Do you ever sit at your job wondering what the hell did you do wrong to be in the position that you're in? You want to prepare youreself to do better and start planning in your head or on a hot pink Pos.t-it the steps to take to get to your dream career. Then, you realize it's not as simple as fining a new job tomorrow but more like earning another degree or getting professional training for what you want. Your heart drops a bit.
Then, you go to your "Happy Place" and something from childhood brings a smile back to your face. For me, one of the happiest places is the 60 seconds of counting from one to twelve with the pinball machine on Sesame Street.
When I was a kid, I just knew I could teleport myself into that loopy well lit pinball machine world and just stand around. Then, when the ball wouldn't be on the ramps, I could ride my bike and pop wheelies all over the ramps. I might even sneak in some time to check out the special bonus area associated with each number. Yessssss.... I'd even end the night in that funky nightlife with the duckies and buildings at the end of the segment.
Please allow me to take us all back to the best pinball machine EVER.
Pinball Number Count 7: World Tour
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uh4_ybNgEJg
Showing posts with label just because. Show all posts
Showing posts with label just because. Show all posts
8.17.2008
It's not a "murse" damn it.
Thank God for the weekend. Honestly, it's the beginning of my real life outside of the weekly grind.
Today, I sat outside of a local coffee franchise that's not so ubiquitous like another place we all know. Just sitting at a table outside enjoying the weather and a dose of whipped cream floating above espresso, steamed milk, and three packets of Sp.lenda. While other latte loving ladies and gentleman enjoy their drinks and company, my eyes land on a guy on the sidewalk leaving the same franchise with a medium white paper cup full of his own customized caffeine goodness in one hand. The other hand holds a white plastic bag with office supplies from a nearby chain store that's not one of the large stores you can't live without. I think to myself, "Maybe he's got opened eyes like me that actually go against the grain of what's allegedly popular. He might not fall for the hype. Good for him!" Well, the white earbuds probably feeding Coldplay into his spirit from his pervasive i_Pod kinda killed that theory. Then again, what if he was jamming to "Scenario" by A Tribe Called Quest or even some classic Masta P???
I continued to enjoy and savor my own caffeine heaven in a paper cup while watching guy cross the busy four lane street. The only guy walking in this area right outside of a major university went calmly on his way, and he probably walked off to a residence to have enough paper for printing a huge assignment. That left me truly impressed that there were other people in Atlanta like me that didn't have to have a car for every single errand or event in their life. Maybe walking dude and I will save the planet together by inspiring our friends, loved ones, and even sworn enemies who cannot help admiring our commitment to think outside the bleak box of "the norm".
Unfortunately, one thing about dude slowly began to "grind my gears" (I love that line). My not-so-stuck in the matrix dude had a plastic shopping bag. Why was he just like my husband and probably other countless men that do not make effective use of a reusable shopping bag? They're honestly easier to carry since you can put it over your shoulder like a computer bag, a messenger bag, or... a shoulder bag. Why carry one, two, or even six merchandise-filled plastic bags with those flimsy handles that can hurt your fingers after about sixty seconds when you can put several items in one bag? I imagine that carrying those bags that can only hold a few cans or boxes at one time really suck if you are on foot.
The benefits make complete sense and far outweigh the cons to me as a woman, but it's almost like a crime against manhood to ask a man to think about the environment and not take the plastic bags from the stores. Men must think that if they carry their groceries, power tools, deodorant, or sneakers in reusable bags, then they've just pimp-slapped their masculinity out of their bodies to lay on the asphalt like a used-up crumpled street walker with baggy eyes and a few gray hairs. The bags come in so many varieties of looks and colors and prices, so it's not like the bags can be mistaken for a lady's handbag just because it's on the shoulder. So it's not a "murse" damn it but just a shopping bag. Seriously. It grind my gears that men can be so consumed with what they perceive to be an attack on their image when it's not that serious.
As a black woman with reusable bags, I always feel like I'm truly in the minority because I try to use my bags all the time. I have seen one other black woman use the reusable shopping bags in my area, and that makes me proud. However, I'm quite likely in the minority for being worried about one guy with a plastic bag. I'm confident there are a lot of men that refuse to embrace the reusable bags. That's beyond disappointing for me, but if a great number of people learned to embrace all of these social networks on the 'net, then maybe there's hope for coffee-sipping guys to buy and use reusable shopping bags. My fingers are crossed.
