Sooner Than You Think (Jesus is Coming)". Miss RaRa has the most amazing powerful voice and that song showcases it like no other. Love it!

2) For a 9 or so month period (mostly during sophomore year at Hampton) I liked 5 guys named Mike. I don't know why, but I did. I've always been boy crazy but they usually had different names! Lol. So I had to differentiate by giving them qualifiers like their hometown or "Football Mike" or "Mike with the hair." Very funny. Some of them actually liked me back and some were just friends. Either way I had a blast.

3) While we're on the subject, I think there's something sexy about a Black guy named Dave. Dave is such a Caucasian name. I've found, though, that when Black guys take it upon themselves to go by Dave, they're usually quite cute. If not in looks, then definitely in personality. This one guy who went to Carolina my junior year in high school started the proof for me. Hellooooo Dave! There were two guys in college. One of them is so talented, I always wanted to be his muse. Sigh. I can't wait until he's published.

4) I believed in the tooth fairy for a ridiculously long time. This is my parents' fault. They kept forgetting to put money under my pillow for one of my later teeth. I was like, WHAT'S WRONG W/THE TOOTH FAIRY!!?! So I devised a plan to write it on different colored paper thinking that might help entice her. Nearly a week and no dice. One day I kept going downstairs to show my parents all the different things I was doing to get the tooth fairy to come. They got tired of it so while my back was turned at my desk in my room, hard at work on my latest letter to the tooth fairy (this time on pink paper. Pink paper's gotta work!!), one of them snuck into my room and put the money under my pillow. IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DAY!! But I ate it up. Pesky parents.

5) I LOVE ketchup and Italian food, but am very tomato picky. I know this isn't that strange but it's part of who I am and very important to me. I use at least 6 packs of ketchup per container of french fries. More if they're waffle or curly fries. They're just so delish with ketchup that I can't resist. (I'm mildly okay extremely obsessed with french fries, too.) I love Heinz ketchup. Guess where Heinz is made? PITTSBURGH!! Well, originally but ketchup production is no longer here. Just baby food. Please believe I would've toured that factory like a kid in a candy store.

I like spaghetti sauce and some kinds of marinara (does that make sense) if it doesn't taste too much like tomato. I HATE squishy tomatoes, but love salsa. LOVE it. Especially the chunky. I actually can't stand the stuff that seems uber pureed. That's not salsa to me. Tomato soup is disgusting. I also am very well-versed with fast food restaurant tomatoes. Burger King's are usually perfect or a bit under ripe. Arby's is hit or miss. I never get veggies on McD's burgers since it's either a double cheeseburger or a big mac. (ALSO INVENTED IN THIS AREA!! They just opened a Big Mac museum, too. Definitely need to make a stop.) Wendy's, across the Eastern seaboard, ALWAYS has disgusting, old, soggy, falling apart, vomitous tomatoes. I can't abide by that. My burger orders there always go like this, "Single with cheese, light mayo, no onion (don't eat raw onion unless it's in salsa), no tomato, no lettuce (they always have the crappy white outer leaves)." My l.s. makes fun of me, "Yes, I would like a burger with no vegetables, and no bun, just meat and cheese please," in her syrupy Southern accent. Hater!!

I also like to put ketchup on each fry individually when I have individual packets. I saw someone do this in college while riding in a car so they wouldn't get ketchup on everything. I haven't gone back since, even if I'm just sitting in my house. It's phenomenal. No ketchup wasted and each fry is perfectly accented. (That was probably weirder than the whole rest of this post, huh?)

6) I had a limited apple obsession-- mainly just my sophomore year." As long as it wasn't granny smith, we were all good. Bring me an apple and we can be best buddies. Once I was carrying on a flirtation with this guy with beautiful locs. It didn't extend outside the cafe at first. I actually met him thru Stace. Thanks boo! He was a PharmD candidate so he had to dress up all the time. We both thought he was fabulous, although at times his clothing was a bit country and showy, but everyone makes mistakes. Anyway, I don't remember the details, but he got my number and called me.

Sometime later in the week, month, whatever, I'd seen him pick up an apple in the cafe and take it with him when he left. So around 10 that night, after a while on the phone, I coerced him, gently, to drive to campus (I can't be more specific than this or I might as well just say his whole name-- even though it's HILARIOUS!!) to give me his apple. He brought it to my dorm, I came downstairs, gave him a hug, took the apple, thanked him and walked back upstairs. I DIED!!! laughing the whole way back up. SO FUNNY!! When he got back to his room, he called me and we talked some more. Of course that incident made him more intrigued. Obviously it didn't work out. I don't remember why but we were cool for the rest of our respective matriculations.

7) For several months I painted my nails a different color every single day. Again, sophomore year. I know, bizarre and probably bad for your nails, but that's what I did. I loved nail polish and living in a dorm had me surrounded with lots of people who had lots of polish. I took advantage of that and got to work. One of my 4 or 5 roommates had a nail kit where you could make designs, too. People were definitely encouraging this little habit. My mom had beat into my head (not literally) that you should never walk around with chipped polish. So that's where it started. I didn't do my toes as much because they don't chip until weeks later. They still go the love at least once a week. Usually more.

At this point you're probably wondering what was going on in my life sophomore year for me to be so experimental. Freshman year I was way more low key (don't read that as calm or anything because I was VERY hyper) in that I went to the library Sunday to Thursday nights for at least 2 hours to make sure I didn't flunk out. I'd never failed a class in my life so don't ask why I was so afraid of it now. Maybe because I'd known so many people who did. That was mostly from them not trying, though.

Sophomore year I got a grip. I partied more. It helped that one of my homies had a car. We went out Thursday to Saturday and if there was a party another night of the week, we'd go then, too. We had lots of people contributing to the delinquency of minors providing the adult beverages and therefore had lots of fun. We had fun even without it. We had fun sitting in the dorm looking at each other. Lol. And we all still had more than a 3.0, some higher than 3.5. That's right. I roll with the smart cute chicks. Ugly dummies slide to the left. That was so wrong!!

Anyway. I was also out of my long distance relationship with my high school sweetheart (he went to A&T). The relationship didn't keep me from making friends or going out or anything, but it did keep me from flirting my face off. Now I was free!! I had a blast flirting and leavin' 'em hangin'. Good clean fun! Sophomore year was a blast. My adventurous side kicked in. Good times, good times.

11.25.2007

Ok My Loves!

This is getting really pitiful. My list of things to blog about is long but short. Right now I'm sleepy-- seeing as it's after 3pm and I've been up since 10 last night. That means I don't feel like taking the time to blog about ANYTHING!! Just 5 more days of NaBloPoMo. HALLELUJAH!! I went to church today and pastor got a bit long-winded. I really would love to be able to go to the 9:30 service, get out and go finish my day. Instead I have to wait around for the 11:45 service because I don't get off work until 10, and get out of church between 1:15 and 1:45. Boooo. The one time I went to 9:30 I was in heaven. I couldn't stop gushing about the fabulousnessocity that was getting out of church by 11:30.

I bought mi padre and I a meal from Boston Market. It was yumm-o. Except I got a half a chicken for myself. Why? The dude at the counter offered it and I didn't even think about how ginormous half a chicken would be. It will take me 3 days to eat all that meat even with the tiny birds they use. Sooo delicioso, tho so I don't mind. Couple it with that honey-baked ham Dad brought back and wheeeeee!! Meat heaven. I'm SUCH the carnivore. Yeah, yeah. Technically I'm an omnivore but I couldn't ever be a vegetarian because I love meat!!!! Gym tomorrow, no Bible Study Tuesday because I have business to attend to. Unfortunate because I like BS better than church sometimes. I'd miss the singing, but BS is fab because it's straight to the message and way fewer people which is always nice.

