Letters From the Darker Populace (#4 Set the Mood Right)

Dear Mr. President,

I want a baby. There, I said it. And not just any baby, I want your baby.

Wait -- Don't cut me, Mrs. Obama. What I mean to say is that I want you and the Missus to have a baby. Clearly, I'm not the only one who desires this. I mean, have you checked the rumor mill lately? The general public would like to see the first black White House baby!

Now, I know Michelle might be thinking that she's done having kids. I mean, she is in her forties and not looking forward to doing anymore potty training. And clearly young Sasha is not keen on giving up her baby status anytime soon. But think about what such a thing would do to your approval ratings! There are so many people out there preparing to have an Obama Baby, wouldn't it be great if you set the trend?

So, I'm going to help you out a little, Mr. President. Over the next few months, I'm going to flood 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue with some items that may inspire you. I'm talking about a little something like this, this and this. I'll even send some tunes that are sure to get the conception mood right -- Al Green, Barry White, Prince, Wu Tang Clan -- whatever rocks your boat.

Well, I'll leave you alone now. Clearly, you have a lot to do, and I'm not just talking about running the country. I expect you and the Missus to have a little fun every day through Valentine's Day. Come mid March, I want her to be puking her lungs up. Then, by the end of the year, I'd like to see the latest Obama enter the world. That's not too much to ask, is it?


peace and love,

s/c/w



Photo from http://youbetteraskher.com/very%20black%20pregnant%20woman.JPG

The Fallout

This week, my company truly laid down the gauntlet with a mandatory meeting. We all sat around wondering what it could be -- a. layoffs? b. furloughs? c. job changes? Well, our answer was d., all of the above.

It was a terrible feeling to listen to the bosses announce to the entire workforce that they would have to let some people go. It was even worse when they gave us all lists of the laid off folks, and we were asked not to look at them as they packed their desks, and give them a moment of privacy. It hurt to see my Partner In Crime given a brown paper bag to put his stuff in, then ushered out the back door. Two of my supervisors were also given the heave ho. I was in shock until Bill, a sweet guy who'd been working there 28 years, came around to say goodbye to all of us. I gave him a big hug and we all started crying. Ugh. Sometimes, work sucks.

We later learned that we were getting five furlough days this year, the first one starting on Presidents Day. The others are to occur once a month after that. It's truly been a miserable work week. But while my colleagues have been gathering at the bar to commiserate, I've been going straight home to make sure my resume is on point, then searching for whatever jobs there are out there. The problem? There aren't too many.

In the meantime, my new supervisor is a grizzled Vietnam Vet who is rumored to carry a knife in his cowboy boots. He works 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. and no one has ever seen him do regular human functions, i.e. eat and drink. So these next few months will be interesting.

Furloughs? Lay Offs? Pay Cuts?

I try not to write too much about the job on this here blog. Overall, I enjoy my workplace, but if I were to write about it here, it would only send me into a neverending cycle of complain-dom. And who wants to read about all that?

But today, my colleagues and I got an email from the Man In Charge requesting that we all make ourselves available tomorrow for a mandatory, companywide meeting at 1 p.m. *UGH* So, being the nosy investigators we are, some of us googled our company's name and came up with some dire news. The other subsidiaries that fall under us have announced to employees that they'll have to take five days off without pay because the company has been doing so poorly on the financial level. Each subsidiary under our company has been handling the financial situation differently. Some are shutting down for five Mondays in a row, in addition to administering 2 percent pay cuts and not granting raises. Some are keeping employees from using their birthdays as paid holiday leave. (Of course, that's a luxury my place of business hadn't afforded us) We've already been told that no raises would be granted this year.

So we're all sort of antsy about the Big Scary Meeting that awaits us tomorrow. One of my coworkers emailed the Man In Charge and asked him if the furloughs would affect us. He said "I cannot confirm or deny that." Great, just great.

But I will keep my head up and look at the bright side of things, until we learn our fate. On a positive note, I would enjoy not having to go into work on a weekday. I could happily use that time to do some writing or better yet, head to a job interview.


Photo from http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj297/mrjayz0930/Motivational%20Posters/unemployment.jpg

Letters from the Darker Populace (#3 Give Em Hell)

Dear Mr. President,

Have a great first day!

love,

s/c/w

PS This is shamelessly stolen from a VH1 promo I saw this morning.

