Friday Freestyles... The Strange and Arse Hot Edition

It's Friday!

*wide swooping cartwheels*

Oh how glad I am of that.

And I have a 3 day weekend. Your friendly neighborhood Oldgirl is glad of it.

Once again I have all these wonderful plans. Knowing me, I will only accomplish a fraction of them. And that is okay. Just glad to be OFF, man!

And is it just me or is it ARSE HOT outside??? WOW! I tell you, my hair is a little thin in the top. It felt like the sun was sitting on top of my head. I cannot have to sunroof open. It is TOO HOT. OH MY!!

It is suppose to reach 102 degrees this weekend. ARSE HOT.

This has been a long week. I've had to be to work early a couple of days this week, so I am feeling a little O_o right now. Even had to wear something presentable, i.e., clothes I don't wear to work. It felt quite odd. I had to do that because some contractor folks were coming in. Didn't know if they would show up in their Sunday's best, so I had to oblige. Luckily they didn't,

And I won't today. NERP.

Back to jeans, t-shirt and sneakers!

On to my freestyles.

Strange stuff... Tbis was a strange week indeed.

1. These past few mornings, there are large gangs of white teenagers cleaning up my neighborhood. Not sure who or where they are from. My first thougt is that they got in a lot of trouble and are on punishnment. But it is most likely some communtiy service project. Hmmm...

I drive by slowly and peer at them curiously.

I want to ask them if they will go up to 555 (my proverbial address) and clean up any trash they see over there (Maybe a stray can or two. I don't know who keeps throwing random stuff in my yard, but they better CUT IT OUT.)

2. It was strange how Anne Curry got dissed on The Today show. That broad put in some WORK. And they placed the blame on her for their low ratings. There were SO MANY comments in different places from people saying they will not watch the program anymore. Add me to them. I could take or leave Anne Curry. But she got DISSED. Walked off with a gang of money, but dissed. Hence, I am watching Good Morning America now, which is a better show anyway.

3. Very strange that Obamacare passed... with Judge Roberts as the deciding vote. Sir, the republicans are HOT with you. You won't be invited to anymore parties. You lost a bunch of friends. Wow!

4. It is strange how Attorney General Eric Holder is being treated by Congress.
My goodness. I still don't know what's going on. But uh, does anyone remember the Iran Contra Affair? Hmm... Go look it up.

As LadyTee says... Obama and them try to get up there and do what these white leaders have done in the past! Those white leaders got away with stuff. We don't and we won't.

That's right. Not all that strange... But it is strange to hear the republicans hollering about everything that was okay in the past.

I'm just saying.

Enough of the strange moments... on to other things.

Post of the Week. From the Infamous La. I so love her musings. I stalk her like crazy. I love this post.

In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning. 

That was GOOD, La. It left me breathless. I LOVE your writing, Oldgirl.

Quote of the Week: From a book I'm reading by Joyce Meyers, Power thoughts.

It is a German Proverb.

"Begin to weave and God will supply the thread."

In other words, get moving. Start stepping. Move forward. Provision will be there.

That's for Chele. Because I know she'll like it. :)

Song of the week: I love this song. It makes me happy.



It reminds me of my coworker Lieutenannt By... When he works in the lab, he plays Sade REAL loud.

By won't play the Blues for you... By will play that Sade for you!

LOL

(Trust me. You just have to be there to understand that one. LOL)

That is it for Friday Freestyles!

You have a good weekend... on purpose!

Finally Home

They said that you should look out…

Yes, you heard them say it on the car radio as you were driving home from work.
They said it in frantic tones
The said that you should look out for the one who escaped from the mental institution just down the road.

But you don’t worry.

For any escapee with any good sense would run far away.
They’d take a train, a bus, an unattended car.
You live too close to the asylum.

So close that you can see the west side of it from your kitchen window
And you can see the patients peering out the windows of the place
Eyes vacant, staring and longing
For a better life
A better day
A better way…

Yes, the escapee will get as far away as possible from that place.

So you finally make it home
You walk into your house

And there is something in the middle of the living room floor that wasn’t there when you left for work this morning.

It’s a brown paper bag that has fallen to the side.
And out of it spills a scrunched up hospital gown
And a pair of mismatched socks
And a brand new never sharpened pencil.
And a half eaten cup of ranch dressing

You pick up the pencil and you smell the eraser
It smells like bubble gum.

You dip your finger in the dressing
You bring your finger to your tongue.
The dressing is cool and tasty,
Refreshing on this hot summer day.

You look up and you smile.
You see him standing there, smiling at you.

It’s your husband.
The love of your life.

You have missed him so.

He has made his escape.

He’s home.

He’s finally home.

(From The Women of Color Writing Workshop, January 2012... 10 minute exercise: write a story or poem using the following items (found in a purse)- half eaten cup of ranch dressing, mismatched socks, pencil, and bubble gum)

Peach and Blue (Through and Through)

“She likes me better than she likes you,” Blue said, as he lay back on the couch, his shade bright as a cloudless morning sky, as if he was being illuminated by the sun.

“You just look good on her,” Peach snapped. “I am good for her through and through.

Through and through.

Blue let the words settle within. His shade darkened to a midnight hue with that retort.

“Sometimes that’s what’s best,” Peach said, when he didn’t reply.

“What’s best is not what it always seems, though,” Blue shot back.

“I beg to differ. I work from the inside out. You are just… there. On the outside.”

Blue said nothing. He only stared. He would knock the fuzz off of Peach, but he wasn’t violent.

He was Blue. He was very calm.

“And worse yet,” Peach continued, “you’re more than a color. You’re a mood. And not a good one at that.”

Blue darkened even more. He wished Peach would just sit there and be quiet.