There was something I was going to tell you guys but now I can't remember it. Oh yeah. My Christmas list. Not for me, for others. My sister asked for an ipod but I decided she won't get it from me. Money instead. I know what you're saying. Why are you telling her gift?!?! Because she almost never reads my blog and if she does, it's okay. Since she volunteered her Christmas gift wish without my asking (a bit rude isn't it?), I can let her know it won't be fulfilled without her asking. I'm thinking of going the La route and rockin it out with gift card requests if anyone asks. iTune and Apple me up! I can't wait to give 2 of my coworkers their gifts. I know they will love them. It shall be great. And this year I will actually send out Christmas cards. If you want one, email me your address! Holla!

11.24.2007

PTL!!

Brothas and Sistas!
Brothas and Sistas!

Ladies and gentlemen, People with jobs, People without jobs, Middle class, Upper
class, High class, all dat, Cats, snakes, chickens, ducks, elderly people and twerkers...*

Momma Fresh, Fresh *scratchin*, Fr, Fr, Fr, errr, err, Momma Fresh.

But do you understand my dad is back from Charlotte. Got that? Ok. My mom made sure he did not return to the 'Burgh without some of her CHOCOLATE POUND CAKE JUST FOR ME!!!! THANK YA JESUS!! HALLELUJAH AND PRAISE THE LORD!! (Hence the title.) When I tell you this cake is so delicious and melt in your mouth moist?!?! I watched the nun on the inspirational channel for a few minutes yesterday and she said we should thank God for alllll his blessings. So let me get up on that. Praise Him!! God bless my momma and God bless the cake!!



*Courtesy: Mannie Fresh from Lil' Wayne's song "Bring It Back." Yes, I'm Southern and that was my senior year at Hampton!

Chetiquette*

Why do I have to say this? If you are a server, you should already know. But since you don't, let me help you out. You DO NOT give people the check before they've finished their entree. This is SO RUDE!! It's so much simpler to just say, "Are you ready to go? Because I brought you these take out boxes. I just think you should leave now." I also can't stand that once you do bring the check, you make sure you take your sweet time coming back to the table. I understand everyone doesn't have their money ready as quickly as I do, but if you're coming to the table to hurry up and bring my check, then I need you to be just as quick or FASTER about gathering the money and bringing me back my change and/or receipt. This drives me INSANE!! GET IT TOGETHER!!!



*check etiquette! duh!

11.23.2007

Turkey N'At

Since I spent Thanksgiving with a real live Western PA family, I decided I should use a Western PA-ism in my title. (N'at is their version of "and everything." Don't worry, no one actually used this terminology yesterday.)

I almost didn't make my punch because I didn't feel like going to the grocery store. But there wasn't anything in the house that could magically morph into something people would want to eat for Thanksgiving and that could feed more than 3 people. Plus once I got to the grocery store, I was going to take the easy way out and buy a potted plant or a bouquet, but they were too expensive for the quality of plant. Punch it is! And it was a hit! Yay!

After the grocery store, I make my punch, then wash the hair (ugh) and watch "Brown Sugar" while twisting it up. Then it's time to leave. I head to ST's house. When I get there, the punch has spilled!! Son of a!! Get that cleaned up, then head to his mom's house. When my families (my mom has a knack of getting adopted by all of her friends' families, so I have lots of families in Charlotte) do Thanksgiving, there are 7 million extended relatives and people everywhere. It was me, ST, his parents, grandma, sister and sister's boyfriend.

Everyone was so fun and nice. Here's the menu: turkey, homemade mashed potatoes (important distinction because I don't do mashed potatoes out of a box. Potato flakes? No.), corn, cranberry sauce, yams, stuffing, biscuits, regular and mushroom gravy, pumpkin pie, and apple pie. I was so happy it was good. I did learn that I'm not a fan of pumpkin pie. It tastes okay but I'm a sweet potato girl even though I don't like yams. Turns out ST is the oldest and favored child of the family. (Sounds familiar lol) His mom had made a small personal pie for him to take home with him. WOW!! I would never leave the area, either if my mom cooked for me all the time! Sent home personalized portions and stuff. Lol.

After dinner, me and ST headed to the casino. I'd never been to a casino before. LAWD!! EVERYONE looks like their spending their last dime there. Smokers, missing teeth, coughing, in wheelchairs, on oxygen tanks. As we walked out, we saw a blind man WITH A GUIDE DOG!! ST says, "Does that mean you're addicted." That's EXACTLY what that means. Wow. First we do the 25 cent machines and I keep winning-- only $2 or so, but enough to keep me sitting at that machine for 10 minutes and only putting in $2. Then we go to the 5 cent machines. Not as lucky. I play $5 quickly on this one. (I'd given myself a $12 budget). After that I head to the penny slots. This one. MAAAAAAN!! I kept winning for real. I put in $5 and every time I hit the button to spin, I won something. I was getting bored and not feeling the cigarette smoke so once I got up to $10.70, I got up to leave. Know what that means? My net loss was only $1.30. Yay casino! The one in Pittsburgh isn't supposed to open until 2009 at the earliest but it will be 2/3 smoke-free. Smoke-free casinos for everyone!

I was going to go shopping today. I really considered it and did look online a bit, but since it started snowing OUT OF NOWHERE as we walked into the casino last night, then stopped, I had a feeling it'd snow overnight. I look out the window and the grass is covered, the pine trees, and there's 1/2 inch to an inch on my car. Why does it snow every Thanksgiving here? That's not cute! So no shopping today. I probably won't leave my house until I have to go to work tonight. (Typical Friday).

Project Runway Recap on the Record Dish.

11.22.2007

Give 'Em What They Want!!

So you know the hollywood writers are on strike. I'm currently watching one of 3, THREE, remaining episodes of Grey's Anatomy. Y'all know I love this show. This guy didn't want to be touched by a black doctor. So instead of bringing in a white doc, Bailey brings in Yang, who's Asian. Turns out he was afraid they would be offended by his giant swastika tattoo. Wait for it. YANG IS JEWISH!!! AHHHHHHH!! Man oh man. THAT is a twist. The writers are fab. I'm also tired of watching the same 17 episodes of Conan and Jay Leno. ENOUGH ALREADY!!

aaaaaaaaaand... to be continued!!! AND IT WON'T AIR FOR TWO WEEKS!!!! ARGHHHH!!

Be Grateful

Happy Turkey Day! Do you know my mom answered the phone gobbling this morning? Wow. Lol. Let's talk about what I'm thankful for...

1) Coworkers who don't want me to be alone for the holidays. I've become accustomed to being alone while doing a lot of things. It agrees with me because I'm a bit bossy, so I like always being in control of the timetable. BUT I'm also social by nature so sometimes I do like to be out and about.

2) My family. I've grown a lot closer to my dad in the 2 years we've lived together. My sister and I are working on our relationship. We're so close in age (19 months) that EVERYTHING has been a power struggle. I think she's starting to realize that I'm a genius which makes everything easier for all parties. And my beloved Mommy. We've gotten really close, too. We talk almost everyday. I call her at 10 when I get off from work.

3) My fabulous friends. LOVE THEM!!

