Friday Freestyles... from Little Rock

Good Morning! It's me, that Oldgirl, coming live to you from Little Rock, Arkansas!

Yep, I'm still here. It's Friday, my last day here. I fly out tomorrow morning.

I'm feeling a bit sluggish. I'm so use to walking a couple of miles each morning, that not doing that while on this trip has me dragging just a bit. It's gonna me something else getting home and getting back to my old routine.

This has turned out to be a REALLY nice city. No, I didn't find people with horse and buggy around here. It's a modern place!

I love the lab that I'm working in for the week. Sooooo much nicer than ours, but it's out in the Boondocks. Runs a lot smoother, too. But alas, I'll be going back to my own.

And... it's a LOT of men running around here. They are a bit different than ATL men. They don't have that down low look about them. LOL. If it wasn't a shame, and if I was a cougar, I'd pack one in my suitcase and take 'em back to the ATL!

I've gotten MUCH writing done while here. Over 4100 words. I may get more done today, because I won't be all that busy at work (we finished what we needed to get done yesterday here in Little Rock.) So I'm happy about that.

Hotel's been GREAT! Especially that morning complimentary breaksfast bar!

Grits, cheese eggs, hash browns, gravy french toast, bacon, sausage, bicuists! Lawd help me! I had some sausage and bacon this week. It was good, but uh, I can tell I don't care for that stuff anymore.

I've been more interested in the fruity side of the breakfast bar. I've enhaled much of the cantaloupe, honeydew melon, and grapefruit wedges.

If no one was looking, I'd take one of my gallon size ziploc bags down there and load up.

I've been impressed with the fresh fruit and veggies in Little Rock. I have a horrendous time when I travel, but everything has been quite good, and I've been able to find the stuff I like to eat. I'm thankful that the Southern Black Gal took time to run me to a local Whole Foods for some supplies!

Speaking of Southern Black Gal, we hung out last night. We had dinner at Red Lobster, and I rode shotgun as we took a tour through one of the hoods.

Funny. It looks like my hood. Same street names. Same churches.

The hood is the hood all over the world, I suppose.

And I've heard some of this Drake music that everybody likes. Sounds good. But give me LL Cool J. And Run DMC. Yes. I'm oldschool. All day, every day!

Overall, it's been a great visit. Learned much on the job, and some of the young bruhs and I are suppose to shoot a little pool today. (Yes, that dayum goverment lab has a rec center complete with weight rooms, ping pong tables and pool tables. We ain't got it like that on my job! HUMPH!)

But I am ready to go on home. I know Oscar is around there thinking "What the hell?" Especially with the automatic lights I have set up coming on at night.

And I hope that cat conserved his food and water. I don't want to return home to an ANGRY dehydrated starving Original Oldcat!

So that's my freestyle for this Friday.

Y'all have a great day, and a great weekend... on purpose!

Over in Little Rock...

Over in Little Rock...

They're not walking barefoot or riding horses through the streets...

They got the fly hotels.

I'm really digging the one I'm residing in for the week.

And I've been taking a few pics, as always.

(Yeah, you can tell I'm a straight-up tourist, lol).

I love the colors, the greenery:


I've been riding up and down the whisper quiet elevators.


I love the huge skylight!


I like the whole open air environment.





Check out the waterfall!


Oh joy! Another beautiful waterfall.

More pics of the atrium.







I like this hotel. It's one of my traveling partners favorites. He's an experienced world traveler, so when he suggested that we register at the XYZ hotel, I did what he said.

It's definitely not the Motel 6. Thank goodness for that! lol

Stay tune for more hotel pics!

The Power of Afro Sheen

Over on Twitter from time to time, when the chicks with the "naturals" get to talking about their hair and hair issues, I like to post a tweet chant:

"Twist Out! Bantu Knots! CooooooWasssssh!!!"

'Tis my way of participating in the conversation.

But I will ruffle feathers when I make a suggestion for dry hair. In the midst of convos about coconut oil and shea butter and olive oil, I'll throw in:

"A little Pink Oil or some Ultra sheen afro sheen cosmetics will help!"

That causes it a small stir. Because Pink Oil and Afro Sheen are not great for natural hair.

Anyway, I was telling one of the tweeters that a new afro sheen grease has come out.




I said I'd see what brand it was, and it contains tea tree oil! That should be good enough for the chicks with natural hair, right?

Wrong!

LOL

So, back to the drawing board, Ultra sheen. Work it out!

This all reminded me of Saturday mornings and Soul Train.

And the Afro Sheen commercials.

I remember hollering many a time "Mommie, when I grow up, I want a Afro like THAT!"

So I hope you enjoy these commercials as much as I did!

LIVE from Little Rock!

It's me!

Your Friendly Neighborhood Oldgirl!

Coming to you LIVE.

From FARMVILLE!

LOL!!

Coming to you live from Little Rock, Arkansas!