Peach had Blue right where she wanted him. “When people think of blue, they think sad. Down. Depressed. It’s not a good thing that she likes you, because when you get up on her, you change her for the worst, and that’s not good.”

Blue became his darkest, a shade unnamed, a shade close to his cousin Black. “You have a point. No I’m not good for her. But I still look good on her.”

Peach nodded. “I’ll give you that, Blue. I’ll give you that much since it makes you …happy.”

Blue smiled, his shade going bluish-white.

Yes it made him happy.

Through and through.

(From Women of Color Writing Workshop, May 2012. Writing prompt: You favorite food and favorite color having a conversation)

Congrats, Lucky Chicken!

So...

Sam aka Mzinspiredmind aka Cinnamon Sugar, aka soft porn Chicken...

She got hitched yesterday!!!

Congrats Oldgirl!

She married a fellow named "Lucky".

She said it was a family name.

*crickets*

Alright, hon!

Congrats to you!

She has, and will have to, endure me calling her "Lucky Chicken! Chicken Lucky!"

Ha Ha!!!

I pick on her something awful. She laughs along with me. (reverse psychology, I suppose).

Congrats to you and Mr. Lucky!

Best wishes to you, from your Friendly Neighborhood Oldgirl LadyLee

3 years gone

They have been saying that we are fast approaching the third anniversary of Michael Jackson's death.

And it doesn't even seems like it has been that long.

It feels like last week.

And it's one of those events where everyone remembers where they were when they heard that he had died.

I was at work. My phone was blowing up. In an effort to answer it, I dropped it. And my phone died. I went to the sprint store, and we were all in there full of gloom. His music was playing over the store's system.  Everyone was quiet and sad.

Still hard to believe. 3 years gone.

I want to remember by posting one of my favorite songs, Rock with You.



It is hard to believe that that song is some 30 years old.

RIP Michael Jackson.

Crochet... LadyLee Style

If you've read my blog for any length of time, you'll know that I LOVE to crochet.

My cubicle mate The CowgirlCre taught me how back in 1999.  And I took to it like a fish to water. I even read a few books on it, and would come back and tell her what I learned. She would shrug. She didn't care much for my observations and chalked up to my anal Ph.D. analytical ways, lol.

One thing I love is making baby blankets. They are super quick to make (30 hours or less). I tell you, I can start blankets in January, with no inkling of who it's for, and it always turns out that a couple of people will announce that they're expecting a baby that year. So I always have a blanket in some stage of completion. It makes for a great and inexpensive baby gift.

Here's the beginnings of a couple of baby blankets I made for Serenity23, who is due any day now.

Little tiny squares taking no more than a couple of minutes to make.

Here are the final finished blankets.

Whoops! That picture is too dark.

*snatching blankets off sofa and placing them on armchair*

You still can't see it well. These light pastels don't photograph well.
She's having a boy, so I didn't get to put a ruffle on the blankets :(

Straight edges for boychild!



I like when new yarns come out. I especially like the vagrieted yarns (yarns that change color). The blanket above on the left is made from yarn that changes from baby blue to white to baby green.  I've never seen that before. And when I see new yarns, I buy them and make something with them.

Here's a better photo of that one.

Here's a better picture of the edging of the one that has more colors.

I like that one better because I can make it for a boy or a girl. The girl's baby blanket will have a nice ruffle on it. (I like ruffles!)

So those were my crochet projects for the first half of the year. I mailed those out on Tuesday, and she should get them today. I really hope she likes them

I am making a couple of more baby blankets. One is for someone who is expecting now, and the other... who knows?

It is good to have an extra blanket on hand if someone is expecting and I need a good gift a give...

Just Another Page in Your Life... Love Stories

Jennifer Holliday is known for that song from Dreamgirls.

"And you, and you, and you... YOU GONNA LOVE ME!!!!"

I'm sorry, I don't know the name of the song... only the words.  And I always imagine her singing it with a gun drawn on dude. Sigh. (You gotta admit, it's a bit stalkerish).

That song isn't my favorite by her. Oh yes, it's highly charged and emotional, but not my favorite.

My favorite song by Jennifer Holliday is Love Stories.




Here are the lyrics....

Three o'clock in the morning, and I’m talking with my best friend
Trying to find myself a reason as to why things had to end
Seems like a lifetime, though it was yesterday
Where ever there is love, there’ll always be a price to pay.


I run to my Mama, cause home is a safe place to be
We’ll sit down together and she’ll say these words to me:


Just another page in your life
Talking ‘bout Love Stories
Just another page in your life, baby girl


Going back into the world
I find myself falling again
Just like the television drama
The story that never ends
How on earth can this be?
I seem to have no control
Just one look into your eyes
That’s when the love takes hold.


I run to my best friend, cause she’s always there when I need
We’ll sit down together, and she’ll say the same thing to me.
Hear me when I tell you


Just another page in your life
Talking ‘bout Love Stories
Just another page in your life, baby girl


Just another page in your life, baby


Just another page in your life
Talking ‘bout Love Stories
Just another page in your life, baby girl


[How on earth can this be?
I seem to have no control
Just one look in your eyes
And that’s when the love takes hold]


I run to my best friend, cause she’s always there when I need
We’ll sit down together, and she’ll say the same thing to me.
Hear me when I tell you


Just another page in your life
Love Stories
Just another page in your life, baby girl


Just another page in my life
Love Stories
Just another page in your life, baby girl


Just another page
Love Stories, in my life


Just another page, baby
Just another page, baby


In my life


(Seems like only yesterday, when we laughed, we talked we played... we said our love will always, will never end... but somehow I lost control, I don't want to let you go..)