4) My new church. I'm a copy editor for the church magazine. I'm getting to the point where I can just begin to read a scripture or the Daily Bread and instantly relax. It really comes in handy. Don't think I haven't noticed the cuties. But I'll refrain from talking about them until there's a reason. At this point there is not.

5) The blog la familia!!!!!!!! You guys are great!! If we can get X and La to post more, that would be fab. 1969 wanted me to talk about my fave bloggers. I won't do a ranking system, but there are definitely people I go to daily. Holla! to those of you who joined me in the NaBloPoMo, Joy, Amber, Rashan, Stace, VDizzle, Pro. I love it! Big shout out to Liz for introducing me to such a thing!

6) Food and Fashion!! I love them both!! God bless music, too.

7) The gym even with the crazies. It's saved me from not having anything to talk about a few days. Liz requested that I talk about my hot body. Lol. She didn't put it quite that way but I'll have to get to that later. I have to wash the hair before I go to my coworker's house. I'll holla. CHEER UP LA!!

11.21.2007

3rd Post Today: Colonial Williamsburg

Yo. You know what I don't like about that place? It's unrealistic. No slaves hangin around. The black folk who work there are like... normal. They work in the restaurants and stuff. Really? UN-REAL-IS-TIC. WHERE ARE THE SLAVES?!?! I'm just sayin. But then... who wants to play a slave? Because if I'm going all realistic and playing a slave at CW and someone orders me around, I'M LOSIN IT!! Plus, you know someone's going to have to ask if you get paid since you're sooo concerned about realism. Again. Ballistic.

Another random conversation I had today w/Chris. My additional thoughts are italicized.
C (3:13:29 PM): some drugs are just not to be messed with
C (3:13:37 PM): better yet, all of em are not to be messed with
See how he switched it up? Caught it real quick so that you don't know his deal. I'M NOT FOOLED!!
Me (3:13:58 PM): right?
Me (3:14:16 PM): i'm too cute to be strung out in the street w/some clothes previously owned by a now deceased bum
Me (3:14:26 PM): and haven't washed in weeks

Can you imagine me like this?!!? UGH!! I actually saw a woman like this yesterday. It was terrible. And sad.

$#FBLDJNFLASNCAS

I know it's nasty, but sometimes I'm impressed by what my burps sound like. And that right up there is what I imagine one of them (like the one I just had courtesy of my beer) would look like. I actually used to be even more dainty and prissy (close personal friend of stuck up) than I am right now. I KNOW!! SHOCKING!! I actually didn't burp without covering my mouth (thanks for those manners, Mom!) or with my mouth open and without saying excuse me, until I got to college and started living in dorms with a bunch of women. Some of them (the guilty shall remain nameless... CC!!) grew up with only a brother. It actually may not have even been her. It was probably her roommate. Much more likely candidate. But regardless, that's when I started to burp it out. Now, when I go in public I do rock the ladylike and cover my mouth and say excuse me very daintily, but I like to shock my dates by burping awfully. Just because it's funny. I can't help it.


*I'm starting to think this day may be punctuated by several meaningless posts but who knows. I have to wash my hair and I really don't feel like it. Anyone want to come do it for me? PROJECT RUNWAY TONIGHT!!

Thanksgiving

My dad goes out of town for every holiday and his birthday every year. This year my 2 of my co-workers invited me to eat with their families. My homie CF invited me to breakfast, too at 10 tomorrow morning. I'm going to Washington County to eat with the homie ST. We call each other by our initials at work. The morning team anyway. I think ST started it. So I'm eating with his family, then we're going to the casino! Wheeeeee!! I've never been to the casino before. Ever. That's right, I'm 25 years old and never been to a casino. Crazy ain't it? No more! I hope they have good food. I'm taking my mom's punch-- red kool-aid mixed with pineapple juice and ginger ale. It's bangin. I was going to do my peach lemonade but I remembered peaches are out of season. Oh well!

11.20.2007

Senior Sip and Bowl

HAMPTON UNIVERSITY SENIORS ARE YOU LISTENING?!?!!?! HEAR ME NOW!
GO.
TO.
THE.
SENIOR.
SIP AND BOWL.

First, it is soooo fun. Second, its FUN!!! I know what you're thinking if you're as cool as me, "Bowling? Yeah right." BUT, you are probably at least part of the lush I was in college, maybe more. I used to be a drinker. I still like drinks, but I don't go out enough to consider myself a drinker anymore. My tolerance has dropped so significantly that there's really not even a point in attempting to hold on to that title. That's okay with me. I like alcohol and can educate you if you're lacking, and make suggestions, but a drinker, I no longer am.

1969 suggested I blog about Hampton. (The last few commenters came with some good suggestions on the last post so I thank ya!) Excellent idea. This post has been on my mind something serious for a while. Let me tell you how the senior sip and bowl was up there with one of the most fun things I did my entire senior year. (At Hampton, there are a LOT of events to wrap up the year. You have events spread throughout the year, senior week the week leading to graduation, senior class trip (Puerto Vallarta that year, but I didn't go), senior social and senior ball (part of senior week)).

The title of the event pretty much explains the premise. There is a d.j. (for us, it was DJ Vince, who is taking too long to find online, but you know who he is if you went to any school in Hampton Roads), bowling, drinks, and your entire senior class. There were about 900 of us in the class I guess since we started with 1400. So obviously it wasn't everyone, but I knew a ton of people and the place was filled with familiar faces. FUN!!! We pre-gamed it (definition no. 2), so we were a tad late getting to the party. Me and the d.p. (drankin patnah) exchanged matching engraved flasks at the beginning of the year. We brought ours. Too bad I lost mine before senior year was up. Never to be seen again.

We also bought drinks at the joint and flitted around since we'd gotten there too late to do much bowling because all the lanes were taken. Not a problem if you know me! I'm the social butterfly, baby.! That means I don't need no stinkin bowling lane! PLUS, the few times people let me bowl and I got my hands on a ball, it was steadily downhill the more the adult beverages kicked in. Eventually gutter balls were a foregone conclusion. Ah well. Fun anyway! Up with senior sip and bowls!! Woooooooo!

11.19.2007

Here We Go Again



Sigh. Already? We were just here 4 days ago(!!!): I'm soooo bored with daily posting. On the one hand, I really do believe its giving me some discipline. On the other hand, it's tying me to this computer and do I really need that? I think no. Plus I want people to read mine daily so I try to read theirs daily. There go like 8 hours down the drain. Ok not 8, but enough. Let me say, though, that I'm proud of the number of people I've inspired to get their daily blog on. That's hot!

I feel myself trying to rush my process and I'm trying not to. And I mean that likely in every way you think I mean it and some you don't, too. I'm getting weary!! I'm trying to relax and let go and let God. Because otherwise, who can I rely on? Myself. Ha! I mean I'm reliable and all but I'm no God!

Everyone's posting about thankfulness and what they were like as kids or in high school. I'll get to it. But today, after going to the gym, then meeting my dad for lunch at Chili's before he got on the road, having a bacon blue cheese chipotle big mouth burger, fries and a Chambord 1800 margarita (I know, right? So defeated the purpose of the gym. Imagine how little I'd be if I ate properly all the time.), ya girl is SLEEEEPY!! I didn't mention meeting Jade before it actually happened because I didn't want to jinx it. Like I jinxed V and La's gumbo trip? YEAH!! I'LL TEACH YOU TO TRY TO HAVE FUN WITHOUT ME!!! Lol. So I didn't mention it and it happened. Hooray!!