I'm not here for vacation... I'm here for a week for work.

I DETEST traveling for work's sake.

But it's all good. I needed to get away from our lab. I'm in another lab right now, but that's okay. They're much nicer out here. A WHOLE lot of conversating going on. People are quite knowledgable, and I'm learning alot. And that's a good thing.

The BESTEST thang about being here is that I got a chance to meet the Lil' Rocker, the T.I. Jocker, That Southern Black Gal!!

*lee does a back flip*

I'm a big fan of hers, been reading her blog for years and years and years.

She picked me up in her drug dealer tinted down truck and ran me up to the Whole Foods. Where prices are like, 25% cheaper than in the ATL! GLORY.

I was happy to see her. I was hollering "This is like meeting Janet Jackson!!!"

Then I started singing "CONTROL!"

(I know she was like, uh, lee is a bit strange.)

LOL

It was great to meet her. Live and in person. And her son was mean mugging me like he should. She got that boy straight. He don't fool with no strangers. And he did a GREAT job pushing my cart at the Whole Foods.

I spent 50 bucks, and I'm straight for dinner for the week. (This means I may be able to pocket some of my per diem. GLORY!)

I love the hotel. Got some pics coming up soon.

So I'll holler... Gotta get up outta here, and go get this complimentary breakfast bar! Oh joy!

Then make the 45 minute drive deep out into the countrified area for work. *gas face*

Life's View

(If you're reading this, it means that I don't have an internet connection out in Arkansas. So I scheduled a couple of posts... enjoy)

I know last week, well, the last few weeks, I've been feeling like this.




I saw that pic over on Tha Blackrageous One's spot. His name is Charles, and he'd gotten into her glass of Crown, and well...

Charles was a mess.

Just like me.

She gave me permission to use that picture. I must admit it does say alot.

But I saw my cat Oscar-Tyrone looking out the window the other day.

And I thought, Hmmm... the Oscar has the right idea.

Sometimes, you gotta just sit down, be very still, get quiet, and enjoy the view.

Life's view, that is...

And I need to make sure I'm being still, and taking time to enjoy life's view.

And it made me think of a couple of things that went well last week. Things that made me happy.

1. A friend needed some advice on an issue. I couldn't do anything except what I usually do: listen. But I thought of another friend who may have had the same issues. I called that friend and asked if they would talk to the friend with the problem. I hooked them up, and I hope that it was helpful.

That is one thing I've noticed about myself over the past couple of years. I don't have a large quantity of friends, but I have a high quality of friends. We don't talk much (I tend to be a loner), but they know they can pick up a phone or I can pick up a phone in a time of need, and it's all good.

I like that.

2. I finished a pivotal chapter in the manuscript I'm working on. I've been doing a TON of writing lately, something like 500 words a night. For some reason, it gives me solace. That don't seem like much, but over time, that is A LOT. I had to stop all that for a couple of weeks because I needed to edit. Well last week, I finished that, and gave my chapters to one of my favorite readers, and she loved it and we had a very good conversation about it. That made me smile.

3. My hair is growing. Well it seems to be. I have a form of alopecia brought on by my lupus, so I would guess my hair grows at 10% of the rate as everybody elses. But it seems to be growing. Not sure what that's about. But I'm cool with that.

It is one of the reasons that I love hearing women talk about their hair. I can never talk about my own, and I love when other women can do something nice with theirs. I can live vicariously through their convos. I can't say I worry about my hair. That would be vain of me. I could have worse problems related to my lupus, and if hair is one of the problems, this is cool, because it ain't painful or debilitating.

But my hair seems to be growing. And I like that.

Yes, I have more things to be happy about. Those stood out.

Life's view is interesting. Sort of like looking through a prism. Gotta turn it just right to get the best view.

And I plan on doing more of that.

A good lesson I've learned from that Original Oldcat Oscar-Tyrone.

Interesting what you learn from a cat, ain't it? lol

T.G.I.F... Doggonit!!!

It's Friday!

DOGGONIT!!!!

And it's Payday!

I am happy! It is Payday!

LOL

Yeah. Okay. Happy that I have a job. Thankful for my job. Thankful for the bread. And that is all.
Let's just say, this has been the week from HELL on my job.

Can I rant for a minute? I mean really...

RAAAAAAAAAAAAANNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNT

for a minute...

Man, I've been so PISSED OFF this week that it hasn't been a good idea for me to go anywhere or do anything all week. It's the major reason for me not blogging too. Seems like I dropped all the stuff I like to do. Because I've been stewing.

I had to make a stop tonight. I was trying to hold out for the weekend, when I was calmer. Not a good look.

I was in Whole Foods tonight, and wanted to sock the bagger for bagging my groceries up wrong.

Me on cell phone with LadyTee during this time: "Girl, I can't believe Shawty done put my sorbet in with my hot food. I CAN'T BELIEVE HE IS STANDING HERE DOING THIS ISH!"