An Oldgirl's Thoughts

I LOVE that song. First of all, it is upbeat. Jennifer Holliday singing an upbeat song? Hmm...

But it speaks to life as a whole.  I notice with young folks, when a break up happens, or something similar happens, they act like it's the end of the world. I've acted that way too.  Yep, it's the end of the world.

When it's not.

I know myself that if I'm highly upset, it is because I fear that the feeling I am having is permanent.  When it isn't.  It's temporary.

The older I get, the more I understand that.

Life is like a book. It has many chapters. It has many pages. I don't stay on the same page. And sometimes chapters are long, but they eventually end.

Then new chapters of life begin.

Trust me. You wouldn't be all devastated over that breakup if you knew that someone better for you would come along in the future. Thank goodness you broke up with that person.

I don't think I understood that when I was young. Not enough chapters in the book, I suppose.

And whether it be good or bad things happening... these are the issues of life.

As the mother says in the song. "Just another page in your life..."

It is a page... not the whole book.

For the book is a cacophony of stories... the good, the bad, and the ugly. Some chapters of the book make us laugh, some make us cry... and there's always that stretch of chapters that will have everyone going O_o or O_O.

And even though there are 7 billion people walking this earth, no two stories are the same. Our stories are all different.  Ain't that something?

Do you realize how utterly unique you are?

Hmm...

Anyway, that song makes me ponder.

And continue to wonder.

Thought I'd post it.

Hope you enjoyed it!

Monday... The Food for Thought edition

Monday...

Once again.

And the weekend...

It went by in a bluuuuuuurrrrrrrrrr....

*lee clearing fog from head*

I don't think I did anything productive this weekend. Well, household chores, but that was it. I didn't even go anywhere. Sigh.

That's a good thing. I didn't spend any money. Glory!

On my mind today... Last week was an interesting week. It was eyeopening. I had talked to my sister a few weeks ago about our grandmother, and how she needs to be taken to the doctor, but she doesn't want to mention it to anyone. And other folk are "Busy". Whatever the heck that means.

I work, but I live only a few miles from her. If she could somehow talk her into calling me, I could take off and take her. I didn't hear anything back about it. (I refuse to get caught up in family stuff... a bunch of mess, I tell you.)  Grandma called me out of the blue a week ago, and I told her to use me as a back up plan for doctor visits.

I've had to talk to her before about if she need some help like with house repairs and such, to let me know so that I can come up with the money. She won't do it. Heck, she ain't even used the debit card I gave her since March. O_o.  I decided I'm not going to argue with her.

I guess she is a lot like me: I don't like to bother people AT ALL. I suppose I get that from her.

Well she called me and needed to go to the doctor. Turns out her appointments are on the same street as my job. This particular appointment was only a block away from my job. So I took her.

It gave me pause. I remember this woman as sprite and active. I still think of her as in her 50s. But she is 83, now. She's forgetful. She's talkative. I had to help her into the car, get her buckled in. She left her appointment card at home, so we had to figure out which doctor she had to go to. (At least we had the right building).

WOW. It just made me think of how much I take for granted. I've been put down by illness before. And I think about that sometimes, who will help me the next time (if that happens), that happens.

But this was different. She older now, and doesn't care to drive outside the neighborhood. Her eyes aren't the best. And she needs that help. And it takes much patience. I don't think some of my relatives have that, so I understand things a little better. I have to treat her like a toddler. As long as I remember that, I am good.

I think someday we will all need that help. I don't have kids and such. And I think about who will help me. It crosses my mind from timet to time.

I thought much about that this weekend. And I decided that that is a future issue. Deal with it then.

Sow seed now.

That is my answer to many things right now. Don't worry about tomorrow and its harvest. Sow seed for it today. Now.

So I hope she will call me for future help. I hope she saw that I didn't mind, and I wasn't tripping or anything. I made sure she got her prescriptions turned in, etc.

I did a good thing.

And that is a good thing.

Quote of the week.  My boss drops off her old copies of Jet in my cubicle every week. CowgirlCre likes to peruse them. And random folk like to read them when they stop by. O_o

Anyway, the June 11th issue featured Idris Elba. We oohed and aaahed over that one!

He said something interesting. 

"My father always told me that a fool at 40 is a fool for life." (p. 26)

LOL!

We got a kick out of that.

But I understand what he meant.  I look back sometimes. And I can see that my 20s were the years where I was doing crazy stuff, and didn't know my head from a whole in the ground. The 30s were a time when I was getting myself together and things were coming together.  I've only been in my 40s for a short time, and I see right now that whatever mindset I have is probably sticking. However, I am open to change... it's just a little harder these days. I have to work on it.

So I can understand what he says. If you a fool at 40, then you probably gonna stay that way for life.

Let's face it. You OBVIOUSLY haven't been working on yourself and your personal growth.

I know some folk like that. And I am not talking about people with regular issues. We all have our idiosyncracies. (Lord knows I do, and if you can deal with me, you are a true friend indeed).

I'm taking about folks with serious problems. And their problems infect everyone they come in contact with.

And it makes you think... Why is a 50 year old person wreaking this much havoc in their lives and the lives of others? Shouldn't they have outgrown these habits by now? Shouldn't they be past being messy by that age?

I mean, wreaking havoc. The people in their lives, the pets and the cockroaches are all exasperated in their presence. 

WOW.

So we thought that was a good quote, to the point we wrote it on a sticky note and put it on my cabinet.

I don't want to be a fool for life. No sir.

I told my sister that it is a fortunate thing to have the THOUGHT in your head that

"Gee, this issue of mine... I need to work on that."

She's only 30.

WORK IT OUT.

There's a huge difference between someone who spends ten years working on something and someone who doesn't spend any time working on it.

