11.29.2010

Monday Mindspacing Vol. 77

1) Ad fail: For a limited time get a Le Creuset 6 quart stockpot with any Le Creuset $274.95 purchase.
2) Dear BBC America, Don't show previews for the next Luther when you're showing the replay of this week's. UGH!!!!  That show is the best.  You should absolutely watch it.
3) I now see why people stan for Idris... Carry on.
4) I hate raw cauliflower.  But I'm really starting to love it cooked.  Thanks Rach!
5) I love pumpkin-flavored stuff... but not those pumpkin spice doughnuts.  That layer of glaze kills it for me.  Also, it is confirmed that I am a Krispy Kreme girl and Dunkin Donuts is for people without taste glands.  Glad I grew up trained in the right way.  (And when they are old, they will not depart from it.)
6) Thanksgiving was a rousing success.  I love vegetarians... but not on Thanksgiving... Sorry Liz & Nerd Girl!  I like my greens and green beans with some meat/chicken broth!  My veg homie didn't come and veg-wise?  I think that was for the best.
7) I added roasted carrots and parsnips to my recipes (for that missing vegetarian)... of the 6 people at the table, none of us had ever had parsnips.  And we all liked them!  (Except Rashan... he doesn't count.)  They're like pale, meaty carrots.  Awesomeness! 
8) Because I read blogs on reader, I get confused when y'all talk about your new blog design.  I can't see any of that, kids.  (And sometimes I don't feel like going to look... Also if your design is lame, I feel like I wasted my time bothering to click the link to go look.  Moral: If you're going to re-design, make it good.)
9) I want to re-design my blog but really don't have the patience or the care to be bothered right now.  This design isn't me anymore.  It's also been a while since I changed the name so it's about time for that, too.  I know it confuses some of you and I understand that but I get bored.  You'll get re-used to it... and then I'll change it again.
10) Rashan watched every episode "Friends" WHEN THEY AIRED.  For real???  Gimme your card.
11) I can never complain about new fb because the second I see it I forget any distinguishing features of old fb.  LOLOL!  I seriously can't be bothered to remember every technological change when they come 17xs a week.
12) Speaking of stupidly frequent updates... ITUNES.  Are you serious?  I don't need a new version weekly.  Quarterly is just fine.  And honestly, at this point, I would be delighted with monthly.  Keep v.3.8.9.
13) You'll be delighted to learn I got into a rhythm writing my 20-page paper.  Once it started flowing, it didn't stop.  I had to stop myself to work on other stuff.  AND I got an extension.  HALLELUJAH!!  I'm more than halfway there!  If the rest of it flows like this?  Golden.  Not a chance of a problem.  Wheeeee!  

11.26.2010

Thanksgiving

The act of Thanksgiving improved my mood immensely!  I loved it!  Me and my momma DID THAT!!  Our food was delicious and semi-nutritious!  (Ahem, mac & cheese, you know you're at fault for that "semi.")  The vegetarian had a headache so she didn't come.  I hope she feels better but it was seriously stressin me OUT thinking about all the dietary issues at hand!  My mood most certainly improved when I felt less pressure from preparing enough food that she would be able to eat.  Chile we had so many sides I, JAMEIL, almost didn't want the turkey...

Yeah... I said it... TURKEY.  WHY, LAWD, WHY????  Because cornish hens were $2.48/lb. and turkey was less than $.50/lb.  Math.  Math made me eat turkey.  Math sucks.  But actually, I don't mind saying that was one of the most delicious turkeys I've ever eaten.  I took a 7.7 lb. turkey breast and Rachael Ray'ed it.  That thing had not a dry drop in it.  Meat was almost wet!  (Insert joke from "The Office"...)  I have NEVER had a turkey that tasted like that.  No, not even fried for all you fried turkey stans.  Ooh!  Rashan and I are getting a turducken next year!!!  We're already incredibly excited and we're still full from this year!

It's been a while since I did a post like this.  Things have been nuts.  Y'all know how I get when I'm in the thick of it.  Obsessive and at times... unpleasant.  I apologize to those around me.  I hope to be better incredibly soon.