I was driving home, and a police car was beside me. He drove all the way up Courtland street for a good 2 miles, right next to me. Cop kept looking at me. (I may have been imaging this. I wasn't doing anything wrong).

Me on the cell phone with LadyTee: "Girl, Shorty got one more time to look over here. He better not pull me over or say nothing. I AM THE WRONG ONE TO MESS WITH RIGHT NOW!!! Girl, you'll be coming to the jailhouse bailing me out for jawwing this fool!!!"

LadyTee has done MUCH all week to keep me from going off the deep end. She and I haven't been talking much, but she knows when she gotta keep me from throwing myself off the roof, and she's logged in a few phone hours this week with me.

So, I need to rant. I find it hilarious that folks think I don't have bad days, but I do. I usually keep it to myself. You will rarely hear me holler "I'm hurting!!!" Rare.

I won't even holler it now.

An Oldgirl needs to RANT every once in awhile.

First of all, some mess went down on the job, and an Oldgirl was interrogated.

By some police type peoples.

Scared the CHEESE outta me, man!

I know what it feels like to be on this show.

I thought I was gonna hear that weird violin like music that they play in the interrogation room, when they have the suspect cornered. But it never played and I went on my way.

And after this week, I'll never watch another crime drama. NEVER.

Let's just say I am mentally and emotionally confused, distraught, and scarred behind some mess that don't have nothing to do with me. Had to tackle the Cowgirl Cre and take her around a corner somewhere so she could bring my heart rate back to normal.

DANG.

As a result, my attitude has sank to an all time low. I said some things to the boss today which should have stayed on my mind.

But what's on my mind comes out these days. And I just didn't care. Nope.

And just prior to dealing with the boss, I'd just gotten off of a HORRID 1.5 hour online conference call with some super duper super advanced chemical spreadsheet crazinesss.

(Mind you, I barely know simple Excel.)

My mind was shot. My mind IS shot.

I hung up the phone and said "This is bad, bad, bad."

Saw another chemist who was on the phone and I said "I might as well go outiside and shoot myself."

And I want to stand on top of the building and yell "Does anyone care? Is anyone taking things seriously around here???"

I know the answer to this. We all know the answer to this.

I mean, folks who are considered experts (a promotion that for whatever reason, I can't get) have disappeared into thin air and left me hanging.

Since management never takes responsibility for ANYTHING, I'm lacing my boots, getting ready to duck and dodge the the following title:

Been there, done that.... Got the t-shirt and the snowglobe to prove it.

But I'm 40 now.

Been there. Done that. Got the scars to prove it.

Scars heal. Period.

And as my girl Chele said in a blog post the other day: "This too shall pass."

Really though.

My friendly workplace librarian came over to my cubicle the other day. She wanted to know who that "man with the braids on Pimp my Ride" was.

I told her it was Xzibit.

She'd never heard of him. So I pulled up the following video. It was the song I listened to when I was working on my dissertation way back in '98. For some reason, in all it's violence, it gave me solace.

I gave her my headphones and let her watch and listen.

I watched and listened too.

Xzibit's girl asked him to go to the store and get some milk.

A simple walk to the store was full of chaos. Sprinkled with some goodness, but treacherous nonetheless.

The point is, he made it to the store and back. Made it through the mess.

I will make it through my messes. Scowling, opening the door to my Truck of Cuss, at times. Prayerful at times (as I should be). But I will make it through my messes.

As we all will.

So that is my bootleg rant/food-for-thought for the week. I allow myself to get it out, but I better come out with something positive on the tail end.

So you all have a great weekend. I'm flying outta here on Sunday morning, heading to Arkansas for a week for work related madness. I'll be back full of knowledge and ret to handle some things.

Because at least I care about what's going on. And I will continue to do so. That's a constant.

Take. eyes. off. storms. around. me.

Keep focused on the goal.

End of story.

I may or may not blog next week. Might set up a couple of automatic posts which are in queue right now. Hopefully they got internet in Arkansas! LOL (Shut up Lil' Rocker Southern Black Gal. I hope I get a chance to meet you, Oldgirl).

With that, have a great weekend...

On pupose!

Doggonit!!!

(P.S. Thank you for letting me rant. Thank you very much:)

A Milk and Cookies JUNIOR Birthday

So...

This was a pretty good weekend. It was HOT as usual, plus we had a little rain to cool things off. And that was good.

And there was one highlight. I attended the 1st birthday party of my brutha Milk and Cookies lil' man Milk and Cookies Jr.

He was born a preemie.

But he has come along just fine.

He had two birthday cakes.





I didn't get many good pictures. But here are some...









I was suprised he kept that hat on. But he didn't care for it later on, and it came off.

That was my first time seeing my nephew. It felt good to hold him and to feed him. He seems to be a good child. He was particulary enamored with my cell phone, camera, and chin. (Not sure about the latter, but that was funny).