One of those people makes progress towards the solution.

I will let you figure out which one.

It's akin to the LadyLee Postulate #1254: "It's like walking from Atlanta to California. Gonna take some time, but take steps in that direction! You will eventually get THERE!"

Yes indeed.

I am off to the dentist this afternoon. I am having a final round of dental work. Woo-hoo!

I get to see the very fine Dr. Watson. 

And hear him walk in the room and holler "Let's do this, girl!"

I get to feel him hit me on my shoulder and say "Why you frownin', girl? I'm hurting you, girl!?"

*lee giggling hard with a drill in her doggone mouth O_o*

LOL! He makes me feel like we are on our way to a New Edition concert!

LadyTee still talking about "I don't care how he look... He can look like George Burns for all I care. As long as he fix my grill... whatever, man."

It don't hurt that he's good eye candy, honey!

Hopefully I won't have to see him for a LONG time after this!

Ya'll have a great week!

On purpose!

Happy Father's Day

Frickin' Ticket! (circa 1999)

Did you read yesterday's post?

About the ticket I got over Memorial Day Weekend?



Ugh.

Well that wasn't the first ticket I ever received. I received another one... way back in 1999.

And it was an expensive ticket. $300.00.

That REALLY hurt. It hurt BAD. I was making half of what I make now. It hurt, honey child.

But the good news is that the timespan between the first ticket and the last ticket stretches 11.5 years. With that said, I christen myself a very good driver.

Yes sir.

But, I did get that first ticket. I've always wanted to blog about it, but there was no good segue into talking about it.

That ticket over Memorial Day weekend gives me a fine, fine excuse to blog about it.

So...

The year was 1999...

December 31, 1999 to be exact.

~~fuzzy wavy lines, fade to black~~~

Yes, yes... New Years Eve.

An all important New Years Eve, to be exact.

For it was the dawn of a new millineum... the Year 2000.

People were happy. "Party like it's 1999" was the anthem that year.

People were scared. For when the clock struck 12, who knew what would happen? The computers hadn't been properly prepared for this. There was talk of some large cyber crash.

Me? I was on the happy side of the scale. I lived in New Orleans at the time, and I'd planned to go back home to Atlanta to celebrate New Years Eve and spend a couple of days with my friends and family.

The plan was for myself and the hubby (who's the ex-hubby now) to drive up to the ATL on New Years Eve... we would go our own ways then meet back up and travel back home.
(Sorry man, but I wanted to hang out with my family and friends. I did NOT want to deal with his people. He was going to visit with my folks but after that he was on our own. I think that just lets you know right there that this marriage was not going to last).

Anyway, I think we left in the afternoon from New Orleans. It was a 6 hour drive. I remember that much. So somehow, that would put us in the Atlanta metropolitan area around nine or ten o'clock. Enough to get there for the New Year.

Sounds like a plan, doesn't it?

A good one indeed.

Anyway, I was going to spend the night at LadyTee's place up in Union City.

And that LadyTee said what she always said:

"Hey girl, be careful rolling through Coweta County. The cops be up through there, and they will pull you over!"

"Coweta County make that money, honey," she said. "Coweta County make that cheese!"

"Whatever, man," I said. "Bump Coweta County. I've never gotten a ticket. And don't plan on getting one now."

"Alright, I'm just saying," she said.

And I didn't plan on getting a ticket.

So we headed out of New Orleans, and headed to Atlanta.

I like to follow other cars when driving long distance. If someone else is speeding, I figure they will get clocked before me. If several of us are flying, then they can't stop everybody. And there's my standby of always making sure someone is going faster than me.

This worked well. And as a matter of fact, that New Years eve of 1999 was a GOOD traveling day. I hadn't seen one cop all the way up into Georgia. How the heck does that happen during a holiday period? I have no idea.

Yeah I was feeling good, rolling hard... and listening to my Erika Badu CD. I started out driving, and Oldboy was suppose to take over. But I was cool. I wasn't sleepy or anything, so he let me continue driving...

... while he slept in the reclined passenger seat of his gray thunderbird with the tinted windows.

Then... I saw the sign.

COWETA COUNTY

I thought about what LadyTee said for a split second. Interestingly enough, I was the only one on the freeway. There were lights way behind me and some way out front.

I was just a singing, eating some chips, rolling hard up a hill and over a hill...

And then I saw them in the darkness in the rearview mirror:

Flashing blue lights.



It was the police.

"Shit," I yelled. I looked down at the speedomometer. It read 85 mph. I hit the steering wheel with my fist. "Shit!"

(excuse the Cuss words. The Good Book of cuss flew open freely so long ago. Not so much now.)

"What's wrong," a snoozing Oldboy mumbled.

"It's the police. I think they clocked me."

"Pull over, then," he said.

"Ugh! I don't believe this," I said as I slowed down and moved over towards the shoulder of the freeway. "Ugh."

Of course he was pulling me over. He pulled up behind me.

I looked over at Oldboy all laid out in the passenger seat like he was in a comfy bed. His hair was all braided up. He had a stocking cap on. He had a tongue ring and multiple earrings in his ears. He had on a white t-shirt and some sweats.

"Ah hell," I yelled. "Look at you, hair all braided up, with your earrings on! Look at you! You look like a criminal! We're going to jail tonight!"

"Girl calm down," he said.

"At least let the seat up," I said.

"No," he shot back. "You need to calm down."

We continued to sit there. I squinted up at the rearview mirror. The blue lights were still swirling. The cop was still in his car. "What's taking so long?"

"He's running the plates," Oldboy said. "Don't worry, he'll be over here soon."

I was still scowling and complaining.

Then I gasped.

"Oldboy," I whispered.