Today, I sat outside of a local coffee franchise that's not so ubiquitous like another place we all know. Just sitting at a table outside enjoying the weather and a dose of whipped cream floating above espresso, steamed milk, and three packets of Sp.lenda. While other latte loving ladies and gentleman enjoy their drinks and company, my eyes land on a guy on the sidewalk leaving the same franchise with a medium white paper cup full of his own customized caffeine goodness in one hand. The other hand holds a white plastic bag with office supplies from a nearby chain store that's not one of the large stores you can't live without. I think to myself, "Maybe he's got opened eyes like me that actually go against the grain of what's allegedly popular. He might not fall for the hype. Good for him!" Well, the white earbuds probably feeding Coldplay into his spirit from his pervasive i_Pod kinda killed that theory. Then again, what if he was jamming to "Scenario" by A Tribe Called Quest or even some classic Masta P???
I continued to enjoy and savor my own caffeine heaven in a paper cup while watching guy cross the busy four lane street. The only guy walking in this area right outside of a major university went calmly on his way, and he probably walked off to a residence to have enough paper for printing a huge assignment. That left me truly impressed that there were other people in Atlanta like me that didn't have to have a car for every single errand or event in their life. Maybe walking dude and I will save the planet together by inspiring our friends, loved ones, and even sworn enemies who cannot help admiring our commitment to think outside the bleak box of "the norm".
Unfortunately, one thing about dude slowly began to "grind my gears" (I love that line). My not-so-stuck in the matrix dude had a plastic shopping bag. Why was he just like my husband and probably other countless men that do not make effective use of a reusable shopping bag? They're honestly easier to carry since you can put it over your shoulder like a computer bag, a messenger bag, or... a shoulder bag. Why carry one, two, or even six merchandise-filled plastic bags with those flimsy handles that can hurt your fingers after about sixty seconds when you can put several items in one bag? I imagine that carrying those bags that can only hold a few cans or boxes at one time really suck if you are on foot.
The benefits make complete sense and far outweigh the cons to me as a woman, but it's almost like a crime against manhood to ask a man to think about the environment and not take the plastic bags from the stores. Men must think that if they carry their groceries, power tools, deodorant, or sneakers in reusable bags, then they've just pimp-slapped their masculinity out of their bodies to lay on the asphalt like a used-up crumpled street walker with baggy eyes and a few gray hairs. The bags come in so many varieties of looks and colors and prices, so it's not like the bags can be mistaken for a lady's handbag just because it's on the shoulder. So it's not a "murse" damn it but just a shopping bag. Seriously. It grind my gears that men can be so consumed with what they perceive to be an attack on their image when it's not that serious.As a black woman with reusable bags, I always feel like I'm truly in the minority because I try to use my bags all the time. I have seen one other black woman use the reusable shopping bags in my area, and that makes me proud. However, I'm quite likely in the minority for being worried about one guy with a plastic bag. I'm confident there are a lot of men that refuse to embrace the reusable bags. That's beyond disappointing for me, but if a great number of people learned to embrace all of these social networks on the 'net, then maybe there's hope for coffee-sipping guys to buy and use reusable shopping bags. My fingers are crossed.
8.06.2008
Random Thoughts
The only constant is change, and I'm being consumed by it. My professional life and source of income is stuck dead in the middle of a crossroads. It's not cluttered because I have ideas on what I want to. I definitely want to avoid backtracking and deciding to stay where I am. Regression and restricting my gifts and talents tend to be pointless. So, developing and honing my natural gifts in writing is a very likely direction.
In keeping with the spirit, I have to write something. I penned my first real effort at a poem. The topic was patriotism, and so far, other members of my writing group seem to be blown away by my attempt. Nice. So no poetry today. Just some random expressions:
~ How'd I get so lucky to have a husband who likes to cook for me and doesn't mind cleaning at all? And he digs me exactly the way I am. Full-figured fluffiness and all. Never would have conceived of this in a million years.
~ "I Wanna Work For Diddy" is quickly becoming my new favorite reality show. The mantra of "Sleep is Forbidden" inspires one to be driven in theory, but for real.... I need about 6 hours of sleep. I don't have any sleep disorders, and I don't want them just because I thought achieving was more important than resting my body.