Hey!  Two crazy things happened this holiday.  My sister is apparently allergic to shrimp when touching them.  She was standing over the sink after peeling the shrimp for the bisque, scratching her hands and looking mildly concerned.  I was like, "Your hands are itching?"  Her, nonchalantly, "Yeah."  I look and they're covered in little bumps.  Me, "EW!! You're allergic to shrimp! Stop touching them!"  It's hilarious in retrospect that she was so calm about it and I was so alarmed.  She actually said, "Yes!" when I told her to stop peeling them.  REALLY????  You needed to be told to stop???  Crazy.  Number 2, I'm apparently allergic to something I ate.  I started sneezing and blowing my nose and haven't stopped for at least 3 hours... I'ma need that to get outta my body.  You, sir, are not welcome.  (I just know this allergy is a crotchety little old man... Speaking of little old men.  My mom likes to attribute things to "a lil ole maaaan" with a drawl.  She'll make some outrageous statement about something in her fridge making noise.  I again with shock and awe and alarm say, "LIKE WHAT??"  "I don't know! Probably a lil ole maaaan."  ROTFL!!!  She's so funny.)

Rashan also said I made his birthday great!  Yay!  This despite the fact some loser tapped his bumper at a stop light when he went on a grocery run for us and made him wait for police even though there was no damage!  HUH???  Fix yo life, please.  IT'S BIRTHDAY AND THANKSGIVING TIME!!  NOT TIME WASTING TIME!!  IT'S NEVER TIME WASTING TIME!!  Okay I'm gonna go take some of this excess energy and grade some papers and eat some wait WHAT??  My stomach took over and wrote that.  WE ARE NOT HUNGRY!!!  Straight foolishness.  I'm gonna grade some papers and find some allergy meds, STOMACH.  Jeez.  Also, Rashan just told me BlackEyedPeas for the Super Bowl half-time show and NOW I'M EXCITED!  WHEEEEEEE!   And I love this post from da momma.

11.24.2010

:?

I'm in a terrible mood and taking it out on everyone.  I feel bad about it and I'm also really stuck.  I'm in this awful mental space because of the massive amount of stuff I have left to do in the next two weeks.  Maybe just listing it all will help me feel better (or for you to commiserate with me).  Due by Tuesday: A CV, cover letter, creative statement, teaching philosophy, demo reel, lecture, 21 packages to grade, and my favorite-- a 20-page paper.  I also have at least 4 movies to watch to go into that paper.  Did I forget to say I'm in charge of Thanksgiving dinner? With a (non-seafood-eating) vegetarian & a no pork or alcohol Muslim coming.  Recipes turned completely upside down.  I'm not making everything but enough.  And I really want Rashan's birthday to be great... and he doesn't care.  I'm gonna go work on my attitude.

11.22.2010

Monday Mindspacing Vol. 76

1) After all the hype, someone wanted to taste FourLoko before it was pulled from the shelves but couldn't find anyone who would share it...
2) I went to my first tailgate!  It wasn't actually that fun...
3) When people act like a film isn't that much work, I black out for a second.
4) Is this semester over yet?
5) I added shrimp bisque to the Thanksgiving menu.  I let Rashan choose the soup since Thanksgiving Day is his birthday.  My love will be 36!  Olllllllld maaaaaaaan.
6) Rashan found a job up here! Yay!!!!!!!!!!
7) I really hate watching people self-destruct via social media.  I don't like train wrecks.  If you can't get it together, do I have to watch it?? I DON'T WANT A FRONT ROW SEAT!!!  But I'm sometimes to nosy to not watch...
8) I hate when I tell people I don't like turkey because it's dry and they ask me if I've ever had a fried turkey.  Only for about 13 years.  Still don't like the flavor enough to eat it for 8 days.
9) If I die before Rashan, DO NOT LET HIM WEAR A SWEATSUIT. EVER!!  Nope, not dying, just ornery. 
10) I watched 0 movies last week. O_O
11) Can we stop acting surprised when women are knowledgeable sports?  Not we.  Can YOU stop that?

11.19.2010

Thanksgiving Bust

Remember that break I was supposed to get for Thanksgiving?  It's not happening.  And I'm not pleased.  I just want to be done with this year.  Not 2010, with my degree.  It's time to go.

