Congrats Tayari!!!

Ya'll know I don't jock many people, right?

But when I jock! I JOCK.

And I ain't ashame to admit it, either.

If anybody ask you who I stalker stan, you should know. If you don't know, I will tell you.

I jock and stalker stan the Infamous La. My favorite writing blogger indeed. I tend to jock blogger Chele something awful. They both ignore my stalking, and just let me have my fun... jocking.

And then there's the chick who's feet I worship at. I worship the ground she spits upon. I come close to busting out in tears in her very presence. I know she think I'm a bit touched, because I am shocked and dazed even when in her presence. Doing all I can just not to pass out.

She is my FAVORITE author. And yes, she is one of my favorite peoples.

I'm talking about Tayari Jones! The great Tayari Jones!

*lee falls out prostrate on the ground*

Tayari is having a stupendous year! The highly anticipated Silver Sparrow is coming out on May 24th, 2011.

(And I'm letting you know... I'm giving away SEVERAL hardback copies over here at The House of LadyLee... only if the government don't shut down.)

And she just got tenure.

When I read that on facebook, I IMMEDIATELY grabbed my cell phone and called her. And I was cheesing hard like Buckwheat. She was sitting in her office playing some music REAL loud. I congratulated her. We yacked for a minute.

Then I told her to read to me. Read me something from Silver Sparrow. She has a link to the first chapter up on her blog. I read it the other day and saw a couple things that I found riveting. I was gonna call her and MAKE her read that to me, lol. (She is a GREAT reader!)

"Tayari, read page such-a-such, last 2 sentences of the second paragragh!!"

"What?" she said.

I repeated myself. She went and grabbed her book. Of course I had the page number wrong. I made her find what I was talking about. And she read it to me.

*lee cheesing XTRA hard*
"Read it again, girl! Read it again!"

And she did.

(Yes I was pushing it. She was too giddy and happy to hang up on me.)

LOL

My cubicle mate Cowgirl Cre walked into our cubicle area and sat down.

"Cre! Tayari got her tenure!"

"Tell her I said Congratulations. And she should go put on her pink fur coat."

We laughed hard.

That dayum pink fur coat. Tayari loves that coat. When we think of Tayari, we think of that pink fur coat. Winter. Spring. Summer. Fall. When she happy or celebrating, we automatically think she should run and put her pink coat on.

I even wrote a story for her birthday (more of my stalkerish activities, you see) involving that coat.

I know she think we are silly. But it's her fault. She wears the cheese out of that coat!



The picture above - when I first saw that, I was like..."Gee, where is she? I hope she don't turn down the wrong street with a pink fur coat and a red purse on. Don't wanna be caught on the ho stroll like that!"

LOL!!! And of course, me and Cowgirl Cre start sanging "Toot TooT! Hey! Beep! Beep!"

(Okay, you have to be over 40 to remember the Donna Summer hooker song "Bad Girl").

And then there was my favorite post. One I posted a few years ago... I will repost it here in celebration.

Of course... It involves her favorite pink coat.... lol Enjoy.

Notes from the Peanut gallery (circa 2007)

So... I was sitting in my cubicle, minding my own business. I decided to roll over to my favorite author Tayari Jones' blog to see what was up, and I come across this...


**crickets**

I left her a comment:
"You know I'm going snatch that pic and throw it on my blog and TALK ABOUT YOU! LOL!"
You know how the Oldgirl does it...

I glanced over my shoulder at my cubicle mate Cowgirl Cre. She was busy doing some paper work.

"Cre," I said. I pointed at the screen. "Look at this chick."

Cre rolled her chair over my way. She stared blankly at the screen.

And the commentary.

From the Peanut Gallery.

Began.

Cowgirl Cre: "What's up with those boots, girl?"
LadyLee: "I have no idea."

*a few moments of silence*

Cowgirl Cre: "Well, she could have an alternative profession."
LadyLee: "No, she wouldn't be a good table dancer. Look how close the heel of that boot is to the table. **Lee pointing at monitor with an ink pen**"One more inch and she's on the floor. She don't need to be dancing in nobody's club."

*silence*

LadyLee: "You know, Cre, if she falls, she's gonna take out that computer screen and that printer."
Cowgirl Cre: **silently nods**
LadyLee: "And look out that window. She is way up high. One wrong move, and she's knocking all that stuff over and falling out that window."

LadyLee: "I bet I know what she do. She takes that damn pink fur coat everywhere she goes. Then she buys stuff that matches it."
Cowgirl Cre: "Yep."

Coworker "T" walks up and stares at screen. She places her hands on her hips, and ponders aloud.

Coworker T: "She sure likes her shoes, don't she?"
LadyLee: "Sure does. And she likes that pink fur coat, too."
*LadyLee pondering about whether she should be talking about the pink fur coat. It may be the only coat that Tayari owns. Lady ponders whether she should crochet Tayari a coat.*
LadyLee: "I bet those boots are real pink leather. And that black on the boot... that's black suede."
Coworker T: "She paid big money for those boots."
LadyLee: "No she didn't. They were on sale. Who wants pink and black boots?"
[Update: Tayari sent me the link for the boots... and the matching purse. **crickets**]
LadyLee: "You know, if you put a few of those little pink fur puff balls on the boots, and throw a baton in her hand... she'd be ready to lead the marching band!!"
*Cowgirl Cre laughs hard.*
And it goes on and on... and on.
Tayari posted these pics because it was the last day of the semester at Rutgers, where she teaches creative writing... She wanted to show her glee!

Naw... That's not the reason she's so excited.

She has to be happy because she's getting her **Original Oldgirl** Platinum Plus card real soon...

Stay tuned.

Personally, I think Tayari was excited because she got her Original Oldgirl Platinum Plus Card status, from me that week, Your Friendly Neighborhood Oldgirl LadyLee. THAT'S why she was happy!

I'm just glad she didn't fall off that desk and bust her azz that day. LOL

I got a call later that night. Tayari went ham on me for suggesting that was her only coat.

Well honey! That's the only coat I see you in.

Uh, let's just say, I got a rundown of all the coats she owns. LOL!!!

I was just playing with you that day, Ma!!! LOL

Congratulations Oldgirl on a great year... and it's just really begun.

You are the only celebrity I know. But what's more important is that you are one of the best people I know. I can never repay you for all you have done for me, hon. You mentor me well, taking great care of the writer in me. And you put up with my stalkerish ways! Who could ask for more?

Congratulations!!! This is going to be a great year for YOU.