~ "From G's to Gents" isn't half as bad as I thought. I jumped on a recent ep where the guys had to show business savvy in front of I.rv G.ot.ti. The Atlanta dude outshined the other guys for real. But that T. Jones guy... He's not "slow", but he definitely posseses a quality about himself that screams "little boy in a grown man's body". I felt bad for him during the challenge because he high-tailed it down the very familiar path of self-sabotage when he was faced with a challenge.
~ I got a lil' excited when I saw gas for $3.74/gal this evening. About a nanosecond later, I remembered reading that oil prices are dropping about 10 - 15% while the price of fuel at the pump is dropping about 3%. Plus, it's still pretty close to $4/gal. This is some bull....
~ Pan.dora radio rocks. Why did I wait so long to jump on it?
~ I love LL Cool J for those hilarious MTV mini-spots, especially the "Misery"-inspired ones.
7.05.2008
Just Because
Keisha Cole is not my favorite singer ever, but her songs obviously speak to people including me. "Sent From Heaven" has that beautiful guitar and the beach that reminds of Aaliyah's "Rock the Boat" video. Plus, hubby and I probably feel the same way about each other that Keisha sings about.
6.24.2008
Barefoot in the summer at CAU
Just 15 years ago, I was in the SCOPE/FTMS Summer program for 6 weeks on the campus of Clark Atlanta University. I honestly had hopes of being an 8th Grade Algebra teacher, so it made sense to try to become a Future Teacher of Math and Science. Thank God I found out that I couldn't handle math and science, but it was a fun summer. Thank God that I learned a lot about the good and the bad of Greek life before going to college. This experience lead me to one definite decision based on an idea that all Greeks should live by.
Those 6 weeks were my first time away from home...even though my family was a 25 minute ride down the interstate. Living in the dorms that college students live in and sneak around in. Eating that campus dining hall food -- I mean not having a lot of tasty choices in what to eat because a lot of the food was..... Meeting other students from southern GA and other East and West Coast states across the country. Learning a lot about how crazy life can be because young people in the midst of their formative years can be straight up fools. But I did make some friends there that were just regular girls like me. Not popular, not complete nerds, but just making it through puberty.
One of the highlights was being mentored by some of the college students. There were 2 guys and 2 girls. One guy and girl were just regular students who taught us valuable lessons. To this day, I can't remember the guy's name, but I remember him telling a small group of us in a casual convo, "If y'all [the couple] have to hit on one another, then y'all ain't supposed to be together." If a man or woman has to get their point across with fists instead of conversation, then they shouldn't be together. That simple idea has never left me, and I still pass that on to others.
The other guy and girl were members of two of the Divine Nine fraternities and sororities. I don't recall the guys name, but he was a member of Alpha Phi Alpha. Looking back, he fit the stereotype of an Alpha very well: scholarly, arrogant, and fun to be around. He expected a lot of all of his mentees, and we lived up to those expectations for the most part. I'd bet money that several of those young men in our program were influenced to become Alphas. The female mentor was a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha. She completely fit the AKA stereotype: attractive, full of arrogant "pretty girl" attitude, excelling. She had a lot of expectations of us as well, and most of us lived up to her standards.
The Greek mentors decided to teach the 40+ students how to step. After attending classes and being enlightened to what the world held beyond our middle class teenaged lives during the day, the students were taken to on campus locations to learn stepping. Our mentor happened to have her chapter soror and Step Mistress on campus. She worked with us very hard and never made us feel bad about what were doing. They also "bonded" the 20 - 30 young ladies by making us "duck walk" from our dorm to the step practice location and back for the return. They even modified one of the pledge songs so we can sing together about striving to be number one. I'm sure that part of this experience was the first exposure to greekdom for some of the girls just like it was for me. The stepping was fun and made me want to have the fun side of greekdom, but our mentor told us about the community service, etc. so we knew it wasn't just singing and stepping.
But one night while we had part of our step practice in front of the dorm, another pivotal event happened. Our mentor, the attractive AKA, had all of us doing one of the first parts of the step routine. Girls from the Upward Bound program were looking out of their windows and making suggestions as to what we should do. Our mentor ignored the comments and kept us focused. She reminded us that all kinds of things will be shouted during a step show, and you have to remain focused to put on a good show.