All this reminded me of a special 1st birthday some 21 years ago. Here's an old picture of Milk and Cookies Senior's first birthday



His Daddy is still in Iraq and will be home in early August. There will be a homecoming party for him then. I think that it'll be a little after his 22nd birthday.

Happy Birthday, Lil' Milk and Cookies Junior. Definitely good to meet you on your special day.

Friday Freestyles

TGIF...

Thank goodness for that.

Nothing much going on in these parts. Just working HARD.

This has been a decent week. I'm still left of center, but whatever. It is as it always is: better days are yet to come.

Not sure what was up with this week on my blog? Was it a health food week? LOL. Got more posts like that. It helps much to write about healthy food. Makes me desire to do better and to learn more and to stay consistent with my lifestyle change.

They FINALLY capped the well in the Gulf. After pretty much destroying the Gulf of Mexico. But you do realize they were going to take care of that before that oil started snaking out of the Gulf and around Florida and up Eastern seaboard, right?

And you do realize that they were going to get it done before their next earnings report came out, right?

And you do realize they are probably hightailing it up outta there... especially since they forced the release of a Libyan terrorist, in exchange for the rich oil resources off the coast of Libya, right.

One word: SHADY.

That is all on that.

And have you been watching the news this week?

Is it just me, or is it "White people got MAJOR problems" week?

I haven't seen much about us negroes on the news. Just white folk with a lot of mess going on.

1. Levi and Bristol Palin. Who cares about these two? I don't. And of course there is some shadiness going on. Worst waste of airtime ever. And I don't like Sarah Palin. Her child is messing with her. This some upper class trailer park madness.

2. That missing boy Kyron. Little boy's been missing some 6 weeks. Very obvious that the step mother done did something with the boy.

Me and LadyTee were talking about this last night. These are not black folks.

Because we'd have jumped that broad by now. Especially if I was the mother. You mean you've done something with my child, and you're still living? Really? I would be locked up for trying to knock that chick's block off. And they would have to keep me locked up, because if I'm free, I'd be doing my best to torture that chick.

You've done something with my child. You need to fess up or lead me to my child. Or you will continue to sit here in this chair, bound up in duct tape, with me pushing the tip of my burning cigarette into your forehead. Period.

Don't mind me. If you know me, you know I'm working on my anger management and violent attitude. Working hard on that.

But when it comes to your child... and you know I don't have any kids... well, this broad need to come up with my ALIVE kid or she's a dead woman. Enough said.

3. Mel Gibson. Have you been listening to those phone convos?

Now anyone who's been in relationships have had some major fights. Some cussing outs. We've all had a lot going on. (And if you've never been involved in any volatile ish, then good for you.)

But just listening to these tapes, you can tell he's been whooping her tail on the regular.

Threatening to put her in a rose garden. Saying she deserved to get her tail whooped. Really.

And the whole "I deserve to be b****!" craziness. (Yeah, he was hollering about some oral copulation. I couldn't believe my ears. Dude, you're gonna have to talk a little nicer if you want a... )

Come on, Mel. I don't think you're going to jail. Even though her son witnessed your volatility. Even though the dentist has records of fixing her busted grill.

But dude. She got you. You've been abusing Oldgirl, and she GOT you.

I bet this chick will get a million a month in child support.

(Well, that's what I'd be asking for. Especially since I put in the work of tape recording that dude).

And I look at this chick. I can't pronounce her name.

And I learned something. This man been with his wife for 30 years. And here you come. Homewrecker.

And you actually think you're gonna live happily ever after?

Bet you realized that you weren't when he knocked you in your grill and broke your teeth.

I submit that if a man leaves his wife of 30 years for any woman (and if I'm remembering correctly, his wife bore seven kids- SEVEN KIDS!), then you have a man of questionable character on your hands.

And you shouldn't be surprised when you're catching a fist in your grill, and being called all kind of names, and being talked to like you ain't nothing.

But she got you, Mel. Did you hear today's tape release of him calling her a gold digger and how people tried to tell him such?

Yeah, you mad, Mel. But a million in her account on the first of the month every month 'til her child turn 30 should take care of that.

All of this made me think. And it brings me to my thought of the day.

People who are not in control of their own emotions have a tendency to want to try to control the emotions of others.

People who are not happy with their own lives will try to control the lives of others.

If I do the hard work of examining my emotions, and being real with myself, and just doing the HARD work of working on me and getting myself together...

Then I would be able to dodge alot of problems. Like abusing others. Like abusing myself. Like my bad habits. Like my addictions. Like backbiting. Like gossiping. Like sll the little stuff we don't think about that's affecting us.

It all comes down to working on loving myself. And once I truly love myself, then loving others as I love myself.

Hmmm... Something to think about for your weekend.

Anyway, I have a few things going on this weekend. My nephew turns 1 today. Happy birthday, Milk and Cookies, Jr! There's a party for him on Saturday. And I've never seen him. So I'll get a chance to see him, and wish the little one a happy birthday.