Photo from http://img.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2008/02_01/obamaMOS0202_468x649.jpg

Hello Panic. I’ve Missed You!

Sometimes, I get crazy ideas in my head. Awhile back, I was chatting with some close friends about this yummy new recipe I made. They thought it sounded good and were eager to try it. So, I made plans for these two to come over for dinner.
But the idea evolved. I began thinking that perhaps I should invite Homegirl, the friend who lives fairly close that I never get to see. I couldn’t have Homegirl over without also extending the invition to Girlfriend. And I knew I’d feel really bad if Oh No She Didn’t found out about my little get together from someone else. The same thought applied to Keeping It Real. By the time I got finished creating my invite list, there were 12 people on it.

Well, I sent the email out and I did what I normally do, I panicked. Not all of my friends know each other, so I couldn’t help but worry about what would happen if Homegirl and Sister, Not Sistah didn’t get along. I have the same concerns about It’s Because I’m Black and the white guests I’ve invited.

I also have worries about how I’m strategically going to fit this amount of people in my apartment. I’ve had people over before, but never for something as simple as dinner. In one of my weaker moments, I googled ‘hosting a dinner party’. Not a good idea. Now I’m also worried about the meal I’m serving, the playlist I’m making (Is Lil Wayne not good dinner party music?) and those two plates I have don’t match my existing set. And God forbid I serve She Caught The Vapors when everything is not up to parr.

In the end, I’ve decided to stop overthinking it. This is a get together of friends for food, convo and laughs, nothing more. Hopefully, it’ll stay that way. Yes, I’m still freaking out on the inside, but that’s what I do. My first task? To start cleaning this apartment!

Photo from http://www.bealesgourmet.com/images/gallery1/Dinner%20party%20in%20the%20garden.jpg

Happy New Year!

I, for one, am happy 2009 is here. Don't get me wrong, the '08 treated me the same way as all those other years -- I was up, I was down, I was happy, I was sad. But the '09 has arrived, so it is time to put away last year's news.

For New Year's Eve, I did something most folks would think strange. I bowed out of a party to go to the movies -- by myself. I caught a double feature of 'Marley and Me' and 'Slumdog Millionaire.' (I enjoyed both, cried at both) I wasn't particularly in the party mood, and I don't know the guest of honor too well, or her guests, so I managed to dodge it without any hard feelings. I hear the folks that went had a good time. Well, good for them, it just wasn't my scene.

The other day, I opened an email I wrote to myself a few months ago about the five goals I wanted to accomplish by the end of the year. It was a difficult list, but I put some of my marching orders into action -- I eliminated certain people from my life and I finished drafts five and six of my fiction novel. There are some goals I haven't even touched yet, but I'll get there.

However, goal #3, which I titled 'Fish don't fry in the kitchen/a bean don't burn on the grill,' which is pretty much my way of saying I'm going to start cooking more. I'm off to a good start, but there is something about eating out that just makes me feel warm and fuzzy all over. Ah well.

Here's to a healthy and prosperous '09!

It's Over

It was good while it lasted, but the lovely and exciting 2008 is over. I've had some good times, I've had some bad times and I've had some downright mediocre times. But either way, I'm glad ya'll were with me as I've documented my ride on this thing called life.


Like I've done in past year-end posts, I'm going to lists a few things that have made me happy this year. In no particular order, here they are:


MOVIES: "Slumdog Millionaire" is the best movie I saw all year. Actually, I can't remember the last time I've been on such an emotional roller coaster in a movie theater. I laughed, I cried and sometimes I just said "awwww". EXCELLENT flick. I'm sure there are other movies that I really enjoyed, but I can't think of 'em right now.