Since the Panthers insist on not even showing up to the games, let me say this, J-E-T-S, JETS JETS JETS!!!! I said this to my fave Steeler fan at work all morning. I even stood and spelled out Jets and victory with my body. HAHAHAHAHHA!! It was so funny. I crack myself up. Still taking blog post suggestions. Get to work.

11.18.2007

All Up In HE-YAH

(That's "here" for the dialect deprived) For some reason I carry my stress(?) *shrugging right now*-annoyance(?)-frustration-other-people-bothersomeness(?)in my shoulders. You know how when you go get a massage, they ask you where you want them to concentrate? (Lest we forget, I don't like massages because I don't like being touched by strangers like that. But from the one time, and from what I've seen on tv, I know they ask that. I gave Jade a hug when I met her yesterday when I met her. I think that was surprising to her. Lol. I can't help it. I'm southern and I feel like I already know her. Blogs make people feel oddly familiar. I definitely referenced Amber in conversation even though we've never met. This was after I'd already talked about the bloggers I know. X. Seriously tho. We need to rectify this. We have the same alma mater, both know the big headed one. HOW DO WE NOT KNOW EACH OTHER!!)

There I go again. What is it with me and the parenthetical statements longer than the paragraph it resides in? Silliness. The point of that was to say I hold it all in my neck and shoulders. AND IT HURTS!! Jade noticed me wiggling yesterday and asked if I was okay. I guess. I'm so used to it that I barely notice I'm wriggling like a 5-year-old in a 4 hour church service.

While searching for that back in the day post, look what I found! My gym goals! What an excellent time to revisit them! I joined November 2, 2006! Yay!! I hit my year w/o a congrats from Bally's. Those jerks. Here I am coming on the regular, just a workin on my fitness, and I don't even get a WASSUUUUUUUUUP!! Whatev. They probably wish I wouldn't come so often. It'd be free money since they take the fees right out of my account. Not me! I work hard for the money! (So hard for it honey)

In case you didn't read, here were my goals, "lose 7 lbs., have abs like Janet, well-defined arms without being cock-dies (that doesn't look right either, that's dies as in short for diesel), that line in your outer thigh like Andy McDowell that only shows up when you've been working out. Just to general be sleek and short (there ain't but so long I can get at 5'1... so the illusion of long)."

Let's run down the list!
1) lose 7 pounds: Check! I lost 13.
2) abs like Janet: Maybe not Janet, but they look Jam good! My line sister said, and I quote "Wow!! You're my new stomach inspiration!" *drumroll* "It used to be Beyonce." AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!! I love her. That's my dog. My poodle.
3) well-defined arms: pretty good. I want them to look a little different but they definitely have some definition. My college homies used to always make fun of how I would stare at the line in my arm in the mirror.
4) outer thigh line: no. I do lots of cardio, and some leg exercises but this isn't one I have down. And you know what? I'm okay with that. The other day I was looking (I'm a bit obsessed with mirrors and it only grows worse when I workout.) at my thighs to see if I had the line and it wasn't there. I said to myself, I may never have it. That might not be in my composition but THAT'S OKAY! Cuz I look Jam good!!! Jaaam. (say that like Will Smith on that hilarious episode of Fresh Prince.)

On a partly related note... I've been watching a LOT of Fresh Prince lately. Enjoy.




and

11.17.2007

I LOVE YOU GUYS!!!

Soooo... today I met another blogger!! My homie Dreamy J came to visit Pittsburgh from the Bay Area. We ate lunch at Panera. Well... I'd already promised my fave associate producer I'd go to breakfast with her, so I went to brekky w/fave AP, then met J at Panera. I had a mango smoothie. Did I tell you I love mango? I do. It gives me unabiding love deep in my soul! We sat and talked for a couple of hours before she had to leave. So nice. That was my second blogger meet up ever. Everyone else should come, too!! Come, come!! Pittsburgh for all! BTW, it's still cold here. BOOOOOO!!! GO 'WAY!

11.16.2007

He Really is Insane

As he grabs a giant glob of butter, I say loudly to D's chest, "I'M SORRY!"
To him I say, "That was for your heart."
He replies while looking at his chest, "I'M NOT SORRY!" Muttering, "You break too easily."

LMAO!!!!! CRAZY MAN!! This was while we were at dinner (Daddy Daughter night, of course) last night at this place called the Wooden Nickel. Don't recommend. The non-smoking section was a mere formality considering it's uber tiny and directly next to the bar. The food was fair. My salad was drenched in ranch and the prices were outrageous for the type of place it was. Small menu, $16 to $30+ entrees. Even the chicken salad was in the neighborhood of $14. I wanted to try something different. I started to walk out when I saw the "non-smoking section" and then again when I saw the lame menu. Stick to my instincts.

Next week is Thanksgiving. My dad is going out of town, of course. I don't have to work, but I also have no plans. I'm kind of okay with that. Since I usually work holidays, and my dad goes out of town, I take the Boston Market route. It's become my routine. The last 2 Christmases I went there. Last Thanksgiving I went to Norfolk to hang with Wynel and her now-hubby Sinclair's family. WHOA! This time last year, I certainly would not have been thinking they would be married!! That's crazy. The passage of time just smacked me in the face. And this time next year they could be parents. Who knows? AHHHHHHHHHHHH!! Wynel said Sinclair asked if I was coming to Thanksgiving again this year. Isn't that sweet?! I decided I'm saving my money this year. I did extend invitations to others to come hang with me, but no takers. Ah well. I will revel in the Christmas music! And I may go shopping! (So much for saving money)

OOH!!! My mom is the best!! She bought me a subscription to Rachael Ray mag for Christmas!!!!!!!! I got the email yesterday and here's what it said. "[Mommy] has given you a one-year gift subscription to everyone's favorite cooking magazine Every Day with Rachael Ray. How cool is that! I mean to have my christmas shopping done ahead of time this year, ha, ha! or should it be ho, ho, ho!!!" And how hilarious is it that I can't tell which part is her writing and which is Rachael Ray. So jolly! Yay!!!!!!!!!!

I have this thing about leopard print. Me and Stace. We hate it. It's so fake sexy. And I really can't stand it with red. Do you know my dad also wishes it would go away??!?! FAB!! Oh! Also, this daily blogging thing has given me and Stace the wherewithal to get back to semi-regular posting on the Record Dish, too! So check, ch ch check check check a check it out! Have I told you much this one Rihanna song makes me want to get up and dance? O.M.G.!!

I had to download it as much as I normally object to Rihanna. I still can't stand umbrella ella ella SHOOT ME IN THE FACE!!! That reminds me. I need to update my ipod playlists for the gym. There are at least 7 workout playlists with too many songs, there's another called newest from at least 2 months ago. Reeeemix! I bought Chris Brown and Britney Spears, mostly for dance stuff. Any other suggestions for upbeat workout music??? Leave 'em!

Also... it's snowing. The average high is in the low 50s. The high today is 37. Bah humbug.

11.15.2007

Thursday

I'm hitting that point again. Where blogging for 30 straight days is beginning to feel a bit torturous. Apparently it's cyclical. Rashan got in the spirit by using the titles of Nas songs. Isn't that clever and creative. Use a sarcastic and moody tone when you read that last line. Like writer jealously. Lol. I just need SOMETHING ANYTHING to stick out at me. To poke me in the eye like a pencil in tonight's episode of Grey's Anatomy. But only figuratively. Because I have a really vivid imagination and have always been able to see the most painful things actually happening to me. Which is why I'm really careful around sharp knives, and the thought of standing in a working restaurant kitchen with people swinging knives and hot pans all over creation makes me a bit jumpy. Because I can see it all going horribly wrong all over my body. Crazy, I know. Someone give me something to post about!!