"What?" he said, his voice tinged with irritation.

"The gun. The gun. There's a gun in the car."

I heard a door slam, and saw the cop walking to the car.

"The gun. We got a gun in the car," I said a little louder.


The gun. I suddenly remembered it was there. When Oldboy first got in the car, when we were leaving New orleans, he lifted his shirt and removed it from his waist. He shoved it down between the armrest and the seat. I remember wondering why he needed it. It didn't matter at the time. We had guns all over our apartment and he always carried one.

"What about the gun? We got a gun in the car!!"

"So," Oldboy said. "I have a permit for it."

[Looking back all these years later, I simply don't believe that. We had a TON of guns in the house. He always said he had permits. I never saw one permit].

"You need to calm down," he said.

"They're going to search the car!" I whispered. "And we going to jail!"

"No we're not. You gonna give him your license and the insurance and get your ticket."

He was so calm. I wanted to slap him.

The officer leaned down and shined his BRIGHT flashlight in the window straight into my face.

"Yes, officer?"

"Do you know how fast you were going?" the officer asked.

"Oh, 85 miles per hour," I said.

The officer just stared at me... increduously.

He took my license and insurance information and headed back to his car.

The officer didn't even look at or say anything to Oldboy, who was sitting in the passenger seat looking like the poster child for Thug Life. This was Coweta county. The name "coweta" sounds like some craziness in itself. Maybe nothing was said because it was a black cop.

"Why did you tell him how fast you were going?" Oldboy asked.

"Because he asked me."

"You were supposed to say 'No officer, I had no idea how fast I was going.'"

"Whatever," I said. "He didn't have to stop me."

We waited for what felt like forever.

"I'm ready to go!" I said. "What's taking so long?"

"He's running the information."

The longer we waited the angrier I got.

"Man, we got this gun in this car. I oughta shoot him. That's what I should do. Shoot that fool." I put my hand on the gun wedged between the armrest and the passenger seat.

Oldboy let his seat up then. He was alert then. "You'll do no such thing, girl. If you do, I will be out here on the ground cradling his head hollering, telling the other cops 'her name is LadyLee and she went that way. She at LadyTee's house."

"I oughta shoot this fool," I continued ranting. "Gonna stop me for speeding? I oughta shoot him."

Oldboy put his hand on my arm. "Calm down," he said. "Just calm down."

Another police car pulled up behind the police car that stopped us.

"Wait," I whispered loudly. "It's another police car. They gonna search our car."

"No they aren't. He's checking on the other officer. Just calm down."

I listened to Oldboy. He was a former cop. I suppose he knew what he was talking about, even though he was looking very crazy at the time.

I remained calm and took the ticket from the officer. He wrote me up for doing 90 in a 70 mph zone.

Sigh.

We were THREE exits away from our exit. THREE. I drove there slowly and was knocking on her door some 20 minutes later. I walked in talking much trash."

"Girl, that doggone Coweta County! They stopped me! I got a ticket!"

LadyTee laughed. "I tried to tell you. They be all up and down through there. Coweta County gonna make that cheese. Especially tonight!"

"And she had the nerve to get mad and talk about shooting the police with my gun," Oldboy chimed in. "I told her I would send them right up here to your house, Tee."

"And I would've turned her in," she said. "She my girl, but I ain't going to jail over her taking a cop out."

And I'm sure she wouldn't, either.

LOL.

I had a good time in Atlanta despite my ticket. I checked on the ticket fine later on that week.

$300.00

Ugh. That HURT.

You know what? And I tell people this all the time...

It is like taking $300 in cash and lighting a match and burning it up. That is how it felt.

I had to save that money up. $75 a paycheck.

WOW.

I haven't gotten another ticket since then. Until now. A cheaper ticket, but it still hurts. That is money wasted.

And a lesson learned.

Whenever I see the sign "COWETA COUNTY", I slow down... even to this day.

I don't want any more thoughts of shooting cops flying through my mind.

Ever again.

A Frickin' Ticket! (Doggonit Lucy)

Look at this:



I got stopped by the police!

I got a ticket!

A frickin' ticket!

O_O

I've been around the house looking for this ticket. I finally found it. It was in my purse. The problem is, I rarely carry my purse. Go figure.

Anyway, I got that ticket in the great state of Alabama during Memorial day weekend.

It was ten o'clock on a pretty Sunday morning. There was a nice breeze blowing. The sunroof was open and I had my Jill Scott playing and I was eating a not-so-good grits, egg and cheese scrambler for breakfast.

It was all quite a smurfy scene, I tell you.

The only problem was that I was doing 68 mph in a 45 mph zone.

"Shame on you!" everybody yells. "Shame on you for going that fast."

Wait a minute, wait a minute, wait a minute.

Let's correct that. The 45 mph speed limit was on the freeway. On I-20 east!

Ugh!

Can you say speed trap? On a holiday weekend? On the border of AL and GA? 

Wow! I think someone was trying to make quota!

I remember frowning up at the speed limit sign and wondering "Why on earth is the speed limit 45 mph?"

People were flying around me. I got caught going over a hill. I was singing along to my riding music, my Jill Scott, and I saw the flashing blue lights behind me.

"He's not trying to stop me," I said, as I ate a spoonful of the scrambler I bought from Krystles. "No, not me."

I kept going, and he was fast on my tail. I pulled over in between some of the orange and white construction barrels. That in itself just doesn't sound like a safe thing to do. Humph.

He eased up to the side of my car and tapped on my passenger window. He looked all in the car, like I was up to something. *lee mean mugging, trying to look hard*

"Where you coming from?" he asked.

"From Birmingham. I went to check on my Mama. She just had surgery."

Okay. This was a lie. Sort of.