With that, I wish you a happy weekend.

Good Seedy Bread

One of my favorite readers, The Good Nurse, wanted to know about the new local bread I found that I spoke about in a post the other day.

It is a bread made by Big Sky Bread Company.

It is called Three Seed bread, and the three seeds in the bread are poppy, sesame and sunflower.

What I (and LadyTee) liked about this bread was that it was soft, and the seeds coated the outside of the bread. There were seeds in the bread, but they were ground up.

A loaf costs six bucks. That is a good price for a full loaf of whole wheat bread that contains no preservatives or artificial flavors. This bread is sweetened with honey only. So yeah, it's gonna cost ya. (And yeah, eating right can double your grocery bill).

But I'm not a big bread eater. In fact, I gave a third of my loaf to LadyTee to take home to her Mama. I try to share with her Mama any good eats that I find. I tend to stick with flourless breads that have to be stored in the freezer, or I buy breads that come in half loaves (like the ones made on the premises at the Dekalb Farmers Market).

This bread is great for toast, and it makes a pretty good sandwich. I made a soy chicken salad sandwich, with raw spinach, cucumber, and tomato.


That was a GOOD sandwich.

Now Good Nurse, this bread is made by a company in Birmingham, Alabama, which is considered to still be local (makes sense, since it's a couple of hours west of ATL). The Whole Foods stores carry it. There are a couple of other good local bakeries in my immediate area, like Masada Bakery in Decatur. There's also a bakery over in Poncey Highlands (forgot the name of it). I find their breads at my local vegan co-op store.

So there you have it, Good Nurse. I tend to stick with flourless breads, but I was trying to find a whole wheat bread that I don't mind eating, and that's not hard as a brick.

I think I found it! I'm definitely gonna keep this one in my kitchen.

Blood, blood, blood!

Wow. Bet that title caught your attention.

LOL

That Southern Black Gal asked about blood oranges.

Here you go, Gal.


Looks interesting, don't it?

Here's another picture.



It should be easy to tell that blood oranges get their name from the fruit's color being the same as that of blood. Here's a better pic:


Yeah, that makes it crystal clear, doesn't it? Or as the English would say... that makes it bloody clear!

The first time I saw a blood orange was in one of my mother's cooking magazines. It was used as a garnish of some sort. I thought "That's a trip. I'ma have to get one of those."

And it is very rare to come across them.

They originated in Europe, but I think they are grown here in the USA also. They are a little smaller than regular oranges, and the hull looks a little rougher too.

And when I see any fruit or vegetable (and lately, rice) that color, I automatically think of an important family of natural antioxidants, the anthocyanins. These are seen in many fruits and vegetables, but I believe it is a rare phenomenon in the citrus family. This family of antioxidant is thought to have a slew of good health benefits, such as lowering cholesterol, lowering the risk of cancer and heart disease. And it is also know to boost the immune system. (Hence, the reason why I like foods with that class of phytonutrients).

I must say, I'm not a big fan of the fruit. I was a bit disappointed the first time I tried one. Just looking at it, it looks very sweet. Quite the contrary. It is more tart than sweet. To me, it tastes like a cross between an orange and an grapefruit.

So if you like that, then cool. I prefer regular oranges.

But I LOVE blood orange juice.

And I had blood orange sorbet for the first time back in December.


That is some GOOD stuff. One of the best sorbets I've ever had. LOVED-ED it!

I found a company, Ciao Bella, that makes the BEST sorbets in the world, including the blood orange sorbet. I'm addicted to that stuff. (Don't worry, I only buy one pint a month, if I buy it. And it runs about 60 calories a serving, so you can't beat that).

So that's your mini-tutorial on blood oranges. Like I said, I'm not a fan, and I never buy the fresh fruit. It's much too tart.

But hey, it's always good to try something new.

You never know, you may like them!

Happy Monday Evening

You know...

I should've done my normal Happy Monday Morning Post.

But things stopped that from happening.

1. I haven't been all that happy and smurfy. I'm a bit anxious and emotional and frustrated. I chalk it up to a case of PMS. That is all.

2. I didn't have an earth shattering weekend. Well my weekends are never earth-shattering. Long long gone are my days of partying and dranking. There wasn't much ripping and running as usual. I pretty much stuck around the house. VERY rare, and it was something I needed.

3. I woke up late this morning. I didn't get up at my usual 5:45 a.m.. I usually manage to get myself together at that time and go walking for a good hour somewhere. I usually come back and do a post, lay around for a minute, eat breakfast. Not this morning. I made the mistake of taking a Tylenol PM last night and that was all she wrote. I heard the 5:45 alarm but I must've turned it off.

Next thing I know it was broad daylight.

Then my best friend LadyTee called.

She wanted to know if she could come over.

"What?" I said, my voice still heavy with sleep. "Now?"
"Yeah, girl. I just dropped my Mama off at jury duty."
I stretched and yawned. "I'm still in the bed, man."