TV SHOWS: There are so many I can mention here that it ain't even funny. Ya'll know I'm obsessed. In the past, I've neglected to mention how great the show 'Dexter' is. In short, it's about a serial killer who only murders people who deserve it. I've also become a fan of .... *cough, cough* ... 'Gossip Girl. I like how they use this unnamed narrator to tell the life stories of these rich kids. I also like that they play around a bit with the Madonna/Whore stereotype. There's Blair Waldorf, who can be so evil and conniving that she reduces her freshman followers to tears. She's also a virgin. There's her former best friend Serena, who sunny, bubbly and innocent. But Serena's past shows that she had quite the reputation. The series starts off with the two hating each other and pitting other students against each other. This is only a BRIEF summary of season one. I haven't started watching season 2 yet, so nobody ruin it for me! Last but not least, I need to mention 'True Blood', which is all about a telepath female (Sookie Stackhouse) and her relationship with a vampire. The show is based on a series of books revolving around Sookie. (Yes, I'm also reading the books. Yes, I love the books as well!) I've also discovered 'Mad Men' (Don Draper is hawt) and 'Weeds', to add more dysfunction to my life. I'm also watching some old tv shows on DVD -- shows like "Gilmore Girls" and "Buffy, the Vampire Slayer." (Yes, I see a vampire theme here)

BOOKS: Between going to school and reading for pleasure, I've consumed ALOT of books this past year. Aside from the Sookie books (I'm only on book 2), there are a few standouts like The Brief & Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, Sula, Not Without Laughter, Acacia, and Perks of Being A Wallflower, to name a few. This was also the year I gave in to suggestions from my coworkers and started reading graphic novels, but I'll expand on that in later posts. The series I enjoyed most was Y: The Last Man (soon to be a movie starring Shia LaBeouf) and Ex Machina, which isn't finished publishing yet. The best stand alone comic book/graphic novel (I'm still struggling with the terminology) I read this year was 'Blankets'. Yes, I'm a geek. No, I don't care.


MUSIC: Hate it if you want to, but I love Kanye West's '808s & Heartbreak.' Yes, he's pseudo singing and that's what some folks consider blasphemy for a rapper, but whatever, I enjoy it. It's clear through the songs that he is tore up and depressed over a lost relationship. I mean, the chorus of his song with Lil Wayne ('See You in my Nightmares') is literally "I'm telling everyone I know/that I don't love you no more." Dang. But as I've said before, pain makes the best music. Kanye, I remain a fan.


HOBBIES: I'm still taking guitar lessons and they're going pretty well. I'm a much better swimmer than I was before, thanks to those swim classes I took before. However, I'm thinking about taking some more swim lessons sometime soon. Practice makes perfect, right? But I also want to learn belly dancing and I've seen a few classes that are right up my alley. Hmmm. We'll see.


RANDOM MENTIONS: In a few days, I'll be finished draft 6 of my novel. That means it'll be time to start doing an agent hunt and finding out how people really feel about my writing. It'll be an eye-opening experience, but I'm up for the challenge. I got an A in my literature class this semester. I'm finally done my academic coursework, but I still need to write my thesis (still revising it for approval) and take a test before they hand me my degree. I can't wait!! And in case you haven't heard, BARACK OBAMA IS PRESIDENT!!!! I'm giddy all over again! *CHEESE*

Well, that's all I can think of for the time being folks. I hope everyone has a safe, healthy and prosperous 2009!


Photo from http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v304/gbeast/new-year.jpg

This Crept Up On Me....

but now I can't let it go. I've started watching VH1 videos in the morning and they tend to play the same videos every day. The first time I saw this video, I thought it was weird and utterly depressing. I still feel the same way, but I have greater appreaciation for it now. Maybe it's because I've learned more of what the song is about. But I didn't know that some interpretations of the term 'chasing pavements' caused it to be banned in several countries! Dang, is Urban Dictionary that powerful?


Anyhow, I hope you enjoy this song by Adele. It can be found here.

Back In The Day ...

Ok, I can't help it. My last Soul Train video has me obsessed. Man, I used to love Soul Train! Well, love it probably isn't the right word. As a little girl, I'd stand there and watch the television in awe, surprised that someone's mama would let them out the house in such outrageous outfits. I'm sure I'm not alone when I say my favorite part was the Soul Train line, which was reenacted at practically every wedding I've ever gone to. Of course, the Electric Slide eventually replaced that.

There were always a few common dancers on Soul Train. The most recognizable was probably Cheryl Wong, commonly referred to as "that Chinese girl on Soul Train." Those were the days. Anywho, check out this back in the day vid, particularly the Jheri Curl wearing dude in the blue sweatsuit, and the alleged Obama lookalike at 3:25. Enjoy!