Play Mama just had some surgery back in April. And I went to hang out and check on her. I asked her how she was doing. She said she felt alright. And she really was doing alright. I could tell this from my stretched out position on the couch, you see. The chick was darting around, moving to and fro, very fast. So I guess she was okay.

So technically it was the truth. Overall, I thought that it would get me some sympathy.

But I was driving AWAY from Alabama and to Atlanta.

So I wasn't suppose to be in a rush. Might have made more sense if I was rolling from ATL to Birmingham.

Hmm...

The officer just cocked his head to the side and looked at me.

I wanted to ask him how he caught me.  Turns out he has a rearview mounted camera. 

That's different.  Never heard of it. Gotta remember that one!!

Anyway, he goes on questioning me. I ended up saying I was trying to pass somebody. He was done talking to me then. He went to his car and checked out my information.

And he gave me a ticket! *tears*

"Doggonit, Lucy! You were going too fast!" I said as I slapped my steering wheel. "Doggonit Lucy!!

Pam the Protege has never gotten a ticket. Me and Pam been hanging for 12 years. Now here come Lucy the Lexus, only 4 months with me, coming with this foolishness. Humph.

I slowed down after that. I set my cruise control at around 3 mph above the speed limit.

Even though jokers were passing me left and right. UGH.

Now, I like to follow people when I drive long distance. I focus on someone going fast, keep them way out in front of me. And it helps if someone is following me. I prefer a whole line of cars going fast.

ALL those people got pulled over too. I saw them further down the road... pulled over. HA!

So I guess that strategy doesn't work too well. Sigh.

I asked the officer how much the ticket would be. I was thinking around $500, like in the city of ATL. He said it wouldn't be that much. And he kept talking. *ladylee not paying any more attention to him*

I checked the cost of the speeding ticket: $161.00.

That'll work!

Anyway, this reminds me of a FUNNY story I wanted to post. The speeding ticket here was my second speeding ticket.

The first ticket was 12 years ago.

Make sure you go to the bathroom, because the story of how it went down is so funny that it might make you pee on yourself.

(Yeah, I'm talking to Dee in San Diego and Lisa B. You chickens like funny stuff. And when yall get to laughing too hard, well...).

That story will be dedicated to That Southern Black Gal... because I think she will appreciate it!

Stay tuned.

Wordless Wednesdaay: Typical Workday Eats

Lawn Care Blues

One thing I've really disliked over the years is lawn care.

The biggest reason is that, even though we are descended from a tropical people and from slaves...

I don't like working hard outdoors in the heat.

And these are days where us black folk have "come up", i.e., ain't being forced to work in the fields.

Or in the yard.

But my yard man cut out on me. I gave him 6 bucks to sweep and gather leaves from around my front steps.

He is the type to duck and dodge a person over something like that.

6 dollars.

And he began acting funny when I bought another car.

Sir, Lucy the Lexus is 13 years old. She is not new. Dude acting like I went out and bought a 2013 Benz.

And even if I did go out and buy a 2013 Benz (which I can afford to do), it's my perogative. Period.

You know me. The LAST thing I'm worried about is people's approval.

And I wanted a second car. If anybody got a problem with that, they can go jump in a lake.

A very... very... deep lake.

I'm talking deep lake with no bottom.

And it is also compounded by the fact that I rarely answer the door. You don't call, or you don't catch me roaming around outside my house... well, you won't be seeing an Oldgirl. Sorry.

I've seen him out cutting grown men's yards. Humph. That's interesting.

So with that said, I've had to commence to cutting my own grass and keeping up my own yard.

It has been a delight!  And my yard isn't that big. A couple hours of work every 2 or 3 weeks and I'm good. I have been even thinking about planting some flowers. (thinking about it)

My bushes were getting a little rough.  So I had to work on those...

I like to get up EARLY on a Saturday morning. So early that folks are still asleep. And they wake up hollering...

"What the world? Who is that out there making up all that noise all early in the morning!?!?!?!"

It is me... Your Friendly Neighborhood Oldgirl LadyLee!

Now go back to sleep!!

LOL

Here is a pic of the front of the house.

Me and Cowgirl Cre were talking about this.  She doesn't like high bushes around the porch. One of her relatives was mugged going into the house.

"I rarely use the front door," I said. "A sucka waiting to jump me gonna have to wait a while to catch this Oldgirl."

I go in through the back of the house, as my garage is in the rear of the house.

But my bushes were still a bit ragged. I would like to get them as low as my neighbors, but I would need a chainsaw for that, and I don't know how to use a chainsaw NOR do I trust myself with one. Nope.

So I settle for a nice shaping.

That was the best I could do. They are not even on both sides. I wasn't trying to do all that. Mess around and mess up my shrubs for real, lol.

You can see better here what I did....

Before:

After:



I spent some time cleaning the banister and rails. So it is all nice and white now.

You can tell I am up early. The sun is rising in the east. I like how the sun rays beam so lovingly upon the shrubs.

My coworker Lieutennant By asked if I used the hedge clippers there to clip my bushes.

"Heck no, man!" I hollered. "Is you crazy? I used electric hedge clippers."

(He's the same one who suggested I paint the fence in the backyard. I wanted to smack him for suggesting that).

Shoot. The first time I tried to clip hedges, I used the ones there on the banister... and I almost fell out and over into the bushes fooling with those thangs. I IMMEDIATELY drove at high speed to Home Depot and bought some electric ones for $30. Saves a ton of time and energy.  A ton!

So afterwards, I cut the grass and brought out the trimmer and trimmed the yard and all around the house. I tend to spray and clean the front porch once a month, and I did that.  I was done at around 10 in the morning. You can't beat that. A couple of hours worth of yardwork before it gets to hot outside.