The girls from Upward Bound were distracting, but then another college-aged woman came outside through the front door of the dorm. She wore a t-shirt, shorts, a head wrap, and no shoes. This young lady said she wanted to show us something. This young lady proceeded to step in front of us for 10 seconds. With no shoes. HARD. The young girls in the windows cheered wildly for the young lady who must've been an Upward Bound mentor. As she left, our FTMS mentor had the most unamused look on her face as she slowly clapped and encouraged us mentees to clap for her so we can get back to practice.
That incident was my first introduction to that sorority. That first introduction lead to my first impression: I don't want to be one of those sorority girls. Whatever the 1993 equivalent of "ghetto" was, that's what that young lady lead me to believe about her sorority. She broke a cardinal rule of Greekdom: always represent yourself to the utmost at all times because you never know who will meet you and therefore meet your organization for the first time. She was so busted that I knew I couldn't consider an org that would include a woman that steps hard on concrete inthe middle of the night. Therefore, I barely considered that sorority for even a split second when I started my long journey to greekdom.
Those 6 weeks were my first time away from home...even though my family was a 25 minute ride down the interstate. Living in the dorms that college students live in and sneak around in. Eating that campus dining hall food -- I mean not having a lot of tasty choices in what to eat because a lot of the food was..... Meeting other students from southern GA and other East and West Coast states across the country. Learning a lot about how crazy life can be because young people in the midst of their formative years can be straight up fools. But I did make some friends there that were just regular girls like me. Not popular, not complete nerds, but just making it through puberty.
One of the highlights was being mentored by some of the college students. There were 2 guys and 2 girls. One guy and girl were just regular students who taught us valuable lessons. To this day, I can't remember the guy's name, but I remember him telling a small group of us in a casual convo, "If y'all [the couple] have to hit on one another, then y'all ain't supposed to be together." If a man or woman has to get their point across with fists instead of conversation, then they shouldn't be together. That simple idea has never left me, and I still pass that on to others.
The other guy and girl were members of two of the Divine Nine fraternities and sororities. I don't recall the guys name, but he was a member of Alpha Phi Alpha. Looking back, he fit the stereotype of an Alpha very well: scholarly, arrogant, and fun to be around. He expected a lot of all of his mentees, and we lived up to those expectations for the most part. I'd bet money that several of those young men in our program were influenced to become Alphas. The female mentor was a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha. She completely fit the AKA stereotype: attractive, full of arrogant "pretty girl" attitude, excelling. She had a lot of expectations of us as well, and most of us lived up to her standards.
The Greek mentors decided to teach the 40+ students how to step. After attending classes and being enlightened to what the world held beyond our middle class teenaged lives during the day, the students were taken to on campus locations to learn stepping. Our mentor happened to have her chapter soror and Step Mistress on campus. She worked with us very hard and never made us feel bad about what were doing. They also "bonded" the 20 - 30 young ladies by making us "duck walk" from our dorm to the step practice location and back for the return. They even modified one of the pledge songs so we can sing together about striving to be number one. I'm sure that part of this experience was the first exposure to greekdom for some of the girls just like it was for me. The stepping was fun and made me want to have the fun side of greekdom, but our mentor told us about the community service, etc. so we knew it wasn't just singing and stepping.
But one night while we had part of our step practice in front of the dorm, another pivotal event happened. Our mentor, the attractive AKA, had all of us doing one of the first parts of the step routine. Girls from the Upward Bound program were looking out of their windows and making suggestions as to what we should do. Our mentor ignored the comments and kept us focused. She reminded us that all kinds of things will be shouted during a step show, and you have to remain focused to put on a good show.
The girls from Upward Bound were distracting, but then another college-aged woman came outside through the front door of the dorm. She wore a t-shirt, shorts, a head wrap, and no shoes. This young lady said she wanted to show us something. This young lady proceeded to step in front of us for 10 seconds. With no shoes. HARD. The young girls in the windows cheered wildly for the young lady who must've been an Upward Bound mentor. As she left, our FTMS mentor had the most unamused look on her face as she slowly clapped and encouraged us mentees to clap for her so we can get back to practice.
