Monday Morning Randomness...

Good morning...

I ain't quite feeling that way. Let me rephrase that:

Let's hope this is a good morning. Let's try to make it a good morning.

Well, I woke up this morning. The blood is still running warm through my veins. I could think and function when I opened my eyes from slumber this morning.

Uh, that makes it a Good Morning. So with that said:

Good Morning, Blog Fam!

As always, I get to work between 5 and 5:30 a.m. I'd give anything to be back in my bed sleeping (or at least trying to sleep).

So with that...

My weekend: Considering that last week was "piss on LadyLee's head" week, my weekend was pretty sane. I was going to hide under my bed all weekend, not coming out until it was time to go to work but I decided to get out and do something. On Friday, ATLien Nikki and I were on IM, and the convo went something like this...

sensual_rhythms: What you doing this weekend, Lee?
original_oldgirl: I think I'm going to awc.
sensual_rhythms: awc?
original_oldgirl: Atlantas Writer's Club.
sensual_rhythms: wow.
original_oldgirl: Natasha Tretheway's going to be there.

Hmmm... Natasha Tretheway. Who is that, yo may ask?

Hmmmm....

She's the sista that won the Pulitzer Prize in poetry in 2007.

Come on, now! I'ma need ya'll to brush up on ya'll's current black history. This don't happen that often!!

So needless to say, I ditched my bookclub meeting, and went to see her speak. ATLien Nikki was going to meet me out there. ATL is paving it's major highways for the next 2 years, so it is terribly difficult to get waaay out to the Northside to this meeting. Let's just say, me and ATLien Nikki had some interesting convos about navigating the bad traffic. I even stood outside the place and texted her FULL directions to the place (and ya'll know I can't text, lol).

But it was a WONDERFUL talk. It was a master class in poetry, where she described her thoughts and what she was trying to with each poem, the forms, all of that. I WAS NOT EXPECTING THAT.

So, me and ATLien Nikki were whispering back and forth the WHOLE time.

"Dang Nikki, you ever heard of a blues sonnet?"
"Noooo."
"I've read this poem a couple of times, and I didn't even realize that it was read forward, then repeated backwards. You ever do that?"
"Yeah."

Doggonit, that ATLien Nikki is smart. And you know, she's a poetess in her own right. It helped to have Nikki there to ask questions, because I was in AWE.

After hearing her speak, I must refer to her now as the GREAT Natasha Tretheway.

After hearing her speak, I'm not sure one can say her name without the word GREAT attached.

I even got a FINE autograph.

All I'm saying, she is in the ATL area (and she teaches at my alma mater). If you get a chance to hear her speak, RUN to that engagement. And sit your ass in the front row. We were in the very back. If you can, sit on the stage at her feet. This poetess is THAT fly! You want to hear EVERY word.

Hear me now, believe me later...

I've had this book for minute. My writing instructor taught a whole class session on the importance of reading poetry as an aid in our writing, so that we could understand the importance of words and imagery, etc. I wanted to yell "That's bogus!", but the I was busy trying to rid myself of all the *crickets*, lol. I like to learn new things, and decided to get Ms. Tretheway's poetry collection. I was pleasantly suprised, and made quite a few notes from it!

I plan on reviewing the collection (after reading a third time). I hope that I can figure out how to do it justice.

Now, I had an ulterior motive for going to AWC also.

Ms. Natasha is Miss Celie's homegirl. They are uh, road dawgs, to say the least. Miss Celie talks about her A LOT. Yes, and you know I pay VERY close attention to whatever Miss Celie says,lol.

And Miss Celie, who's in town, has been missing in action. And you know me, I am NOT calling folks.

So, uh, I knew I could ask a question while getting my book signed.

"Yo, Tasha, where your dayum homegirl at?"

LOL

No, I was polite. She asked me how to spell my name. I told her "LadyLee". (She can sign my gub'ment name once I get my hands on the hard copy, which I saw this morning is available at Amazon.)

I asked her, "Have you talked to Tayari?"

She gave me the pertinent information I needed. LOL.

I hate that I won't be able to hook up with Miss Celie. I was looking forward to that, but my schedule is terrible, I am a slight basket case, and she's on a tight vacation schedule, looks like. She only comes home once every 10 years, so she better squeeze in as much as she can. We had a most enlightening email convo Sunday morning. I tell you, that chick knows the right words to say to egg me on!! And I am thankful for THAT.