I do all this every three weeks, depending on the grass growth and how much it rains. If it rains alot, I have to do it every two weeks. Not a big deal. I can get through the whole summer on 2 gallons of gas for the lawnmower. I've only used half a gallon in the past two months, so you can't beat that!

The bushes and porch need cleaning once a month. All of that takes around half an hour.

I'm good as long as I have some good headphones and there are good songs on the Pandora stations!

When I finished, I went inside and took a nap.

I'd worked VERY hard that day.

Later that day, more like at 5 pm... I made my biweekly trip to the farmers market for fruit and veggies.  That was a good time.

All in all, it was a busy busy Saturday.

And a good one at that!

For me, the lesson in it all is one I learned within the past year....

How much time do I spend complaining about something I have to do, versus the amount of time I spend giving thanks for the strength and ability to do those same things?

We can look at the weight of each, in either direction, and determine the way things will go.

Ponder and chew on that for a minute.

(Yes, you can tell I am surrounded by complainers).

I gathered and understood that idea through some personal reading I've done. Maybe I'll come across a good sermon on it in the future (there have been so close ones already). It made me examine my life. I am literally going through a lot of my personal situations and just regular things I have to do or deal with on a routine basis, and pay close honest attention to if I'm complaining about it, and work on making a goal of finding a couple of positive things I can say about the situations. And I admit, it is hard. And I could tell what needed improvement, and what was going well... and getting better.

I can no longer complain about yard work.  Nope. I actually look forward to it. Especially if I'm feeling well.

Hmm... so this post shouldn't be titled "Lawn Care Blues"...

Should it?

Dance Recital!

I attended a pretty exciting dance recital this past Sunday, held by the Paisley Academy School of Performing Arts.

Commander Meek-Meek, my coworker, had an extra ticket. So I decided to go (after she texted and reminded me, lol).

I enjoyed every minute of it.

There was a group called the The Georgia Spirituality Singers (I think that's their name).

Man, they could sing some negro spirituals. Felt like I was transported back in time when the slaves picked cotton down by the riverside. I need for them to do a whole concert. I would surely attend!

And then there were the actual dances. I think each class did 2 or 3 dances. Which meant we were there a good 3 hours. But it was well worth it to see the 3 and 4 year old "Leap and Learn" dancers, as well as the more advanced dancers.  I didn't get great pictures.

I really liked the one above. They danced to Wade in the Water, a dance routine commonly done by the Alvin Ailey dance company.

Thanks for the free ticket, Commander! Call me anytime! I'll be there with a strong handclap! :)

Someday I will attend an Alvin Ailey dance show. I surely will.

Until then, I will enjoy them on Youtube!

The Big Hand...

So, a few weeks ago, when leaving my writing workshop out in Buckhead, I missed my turn onto the freeway. I turned down a side street with the hope of turning around. I pulled into a parking lot and saw this:

*ladylee staring out the window... jaw dropped completely*

A big illuminated hand... in the middle of a parking lot.

I drove around the structure, which had to be a good 4 to 5 stories tall, and took pictures.

And you know how scary I am.

"Let me get out of here before ET and a spaceship show up."

I sped out of the parking lot, not looking back.

I still don't know what that's about.

Strange.

Strange indeed.

Holding Court

So.. I was at my local hood eatery a couple of weeks ago (which I won't name), and I saw this gentleman sitting at a table.

I snapped a photo on the sly... because I didn't want to get shot right there in the store.

I showed the picture to coworkers CowgirlCre and Lady Lifetime, and asked them what they thought it was.

"Looks like somebody in a lab coat," they said.

We are lab workers. White outfit means lab coat.

"No," I said. "He has on a white t-shirt and white shorts. And he's selling bootleg DVDs."

Now you see why I took the picture on the sly.

And he's doing it all out in the open. He's sitting at the front of the store holding court, i.e., he has his wares spread out, a portable DVD player available for the customer to check out the merchandise, and he has it where the customer can sit and peruse it all.

Holding Court!

I looked over at the asian folks who owned the place. They didn't seem to care.

I don't know if I blame them. All I know is that they got the good real onion rings, and they were hooking mine up.

LOL.

But it's despicable, dude sitting there at the front of the store selling DVDs.

I know the emission place right next door, which consists of a big white oval tent and a bay to drive your car up in... well, they sell bootleg DVDs too. They MAKE you take a seat while you wait on your car and they throw a big DVD holder in your lap...

... and allow you to peruse while your emissions is being done.

ONLY in the hood, ya'll. Goodness.

I remember sitting there quietly, waiting for them to finish... and pretending I was interested in the bootleg DVDs in the holder on my lap. There had to be at least 100 of them. And I looked through them all.

At the same time, frightened that the police would run up in there and raid the place.

*ladylee prepared to throw the DVD holder to the floor*

LOL

I didn't buy bootleg DVDs that cold February day. I looked at the passed emissions form for Pam the Protege and asked the dude if it was legit.

He looked at me like I was crazy.

I'm just saying, the whole emissions set up looked suspect to me. I took my form to the DMV... and got my tag. So I will be using these fellas, who charge $17.95 from now on.

But back to the entrepeneur in the restaurant.

He was selling DVDs. People would sit down and peruse and buy. AND dude was on the phone fielding orders.

"I can be on the corner with that DVD in about 10 minutes."

Sigh.

Despicable!

I was there for a good 5 minutes.

Watching all of this go down.

And I had the urge to lean over and holler

"Hey bruh, do you have that Snow White and that Huntsman movie? It ain't out yet, but if you got it, I'll buy it!"

LOL!

No way! I didn't do that. You know how scary I am.

Besides, the movie is out right now, and I might as well go see it.