I didn't tell you last Thursday I finally got out of the house for something other than work, church, the gym or the grocery store. A.mazing! One of my Hampton homies was in town for a conference, so I met him at a church turned brewery (so Pittsburgh) for a few beers. Then we tried to go to Olive or Twist, but it was CLOSED!! Fine, head around the corner to Bossa Nova. ALSO CLOSED. I know it's Thursday, but it's 1 a.m. So we head over to the north shore where the Pirates and Steelers play. I'd forgotten Hi-Tops is permanently closed. Whatever place is on the other corner was closed.

We walk to SoHo (another bar) which also looks closed, but it says 2 a.m. on the door. I see a guy in a wheelchair sitting at the bar, and the bartender. I ask her, "Are you closed?" Amazingly, they're not. But we just more than doubled the number of patrons in here!! Wow... LAAAAAAAAAAAAME!! So FYI, if you're in Pittsburgh on a Thursday, you should avoid downtown at all costs. I usually head to the south side, but we were about 15 minutes away and I think last call is at 1:30, so that's not a good look. We should've started over there. They didn't ask my opinion, tho (his conference peeps), so whatever. It was good seeing him again. We'd hung out a couple of times at Hampton, but were never the call each other up type. He was always fun, tho. We talked a lot about grad school since he's getting his Ph.D. I love my Hamptonians!! Yay!! (Oh and before you ask about a love connect, he's gay.) Hey! I forgot to heckle. FAMU WHAT?!?! SIT DOWN!! GO PIRATES!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Shut 'em down, shut 'em shut 'em down, uh ooooooooooooh!!

Project Runway last night (I know y'all are like she sure is going on and on for someone with nothing to say. To this I say, hursh!). LOVE!! If you haven't seen it yet and don't want a spoiler, skip this paragraph. They overdid "Make it work." We get it. That's totally Tim Gunn's thing. And we love him for it, but it felt forced. Kind of like Stacey and "shut up" on What Not to Wear. We. Get. It. It's like there was an over-zealous producer somewhere who said, "Ok, this is your signature, make sure you get it in there at least 3 times per show." Organization to that degree can kill the spontanaeity. I did notice some other "Bad producer!" moments. When they were announcing the challenge, they were all lined up in windows. You know staggered in 2 lines so you could see each person's face perfectly. Funniest line of the show came from Heidi, "it looked like her model was pooing fabric." I DIED!!!!! But it really did, though. SUCH a hideous dress. But it was obvious they weren't going to get rid of that girl. She's tooo bizarre. You can't get rid of the most obviously "interesting" person in the first show. She's what keeps people coming back. Come on. We've been watching reality tv long enough to make the auf wiedersehen a bit unnecessary this week. The black and white and turquoise dress was my favorite. I hear Stace saying, "Of course," so I'm sticking out my tongue!!

Love in the Time of Cholera is now a movie. 1969 told me yesterday, then while I was watching tv, last night I saw the first trailer I'd seen or heard. It comes out TOMORROW!!! WTF? What kind of publicity is this!?!? I watch 70 hours of tv a week (stop judging) and this is the FIRST!?!? And I'm an eclectic tv watcher so of all the stations I peruse, why I have I heard nothing about this?!?! Foolishness. Y'all know that's one of my favorite books! Ugh. So I think I'll go see it tomorrow even though I haven't seen American Gangster, yet. I know, I know. But the thought of a 2 hour and 40 minute movie is what has kept me out. It's one thing to watch a lot of tv and be able to turn it off. It's quite another to be a captive audience. Blech.

11.14.2007

Friendly?

I know we've had this discussion before, but I'm really not. I am, but I'm not. Does that make sense? I know it doesn't. Look, in the right situation, I can be friendly. If I'm bored or SWEATING, this is not the time. {Unless you're cute.} Another gym stalker today. Let's make this easy. Multiple choice.

Stalking people at the gym is
a) wack.
b) lame.
c) scary.
d) unacceptable.

If you said e all of the above, you win the prize!! 16 more days of Jameiltastic posts!!!!!!!!!!!

Your boy at the gym today. First, if you look 40, I know how black people age. That means you're at least 45 or 50. I wouldn't be interested if you were 35. A 10 year age gap is ridiculous. Don't get offensive if this is your situation. It's just not for me. My parents were 9 years apart. My mom said no more than 5 years. I dated a guy who was a little more than 8 years older than me. We actually had a really good time together. My best date ever, in fact. But he ended up breaking up with me because I couldn't see myself getting married in the next year (I was 22 at the time). I'm older and I still can't see myself getting married in the next year. I need to know my future husband for more than a few months before I walk down the aisle. Geez. Biological clock-having self.

The guy at the gym today. Sigh. He spoke when I was walking out of the locker room. Then again when I walked from the elliptical to the stationary bike. Then when I went upstairs to the indoor track, he's eyeballing me as I walk around. When I come downstairs, he follows me from machine to machine, always at the next one over. Then when I go back up to the track to escape, he eye stalks me some more as I walk, then stretch. I tried to stretch out the stretching forever in hopes that he would just get bored and leave. Wrong. (I guess stretching isn't really the best way to get someone to vamoose, huh? Bah. I needed to and I like to so whatever.) I'm seeing all of this mostly out of the corner of my eye because by the 3rd move, I'm working terribly hard not to encourage him in any way.

While he's pressing out a set, I scurry down to do some more ab work on the decline bench hoping I can duck out before he notices since he's on the other side of the gym. I hop down the stairs and.... SAFE!! I make it into the locker room without being accosted, grab my stuff, walk out.




.......... and THERE HE IS!! STALKER!! He speaks. I give a grunt and keep walking. Come on dude. That's not cool. Don't eye stalk me then follow me to the locker room! Ugh.

11.13.2007

TV Time!

It's no secret that I'm mildly obsessed with television. I can't help it. I didn't used to be like that. I didn't have a tv in my room until I went to college. Even then I thought the cable was an outrageous price especially considering there were only 15 channels or something stupid like that freshman year. So I watched next to no tv. Sophomore year I didn't even bring a tv because I didn't watch it. You know how in college tv watching is a team sport. Whoever has the biggest, you and your crew gather there to watch. Junior year, me and Kristen would watch CNN all day long. Senior year, no tv again. What's the point? Like I said, tv is a communal sport so I'd watch it wherever. Good times.

Enter the job in tv. Sigh. WHY?!?! I now watch upwards of 70 hours a week. It's a full time job. I'm at work 48 hours a week minimum and there is always at least one tv on near me. My desk has two and there's a bank of tv's with every station that ever has news on it to let me know when I need to turn there to see a story. Speaking of the two tv's per producer/executive producer desk, the remotes are the same for all of them. Today every time one of my producer homies would turn around, I'd turn off both of his tv's. It was crackin me up!! I know it was so childish but he's the calmest person in America, so when I'd turn them off and go back to work acting like I did nothing and didn't know how the tvs went off since I wasn't facing him, he'd just turn them back on without saying anything. Of course that made it even funnier!!