That incident was my first introduction to that sorority. That first introduction lead to my first impression: I don't want to be one of those sorority girls. Whatever the 1993 equivalent of "ghetto" was, that's what that young lady lead me to believe about her sorority. She broke a cardinal rule of Greekdom: always represent yourself to the utmost at all times because you never know who will meet you and therefore meet your organization for the first time. She was so busted that I knew I couldn't consider an org that would include a woman that steps hard on concrete inthe middle of the night. Therefore, I barely considered that sorority for even a split second when I started my long journey to greekdom.
6.16.2008
He that sho won't be named + what's more than hygenics + germulosity
I haven't blogged in a while, so here's three items at once. Why? Because I like you.
I posted the below NOTE on Facebook on Friday, and it's just so relevant to the above hot mess. If you're single, maybe you should consider keeping something as a hygienic practice only so you won't be in a courtroom vehemently insisting, "That ain't me!"
So say it with me. "It SUCKS to be single. That's why you only SUCK."
Lastly, I watched "Life in the Fab Lane," Kimora Lee Simmons' show. It's not a regular thing for me to watch, but her homecoming to St. Louis enlightened and entertained me. A classic case of "local girl does GREAT". Her youngest is adorable and has a mind and a mouth that amaze me because it's as if she's been here before.
Kimmora's life is pretty fabulous, and I can't hate. Just one thing got me. She's in her suite at The Four seasons calling up her best friend from childhood. Fabulous how she can still stay down with someone that knew her way back when. Kimmora doesn't let her fingers do the walking. She uses the tines of a fork to push each number on that push button phone. While she's talking, she takes some bites of food. My memory is not top-notch, but I can remember all kinds of things when it comes to germs since I'm a "germ freak" as my mama says. Kimmora did not put that fork down. She ate with a fork that touched a phone that God knows how many people have dialed on. She's left fabulosity for me and is now forever known for her "germulosity".
I know it's The Four Seasons. I also know a saw a local news report about a general practice where hotels have housekeeping clean out glasses by wiping with glass cleaner and towels. Think about how many times you've heard or seen a rolling cart full of glasses just clinking down the hotel hallway. Can't even recall one. Damn, Kimmora. Just damn. Not to mention eww.
"He that sho won't be named - nasty arse" got away with the crime that he committed... I-don't-know-how-many years ago. What I know is that I saw the video way back when, and a video forensics expert saw the video, and we both saw that it was "He that sho won't be named - nasty arse". I know that money will get you a lot of things. But who knew it would get a girl to claim "That ain't me!" while 14 other people including relatives are pinpointing her as the co-star of disturbing footage in a wood-paneled rec room/den -- which was featured in BET's now defunct show "How I'm Living"???
Here's a link to a much more eloquent posting on the subject: http://mokellyreport.blogspot.com/2008/06/r-kelly-pied-piper-beats-pedophile-rap.html.
I posted the below NOTE on Facebook on Friday, and it's just so relevant to the above hot mess. If you're single, maybe you should consider keeping something as a hygienic practice only so you won't be in a courtroom vehemently insisting, "That ain't me!"
Gargling: It's more than a hygenic practice.
Friday, June 13, 2008 at 1:27pm
I learned a new euphemism from one of my homegirls today. In her note, a guy mentions that he's dealt with a group of women who "gargled" a lot when they were dating. I got the visual and was disgusted at the prospect.
Friday, June 13, 2008 at 1:27pm
I learned a new euphemism from one of my homegirls today. In her note, a guy mentions that he's dealt with a group of women who "gargled" a lot when they were dating. I got the visual and was disgusted at the prospect.
But then again, I'm married. I keep my man happy, and he keeps me happy. We are a happily married couple with 4 months under the belt. So, "gargling" isn't so disgusting in that capacity. Not that we'll discuss if it's happened or not, but "gargling" is acceptable in a married capacity. Maybe even a long-term relationship that is obviously starting to lean towards marriage because y'all have been together for years.
Single? I know that being single SUCKS. That's why single ladies should SUCK. And that's it. Try to do more than that too early, and I'll bet you'll be sucking down a pitcher of margaritas still wondering why he doesn't call anymore. Because you allowed your "jumpoff" nametag to appear.