Like she cared. LOL

I was laying there, looking crazy, still high off the tylenol PM. So I got up, and straigtened up a tad, which consisted of only removing the neatly folded laundry from the living room sofa where I was had folded it just before bed.

She showed up a few minutes later. (I live downtown, so if you're downtown, you're only a few minutes from my house). That was around 8 o'clock.

Me and my best friend rarely see each other. She's busy, I'm busy. So you get in where you can. We met up at church together about a month ago. That was the last time I've seen her.

But we caught up on life. We talked as I schleped around and got ready for work. She watched me fix my lunch of braised swiss chard and cannellini beans; my snacks of fresh cut fruit and a cherry almond muffin, and my quart of spring water.

I showed her an interesting new bread I'd found, a whole grain wheat bread coated in nuts and seeds and sweetened with honey, made by a local bakery. I made us a breakfast of cheese toast and blood orange juice. (I didn't think she would like my regular oatmeal and fruit, lol).

I wish I could've called in to work, and tell my boss that I would be late. But that would be pure drama. And I wasn't in the mood for that.

But we parted ways at 10 o' clock.

That was a great 2 hours. 2 hours of my mundane morning routine.

It's been really, I don't know, strange living alone. Quiet. Spending much time alone with my thoughts. That is sometimes good and not so good.

No, I'm not a cat lady. I rarely talk to Oscar-Tyrone. (He knows he's furniture).

But it was wonderful to share the mundaneness of my mornings with my best friend.

And for that reason, and that reason alone.

This Monday morning was... no, this Day of the Week that every one dreds, this Monday was very...

Happy.

Freestyle Fridays

Happy Friday Morning.

Yeah, I limped out the gate with that one. lol

I'm so happy it's Friday!

And it is Payday!

Glory!

I get to pay bills today!

*backflips*

LOL

This has been an odd week. Work has me completely discombobulated. I cannot STAND working on what we are working on. Depresses me. I was talking to my boss yesterday about the archaic methods we are using.

"These methods are old! They were hot when Earth Wind and Fire was the hot group! "

LOL

Let's just say I like innovative techniques. Just the frickin' scientist in me.

So that's got me a bit disturbed. No big deal.

Folks better have my paycheck right. That is all.

Quotes of the week: From a couple of wise Original Oldgirls.

"I am not without grace. I am in a storm that seems to want to swallow me and grace is reaching for me...always." Lovebabz

I have the power to create my reality. Peace can be my reality. Chele.

These resonated with me, and have been on my mind since I read them. I won't expound on them. The ladies statements were a blessing to me. And I'll just let you ponder those.

Friday Food-for-Thought. The whole Lebron James thing bothered me.

And not in the way that you would think.

I'm not that light in the head where I would worry about what city and state a man I don't know bounce a basketball in.

No, it makes me thing about approval.

And if you don't do what people think you should be doing, whether that be supporting their motives and agenda, or whatever.

Jokers get mad with you.

Happens all the time. Check your own life. You don't even have to go back that far.

You have caught a case, i.e. people done fell out with your ass, because you had a mind of your own and you made the best decision for you and those who depend on you.

Period.

Is that right?

No.

And if you haven't gone through that, then you must not be paying attention.

Because I get my head busted for it. I'm considered this awful awful person because of it. I even have to deal with weird passive aggressive crap because of it.

But one thing still stands, and becomes more ingraned the older I get:

I am my own person and I will continue to do my best to make decisions that bring about a sense of peace and progress.

A key to me knowing that I'm doing the right thing boils down to this:

"If I do this, what will people say?"

Yep. That means I'm on the right track. Me being worried of how I will be criticized when I'm trying to do what's best for me is a clue that I need to trash the worry and GO FORWARD.

So Lebron, do you. You don't drop cash on my mortgage. My livelihood ain't dependent on you. Dude, you don't even know my name. I wasn't around when you didn't have a penny in your pocket. I'm not there and will never be there when you feel hurt or pain or when you cry, either.

I saw people burning his jerseys in the streets. Wow. Really. I guess it made them feel better. You paid 50 bucks for that jersey. That's at least a couple of hours of work on the job for some people. Hell, it may take some people a whole 8 hour work day just to make that much.

Hmmm...

Just a thought.

I'll stop ranting.

Don't mind me. I'm in a janky mood.

And maybe it's just that I'm not a diehard basketball fan.

Maybe it's just that I'm a fan of you being your own person and living your life for you and yours.

Whelp! With that said:

Ya'll have a GREAT weekend. ON PURPOSE!!

Repost: "The Scoop from the Stoop"

I've dug around in the basement of the House of LadyLee for this blog piece posted over 3 years ago for The Blackrageous One, Tha L. I go back and read this post periodically, as it reminds me not to be judgmental of those who are considered to not be the best people in our society. I told Tha L that I'd repost for her perusement.