When I come home I watch an additional hour or two or even 3 of tv. Thursday all I ever do is read blogs and watch tv, and throw in the occasional movie. It's insane!! Anyway, the point of this post is to let you know my current tv loves. FIRST, let us ALLLLLLLLLLLLL celebrate... (drumroll please!) PROJECT RUNWAY RETURNS TOMORROW!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!! I'm sooooo excited!! Woooo! I think it was Rashan who got me watching "Pushing Daisies," and Joy and Vanessa who got me watching "Samantha Who" with Christina Applegate. Thank God they both come on ABC. That station is great about putting video online. Y'all know I go to bed before Oprah, so I need to be able to view video outside of primetime. And I read in Black Enterprise that the man responsible for taking ABC digital and HD and all that is black. Hotness!

This is why I can get away with watching so much tv, because I read a lot, too. I love the Washington Post and NY Times. Here's how news people read newspapers-- headlines! You have to. You read the first few paragraphs of a story to get the gist, unless it's really interesting. Then you move to the next story. That way you can read an entire paper in a relatively short amount of time. For extremely dense papers, another good rule of the thumb for the most interesting stories is to click on the most viewed/emailed/popular/blogged. That's where you find some good stories that aren't necessarily from the day's paper that you may have missed. And you can read multiple papers a day without spending hours at your computer. I also like to go directly to the closest paper to whatever big event is happening. They'll have the most in depth coverage others will have only skimmed. God bless the internet.

This ends today's journalism lesson! Lololol. POINT! Run's House. I LOVE THIS SHOW!! Here's a look at why.


Hahahahahahahahaha!
Furthermore... HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!! So funny. I had the most adorable outfit on today. Looooove my shoes and my jacket and my blue and gold sweater and tank. Fab-o. I can't stand myself.

11.12.2007

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEE-YIP!

Happy Founder's Day to all my sorors in Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. Al Roker gave us a shout out this morning on the Today Show! I'm so glad to have my mom and sister in my sorority family. My life has been infinitely blessed by my fantastic line sister. I will always love Blue Rhapsody step team. Arketa, Janel and Tracy, you rock! I love you all!! Eeeeeeeeeeeeeee-yip!!

Share Your Pain

3 people are dead after a 5-car pile-up on I-79. The victims include a newly married couple and their young daughter. (fictional headline) Someone in your family dies tragically. You're distraught, wrought with pain, unable to function, when the media comes calling. "Bastards! What do they want?!? Don't they have any respect for families?! For people who are grieving?! They are so heartless! All they care about is a story!"

For some, this is true. And you recognize them. You can see it in their eyes, and you see it in the way they have handled other tragedies in the past. Ignore them. But when you're up to it, find the reporter or reporters in your town who you know are empathetic and concerned about getting the story right. Call them, and share your story.

When you do this, it puts a face on the misery. Puts power to the pain. For some, a light will go off. They will realize this isn't just another death, this is a person. This is someone who meant something to someone else. For someone 3 towns away, this will become more than just another nameless, faceless tragedy, it will for them, also, become the end of a phenomenal life. I read a story in Details magazine while I was at the gym about a soldier who came from a wealthy family, yet decided he wanted to join the military. He died in Iraq fighting for something he believed in. This is just one American story out of 3,680 at the time of this writing. I don't agree with the war, but that doesn't mean I have ill will toward those fighting. A fantastic NYTimes article about the children who were babies when their fathers died at war broke my heart.

This is why I became a journalist, to tell other people's stories. And because I care. I read the biographies of the victims of the Virginia Tech shootings (and this amazing article. If you don't have a Post i.d., get the free one just so you can read that.), and some of the bios of those killed on September 11th. It's the least I can do because I still have life. Often you can learn the most poignant stories from those who knew them best. In that, I draw strength from strangers.

11.11.2007

No Church

This is what you get when you don't go. (I didn't go because I had to write my show notes, take a survey and then I got turned around stealing all my eating time. Sleepy and hungry in church is not a good look. Excuses, excuses. I'll go to bible study Tuesday.) You come home to a father who has been here bored all day and thinks he should harass you just to get a rise out of you. GROW UP. He gets like this every once in a while. His male menopause, I guess. Just when I was about to talk about how living with him is not a nightmare and its more like having a roommate you just happen to be related to, he comes out of his face. Soooo over it. With other drama in my life, I really don't need this, too.

Trader Joe's. Went there today on my way home from work and got the goat cheese pizza I think AI was telling me about. Looks delish. Can't wait to try it. I also got some feta cheese, a pomodoro pizza (basil pesto, roma tomatoes and mozzarella), whole wheat pita bread, hummus, salsa, organic corn chips (what exactly is the point of organic chips? but luckily I've had them before and they taste normal.), pesto, sardines (dad got me liking grits and sardines. I know. He took me way back to my roots. I bought them for him. Now i'll be eating them before he gets a chance. hater.), tortellini and honey nut O's. I started eating the lemon sorbet I'd bought on my last trip there. DELISH!! I sooo recommend.

I also talked to my line sister for more than an hour and a half, as usual. We always talk that long on Sunday and usually at least an hour more 2 or 3 days a week. We're even closer than we were in college. My mom and I were talking about how leaving college transforms your relationships with people. I finally got out of the house to hang out with this guy I went to college with who was in town for a conference. I guess I'll detail that tomorrow. Right now I just want to eat some sorbet and go to sleep.

11.10.2007

Runaway Love

I want to just escape to witch mountain right now. Isn't that a great movie? I wanna see it again RIGHT NOW. Except I'm watching the Family Stone, which is also a good movie. Fab, in fact. I went to the gym today. I'm finally getting back into the swing of things. This is the 2nd week in a row I've been to the gym 3xs a week. I always get thrown off when I go on vacation. Homecoming ruined me, though I do consider all that walking I did and some of that dancing (PARTY ANIMAL!!!) exercise. I came home and took out the trash and washed dishes. So productive am I.

Look, I'm a needy person. I mean that in the most fabulous way possible. I need for people to be available to me when I want them to be available to me. That means when I call you, you answer, and talk as long as I need to converse with you. If you are distracted and put me on hold, I will hang up on you. When you call back, I won't answer. When I need you and I'm reaching out, and you're unavailable, I just get pissed. PAY ATTENTION TO ME!! Blech. Whatever.

11.09.2007

Run Tell Dat-- Me & D

FYI D is my dad. The D stands for dad. I initiated this conversation this morning, one of the many strange/hilarious ones we've had in the 2 years we've lived together.

"I think I'm going to go get breakfast."
"OOOOH! Where are you going?" (Yes, at times he's as exuberant as I am.)
"Burger King."
"Yuck. Why?"
"Because I don't feel like sitting down and eating breakfast by myself."
"I understand that. And I don't have time to go. Sometimes I want some company so bad I just want to grab a hobo off the street and have him come eat with me. But I decide against it because if I feed him, then he'll ask me for a few dollars."
"Yeah."
"Then if I give him a few dollars, he'll want to rob me."
"Huh?"
"And then if he robs me, he'll want to kill me."
"What?!"
"Yeah, because he'll say to himself, 'Well I robbed him, and now I have to kill him because if I don't, he'll run tell dat.' Run tell DAT!"

This is where the conversation ends because I'm convulsing with laughter. Whose father uses random Martin Lawrence stand-ups in conversation without actually talking about the movie??? So good to start the day at 7:30 with a laugh. My dad cracks me up!!

11.08.2007

My Daily Blog

This blogging everyday thing. I'm starting to think it's another one of those life things that happens for a reason. We all need some sort of anchor to make us just sit, and think and contemplate life. Not just where we are, but where we're going. At this point in life, everything is a milestone of some sort, or a stepping stone. You're 25, you are single and childless, SO WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO ABOUT IT!!! Not about being single and childless, but what are you going to do with this gift of singleness and lack of attachment to any city? You go.