So say it with me. "It SUCKS to be single. That's why you only SUCK."
http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=16395913619&id=503561206&index=0
Lastly, I watched "Life in the Fab Lane," Kimora Lee Simmons' show. It's not a regular thing for me to watch, but her homecoming to St. Louis enlightened and entertained me. A classic case of "local girl does GREAT". Her youngest is adorable and has a mind and a mouth that amaze me because it's as if she's been here before.
Kimmora's life is pretty fabulous, and I can't hate. Just one thing got me. She's in her suite at The Four seasons calling up her best friend from childhood. Fabulous how she can still stay down with someone that knew her way back when. Kimmora doesn't let her fingers do the walking. She uses the tines of a fork to push each number on that push button phone. While she's talking, she takes some bites of food. My memory is not top-notch, but I can remember all kinds of things when it comes to germs since I'm a "germ freak" as my mama says. Kimmora did not put that fork down. She ate with a fork that touched a phone that God knows how many people have dialed on. She's left fabulosity for me and is now forever known for her "germulosity".
I know it's The Four Seasons. I also know a saw a local news report about a general practice where hotels have housekeeping clean out glasses by wiping with glass cleaner and towels. Think about how many times you've heard or seen a rolling cart full of glasses just clinking down the hotel hallway. Can't even recall one. Damn, Kimmora. Just damn. Not to mention eww.
5.18.2008
My Alphabet
I found this on a messageboard that I frequent. Basically, take each letter of the alphabet and use a word or phrase that pertains to you. I could do this all day everyday:
Anticipating reporting to work on Monday
Better than being laid off
Christ is my Lord and Savior
Diggin' my family
ETA Sigma Alumnae Chapter
Faithful and sisterly sawrahu
Georgia born and Georgia bred
Hell yeah when I die I'll be Georgia Dead
I's married nowq
Just 3.5 months
Kids are being contemplated
Loving coupledom first
Maybe a mommy one day
Nifty auntie today
Open roads
Protective napptural styles
Questing for a CDL
Red afros occasionally
SEC Football loving chick
The ultimate conference
UGA = best school and mascot
Wife of a Togolese
Xi! Chi! Xi! Chi! Xi Xi Xi! Chi! (from the flick Road Trip)
Yes, I like randomness
Zoos suck
Anticipating reporting to work on Monday
Better than being laid off
Christ is my Lord and Savior
Diggin' my family
ETA Sigma Alumnae Chapter
Faithful and sisterly sawrahu
Georgia born and Georgia bred
Hell yeah when I die I'll be Georgia Dead
I's married nowq
Just 3.5 months
Kids are being contemplated
Loving coupledom first
Maybe a mommy one day
Nifty auntie today
Open roads
Protective napptural styles
Questing for a CDL
Red afros occasionally
SEC Football loving chick
The ultimate conference
UGA = best school and mascot
Wife of a Togolese
Xi! Chi! Xi! Chi! Xi Xi Xi! Chi! (from the flick Road Trip)
Yes, I like randomness
Zoos suck
9.26.2007
Diversions that you NEED
In this day and age of harsh realities (I ain't forgot about Jena at all), sometimes you just need a break. A break from the bullisht on your job because there's one person who steps over the line. A break from realizing that black folks have so far to go for our civil rights. A break from "the housing bubble" that's got folks being foreclosed on left and right. You don't have to marinate on these realities all of the time.
That's what TV networks believed in the '60s with classics like "The Munsters" and "Bewitched" being on television to divert us from the saddening news images of an unnecessary war that kept sending thousands of American soldiers home in coffins being broadcasted in our living rooms. Sounds familiar right?
Well, the idea is being recycled in 2007 with shows like "Heroes", "Bionic Woman", and what I'm expecting to be a great show (that'll get cancelled like all great shows) "Pushing Up Daisies".
Dwell on swell sitcoms for a spell.
That's what TV networks believed in the '60s with classics like "The Munsters" and "Bewitched" being on television to divert us from the saddening news images of an unnecessary war that kept sending thousands of American soldiers home in coffins being broadcasted in our living rooms. Sounds familiar right?
Well, the idea is being recycled in 2007 with shows like "Heroes", "Bionic Woman", and what I'm expecting to be a great show (that'll get cancelled like all great shows) "Pushing Up Daisies".
Dwell on swell sitcoms for a spell.
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