11.15.2010

Monday Mindspacing Vol. 74

1) Facebook post of the week: I wish facebook would come up with an "I don't care" option you could click on after you read a post.
2) Do you know what's gonna kill me?  When y'all's kids grow up and you don't blog about them and they don't blog about themselves.  All of a sudden these people I have been following from birth or 8 will be out of my life.  I am someone's grandma.  Their nosy neighbor down the interweb if you will. 
3) Two of my fave bloggers have the same item of clothing I find appalling.  I would blog it out but... yeah... they know about my blog.
4) I don't want her working with me!  But I secretly want her to keep working with Mrs. TDJ.  If you haven't met her, familiarize yourself with Bambi....  I. DIED!!!! LOLOL
5) I burp... a lot... sometimes if I forget my surroundings, I do it really loudly.  BAD.
6) Stace mentioned lizards the other day... I had completely forgotten their everpresence in Florida.  The ONLY time I found one in my house, I screamed bloody murder!  It was the tinest thing but the thought of it in my house turned me into a lunatic!  I kill bugs with my bare hands (Yes, I know it's disgusting...) but LIZARDS??? I am NOT a Floridian!
7) Okay apparently I'm confusing people... If you're new or haven't been around for a while... I don't like massages.  I don't like being touched by strangers.  Yuck.  Back up off me.
8) I was at my mom's house this weekend.  When I returned home it was SMOKE CITY up in this piece.  DE-SGUSTING.  Can't even spell it.
9) The DVR is trying to stress me out.  Why do I have so much stuff on it and hate it?  I'm gonna start deleting stuff without watching it.  Yep.
10) I left my charger at my mom's house and my phone is dead.  FAIL.
11) Hampton is playing Wake in basketball today.  I WILL BE IN THE HOUSE!!  YEAH!!!  In case you were wondering, you shouldn't have to ask but THE HAMPTON PIRATES are getting my cheers!!  BORN AND RAISED A PIRATE, BABY!!  Mom went there, too!

11.10.2010

Recharge

I have lots of enthusiasm for the remix challenge, less for the myriad of stuff ahead of me in the next 36 hours.  Wednesday is currently a very not fun day.  There's always way too much stuff to do because I'm on campus all day Thursday and I need to be prepared for it.  I'm delighted about Thanksgiving.  Right around the corner and a much needed break.  TWO MORE WEEKS.  I can do this.  Especially because after Thanksgiving, there is ONE week of classes, two exams (one to give and one to take) and I'M DONE for the semester.  My 8-10 page paper due next week?  I'm on page 3.  *shimmies*  My goal is one page per day to be done before the due date.  I'm not sure how that's going to happen today but we'll get something done.  As long as we get something done...

Remember how I was talking about saying no?  The social stuff I can wiggle myself out of with increasingly little care.  But here's the thing... my program is over-scheduling me.  Weekly non-class commitments on top of everything else I'm doing?  Too much to ask of me.  Especially when some of it isn't even marginally helpful.  What if I just stop showing up to stuff?  Heck!  Maybe I'll even start with tonight!

11.08.2010

Monday Mindspacing Vol. 73

1) Heidi Klum doesn't seem like she should speak German.  She's pretty for one.  And two... just because.
2) There was an inflatable Santa on the roof of a building near my house on November 1st.  Not. ready.  Just because I've been listening to Christmas music for months doesn't give you the right to rush me with the decorations!!!
3) "How I Met Your Mother" CRACKS ME UP!!! LOLOL!!
4) A terrible coupon = any amount off if you buy multiples.  Especially at Whole Foods.  Dude.  It's not okay to try to trick me like that.  So, in your Whole Foods example, you buy two items at $4 each and you save what?  One. whole. dollar.  Yeah right.  Let me also take a moment to call out Borders.  Buy a cookbook, get a $10 coupon which is only valid for a week.  YEAH RIGHT.  Makes me not want to shop there.
5) I wish I didn't need/want stuff.  Stores have really been pissing me off lately.  Good thing I'm not buying anything for a while.  Hence number 6...
6) Today began my 30 for 30 remix challenge and I'm SO SCARED!!  I had to go buy 3 items to get 30 items in my closet I might like enough to wear over and over for 30 days... but I'm hoping to make it happen.  Such an optimist, huh?  I don't even care if that makes you judge me!!  I'll be documenting it here.  Do join me!  Literally (buy doing it, too!) and figuratively (by cheering me on when I'm ready to end it all).
7) Old people make me sad sometimes.  Not just because they die but because they like to do it so unexpectedly!  You never know how much longer you have with them.  Yes, I know it's like that with us all but I feel like they have so much more to offer than some 28-year-old ninny or 45-year-old twit.
8) Why yes, yes I have been watching an extraordinary amount of "A Different World."
9) If the drive-thru NC chain Cookout had its way, I would be the fattest person in America just from ice cream products.  Rashan and I split a Cheerwine float & a caramel cheesecake Heath toffee milkshake.  BOTH OF THEM OUT OF THIS WORLD!!!  I'm nearing salivation saturation just thinking about it!  We almost returned the following night for more.  Just fat!!
10) You're not going to convince me to see ForColoredGirls any more than any other TP production so stop. Stop trying to make fetch happen.
11) It's daylight SAVING time.  No 's.'  Please don't use the 's' or you'll make me crazy. XOXO, Jameil