Everyday I'm drawn to bloggers. Some for their outlandish behavior, their truth, their wife and mother thing, their positivity, their humor, but most of all, their realness. Just being themselves. That's why I started this blog. As a way to be myself. To get ME out there because you can't keep all this fabulousness to yourself!! :) What I didn't expect was the connections. The people I likely never would have met in anyway. My eyes have been opened to a whole other journalism community I didn't even know existed. The young, black movers and shakers taking over your newrooms around the country. I am NOT an island unto myself. YEAH!!

You know how some posts just come out and there they are, they just flow? This isn't one of those posts. When you have so much to say, sometimes you just don't know where to start. So you start at the beginning. In the beginning was the blog. But where do I go from here? That's what this daily blog thing has already done for me. Made me think about discipline. Because you start to think, hourly, about how you will let the world in today. And can you really do this? Can you really commit to writing every single day for 30 days? But then you think, is it that hard? 30 days isn't so bad. And THEN you think of all the other things you can conquer.

Open Opportunities

Life is full of them. You just have to seize them when they come and make it happen. What are you failing to notice and why are you failing to respond?

11.07.2007

Here We Go Again



It's cold (high 41. NOT 83, Stace.) and snowing (lightly, but still snowing... on November 5th. This is part of what I can't stand about living up here. We would be crunk to get flurries in late December at home). But don't cry for me, Argentina. Poor Epsi. It snowed 8 inches up there!!

While hearing that, I said to myself, let's think about places I never want to live.
1) Anywhere it snows and accumulates in early November, and the occurence is neither a fluke, nor cause for alarm. Even Pittsburgh doesn't have this particular malfunction. It would certainly be outside the norm for there to be accumulation at this point in the year.
2) Anywhere I can count the number of Black people and feel like I should immediately befriend those countables.
3) Anywhere I might get shot just for walking down the street. Yes, I know that's vague and could apply literally anywhere.
4) The street.
5) Any combination of those.

I also thought about where I would like to live at some point in my life, if only for a few months.
1) London. Didn't you love it Mademoiselle?
2) California. I know it's expensive but I expect to be making those dollars when I go out there.
3) Somewhere southern. I miss the south.

Visits.
1) Miami again. Me and Stace had so much fun!!!!!!!!! Plus I seriously cannot live without drinking another mojito from Versailles. This time I want more than one.
2) New York City. I need to be there with a native. BK, Noisy, 1969, all y'all. Get it together.
3) Houston. My fave college roomie is with child and I have to go see Sydney Denise when she gets here. While I'm there I will make V and La show me the town.
Of course there are more, but that's plenty for now. Where do you want to go?

11.06.2007

Hot & Bothered/Double Take

And not in the good way!

Do you understand that every time I get pissed, I get all hot and bothered? Physically hot. I can feel my body flush and I have to start taking off layers. It's always freezing at work so that means the pashmina has got to go. Watch out if I lose the blazer!! If I was lighter I would be red-faced, too. How about I used to think I was dark-skinned. Even up until college. When I told my friends this, especially Stace, they DIED laughing. Honeys. Apparently I'm brown-skinned. Semantics. I'M BLACK!! And today I got all heated up. But I'm better now. Wise was talking about how people always try to get you to calm down when you're pissed. WE DON'T LIKE THAT!! Can I just let it out without you trying to mollify me!?!? LET ME BE!! Haters.

Know what else got me heated today other than general foolishness.
1) someone stole the candy out of my drawer and LEFT THE EMPTY BAG. HONEY!!!
2) 2007 is the deadliest year for U.S. troops in Iraq. WHY ARE WE STILL THERE?!?! That really pisses me off.

Other than that I had a good day! Lol. How about I was in the mall yesterday, getting all excited about the Christmas decorations.... (Hahahahaha. I LOVE that some of you aren't ready for the Christmas spirit yet! I'm usually like that but this year for some reason I'm rarin to go! I think it may be because I need something else to look forward to and I have no idea when my next trip will be or when someone will come visit me again.) when I noticed a familiar face. I looked, then looked again. I think I may have even looked a third time. And then I stared and just started giggling.

Remember the model who's in Stace's boyfriend's band? That's a bit of a lengthy post and a while until you get to the meat so let me just excerpt the pertinent part. "The lead singer is a model... I see why. Lololol. I don't know why models are not my type. It's not that I don't notice they're attractive. Maybe I just like more normal looking people. At the end of the set, I meet the band. Everyone was aware this is the trip of the century. THAT'S RIGHT, RECOGNIZE!! Hahahahaha. Tho the model did ask me if I brought his blanket. I was so confused. Apparently he loves airplane blankets and Stace and Drew were supposed to pass the message along to bring him one. CRAZY MAN!! That's how people catch scarlet fever. Airplane blankets. I'm just sayin. Think about it."

That's the face I saw in the window of Men's Warehouse. I could not stop laughing!! So I took a picture of the picture that was hanging in the store's front window to send it to the homies. Tooooooooo funny. I think it was so funny because it was so unexpected. Especially since I'd just popped the band's cd into my cd player in the car and was listening to it as I pulled up to the mall. I mean who does this happen to?? Who sees random models and recognizes them as people they've had (short, disjointed, meaningless) conversations with???

Speaking of funny, my laugh. Apparently it's infectious. My co-workers love it. A few of them told me they say outlandish things just to hear it. And that they catch other people smiling when they hear me laughing. Part of it is that if something tickles me I just keep laughing because I keep thinking of it and start laughing again. So it comes in spurts. Like hahahahaha. Think, think. Hahahaahahaha. Think think. There I go again! I'm laughing just thinking of my laugh! I'm so fun sometimes. A lot of times, actually. A guy I knew in high school used to be in love with the contented sigh I do at the end of my laughs sometimes. It's hilarious! Hahahaha. Here I go again making myself laugh. This post is cracking me up!!! I've gotta stop or I'll be here giggling all day. Again!! Hahahahahaha.

11.05.2007

Must You?

Did you know humans are the only species that deprive themselves of sleep? You need it to regenerate, stay healthy, not want to cuss people out, I could go on for days!! AND lack of sleep has been linked to obesity which leads to a multitude of other problems. Fellow humans! We must stop depriving ourselves!! You know how sometimes you just feel like you've got to go and go and go and go and go. STOP!!!!!!! Because if you don't, at some point, you will just crash. I think that's what I need to do.

I sleep well on my days off. The drawback is that means I don't go anywhere or do anything with anyone other than my dad. This is outside of church, of course. And the gym. Ok, so obviously I do a few things, but sometimes I just feel like I could do more. Yet I'm overwhelmed at the thought of taking on another thing other than the choir. I really, really want to join the choir, but the young adult choir practices Tuesday nights and I have to be at work at 1 Wednesday mornings. Yeah... that's not gonna work.

Speaking of singing. Lord. Please have mercy. This woman behind me was singing SO LOUD yesterday!! Obnoxious loud. I sing loud, but you can still hear the choir over me if you're sitting within 2 people of me. Plus *BONUS!* I sing on key. I could barely hear the correct key because she was drowning out the choir. This woman was soooooooooo out of tune at one point that I instinctively brought my hands up to cover my ears before I caught myself and placed them on the side of my face, pretended I just wanted to rub my cheeks before I forced them to my side. Then at one point I just started laughing. Yes. It was that bad. You have to know you sound horrible. I know the Lord said make a joyful noise. Please, please. When you know you sound bad, let your joyful noise be quieter, or in tune, or just not singing!