Don't care for the low quality bootleg!

LOL

Ah yes... only in the hood can one hold court.... and get away with it.

Rainy Monday Morning...The Deeply Psychological Edition.

It is raining...

On a Monday morning...

In my beloved ATL.

*ladylee twirls with an umbrella in the rain*

Yeah right.

I hustled my tail right on in this workplace here this morning. Umbrella would not go up. O_o

I got wet.

Ugh!  My goodness.

I was so looking forward to a picturesque blogging week. Alas, that may not happen. My smartphone tore up on me on Friday. I spent half the day Saturday trying to get that fixed. Turns out some cable shredded in it (not sure how that happened), and they had to order me another one. And get this... it is on back order so I will have it in 10 DAYS.

That was funny. They gave me a loaner phone. Some little bootleg non-smartphone thing. I feel like I've gone from driving a Mercedes to a Yugo. It is definitely taking some time to get use to.

It all makes me ponder on how priviledged we are. I am not upset about it, but I am inconvenienced. I need to figure out how to download my numbers stored elsewhere, and I can't remember my gmail account password, etc. I lost whatever wasn't saved on my chip (whatever you call it).

Oh so inconvienced.

But like I said.. it always makes me ponder, this whole cell phone/internet issue. Most of us have a conniption fit if these things go out for any length of time.

Yet we can go sit in a restaurant and not worry about someone coming in and blowing it up. 

Those things happen, but not as often as in some other countries. You have to admit that much.

Amazing how we are so psychologically dependent on the niceties. Always amazes me.

How on earth does that happen. I mean, 20 years ago, I didn't have a computer, much less the laptop and netbook and tablet that I have. And I am temporarily O_O when anything isn't working... or working as fast as I'd like it.

I was watching something on television one day about the art of coming up with witty inventions, and the person was saying that you should always try to come up with something that is a necessity.

Better yet, one should come up with something that is a psychological necessity. 

And you must admit... all our personal electronics, even facebook and twitter...

Man, it is all a psychological neccesity to the 100the degree.

DEEPLY psychological.

Really though.

Quote of the week.  I will thinking about this one for awhile. From Joel Osteen's Sunday program.

"Everyone has a opinion and has the right to that opinion. Likewise, you have a right to not listen to it. If what they are saying to you doesn't line up or confirm what God has placed on your heart, let it go in one ear and straight out the other."

You got that right, Sir. Sho you right.

That was a really good sermon about how we are waaaaaay caught up in what other people think about us. To the point that that is all we are concerned about. We should get busy pursuing our own passions and purposes. Interesting.

He even touched on one of my favorite sayings: Don't share your dreams with everyone.

You know how I say it: "Don't share your uncommon dreams with common people."

That's because people will find a way to ridicule and shoot your dreams down.  I'm the exact opposite. My eyes glaze over when someone tells me some dream they have - at the mere thought stage,  You know, when they are rolling that thing around in their mind and they just need someone to talk to about it. That is a most cherished place to be.  What an honor for someone to share such with me.

And then to see this thought, this seed, it come into manifestation in there life... WOW. Let's just say I have a serious habit of placing some offfering in their offerning plate. Sho nuff. For I, LadyLee, was allowed to stand by and watch it all happen and unfold... from thought stage. 

That is deeply psychologicallly...

My offering to them is my way of me saying... AMEN, HONEY! 

And of course, it gives me the faith to pursue my dreams, too. I am thankful for that.

But if you know what I know, suckers don't like to see you do well.  If you remotely even think about doing something different from the general group ways of doing things... people got isshas with that.  I don't follow the crowd, and I rarely deal with people who follow the crowd. I like individuals. I like to be able to tell you from the next person.

I do believe, if we examine those people closely... they aren't even in touch with who they are. They are however QUICK to criticize your dreams and motivations. They are experts in the affairs of others, yet are not taking care of their own shaky affairs.

I cannnot STAND that.  It is all deeply psychological. 

Such folks will send people in the wrong directions. When a little encouragement may have made the difference.

I would never want to knock anyone off their paths in life. And you know how I feel about paths.

Let me be quiet, because I can go on and on...

Let me just say that it is a treasure when you find people who will encourage you to follow your dreams.  A treasure indeed.  NEVER take that for granted.

Oh well.

Yes indeed.  I don't usually watch Pastor Joel, but I happen to catch him yesterday. He made this Oldgirl think about a few things.

And that's a good thing.

That is it for today. I need to be VERY creative to come up with some blog posts without many pictures. I may have to rehash some old ones.

Either that or a complete Food-for-Thought blowout bonanza.

We don't want that. I need some smurfiness up in this joint!

LOL!

You all have a good week... on purpose.

Friday!

No, I haven't abandoned my blog.

I haven't been posting, though.

And I have a TON of posts. It's just a beast loading up pictures. Takes longer to do that than to actually write a post.

I could do a bunch of pictureless food for thought posts. I could do those all day long, but uh... goodness. That gets to be too much.

So this weekend I will be loading up a bunch of pictures. I had a great 5 day holiday weekend. It went by so fast. I was proud of myself for not crying out of control upon returning to work. I felt alright (suprisingly). I must be maturing a bit. And that's a good thing.

Anyway, I will leave it at that.

And I will leave you with some recent pictures of my nephews, Milk and Cookies Jr and Milk and Cookies 3.0.

And here's a picture of them with their Daddy!

Ha ha! Look at the look on the baby's face! And look at those lips! LOL

And Senior and Junior know they be cheesing hard. Turn down the wattage, guys!

I thought those were cute pictures.

Well, I've had a good short workweek, and I am definitely looking forward to the weekend!

I'm going to have a good one! On purpose!