This is MY Life!

I can never quite understand why people tend to be so concerned about MY actions and decisions I make. It's one thing to care and be concerned that I might be making a poor decision, but it's another thing to basically chastize me for something I have or have not done. Especially when it has no adverse effect whatsoever on their life. I've been confronted with this in the past few weeks in a variety of ways, none of which make sense to me. I have to stop and ask; why do you CARE so much?

There is the trivial stuff: my friend snidely remarking that she's "sick" of me carrying my red purse. I'm sorry - I happen to LIKE my red purse, I'm sorry if that offends you! If it does, buy me a new purse! I won't complain. Comments about how I should do "more" with my hair, how I should cut it, let it grow, etc. Seriously? Unless you are coming over to personally shampoo, condition and style my hair, whatever I choose to do with this head of hair is MY business.

Then there are the bigger issues: my life decisions. Now, I understand wanting to "guide" a friend out of making a bad decision, but in the grand scheme of things, those decisions rarely have a significant impact on the day-to-day life of the "intervener". There are alway exceptions to the rule, of course. Perhaps you don't want me to date a certain guy because it is nothing but a disaster waiting to happen. But if I don't have enough insight to see that, or can't take off the rose-colored glasses long enough to notice the impending train wreck, what's that got to do with YOU?!?! Without getting too specific, I have one friend that used to scrutinize almost everything I did, be it my current beau or...well that was mainly it. Whatever I chose to do with him, there was a commentary. What's funny is that when the tables turned, and I noticed her making similar decisions to the ones I made, I didn't say a word. Although I might not have agreed with some of the things...because hindsight is always 20/20...I knew it wasn't my business.

It's one thing to ASK someone for their opinion and getting an honest reply, but it's the unsolicited advice that irks me to no end. Next time I want some direction, I'll ASK for it!

I wanted to delve deeper into this pet peeve, but I am struggling to keep my eyes open so Ineed to walk around!!!

Before I go, allow me to showcase one of my favorite songs from Marvin Winans Jr's debut CD, "Image of a Man" in stores TODAY!!!

"Been So Long"

(as leaked and bootlegged on YouTube)

Mondays Suck!

In spite of the short week, I feel like running out of the front door, never to return again. Sometimes this working thing is totally overrated. Not to mention, I'm in my post-lunch slump right now. What I wouldn't give for a tall white mocha double shot, no whip, right now. But I've done VERY well with my Starbucks/caffeine weaning program. Since I last wrote about it, I've been to Starbucks twice: once last Monday morning and this past Saturday, while shopping in Orlando (it was a Frappuccino type Saturday). As far as the soda goes, I had a Pepsi last Sunday and a Pepsi Friday night at the debate party. Otherwise, it's been juice and water. I'm quite proud of myself.

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I never appreciated the awesome shopping opportunities in Orlando until this past weekend. Sure, I've been there before and have gone shopping, but something was extra special about this past weekend. I visited two establishments I hadn't visited before; The Prime Outlets on the north end of I-Drive, and the Mall at Millenia. Seriously, I had been missing OUT! They have almost every store you could ever want, and then some. I'm not even a huge shopping freak - after all, I want to buy a home and I need to develop better saving habits - but I made an exception this weekend.

Speaking of which, I purchased the most expensive "clothing" item I've ever bought: a pair of Manolo Blahnik pumps. To some this may be no big deal, but I've NEVER been fashion-savvy enough to wrap my mind around spending *that* much on a pair of shoes. And although they were significantly marked down, they were still expensive. After almost having a panic attack about whether or not to buy them, I bit the bullet. And have been completely enlightened. I never knew the power of the "great shoe". I've bought cheap shoes my whole life, but to slip your foot into a designer shoe and wear it with a favorite dress? Made me feel spectacular. Nevermind that I was going to church -- lol -- I was fabulous and chic!! And they feel wonderful on my feet. Now I know what they mean when they say that certain shoes can make your feet happy. :-)

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Add "Coke today", to that caffeine list. I actually nodded off at my desk. Never a good thing.

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Last but not least...."Image of a Man" drops tomorrow!!!!!!:

Sticker Shock

So I've finally experienced the effects of this economic downturn!

Ok, that was far too excited, let me try again:

I'm finally feeling the effects of the economic downturn. (And, I really REALLY need to break my habit of overusing exclamation points). I hit the grocery store yesterday for the first time in eleventy-million months, and walked out with a receipt higher than I have ever accumulated. (except, perhaps, than when I first moved here). Granted, my fridge stock was on the low-low, so that clearly contributed to the high dollar amount that popped up on the cash register. But, $4 for milk $3 for cheese: it all adds up to foolishness being withdrawn from my bank account. Then I immediately drove to the nearest gas station to prevent the gray ghost from going dry. Another hit to the pocketbook. Not to mention, I've been bit by this Homebuying Bug too...the prospective costs of that have me considering other lines of work. I need to make more money!!!!