So enjoy, wonder... ponder.

(circa 2006)



As you know, there is always something interesting going on in my hood.... and the mayor of my hood Snake is always ready to be photographed, for a small fee, of course... LOL!

So one bright sunny Saturday evening this summer, I decided that I was going to jump in my car and go to the gas station. I wanted to gas up my car and put a little air in my tires so that I could go to the early Church service the next day. If there is one thing I just can't stand, it is gassing up in the morning when I'm trying to get somewhere.

So I get in my Zoom-Zoom and head down the street towards Hen-Dog's and Tiny's house. I notice them sitting out on "the stoop", just chilling. Tiny's Mustang doors are open wide, radio blasting music. I slowed down and spoke to them.

"What the heck are ya'll doing?"

They both looked at me. Hen-Dog shrugged. "Just chillin', listening to some music. Where you going?"

"I'm going to get some gas and put some air in my tire."

"Alright, later."

I let up my window and kept it moving.

I came back some 15 minutes later and they were still sitting out there on "the stoop"... just chilling.

"Ya'll still out here?"

"Yeah! Still chillin'." Tiny yelled.

I frowned. It was getting dark outside. They really needed to move closer to the house.

I drove on up to my house, some 4 houses up from Hen's house.

Now, "the stoop" is the rock retainer wall in front of Hen-Dog's house. It is the area in front of the black iron fence in front of his house. It is a good spot for viewing all the illegal activity that occurs on the cross street next to our street, without getting involved. Let's just say, if we have to break out running, we can. If someone starts shooting or fighting, we are far enough away from the corner to get the hell on into Hen's house if need be.

My first experience of seeing some craziness jump off while sitting on the stoop was when Snake cussed out an unruly prostitute for questioning his integrity. I hadn't even moved over there then. I just happen to be an Hen-Dog's house.

But this day, I was bored as all get out. Around 9:00 pm that night, I looked out my window and saw Tiny and Hen-Dog down the street, sitting in the same spot...

Just chillin...

Like I said, I was bored, so I grabbed a quart of bottled water and walked down the street and hung out on the stoop with them.

All I know, the corner was a bit hot that day. There was MUCH activity going on that night....

...MUCH.

First of all, several prostitutes live in the blue house on the corner. They all seem to have moved in last spring or something. And, as you can imagine, there is a good amount of traffic around their place.

Why, LadyTee and I were standing outside my house one day and heard one of the prostitutes yelling

"P**** for sale, P**** for sale... "

*crickets*

*LadyLee and LadyTee standing in the middle of the street, slack jawed and speechless, not believing we'd heard such a proclamation*

That woman was just a yelling, all out in broad daylight, like it was no big deal.

Goodness.

Well, that night, while hanging out with Hen and Tiny, I saw a lot. The drug dealers were running up and down the street, holding up their oversized pants, trying not to trip up over their t-shirts, retrieving goods from the dope house, which happened to be two house up from my own house...


No one paid us any attention though. We were sitting there, on the stoop, BLASTING Nancy Sinatra's "These boots were made for Walking" and "Bang, Bang" along with other bizarre music.

Negroes playing that type of music in the hood from a hot sound system must be a bit, I don't know...

Touched... Special...

Especially when Hen and Tiny were jumping around during the playing of "Nancy Sinatra's "Bang, Bang" yelling "Man, that song right there is HARD. That song is HARD!!!"

Yeah, just looking at us, you would thingk we were a bit off. Best to be left alone.

Most notably, one of the prostitutes that stayed in the blue house on the corner was putting in quite a bit of work. She would stand on her front porch with a hand on her hip, smoking a cigarette, waiting on customers. A car would pull up, she'd jump in the car and they would drive off.

She'd return approximately 10 minutes later.

Well you know me... I was FULL of questions.

"Man, what is she doing in 10 minutes time?" I asked, after seeing her exit the fourth car.

"She is doing something oral." [Note: Not exactly what was said... I'm just trying to keep it clean, ya'll.]

I winced, took a long drink of my water.

"Man, how much money ya'll think she makes for 10 minutes? She gots to be making a good 100 dollars each time. She gotta be."

Both Hen and Tiny looked at me like I was crazy.

"Naw LadyLee, they make 5 to 10 dollars."

*Crickets*

*LadyLee looking at them both with a raised eyebrow, wondering how the heck THEY know the oral prices*

"Man, you GOTS to be joking! Stop playing!"

Hen shook his head. "Lee, do you realize that these are Zone three hos? Ain't nobody comimg down to Zone three to pay 100 bucks for a hooker."

"Shoot man, I gots to be making a good 100 bucks a pop each time. You realize how many men she have to do to make 100 dollars? Ain't no way, man. Ain't no way."

"Girl, they trying to make enough money for that next hit of crack, and that's it," Tiny yelled.

"Still, that's some craziness."

But is it?