11.07.2010

Movies 2010, Weeks 41 & 42

October 24- 30, 2010
196) Murderball. Documentary about quadraplegics who play wheelchair rugby.  Great stylistic elements with a story line it's easy to get into.  A fun watch.  Rashan didn't enjoy this but I think part of that is that there are definitely some unlikeable characters.  4 stars
197) Sleepers. Film starring Brad Pitt, Robert DeNiro and others about four boys who were sexuallyabused at a juvenile correctional facility in the 1960s.  Slow start but the film became riveting.  4.5 stars

October 31- November 6, 2010
Hey! I hit 200 finally in November! Yay me! Lol.  I watched all of three of these on Saturday.  IDK what got into me.  But I do know if I make it to 250 this year, it will be a Christmas miracle!  O Holy Night, shawty!
198) Just Wright. Queen Latifah and Common star as a trainer rehabbing a man with a knee injury.  As cliché as you thought it would be but not terrible.  3.3 stars
199) Rabbit in the Moon.  Documentary about a woman looking for the legacy of her family in Japanese internment camps during WWII.  Riveting.  It was great hearing from people who were there about a shameful segment of American history.  4 stars
200) Inheritance. Documentary about a woman living with the evil of her father's (AmonGoeth) N.azi leadership in WWII.  It follows the simultaneous story of the young woman forced to work as a slave for the family.  Pretty fascinating and at times disturbing.  4 stars
201) Zombieland.  Amusing-ish zombie movie starring Woody Harrelson, Abigail Breslin & Emma Stone.  Not my kind of movie (too much unnecessary cursing and a bit of gore) but I can see the appeal.  3.6 stars

11.05.2010

November Goals

1) Work on my relationship with God.  I think I hit my October goal of 415 total chapters but I lost count at one point. My goal for this month is to hit 495 chapters.  I did not make it to any churches AGAIN but I want to go to 2 this month so I'll work on that again. There's a guarantee to go to my home church in two weeks for my sorority's Founder's Day celebration.

2) Start my next film.  Hmmm... I went back and forth on this one so I said done but I want to get out of pre-production this month and do at least one actual shoot.

3) Take the next step in my career.  I didn't send out any job applications.  What a loser.  My goal this month is to get all of my application materials together so I can send out several actual packages before the end of the year!!

4) Try new restaurants.  I did try some this month.  I've also tried one more already this month.  Now if I can just find some I more than kind of like okay.  I'd like to make an addendum to this: EAT LESS FAST FOOD!!  This is really making my workouts less effective than they should be.

5) Cook at least 3xs a week, 2 of those new recipes.  I was going for one meatless meal a week and cooking at least 3xs a week trying to get my mojo back again.  Not even close since I don't count not eating meat for breakfast as meatless.  Oh well.  If I can cook once TWICE a week, it will be a miracle.

6) Watch more movies.  My goal for October... was 20.  That most certainly did not happen.  If I can get two movies in per week, I'll be happy.  *singing* Lowered expectaaaaations!

7) Workout more.  I am consistently working out twice a week with my new trainer WHO I LOVE!  I'm still working on getting to three days a week.  IT WILL HAPPEN THIS MONTH!

8) Statecations.  This month I wanted to go wine tasting....  AGAIN.  And can we didn't go look at the leaves in the mountains.  But guess what?  I don't care.  There was way too much happening in my life to really think about any of that stuff.  I can honestly say I have no statecation goal this month.  If it happens, it happens.  If not, eh.  Maybe this is a stupid goal for me.
 
9) Contact my grandma once a month.  I don't know if I called her this month.   I know I didn't send that package.  I might go down there this month.  We'll see.

10) Organize my life.   This crazy semester is so OUT OF CONTROL!!  Seriously?  I'm going, going, going all the time until I feel like I'm gonna go nuts.  So my goal is to sufficiently plan my life so that I don't feel so stressed and overwhelmed by it all for these last few weeks of the semester.

*I just realized I'm so unexcited about this list of stuff.... that's wack.  I need to re-evaluate.

11.03.2010

Thanksgiving Meal Planner

So technically this probably goes on the food blog but that will be the redux after I cook these items.  My mom and I are tag teaming this meal with some of our favorites and some of Rashan's and some new things.