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Ne-Yo's new CD "Year of the Gentleman" is pretty frickin' great. My girl Tosha gave a great review of the CD on her site. Make sure you get the version with the remix to "Miss Independent" with Jamie Foxx. Good stuff. I miss music that just makes you feeeeel good.

Speaking of which, cheap plug -- my homie Marvin Winans Jr. drops his debut CD, "Image of a Man" on TUESDAY!!! I am soooooo excited!! I've heard the CD multiple times while hanging out with him, and it's that deal. No lie. It's hot! Check him out at http://www.thisismwj.com/ or http://www.marvinjr.com/

[/end plug]

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I'm breaking my own rules, but I need to vent and don't feel like doing it on Xanga.

What has happened to men and their respect for women? It seems like, lately, all I am encountering are men interested in having a "jump-off". I'm sorry, I have more self-respect than that, and therefore am not entertaining this foolishness anymore. I was thinking about this as I drove to work today, and it was getting me pretty angry. What do I look like??? There's this dude I know here in Tampa. When we first met, I found him attractive and wanted to get to know more about him. Many other women did too. He expressed his interest in me and wanted to take me out on a date. That date never happened, it was cancelled the day of. Everytime I see him, he asks if he can come over. I've told him multiple times - in many ways, be it jokingly or seriously - that he cannot come over until he takes me out somewhere. It seems that this goes in one ear and right out of the other, because next time I see him, same thing. He makes comments about how, because I have my puppy, I never invite him over. Stuff like that. Honestly. I'm not an idiot. If you don't think I'm good enough to spend $20 on over dinner, or go to a movie, then why in the sam hell would I invite you over to my house to invade my private spaces? NO SIR. Show me a man who wants to know me for me and takes the time and effort to do so, and I'll show him where I live.

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I'm so happy - the humidity in Tampa has dropped significantly. Time to break out the flat iron!

The Communication Gap

From the day I started blogging in 2003, I've written countless posts about my inadequacy with the telephone. I've discussed how I'm an overall poor "phone friend" - to which, my friends will grant a resounding "aaaaaamen!". I've talked about how, after being on the phone at work ALL day long, I rarely feel up to holding a conversation once I leave the office. I've mentioned how, when I get a phone call, I stop everything I'm doing, plop on the couch, and yap away. This doesn't mean I can't hold a decent conversation, because I can. It means that I rarely take the initiative to pick up the phone and call folk. Suddenly, last week while IM'ing my mother on Gmail chat, it all clicked.

I inherited this craptastic behavior from my family. It's genetic.

How did I come to this fantastic conclusion? My mom and I were IM'ing, first of all. During our electronic conversation, she was sharing with me that my grandmother was here from PR, staying with my great aunt and uncle in Sarasota. And my aunt was fussin' because, in the year I've lived in Florida, I haven't seen them once. My mom sent me all of their contact numbers, and gave them mine. Sadly, I already had my uncle's number programmed into my phone. Oops. Then we discussed my other uncle, who lives 15 minutes from me in another part of Tampa. I needed to connect with him to get to the program in Deltona this past Saturday. I hadn't seen my uncle since March. Not for a lack of trying...he just doesn't answer his phone. I'll call when I'm in the area, or on a slow Sunday afternoon when I know they're not doing anything, and I'll get his voice mail. I talked about him for this too, when they tried to get on me for not coming around more often.

Next, there's my brother. He lives in Los Angeles, so the time difference already makes communication difficult. When I was up north for Labor Day, various people asked me how he was doing. I couldn't really tell them, as we hadn't spoken in two months. I gave a generic "oh he's good, playing music on the regular!" (this I know to be true, thanks to MySpace). When we finally connected a few weeks back, he began to tell me how my father "got on him" about not calling more. *silence on the phone*

Then, there's my nephew. He turned 5 on Saturday. I called his mother that day to talk to him. I hadn't spoken to either one of them since January...there's another story behind all of that, but it doesn't make the situation any less pathetic.

I could go on and on with other embarrassing examples of piss-poor communication between my family members and me, like the infrequent phone calls while I was away at college. It's funny, because when my stepmother entered the picture and used to call me randomly to "check on me", I found it quite odd, i.e."Why is she callin' so much?" It's just not part of my family culture.

To me, this behavior is normal. Typing it out for others to read, I suddenly feel a twinge of embarrassment. I know others whose families are quite close and talk often. That's just not us, not either side. It's like, "see ya when I see ya". It's fostered a great deal of independence in me, not being coddled all of the time by my parents and other relatives, but it's turned me into a terrible "phone friend".

Of course, all of this goes out of the door when I'm dating someone. I expects my phone calls, nucka. (lol)

So the next time anyone is annoyed with me for being noncommunicative or not calling, I'm going to tell them to blame my family.

End of the Day...

Just stoppin' through to drop a few notes before heading home. My puppy gets her sutures removed tonight, and - pending that all is okay - can return to her normal life of morning walks, outside potty breaks and playing with other dogs. The poor thing has been on house arrest since the 12th.

I had a very busy weekend with the Puerto Rican faction of my family. Good times were had by all. I did a thorough recap over on my other blog, so there's no need to get repetitive here. I mentioned in that blog that I am now in "homeowner" mode. I got bit by that bug pretty badly back in 2007, but at that time I knew I wasn't staying in Cleveland, which is where I was living at the time. I researched and researched, learning what all I need to do in order to become a homeowner when I'm thirty years old. The move to Florida sorta halted all of that, financially -- I took a nice chunk out of my meager savings to move - and I REALLY liked my apartment. So I wasn't thinking about buying a home at that time..I knew I would eventually, but I was comfortable. But now, I'm over the apartment. I want more. More space for company, tile or hardwood floors (carpet in Florida is completely useless...it gets filthy), a little backyard or nearby dog park for Cha Cha, just my own hookup. I'll probably aim for a townhome, as I'm not a fan of yardwork. I've already asked my friend for contacts for mortgage brokers -- she's a real estate agent, as is my aunt's friend. I'm ready.

My amusement park jones has also resurfaced. We rode back and forth through Orlando four times over the weekend, and I subliminally drooled every time we passed Universal Studios. My "park pal" has found a great guy, which is great...but I anticipate the relationship drastically reducing our spontaneous park trips. There's talk of going up there in October for Halloween Horror Nights..we'll see.

All that talk about Kanye's new single, "Love Lockdown"...I clowned him for performing it on the VMAs...but doggoneit if the song ain't catchy. I downloaded that joint on Saturday.

Here's something kinda funny: when I was younger, I didn't think that there were any Puerto Ricans who could sing. I'd see black folks singing all of the time, but I never saw Puerto Ricans on TV or in my daily life who could really sang. No one in my family could hold a note, and like I said, television presence - or at least, that I was exposed to - didn't really help to disprove my stereotype. Imagine my surprise when I discovered Marc Anthony and many of the other PR artists/entertainers who can blow. And this past weekend, I was at a 50th anniversary celebration that featured a choir full of older Puerto Ricans from the couple's old church. And they sounded GOOD!! As a child, that might have just made my brain explode.

I should've probably waited to write a post with more substance, but I wanted to stick something in here before I go home. Who knows what the evening holds, after all?

Have You Seen My Childhood??

My friend posted a note on Facebook today, his weekly "random thoughts". I get such a kick out of reading them - the guy is hilarious...and yes, random. In Item #5, he asked if anyone remembered Bill Cosby's Picture Pages, and even included a YouTube link. OMG, I LOVED Picture Pages! I wanted one of Bill's pens soooo badly, but - just as I never got tickets to see Michael Jackson live - I never got my Picture Pages pen. Roaming around YouTube, I found some other clips that took me right back to the good life -- childhood in the 80's.



Picture Pages, of course. In my youth, I never quite realized how "professorish" Bill Cosby sounds on this clip. Is this how he really spoke during every episode? And was Picture Pages REALLY just "Connect the Dots"? And was that REALLY the pen?? Wow...this is what I was all hype over? I admit to feeling a twinge of disappointment about this.




JEM AND THE (FRIGGIN) HOLOGRAMS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was completely obsessed with this show. I had dolls, the car, the wardrobe closet, t-shirts, and knew all of the songs. I hated Mattel and Barbie and the Rockers for being cheap knock-offs of Jem. The cartoon was GREAT!! I watched the entire first episode on YouTube (because I'm that cool) and was actually entertained! I'm considering picking up the DVD set. My girl Maya already has the whole thing. Jem was my isht, y'all. No one was allowed to say anything bad about Jem. Her man Rio was a bit of a gigalo though, I don't understand how Jerrica was okay with him making out with both her AND Jem? (nevermind they were one in the same). Manwhore!




"KIDS Incorporated". Every day after school, I'd watch this and the "Mickey Mouse Club". "KIDS Incorporated" provided a start for young Fergie (Stacy Ferguson) and Rahsaan Patterson. It's so funny that I used to watch them in this cheesetastic show. But, I loved it. I never understood why Rahsaan always wore that beanie though. Was it because he's black?




Is it just me, or does "Fraggle Rock" have the catchiest theme song???




LMBO, I used to watch "Muppet Babies" on the daily!! I forgot all about this show!!! Those babies had some wacky hijinks in that nursery.





"You Can't Do That On Television". Those wacky Canadians. I didn't even know this show wasn't American. "Did you say 'I don't know'?" *slime* And to think, Nickelodeon is still sliming people to this day. I believe Alanis Morissette used to be a featured actor on this show. Kids sketch comedy at its greatest.




Every Thursday, we were sat down in school and made to watch "Reading Rainbow". Good thing I loved this show! LeVar Burton was always and forever the "Reading Rainbow" guy. Imagine my surprise when I saw him getting whipped as Kunta Kinte. "NO, NOT THE READING RAINBOW GUY!!! WHAT DID HE EVER DO TO YOU?!!?!?"





"Pee Wee's Playhouse". I don't feel a need to explain. This show was frickin' great, the highlight of Saturday mornings. Young Lawrence "Larry" Fishburne was a series regular as Cowboy Curtis. I find that hilarious. Meka-leka-hi, meka-hiney-ho....


Remember how the fall season used to premiere the greatest cartoons? Between ABC, CBS and NBC, there was stiff competition over who had the hottest Saturday morning cartoons. They even had "preview specials" to show all of the kids what they could look forward to on Saturdays. These days? There are like 2 cartoons that show on NBC, everything else is the news. And you wonder what's wrong with kids today.

More Post-Work Thoughts....

Driving home, my mind was racing with a bunch of random thoughts. Let's see how I do at remembering them....

I watched yesterday's episode of "Oprah"...if you can't tell by now, my DVR is set to tape it daily. Yesterday's episode was about child predators and the new "Protect Our Children" or "Keep Our Children Safe" bill (I sho' nuff forgot the name). I sat there watching this extraordinarily disturbing episode of Oprah's show and got to thinking about the studio audience. Do you realize that the waitlist for tickets to Oprah is something like 2 years? These people finally got their chance to go sit in the studio audience of their faaaaavorite person's show and were probably hoping to catch a glimpse of George Clooney or perhaps scream and cry uncontrollably because they were surprised with a super-early edition of "Oprah's Favorite Things". Instead, they get to sit and listen to stories of children being raped. You have to wonder - how salty were they?

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I've been wearing my hair au natural since the end of June. That's the curly-twirly,affy-poo-puff look. I'd never been able to embrace my hair's natural texture because for 29 years of my life, my hair length hit the middle of my back. So when I went natural, by the end of the day I'd wind up looking like I had stuck my finger in a light socket and been immediately struck by lightening afterwards. Chaka Khan after a high-speed ride in a convertible. It just wasn't cute. So when I cut my hair in May, I realized that my new length affording me a better opportunity to comfortably wear my hair curly. Low maintenance and no Chaka-factor. I've been rocking that look all summer; high curly ponytail M-F, all out curly on the weekends. There's no use in flat-ironing the 'do, not with this Florida humidity. This past weekend, I had made up in my mind that the worst of Florida summer was behind us and I was prepared to straighten it again. This was the plan for Sunday. As the hours ticked on, I couldn't motivate myself to do it. It doesn't take nearly as long as it used to, but I still couldn't manage to get up and do it. Today, I was never more grateful for shameless laziness. It's like a sauna outside. Had I flat-ironed my hair, I'd be ready to fight someone today. The humidity was so bad that my fingers left smudges on the face of my iPhone as I walked to the car. Ugh.

Me with my friends on their wedding day...and the hair :)

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My job is trying to kill me. More on Xanga, later.

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I am reaaaaallly feelin' Usher's new single "Here I Stand". It's just a fantastic song, in my opinion. That's the kind of music I LOVE...a great slow jam!!

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John McCain was around the corner from my job today, holding a rally. I completely forgot. Which...is totally understandable. Heh. I remember that, when Obama was here a few months back, my co-workers and I were scheming to find a way to get over to the rally. I wonder if McCain got a lot of folks out to support.

Of course he did, this is Florida.

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Apparently, I'm slowly becoming a Floridian. My first clue: I switched from "pop" for "soda". *gasp*

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Day 2 without any caffeine. I'm surviving. It's a fight, when you're so accustomed to getting that morning coffee ~ Starbucks, I miss thee so ~ or grabbing a soda during lunch. I don't know that this caffeine fast will be forever, but I haven't quite figured out how I plan to reintroduce it into my life....if I am successful, that is. :P

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Alright, I need to update my iPhone software. Let's see how long this takes.....

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Didn't take long at all. Came back to say: WHO THE KCUF IS LOUIS and why have people been calling my phone looking for him since I changed my number last year?!? Someone just called me from the friggin' Caribbean, lookin' for Louis. On average, I get at least two calls a week for the dude. I wonder if he really disliked this many people that he didn't bother to give them his new number. Or maybe he died and people don't know. I dunno, but it's obnoxious. I even got a text back in June, wishing me (a.k.a. Louis) a Happy Father's Day.

Post-Work Drain

Ahhhh so much on the brain...and so much randomness at that. That's the purpose of this blog, right?

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I have yet to understand how one stalled vehicle on the shoulder can cause 6 miles of traffic gridlock. What the kcuf is everyone looking at?? Drive yo' car...I know you want to get home as badly as I do!!

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I'm currently watching Michael Phelps on SNL (thanks DVR!). He's doing alright, considering he's not an actor. I never before realized that he has a juicy mouth. He always sounds like he needs to swallow hard, one good time. At any rate, he's a Michigan man and I *heart* him for it!

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I feel so bad for this puppy, I don't know what to do. It's kinda funny to watch her bump into things with that cone on her head though.

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My job has dramatically increased my workload. I survived the first day and hopefully will endure til the end. Because if it gets any worse, I'll be updating that resume quickly.

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I was getting ready to gloat about the fact that our local gas stationsdid not succumb to the price gouging that occurred as Hurricane Ike approached Texas. I was able to fill up yesterday for $3.57, which was kinda cool. On my way home from work, the price of regular was $3.74. So much for that.

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The Browns lost to the Steelers yesterday. What else is new?

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I am watching this show on my DVR...so tell me why I'm watching the commercials?

She Pissed on my Flag....

OMG. The University of Michigan Wolverines stunk up the football field in South Bend, IN yesterday. They let the Notre Dame Fighting Irish beat them real good, with a final score of 35-17. At some points throughout the game, the Maize and Blue looked like a JV football team. 7 fumbles overall, three converted for ND points. It was awful. I'm surprised I watched as much as I did. I knew this season would be an interesting one, thanks to all new personnel, but thus far, it's been purely atrocious. However -- fairweather fan I am not. I'll stick behind my team 100%. I just might dog 'em every now and again.

My puppy must also be disgusted with Michigan's gameplay as well. She has a Michigan flag that she likes to play with and has done so since I adopted her. It used to be a flag for the car (primarily on gamedays), but I lost the plastic support that you place on the window. So it became her toy. This morning, she peed on the flag.

Speaking of Cha Cha, the child is pitiful. She had her spay/dewclaw removal surgery on Friday, so I've been nursing her all weekend. I don't even need to explain how pitiful she is...photos are evidence enough:



Anyway, all was not lost yesterday. Ohio State went to visit USC in Los Angeles and flew home with their butts in their hands. It was great. I was at a pool party with a bunch of folks from work, and ended up standing in the back room watching the game with all of the other fellas. (lol, I'm such a boy sometimes). I got great joy from Ohio State's inadequacy yesterday. Thank God not all was lost. *smile*

I'm so thankful for 6pm church service -- otherwise I wouldn't have made it today. I had to get that pink collar for my dog, because she was gnawing at her sutures. Not cool. If I spend another dime on her before the week's end, I might have a panic attack. I plan to tape the Browns/Steelers game in case I miss anything good before I get home.

Random side note: Does high-fructose corn syrup have such a bad rap that they felt the need to make commercials defending it?? I don't know if anyone else has caught these ads, with people warning loved ones/friends not to use it because it's so "bad". When the other person asks "how so", the corn syrup hater has no evidence. The defender then says "it's okay in reasonable amounts, after all it's made from corn!". Seriously??

My Starbucks Fast

I am addicted to Starbucks. The worst possible thing I could've done was to accept a job that has an actual Starbucks spot in the building. But I did. I cannot walk by that joker every morning without stopping in. Tall white mocha, no whip. And if my homie is working and the manager isn't present, I usually walk away with a grande white mocha, no whip with an extra espresso shot. Because I am loved. :-P It's bad. And it's an expensive habit, considering I have a espresso/cappuccino/coffee maker at home that can handle my morning caffeine jones. But that isn't good enough for me. I needs my Starbucks. I wonder how much of it is psychological, as I can drive by an Einsteins Bros. shop, or Dunkin' Donuts, or Indigo Coffee and not be compelled to stop. But let it be a Starbucks. Nothing else matters.

So, I am trying to stop. I want to see how long I can go without spending $5 on something I can essentially make at home. I tried to start yesterday. I made it the whole day without going down to the first floor to Starbucks. And trust me, it was a STRUGGLE. But, I did it. Today, I woke UP thinking about Starbucks, and sure enough, there is a tall white mocha sitting on my desk. *smh* Monday will be the true test. Tomorrow doesn't count, as I have to take my little pup to the vet, so I'll get to work late. Let's see how I do. Next after that: Pepsi. (whoo, pray my strength in the Lord now, Pepsi is my vice!...one of 'em...heh...)

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Last night I watched Tuesday's episode of ABC's "Wipeout". I lurves that show and all its ridiculousness. Sometimes I feel a bit of shame for enjoying it so much, but anyone who knows me know that people falling down = win, in my book. Especially when they set themselves up for it. Anyway, the 8:00 episode on Tuesday was GREAT. The commentary was extra snarky, and the contestants were extra foolish. Great joy was brought to my evening, thanks to ABC.

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Also watched Tuesday's episode of "Oprah", featuring the young Filipino singer Cherice. I'm such a chump, as I teared up repeatedly. Her story is touching, and there is nothing more heartwarming than seeing a person's dreams come true. She spoke about how one of her lifelong dreams (mind you, she's 16) has been to sing with Celine Dion. So after performing "My Heart Will Go On", Oprah told her that a fan had something to say to her. Turned her around, and Celine was on the screen, via satellite (or Skype, I dunno) from DC. Cherice broke down crying *sniff*. Celine invited her to sing with her at Madison Square Garden next week, and the girl could barely compose herself. Not a dry eye in the house. Darn you, Oprah, for making me feel feelings!!!

I found a clip of her from Oprah...let's see how long it's active on YouTube. (I'd embed it, but it won't let me!!)

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Finally...there is a stark difference between "pursuing" a woman and being downright PUSHY. I talked about this in my Xanga, so no need to rehash it here. Men, a healthy level of communitcation and attention toward a love interest is great- we NEED that, but when you take it too far it become obnoxious and even a bit on the stalker-side. Don't ask me how I'm feeling after only having one conversation in three days, when I've never even talked to you face-to-face. I already have a stressful job; I don't need you adding extra pressure in my life. Thanks.

Confirmed

I just got an e-mail from Carnival - my four-day cruise to Cozumel is all confirmed for the first weekend of October. Everyone has registered online and our tickets are now available! After cruising Royal Caribbean's Freedom of the Seas back in June, I actually have a distaste for Carnival...but cruising with the girls and staying in a VIP suite will be a lot of fun. I can get over the bright colors and rambunctious children running around sans supervision or home training for four days straight. And being on a small ship. And the lack of a Royal Promenade. And no ice skating rink. Wow....I am a truly ridiculously spoiled cruiser. I'm anticipating cruising the Oasis of the Seas in 2010...the ship is monstrous, and I just know I'd have a ball. I definitely need to take a companion with me this time - be it a male (please Jesus!) or some of my girls.

lol, my girl emailed me and just invited me on a cruise this May. I love my life!

Saw my first "dog spat" at the dog park the other day. Fortunately, my Cha Cha wasn't involved. My friends' Australian Shepherd was drinking out of the same water bowl as this random lady's Corgi, and the Corgi suddenly went for the Shephard's neck. The squeal that came out of that dog was bone-chilling! Fortunately, no one was injured and no blood was drawn. It was freaky. I can't quite understand how people fight dogs for fun, because even imagining what that situation could've become is a disturbing thought. People are crazy.

American Politics = No Win Situation

Before I even get into this, let me remind the blogging masses that I am a staunch OBAMA 08 supporter!

With that said, I have to comment on today's headline on CNN: "GOP Downplays Palin's Pentacostal Past". I went on to read the article, which went on to describe how Palin was the member of a Pentacostal church for twenty years, a church that believes in speaking in tongues, faith healing and the end times. The author explained that Palin moved to a non-denominational church several years ago, but has returned to the Pentacostal church for special events and conferences. However, Palin has said that she does not consider herself to be Pentacostal. Full text of the article available here.

It seems that - if you are a politician - your faith is unacceptable unless you are a Catholic or staunch conservative evangelical Christian. Or maybe Jewish. Anything else? Forget about it. What would've happened if Palin had defended her beliefs and said "yes I speak in tongues as the Spirit giveth utterance" (lol, that's so deep). Or stated "yes, I believe that Armageddon is inevitable". What's frustrating to ME about the situation is, although I am no Palin supporter by any means, it passes judgment on a person's beliefs and the beliefs of those who ARE pentacostals. I've never been a member of a pentacostal church, but I have attended a non-denomination church that was deeply rooted in COGIC/Pentacostal/Holiness doctrine and beliefs. Therefore it bothers me that media is criticizing her for having an affiliation with the church. It would be one thing if the church she attended believed that violence is the only way to get things done, or worshipped kittens, or burned the American flag and danced naked around the bonfire. But faith healing and tongues? Really?!? That's headline news??? It's almost as ridiculous as all the Wright vs Obama foolishness, considering that Obama had no control over what Rev. Wright said over the pulpit...or anywhere else, for that matter. Sometimes I just need not watch the news.