"She said her name was Donnie but her shirt said Marie'

Sometimes, a random song lyric will pop into my head and get stuck there. Well, for about a week I had this old song in my head. Whenever I started the lyric, no one could help me out as to where it came from. I eventually remembered that it was an obscure track on an old Jazzy Jeff & Fresh Prince album. (For the youngsters: Fresh Prince and Will Smith are the same person)

Anyway, this is a song that was never released on the radio, just on the album. It's a pretty ridiculous song, but it makes me laugh, which was its goal. And of course, I know all the words.

So here is your Obscure Old School Moment of the day:

Let It Whip

There's nothing wrong with an old school moment every now and again. So I'm going to hit you with some OOOOOOOOOOOOLD old school! There's a reason as to why this song has been in my head lately. Perhaps I'll get to that in another post. But for now, check out this video:

Merry Christmas!!!

I hope everyone is having a wonderful and safe holiday. Mine is off to a good start. I can't wait for a yummy dinner. And I also got two gifts that I'm excited about -- a Garmin and some Archie memorabilia.

Strangely enough, I'm having more fun with the latter gift. I've mentioned before how Archie has a special place in my heart. Again, Merry Christmas!



Photo from http://i.ehow.com/images/GlobalPhoto/Articles/2148977/christmas-tree-main_Full.jpg

Close. But Not Close Enough.

So, I know I said before that I was going to post everyday for the month of December. I was doing well, churning out blog posts left and right. In many cases, I stated posts and returned to them days later, which saved me dozens of time in the past.

But recently, I made a fatal error. I forgot to track back on one day, friggin Dec. 30th. ARGH! So that means, I'll have 30 posts for the month of December, instead of 31, which was my goal. Crap! Ah well. I'll finish these last few posts with meaningless dribble. I'll try this Post A Day challenge again in February, which is the shortest month of the year. HOORAY!!

Free Falling

In case you haven't noticed, I'm trying to do a new blog post a day for the month of December .... I saw a website that was rewarding people for doing this ... I should have picked a shorter month like February... It is really easier said than done to come up with 31 things to write about ... It's especially harder when you're like me and you track back ... Basically, I start posts and then return to them in the future ... For example, in the real world, it is Dec. 30, but this post says Dec. 23... At least I think that's what the date is ... So I'm torn between writing about current stuff or writing about 'future' stuff .. * Shrug * .... I'd made plans to go to a New Year's Eve party, but I'm not sure I feel like going ... In fact, I KNOW I don't feel like going ... The bash is in a place where parking is SCARCE ... And I really don't want ot fight the hordes .... I need to go to the movies.... I just saw 'Seven Pounds', which is a quick and easy way to fall into a depression ... I didn't enjoy the flick, but I'm sure there are plenty who did ... Have I ever mentioned how much I love 'Family Guy'? ... It's hilarious... 'Adult Swim' is the main reason why I can never get to bed early ... At 11 and 11:30, they play 'Family Guy' .. Then at midnight, they play 'Moral Orel', which is another crazy show ... But I like it ... Ok, time to go ... Off to watch 'Family Guy'

The Not Christmas Dinner

For several years, a relative of mine has held what I refer to as the ‘Not Christmas Dinner’. It started out as a family brunch, which was always held the Saturday before Christmas day. Relative coordinated the brunch because she felt she couldn’t handle preparing a dinner. I can totally understand that.

But as the years passed, the time for the brunch got later and later, until it became dinner. Yet Relative refuses to call it dinner, despite the yummy offerings of sweet potatoes, stuffing, string beans and desserts. A dinner is something that is held at one big table. And because Relative doesn’t have a table large enough to accommodate everyone, we tend to scatter about the house with our plates. Foolishly, I once suggested that Relative should simply make this the Christmas Dinner, but I was shut down with just a look. Well, excuuuuuse me.

No matter how odd this family tradition is, I tend to enjoy it. Where else can I go to see my cousin Chanelle show off her new breast implants? Or watch the old ladies try to teach my rhythmless relative‘The Bump’, cause you know, it is the latest dance craze. The party ain’t over until Cousin Sputnik’s eyes are red, Aunt M curses someone out and Uncle R sneaks away from his wife to call his girlfriend. Good times.