This has been a public announcement of unabashedly me. You may now return to your regularly scheduled blog.

11.04.2007

Breaking Routine

Every Saturday night I dress for church, then head to work. I get to work and people ask me why I'm so dressed up. Newsrooms are bare bones on weekends. There are maybe 5 people there, and next to none of them are dressed up. Okay, only the people who have to be (those on air) are dressed up. Some people look like they struggled to make it out of the bed. So yeah, lots of questions.

After my show, I write my show notes, then head to Panera Bread for a baked egg souffle (why is this the 2nd time today I couldn't remember that word?!). I like the spinach and artichoke. I thought the new turkey sausage and potato would be my favorite but the potatoes are a very fine dice and taste frozen. So that's a no. To drink, my favorite, ORANGE JUICE!! O.j. is so beautiful. The ORIGINAL o.j. Not Orenthal. Then I go to the 11:45 service, sing at the top of my lungs, get out my notebook and take notes on the sermon (which I sometimes call my line sister, mom and Wynel to share when it's really good to me). From there it's up in the air, but that's the basic Sunday. I've also started mixing in trips to Trader Joes on Sunday since it's near church, but nothing else in my life. Have you had their mini refrigerated pizzas? Love!!

Today I got turned around and was getting frustrated by my lostness because I knew I was thisclose to where I needed to be. So I stopped at Qdoba. It's always a good time for Mexican! I got the poblano pesto burrito (the last one). Yum personified!! I also looked ADORABLE! LBD (knee-length little black dress, sheer black stockings, square-toed black patent leather stiletto pumps (I don't toe discriminate. I like round toe, pointy toe, square toe and I have a special toe I want to intro to the world but I won't share it because I want credit for it when I finally get a shoe named after me.), a three-quarter sleeve mohair sweater with a ruffle sleeve and collar and my black hat with the feather perched jauntily on my head. Too cute! And my legs looked killer! So fun.

I also saw a lady with a hat on. I sooooo wanted to ask her where she got hers from but she was talking to someone. That's alright. If she has one, I'm sure she has more and I intend to find out where she gets them from!! I'm glad it's cold now. (BITE YOUR TONGUE!!) All four of my hats that I have up here are winter hats. I also have some gorgeous coats. However, I don't want the permanent cold. How Pittsburgh does summer (85+) is how Charlotte does winter (to me this used to mean highs in the 40s) -- for 3 weeks. How sad are you for me that there's already 2 days with 40 degree highs in the 5 day and it's only November. My coworkers have already said, "It's gonna be a long winter for her." :( But! As I came home, I saw my neighbors putting up their Christmas tree!! Yay!! My dad and I haven't put up a tree in the 2 years that I've lived here but I think I'm gonna go buy a wreath for the door! Wheeeee!! I looooove the infectious Christmas spirit!

11.03.2007

Why Did I Get Married on Christmas?

It wasn't that bad. It's not a movie I'd go around recommending, but it wasn't that bad. Definitely some of your typical Tyler Perry plot holes, but he is definitely getting better with each movie. I'll tell you this, though, the brother can't act. T!! Listen to me!! Stick to cameos or stay behind the scenes. The movie was also missing a lot of the chemistry between the characters. With most of the couples, you didn't feel like they really had a relationship. In at least one case, you couldn't understand why or how they were together in the first place and it was never explained or even clearly alluded to. Then there's his hurry up and finish this movie without adequately tying up these loose ends that always seems to happen. Not a home run, but not a strike out either.

Before the movie, I went to the gym. I love going to the gym on Saturdays. There are always random cuties in there I never see any other day of the week. Heeeey boo. I also broke out the Christmas playlist!! That's right!! One of my coworkers is Christmas OBSESSED. So he's already gotten me in the Christmas spirit. I have Christmas carols in my head and am very excited. I include Thanksgiving in the Christmas spirit since that's when my family traditionally breaks out the Christmas carols. I'm just getting a head start. "This Christmas" LOVE!!!
Classic Donny Hathaway

Boyz II Men version I'd never heard before... wheeeeeeeeee!

"Silent Night" the Boyz II Men & Temptations versions.
"Baby It's Cold Outside" the Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong version.

ADORE!!
Natalie Cole's "Caroling, Caroling", "The Holly & The Ivy", and "Christmas Medley." Plus this time of year, people start bringing out all of their pumpkin-flavored things. Pumpkin cheesecake is TO DIE FOR!!!! YAY!!!

11.02.2007

Come Again?

Did you really say a mix of rain and snow on Tuesday and a high of 42? Because I would like to give a big WASSUP!!! to my selective hearing. Is this really happening to me? I feel like I'm in an alternate universe. I DON'T WANT TO PLAY!!

I think of LOWS in the 40s as good football weather. Suffice it to say I won't be making it to a Steelers game again this year unless I'm in someone's luxury box. I used to be a HUGE college basketball fan. I'm talking so obnoxious in our college newsroom arguing with the boys about why DUKE was superior. HEEEEY COACH K!! When 1969 gave Sunday football as a reason not to blog, it hit me all over again how my sports world has been turned all upside down. I have worked a schedule requiring me to be at work between 11pm and 4:30am for the last 2 years. That pretty much negates me going to bars to watch games, even my favorite college basketball game of the entire season, Duke and Carolina. So sad. This would really get you crying if you knew me in college.

This schedule, and living in Steelers country are not exactly conducive to following basketball period. This is an insane football town. And yes, I was here when they won the Super Bowl. *enormous sigh* Did you read that post? That's the madness that was my life. I like Coach Tomlin, mostly because he's young and black and has a really good personality. But I can't deal with this again. I JUST CAN'T!! Especially since the Panthers are having trouble BUYING a win (no, there have not been any Patriot-esque activities at home). I mean the LIONS are doing better than they are this year. This is just. So. SAD!! See? I can keep up with football because I have to know all this stuff for work. But I know mostly AFC stuff and the Panthers are clearly NFC.

The Big East is okay for basketball, but they're no ACC!! WOOOOOO!! GO ACC!! And really, even when people are basketball fans here, they don't care that much about it. NBA? Forget it. Basketball season is back and I can't even get excited about it because I know I won't get to see any of it. I'll escape this basketball-killin city one day. I WILL!!

11.01.2007

Liz Said...

It's National Blog Writing Month. Well who am I to deny what she says? I'm down! Who else wants some??? You do realize, though that this means you will have to READ and COMMENT for the next 29 days. GET TO WORK!!

For the first day of this undertaking, I have several bloggers to thank 1) Stace for posting a Record Dish-worthy post on her regular blog, 2) AI for introducing me to the better version of this song.

When composing this blog for the first time in my head (does anyone else thing of blog posts all the time no matter what they're doing in their lives?), I came up with the title "Oh Beyonce," knowing full well X would hate me for this post. But it had to be done.

Why does she do this to herself? It's not like she has a bad voice. But she's not a power singer. The battle with Jennifer Hudson in "Dreamgirls."


I know it was scripted that way, but come on. She got killed. And don't give me that "Deena was supposed to be the weaker singer." Yeah... well, SUCCESS!! BTW this is one of my FAVE scenes from the movie and goes right into the signature "And I'm Telling You."

Now to the meat of this post. I didn't even know this song existed before Beyonce rolled in the sand for it getting the weave wet and nasty. Do you know what the beach does to your hair???? You'll never get that out!!

Des'ree


Beyonce


It's not that B sounds bad. It just has NOTHING on Des'ree. Why did you do it to yourself B? Why? So sad.