Sunday: Sunday, I was suppose to go to my Journal writing meeting. Now, I do look forward to going to this meeting once a month, but I was having trouble with my homework. I was manageing to get it done, doodling with it here and there over the past three weeks, but I was quite perturbed in the process. It was on listing out all your fears and worries, etc... That bothered me deeply. I have this weird disconnect in my mind. For me to say that I am fearful or worried about something is for me to say "You know God, I have prayed about this, and I know your promises, but I just believe You aren't concerned and don't care about helping me solve this issue." I would NEVER say that. Makes my skin crawl to say that. And worse, for someone to say I'm afraid of something - well, let's just say, I spend a LARGE amount of time FURIOUSLY trying to pinpoint and come up with a QUICK plan to change this "fear". I mean FURIOUS, to the point where it takes all priority with me.

Yes, it sounds complicated. I am a complicated Oldgirl. But God takes FINE care of this Oldgirl. It is just a matter of me getting over myself, my concerns, my idiosyncracies, and my own personal triflement and having a little faith to pray and believe for answers...

So I'd been working on my homework from a standpoint of my personal "concerns" and what I want to do about it. I'm usually the controlling factor, the establishing witness, you see. So, I am still fooling around with that. It is enlightening, I've found some things I need to work on, and I will move forward in that vein.

(Okay, didn't mean to give you an inside look on how my mind works... MOVING RIGHT ALONG to smurfiness... )

Needless to say, I didn't go to the meeting. I called my girl Kim (the hostess of the meeting) and told her I wasn't coming and asked her to make SURE that she let them other broads know, because I didn't want my name ran in the ground for being trifling and not RSVP' ing. I try to participate in most things, but I knew I wouldn't catch half a break for that.

My sister Kentucky saw the menu for our meeting on the table... Here it is:

Chuck Roast
Chicken (baked, fried and BBQ)
Macaroni and cheese
Greens (collards, turnips)
Cabbage
Green Beans
Cornbread
Candied Yams
Potato salad
Rolls
Cornbread
Peach Cobbler
(Note: I was going to bake 4 or 5 dozen chocolate chip cookies and oatmeal cookies)

Kentucky was like, "Uh, Lisa. That's some menu. You not going to your meeting?"
I was agitated that she was bothering me. "Nope."
"That food do look good."
"Yep. They gonna get there eat on."
"You think we can go get a plate?"
"No!"

We bantered back and forth about this for about 10 mintues. Kentucky REALLY wanted a plate. I told her butt to go out there and get one (and bring me one back). Kim don't care. I could call her and tell her to have some plates ready.

"But it's too far, Lisa!" she whined.

*crickets*

Kim's place was on the eastside, some 20 miles away, past the Dec. That was too far to go for a plate.

Now, uh-rah, if she would've been five miles away- yeah, I would've called her up and told her to fix a nice size plate and stuff it in a Wal-Mart bag and leave it outside the door, lol.

Fantasy Football. Hen-Dog scheduled out league's Fantasy Football draft for Sunday (another reason I ditched my journal writing meeting). So my team is set:

The Collie Park Original Oldboys. And this is our logo:

I talk MUCH trash when I win... about how the opponent was STUNNED by the flashy rings my players wear, lol.

But we sucked last year!

Which meant I had first pick this year.

I am somewhat satisfied with my team. I have Tony Romo, Ladanian Thomilson, Wes Welker, Plaxico Burress, among a few other gems. (ATLien Nikki, you fantasy football queen, I'm gonna send you my picks and you're going to assist me... right? LOL!!!)

Hen-Dog's Mama was in our league last year. She used to kick my butt. Hen-Dog use to have to hear me scream every Monday morning "DANG MAN, GET YOUR MAMA!! THAT BROAD IS TRIPPIN'!!"

Hen's mama is uh, off the chain, to say the least... She plays like we're playing for money or something.

This year, she is out of my way. Maybe the Collie Park Original Oldboys can handle some proper business.

Last night was pretty relaxing... My sister sat at the dining room table, working on a project for her kindergarten class. I chilled on the sofa, crocheting and watching a movie, Juno. (If you haven't seen this movie, it's no wonder that all the teen white girls are screeching "Gee, I want to be pregnant, too!!!" ~sigh).

I did much crocheting. This was nice, because I was too tense and wound tight last week to evey THINK about lifting a needle. I am making a afghan for Serenity30's housewarming gift, and it is coming out VERY nice. The main color is a little darker than her color scheme (that ain't my fault- Serenity is color blind as all get out, lol). But it is gorgeous, nevertheless.

That Oldgirl may not get her gift. I may keep it for myself, lol.

So I am hoping that this week will be a better one for me.

And for you too.