Cornish hens
Ham
Oysters
Cornbread dressing
Mac and cheese
Jellied cranberry sauce (Rah's fave)
Whole berry cranberry sauce (Mom's fave)
Broccoli-rice casserole
Greens
Green beans
Sweet potato pie

Complete and utter deliciousness.  I still haven't read my Rachael Ray Thanksgiving mag but methinks something may come from it!

11.01.2010

Monday Mindspacing Vol. 72

UPDATED: I forgot I had stuff to add.
1) I thought about daily blogging this month for National Blog Posting Month.  The idea is to... you guessed it: blog daily for an entire month.  It's what originally attracted Rashan and I to each other.  We turned it into a hilarious competition. I was going to be devastated if he didn't do it this year.  He did last year but you know he hasn't blogged in months.  I decided not to do it because I'm already crazy and he's not posting either (because he hates me).  If you've never done it before or if you have, give it a shot!
2) Here's a little tip for you: If you can't attend an event, don't put an overly explanatory note about why not on the event's page.  Your surgery?  You can keep it to yourself or tell them later.
3) I don't like when people shorten my name.  "Mel" is not attractive... at all for a female.  I (sometimes) like that you feel comfortable with me but that's not the way to show it.
4) I don't appreciate it when people give up blogging, tweeting and facebook for purely selfish reasons.  It's like you've forgotten your purpose in life: to entertain me!
5) I was so energetic and crazy when I lived in Pittsburgh.  My old blog posts are absolutely HI-LARRY-US to me!  Sometimes it's really weird having so detailed an accounting of your life.  Especially because I write exactly how I speak.
6) The write-speech connect is why Rashan told me I couldn't do the anonymous professor blog about the crazy things that happen with my students because my voice is so distinctive.  BOLLOCKS!!  This distinctive voice better pay off for me OR ELSE!
7) I hate the silver insoles in Nine West shoes.  They rub off if you don't wear stockings which I most decidedly do not most of the time.  WHY???
8) If fonts all look the same to you and you're trying to look professional or impress people, please let me vet your presentation!  PLEASE!!  Comic sans is not okay!!
9) People who use their first initial intrigue/distract me.  What does that first letter stand for?  I can't focus.  Oh look!  A nickel!
10) Can you make people stop talking about facebook like it's a new method of communication? Please?
11) THIS JUST IN!!!!  THE 30 FOR 30 REMIX STARTS NEXT MONDAY!!! I can't wait to start!  I'll be posting outfits on The Record Dish.  Don't get it?  Here are the rules!  Email fashion blogger extraordinaire Kendi if you want to get on her list!
Fall30for30logo

The 30 for 30 Fall Challenge, starting next Monday, November 8th.

Get your engine running -- or at least your closet organized because the fall remix is here. If you'd like to participate in the remix, EMAIL Kendi your name and blog address with the subject line 30 for 30 and She'll put you on a link list that I'll publish later this week. You have from now until Friday, November 5th to sign up to be on the link list for the challenge.
 
Ok so... what is the 30 for 30? 

The 30 for 30 is something I came up with in April to help me learn my way through my closet by remixing my clothes. So here is the basic premise, I take 30 items from my closet (shoes included) and mix them into 30 different outfits over about a month period.

So you want to try it out? Good for you. Here is how to do it.

1. Pick out 30 items from your closet. Shoes are included in the count, coats and accessories are not. (I won't use a coat yet here in Texas, but you might in say Chicago so I don't want to penalize you for Mother Nature's wily ways.)

2. Remix the 30 items into 30 or more outfits.

And that's it! Ok -- not totally.

3. No shopping for 30 days. 

Eek! Why in the world would I add insult to injury? Well so that you'll learn to work with what you've got and you'll learn to appreciate it. Learning to shop your own closet will in turn help you learn to shop outside of your closet. When you have to get creative with your wardrobe you discover other ways to wear a shirt or skirt, that you might not have thought of. Or you might just discover that you really like a certain type of skirt or that you gravitate towards a certain type of jacket, etc.

So what if you don't have 30 items? Then this challenge is perfect for you. It's about working with what you've got. I am a style blogger, an overabundance of clothing is a given. So don't worry about that, maybe for you it's a 15 for 15 or 20 for 20. It doesn't matter what you start with, it matters what you can make out of it. 

Are you in? If so, email Kendi (and let Jameil know in the comments!) by Friday and post your 30 for 30 items by Sunday. Let the remixing begin!