***well, since religion and politics are two sensitive topics and I hit both, here's something stupid to end the blog***

I cut my foot in multiple places last night, preparing my puppy for her first playdate at the dog park. It was stupidly clumsy! I keep "items of interest" behind a metal exercise pen that I'm using as a partition. (I really need to give it back to Marv & Mo). The "items of interest" are things that she'd tear up if she had the chance. Anyway. I stepped over the exercise pen to get her little bag, but my back foot didn't make it. I got tripped up on the hurdle and the unfinished metal prongs on the pen tore into my foot. And I couldn't get myself together enough to release it. Once I finally hit the ground, I was bleeding out of four places on my right foot. Had to get the alcohol, bandaids and get her to the playdate. She was trying to lick my foot...I appreciate the helpfulness, but yuck. I had bandages all over my foot at the dog park. And that joint is bumpin' today. I wore my scrubs and Skechers to work so I wouldn't have to rock high heels and cause more pain than necessary.

I'm Blogging Too Much....

Do I really have this much to say? Why can't I stop blogging?

I was thoroughly disappointed in last night's MTV Video Music Awards. MTV is beginning to look and act low-budget to me. Is the current state of music so poor that last night served as a representation of today's hotness? If so, I'm SO glad that I have an iPod. Double dose of Rihanna, Lil' Wayne - who I'll admit entertained me, (I missed TI), Kanye singing (yo..that's not your JOB. You are a RAPPER. RAP.), and a bunch of random groups that I never heard of. Britney Spears looked great - bad weave, but looked great - but did she deserve 3 VMAs? NOTHING better has dropped in the past twelve months? Wompadoodledoo!

I'm soooooo excited that it's September. The intolerable Florida heat is now behind us, and for me and my girl, "park season" has now begun. Now that the tourists have returned back to their regular school-year lives, the theme parks have emptied out. We plan to get back out there and start using those annual passes that we invested in. I can't wait for the next trip to Orlando!!!

This is probably a "you had to be there" moment, but I had the most hilarious conversation with my friends at dinner last night. My boy Marv and his cousin were talking about how Bluetooth headsets used to be the isht, and everyone who was everyone had one - until they realized that the sound quality is craptastic. How people act differently on a "Bluetooth" call than a regular phone call. How everything is so serious, so business-like. Slowly, everyone at the table began to admit that we all owned - or still own - a Bluetooth headset. Hijinks ensued after that. We're a bunch of conformists! lol

I forgot to hype up my peoples at AT&T. I checked my minute usage on Friday and noticed that I had one anytime minute left. ONE. Apparently I went out of town and, in my world, everyday was the weekend!!! Only, not so much. I talked waaay too much. So, I was prepared to live with one anytime minute until 9/19. Opened my bill on Saturday and low and behold, I had a remaining 350 anytime minutes from last month. I included rollover minutes in my plan when I got the iPhone, so I should've had 351 minutes left, right? I called customer service and very pleasantly explained the problem, stating that I elected the option of rollover and wanted to be sure that I was getting proper credit. Well, my friend on the other end agreed and said, "If i give you 1000 rollover minutes, will that hold you until the 19th?". Um, chia!!! I don't talk THAT much!!! So I ended that call with an extra 1000 minutes in my pocket and a new affinity for AT&T and my beloved iPhone.

We're All Going to Hell

This, my friends, is what television has stooped to:



What's worse is that I will prooooobably watch this after the Browns game. Speaking of which, they're losing. I.am.so.surprised. :-/

Anyway. Michigan squeaked out a victory against Miami Ohio yesterday. And I mean, squeaked. I don't know what to expect out of this team. The talent is there; whether it's developed enough to be a BCS contender this year remains to be seen. The young QB, Threet, has some speed on him but was having difficulty completing passes -- to wide open receivers. Argh. A little further south, Ohio State had a scare against the Ohio U Bobcats. I so wish that OU had won. That would've made my life -- and ended the all-too-frequent references to last year's Mich vs Appalachian State game. :-/

I was standing around with my girl after church today. We were talking, wasting time until the traffic in the parking lot subsided a bit. A young lady passed behind me, and my girl said "ooh I love her shoes!". I turned around to see who she was referring to, as she said "she's got, like, a unique ankle strap". I kept looking to see the young lady and eventually spotted her. I turned to my girl and said "um, that's a house arrest bracelet. Notice how there isn't one on both legs". LMFBO. My girl said, "um, don't tell nobody about that". Me: "I won't".