I must confess that whenever I see a prostitute, I always think back to a sermon I heard some 6 years ago at the church I attended when living in New Orleans. And it wasn't one of those sermons putting down prostitution...

It was a sermon about judging people.

My pastor at the time said something to the effect of, "You know, it's pretty jacked up for you to turn your nose up and criticize a prostitute. You don't know the backstory that led her to that point in her life. You really don't know."

Now, I thought he had a point. Because, really, you don't know. I can't imagine someone, as a young girl, having the goal of someday being a prostitute.

But he went on to say something else. "And a lot of you ladies have had a man leave a little cash on the nightstand after he spent the night. Yeah, that is a bit similar to prostitution. You didn't think of it that way. You just needed some money to feed your kids, right?"

I remember the whole congregation being quiet that day. No jumping, no shouting...

No Hallelujahs.

Just quiet...

It made me think back to when I was in grad school, and I had a boyfriend who came in late from the club and decided he wanted to, um, bother me for a little loving. I told him that he'd been at the club, and I wanted to get paid just like them stripper broads get paid. I mean, I was the one screwing him. They were just dancing. If he wanted to do it, then he was going have to pay me.

"You serious, Lee?"

"Hell yeah!"

He looked at me like I was crazy. "How much?"

"20 dollars."

"Are you serious?"

"Hell yeah!" I yelled, getting all hype. I was wide awake, then. I was broke and I needed the cash. I wasn't getting my monthly stipend for another week.

He nervously pulled a twenty dollar bill from his wallet, folded it, and gave it to me.

Let's just say the Oldgirl put in work that night. A LOT of work.

I woke up the next morning, all excited to see the 20 dollar bill on the nightstand. I believe that was a Sunday morning. That money was very precious to me, and I made it last the whole week, using it for gas for my car, for bus tokens, for food.

I stretched that 20 bucks.

Meanwhile, my boyfriend was nervous all week.

"Lee, I cannot believe you got all giddy over 20 dollars."

"I needed it. And if you wanted to get it that night, you were gonna have to hand over the cash."

He was quiet around me for awhile after that.

I think about that everytime I see a prostitute these days, but I've never told anyone.

Especially after that sermon. My pastor went on to say "Did you ever think about the woman's backstory, how she got into being a prostitute?"

I never had...

Was it from a decision she made? Kind of like the one I made that day back when I needed a little money to make it to the next stipend check?

Hmmm....

I realize that it ain't all that great to judge folks. I mean, we don't know the backstory, the hardship... especially if it is a stranger. We all got family members who got over into triflement and what not.

And I am a firm believer that, some years ago, two or three bad decisions could have us all in a bad spot, doing some things that we would never dream of doing.

I didn't tell Hen and Tiny that I was thinking all this when we were watching the prostitutes work the corner. They would have laughed, and I would have laughed right along with them. Because people who know the person I have grown to be today wouldn't believe such a story...

But 'tis true.

So, I don't judge the chick standing on the corner doing her thang. I'm not sure what happen to get her there. In our hood, it is safe to assume a drug habit of some sort...

But we all know that assumption is the lowest form of human thought.

So as I sat there on the stoop that day, listening to crazy music, sipping my bottle water, singing with my friends...

Watching the prostitute wait patiently for the next customer, the ember of her cigarette glowing brightly, and her flicking spent ashes into the bush next to her door...

I realized...

I can't judge you, lady... I can only wonder at what point in your life did you jump that hurdle in your mind that made you decide that that lifestyle was the only way to go...

And I'm a bit more careful to judge myself, earnestly trying to make sure I don't jump those same hurdles in my mind.

Humph...

Just a thought...

The Shoe Hotness. The Hot Shoes.

For Super Hair and Shoe Queen blog sista Serenity3-0

I'm not a shoe type of girl. I don't like heels. I don't even own any heels.

But when I saw one of our secretaries standing at the copy machine, I took note.

She is my height, and she was taller than me that day.

I looked down at her shoe, and saw the reason why.



*blink*

"Let me go get my camera," I whispered. The copy machine is just outside my cubicle area, so I was back in a flash.

That's a HOT shoe right there. And that's coming from an Oldgirl who only wears sneakers!

And they matched her cream bell bottoms perfectly.

"Are they comfortable?" I asked.

"Very," she replied.

They are nice, but the height deeply disturbs me.

They disturb me because if I see myself trying to walk in those... and falling and taking out a whole wall of the cubicle and anyone else standing within a few feet.

LOL!!

Here we go with the----->ACTION SHOT!! ACTION SHOT!!!!
LOL.

Good shoes. They were the highlight of a pretty bad day.

So, Lady O, wear your heels, hon. Like I told you

"If you like 'em, I LOVE 'em!"

These days, if she runs up on me, I'm raising her pant leg just a tad to check out the shoes...

Never know when we're gonna get a little shoe hotness.

Wordless Wednesdays: Then and Now

Then:




Now: