The Librarian, the Chocolates, and Mary J. Blige

I like my workplace librarian, Regina, who we affectionately call "Aunt Reggie"...

She's always happy and full of glee. She works in the adjoining building, but comes over to visit us a few times a week. We can hear her as she walks our halls, the click of her heels fast and steady...

"Hey ya'll!"

"Hey Everybody!"

Yes, we can hear her coming from a mile away.

The click of her heels and her joyful greetings are our "signals", though. It is a cue to yell over to my cubicle mate, The Cowgirl Cre...

"Cre, here come Regina. Put up the chocolate!!"

I keep a "candy bucket" on my desk.



I am a sucker for the minature Dove chocolates. I bring them in and put them in the candy bucket because if I don't, I will eat them all, and I get sick if I eat too many sweets. So I save a few for myself, and put the rest in the candy bucket. The problem becomes that the chocolate disappears VERY fast.

One of the culprits is our friendly librarian Aunt Reggie. We struggle hard and fast to put away the chocolate Dove candies. I only sprinkle in 4 or 5 at a time amongst the peppermints, but that disappears fast, especially if Regina is around.

It is kind of like how, in the movie Friday, Chris Tucker and Ice Cube would put up their gold chains every time Devo rode up on his bike.

"Cre, here she come. Get the chocolate!!!"

We commence to digging out the 4 or 5 Dove chocolates buried amongst the peppermint candies. By the time she gets into our cubicle area, Cowgirl Cre and I have both turned back to whatever we're doing.

"Hey Cre, Hey LadyLee... How ya'll doing?"

"Fine," we reply in unison.

She proceeds to dig into the candy bowl. "You got any chocolate?"

"N'awl," I reply.

"Oh, okay."

Sometimes she catches us off guard, and gets all the chocolate. This is why we started the 4 or 5 chocolate limit in the first place.

One day she said something insane. . .

"LadyLee, I'ma bring in some chocolate."

Cowgirl Cre and I looked at each other and broke out laughing.

"No, for real... I'll bring in some."

We laughed harder. She walked away.

We didn't see her for a few days, but when I was working back in the lab one day, I heard her come in.

"Hi everybody, I'm looking for LadyLee? Has anybody seen her?"

I was sitting at a lab bench, making up some samples. I ducked down, and squinted hard, trying to hide from her. She is the fundraising queen, and I just knew she was about to come harp on me about making something for some special event, or at least coax me into attending some special presentation.

Some crazy coworker yelled "She's over there, Regina."

(Note to self: Make sure to go off on co-worker.)

I got up and walked over to her.

"I got something for you, LadyLee."



SHOCKING. All I could say was "Oooooooh! Ooooooooh!"

"Girl, I told you I was going to bring in some candy!"

And she surely did. She brought in the good stuff. I walked down the hall with the candy. I think 2 or 3 people hit me up for a few pieces while I was on the way to my desk.

So I put the good stuff in the candy bucket. And it was all gone in a matter of 2 or 3 days. I think I only had one piece myself. Regina came over looking for it, and was disappointed to see it all gone...

sigh...

But anyway, my Happy Librarian is taking a trip to New York this week, and whenever she goes on trips, she requests music (click here for the "the Librarian Mixtapes" ). She came over to my cubicle area a couple of weeks ago and requested some Mary J. Blige music. She has requested it before, but I never got around to it. It's always funny when she wants music, because she never simply asks for it...

She has to act it out.

"LadyLee, give me some of that 'What's the 411, hon?'"

She backs up and sings erratically, stomps her feet and flails her arms all about. It's a sight to see. Cowgirl Cre and I watch all of it unfold, then always give each other the *cricket* stare.

Well, I'm a huge Mary J. Blige fan, and I have most of her music on my laptop. So putting together a little sumthin' sumthin' was not a problem.

So... your wish has been granted, Aunt Reggine... Here's a triple CD playlist of Regina's MJB favorites.

Mary Mix #1

Leave a Message
Real Love
Love is all we Need
No One Else
Changes I've been going through
I'm the Only Woman
Mary Jane (All Night Long)
You Don't Have to Worry (Remix)
What's the 411?
Reminisce (Remix)
MJB the MVP
You Bring Me Joy
Searching
Be Happy
Let No Man Put Asunder


Mary Mix #2

A Dream
My Life
Your Child
Slow Down
Sweet Thing
Not Gonna Cry
I'm in Love
I don't want to do Anything Else
I never Wanna Live without You
Be with You
Our Love
Seven Days
Don't Go
Wake Up


Mary Mix #3

Reminisce
Beautiful (LADYLEE'S FAVORITE MJB SONG!!)
Be Happy
Share My World
Be Without You
You Remind Me
Take Me as I Am
Beautiful Ones
My Love
Love No Limit
I can Love You
I'm In Love
I'm Just Mary
Keep Your Head


Now, while she's in New York, she'll be picking up her 95 year old aunt, and they will be doing a bit of traveling together. I told her, her aunt is gonna be like "What the...?", if she play too much Mary...

So I also threw in a gospel CD for dear ol' Auntie... .

So, that should keep you straight, Aunt Reggie!!!

Be safe... and have a nice Trip:)