Things were weird this year because one of my aunts recently announced she’s in the process of leaving her husband. This isn’t surprising, since marriages tend to be over in the blink of an eye in my family. In fact, a family gathering isn’t complete until someone starts complaining about one of their exes. But this aunt is someone who is above the drama. She never has a bad thing about anyone, even at times when she should. She and hubby have been together as long as I’ve been alive, so I’m truly surprised. It was also surprising to watch her join in on the ‘worthless ex’ conversations. So sad.

Anyway, the food was good and so was the conversation. I have a ton of leftovers that will last me until … well, Christmas.

Photo from http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v208/ydho_6/London%20Xmas%202004/ResizeofChristmasDinner2.jpg

Appreciation: Musiq ('So Beautiful')

Have I ever mentioned that I heart Musiq? Well I do. I love Musiq's music (hahahaha! i couldn't resist saying that!) and his overall vibe. If I could summarize my type of guy into one person, it would be him. He's got that quirk factor that is oh so special to me. Anywho, check out one of my favorite songs by him on his new album.

The Insomnia Diaries #2 (aka First & Second Grade)

(Blogger's note: Whenever I can't sleep, I try to identify all of my teachers from kindergarten on up. This has led to a series of memories, like the one listed here):

I spent the first three days of my life in private school. My first teacher's name was not Ms. Mack, so that's what I'll call her. I had her for both first and second grade, which were taught in the same room. Unlike Ms. S. , there were no leg massages in this class and she didn't flirt with my father. She wasn't as hard as me as my kindergarten teacher, but Ms. Mack took me aside on several occasions to say, "Principal H. and I think the world of you. You're our favorite student." I'm sure that was the same level of bull they were feeding to all the other kids, but I believe it. And now, I also believe she and Principal H. were having an affair, but that's another story.

Ms. Mack taught me at a time when anything, I mean ANYTHING, came out of my mouth. Madonna's song "Like A Virgin" came out while she was my teacher. I once asked a relative what a virgin was and I was told that a virgin was someone who didn't have any kids. So I sat around and thought of all the people who didn't have children and put them in the virgin category. Ms. Mack did not have any kids, so I asked her if she was a virgin. She turned bright red, then quickly changed the subject. Ms. Mack also liked to share her personal life with us kids, constantly mentioning her boyfriend, Fred. I asked her if she loved Fred and again, she turned bright red.

I credit Ms. Mack for being the teacher that gave me real insight on that peculiar species that is the male. My best friend at the time was a boy named Danny. But once, I got mad at him because he decided to sit next to another girl during while we watched 'Sesame Street' or some other kid show. I got so mad at them that Ms. Mack had to take me out in the hallway. When I told her what was wrong, she said "So what?" She proceeded to tell me that if Danny didn't want to sit next to me, then it was he who was losing in the end. Somehow, this made me feel better.

Ms. Mack moved to her hometown of Nebraska the following year, and we were all upset. She took all of our addresses and she was my first pen pal for awhile. She took the writing thing very seriously, because whenever I missed sending her a letter, she'd call my house and ask why I hadn't been in touch. I moved several times since then and I lost several things, including her address and old letters. Looking back, she was probably one of my favorite teachers, if not the favorite.


(Photo from http://www.healblog.net/wp-content/uploads/2008/03/insomnia.jpg)

I Talk To Myself

New Year's Eve is coming up, but I started planning for 2009 a few months ago. Maybe planning isn't the right word, but I wrote a list of things I wanted to accomplish by the end of 2008. I typed this list up, then emailed it to myself and put it in a folder called "notes to myself." The plan was not to open this message until the end of the year.

I remember a few of the things I wrote on the note, but not everything. It was basically a guide to accomplishing a few things in my personal and professional life. On the personal end, I listed all the reasons why I needed to eliminate a certain someone from my life. Mission accomplished. On the professional end, I wrote that I needed to put some fire under my arse to find a new job and to send those resumes out. Well, I've been slacking in that area. I also wanted to make some more moves toward homeownership. Another shaky area. I wanted to finish the latest draft of my novel, which was another mission accomplished.

So, by the time 2009 rolls around, I'll have to pick up on the list I left off. It is definitely time to find a new job. I've sent out resumes here and there, but I need to be more aggressive on this. Financially, my company is suffering and we're all fearing layoffs. But that isn't the only reason why I need to make a move. I enjoy my job, but I feel like I should be doing something I love. There are people in this world who can't wait to get to work every morning and I envy them. In a perfect world, I'd be able to support myself through my fiction writing. However, I should be careful what I wish for, since that seems like a very solitary and lonely life.

I am looking forward to 2009, though. It's not that 2008 was bad, I would just like to put some things behind me and start fresh. On to the new year!

Church

A few months ago, I made what I thought was a good decision at the time. I started going to church with my parents.

I'd been looking for a church home off and on for a few months, but Mom and stepdad were happy with the church they'd been attending. I visited once or twice and I wasn't thoroughly impressed. The overall message of the sermon was good, but I was annoyed that the church bulletin also featured a little fill-in-the-blanks section so everyone could follow the sermon. Perhaps I'm a bit anal, but that made me feel like I was a kid in Sunday School again. I take good notes, so I don't need anyone telling me which parts I should write down. But I digress.

One Sunday, I surprised the parentals by joining them for the 8 a.m. service. We went to breakfast afterward and a good time was had by all. I even got used to the sermon cheat sheets and waking up early in the morning.

But it wasn't long before I fell into my old pattern of sleeping in on Sundays. Of course, I'd get a phone call asking me why I hadn't been in church and if they'd see me the following week. I made no promises, since I was going for the gold medal in the Sleep Olympics. Soon, they'd stop asking me about church specifically and mention how they never see me. I'd make plans to visit, and they'd opt to trade that in for church instead. I joined them for church service on Thanksgiving, so that should pacify them for awhile.

Anyway, I'm back on the hunt to finding my own church. The parental church police is NOT cool.

Becoming Aunt Pam

Back in the day when I learned to read, I never had a shortage of books. My Mom made the mistake of telling Aunt Pam (who is not my 'real' aunt, but a close friend of the family) that I loved to read. So, Aunt Pam made it a point to fill my bookshelves with classic books whenever there was a special occasion. From second grade on, I was getting classic, hardback editions of books like "Little Women," "Pride & Prejudice," "Jane Eyre", "Black Beauty", "Gulliver's Travels" and many more. Each book was special because they all had a personal inscription from Aunt Pam. "Jane Eyre" was dated Christmas '89 with the note: "Wishing you a very merry Christmas and a happy new year with more adventures in reading. Enjoy! Love, Aunt Pam."

I was overwhelmed initially, since each book was at least 200 pages long. I'd usually flip through the pictures first and then decide if I was going to read the book. "Black Beauty" and "Little Women" being the first books I read from that collection and I loved them both. In fact, those are probably the only ones I read beginning to end. I struggled to get through "Gulliver's Travels" many times and I think that is probably the first book I disliked. And I don't care what anyone says about Jane Austen, I just can't get into her. (I can watch the movies, just can't read the books)

As I did my Christmas shopping this year, I realized a bit of Aunt Pam had crept into me. There are two little boys in my life -- my younger cousins -- who we all dote on during the holidays and birthdays. They're getting older (ages 15 and 12), so they mostly get money and gift cards as presents. But I always make it a point to give them a book with whatever else I may give them. I will say that it is extremely difficult trying to find contemporary books targeted to a young male audience, particularly young black males. Last year, I got one of them a Walter Dean Myers book and this year, I got them both books by Carl Deuker. Each of Deuker's books deals with a sports theme, so I think I'll stick with him for awhile. The boys don't really like to read, so I hope this will break them out of that.

I've lost touch with Aunt Pam over the years. But one day, I hope to catch up with her and thank her for all the books she bought into my life. I only hope I can have the same influence on those boys. I have to take an exam in a few months that'll determine whether or not I can get my master's degree. I got a reading list of novels we should review for the exam. Guess what's on there? "Jane Eyre." I've reached page 130 in my copy and I have 400+ pages to go. It's actually pretty good. Maybe once I'm done, I'll get through all those other classic books in my collection.


Photo from http://www.barnstable.k12.ma.us/bhs/Library/images/ReadingManiacs.gif