It's the most wonderful time of the year!!

Yep. College football is underway. For ME, this is week one, as my travels last week prevented me from watching any games. And I'm not too upset about that, considering Michigan's performance last week. I know we are in a major transition period, so I didn't know what to expect from the Maize and Blue. I'm watching them take on Miami OH. The first half had more ups than downs, hopefully we'll walk away with a victory. Miami FL and Florida play tonight, that should be fun to watch. Last time I saw Florida play, the Wolverines beat them at the Capital One Bowl. :)

Normally my NCAA Saturdays consist of me talking and/or texting my girl in Cali, doing play-by-play commentary. However, I wasn't a puppy mommy at that time. I've had to pause the game twice for potty breaks and lunch. I'm finally caught up, in real-time, but the texts have stopped. Yet another minor life change that I didn't quite anticipate.

Becoming a convert...

I'm slowly becoming convinced that BlogSpot might just be better than Xanga. I've been snooping around people's blogs and I'm enjoying what I'm reading. I'll probably continue to be a lurker, but I have decided to follow a couple of blogs due to them being written by friends/people I know. Plus I'm following DO's blog because I'm intrigued about the life of a really ridiculously good-looking - yet surprisingly humble - professional track star. The places they get to go -- It's so interesting!

So I really don't have readers which isn't a bad thing. Once I joined Xanga and realized that people I knew were reading my blog, the content of my posts began to change. I found myself writing for comments instead of writing for the purpose OF the blog - to clear my head. I've laxed on that just a bit, but I am still cognizant that people I know (personally!) hop onto Xanga now and again. My purpose over here is to just let thoughts flow, no matter how nonsensical they are. The content may evolve over time, especially if I fully convert from Xanga, but for now, this is why I'm here.

I'm also going to try to stop blogging from the iPhone. As convenient as it may be, my grammar, spelling and punctuation take a MAJOR hit when I write entries from there. I can't have people stumbling upon this mug and be shocked to find out that I have a master's degree. (lol)

A Few Thoughts....

RNC. Barf. I have tuned in with real plans to watch the convention, but I end up shutting it off after a few minutes. It's just unbearable. I feel that these people are delusional about where this country stands. Instead, I've watched The Daily Show's coverage. I think a soundbite from Tuesday night's episode hit the nail on the head: John Oliver asked a delegate how he felt about Monday's activities being postponed due to Hurricane Gustav. Delegate replied (paraphrased): "This shows you how the leftist liberal media has taken over the country. I can't believe they postponed this convention because some people are getting rained on". :-/

I realize I have a lot of pet peeves. But one of my biggest ones is this: when able-bodied people take an elevator only one floor. Especially if they're going DOWN one flight. Take your lazy behind to the stairs and walk!

Whoever invented "Doggie Day Care" is a genius. Cha Cha loves it and is super excited every time I drop her off there. It makes me late to work, but it's worth it. Bored dog = destructive dog.

Back in Tampa

Wow what a whirlwind of a weekend. The only day I woke up and went to bed in the same STATE was on Friday. Every other day, I was in transit. Excellent trip though. And here are a few reflections as I shut it down at work and prepare to get my puppy from "camp":

I *heart* rental cars. I never splurge for aesthetic reasons, I get cars that are functional and sized right. I appreciate having the ability to try out something that I might've otherwise never purchased. This time around, I had a Ford Fusion, which is a nice ride! My current car now feels like crap, and it's stirring up that desire to get something new. Too bad I'm allergic to car notes.

You reap what you sow. This principle has been proven time and time again, and the same happened over the weekend. A family member was in dire straits and, although I'm not ballin' or anything close to it, I sacrificed for someone who has sacrificed for me countless times. And let me tell you, I reaped the benefit of that the next day from yet another family member. I don't do things for reward or recognition. I was led to gift this person with the money and I was obedient. Thank God, because I am wanting for nothing right now.

I know I said I wouldn't do relationship stuff on this blog, but I really don't understand why an "ex" of sorts would visit MY MySpace page and leave a comment, knowing good and well that we haven't talked in eons. Oh and his profile pic is him proposing to his girlfriend...which is new, which is the ONLY reason he hit me up. People ain't slick. I'm not heartbroken over the proposal, I'm moreso pissed at him doing something so...jerky. (for lack of dirtier words...lol)

Aight I guess that's it for now. It's 4:00. Although I don't work in a school, my internal dismissal bell is ringing and I have to go.