Friday Freestyles

It is Friday!!!

Freestyles Friday!!!

I don't know what all those exclamation points are about. I am NOT that excited that it is Friday.

It's been hot as hell in my beloved ATL this week. The temps have been in the mid 80s, but it's not all humid out. That's a good thing. That heat plus the humidity ain't no joke, honey. At least it's not cold and raining.

It's the last day of the month ya'll. You do realize that the year is 41.7 percent over, right? That means you better get those new year's revolutions done. Lickety-split! Before you know it, we'll be hollering "MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!"

*throws glitter*

I am bone tired today. I slept okay last night, but I am tired. I had my writing class, and all the driving to get out there has me a bit O_O.

These past two weeks, there has been some straight RATCHETNESS going on when attempting to make the hour trip from downtown Atlanta to beautiful Stone Mountain for class.

Look at the mountain! Ain't it lovely??

Well. You can hardly see it.  Looks like you can see that Citgo gas station a little better. But it is there, just above the tree line. And it is indeed lovely.

Anyway, last week there was a restaurant fire on my route. This week, I got stuck behind a slow MARTA bus that stopped to let people on and off. It was like a funeral procession. I shot around the bus, and lo and behold, there was a wreck! And it blocked the whole entire street! Ambulances and fire trucks.

Hope whoever who got busted up in that accident is alright. Goodness!

So I was late to class. I don't usually flow on CP (colored people) time, but it has been that way the past couple of weeks. It is taking an hour and a half to get there.

It looks like in order to get there at 7:00 pm, I need to leave downtown ATL by 5:15 pm or so.

But it is worth it. I enjoy the instructor, the class exercises, and the whole tone of the class. There is a nice mix of people. It is not judgmental in nature, but I am learning much from the constructive criticism.  Plus I met a really cool sister who can write her tail off. I finished reading her 600 PAGE book, and I was a bit miffed when it ended because it was THAT good.

I don't buy books on paper anymore, because I get it all electronic. I like this ebook thing. Yes Lord.

But uh, this sister? I ordered her book. I want to hold it in my hand and smell the pages. I want to read it again.

And I told her a couple of times... "I want a book so I can get your autograph!"

Yeah, I was really saying "Don't get the notion not to come to class! Don't let me find you! I want your autograph!"

Ya'll know how I can "stalker stan" some negroes. Just ask my favorite author Tayari Jones.

Mmm-Hmmm....

LOL!

I will write a very full, very long review of Solomon's Blues by the GREAT Josephine Garner next week sometimes...

*ladylee bows so low before Josephine that LadyLee's lips touch the ground*

That was a good book. Man oh man.

I like being in that class with Josephine. It's like being in the class with a young Tony Morrison.

Really though.

Grandma.  Man... we had a scare yesterday.

So my sister called me at work yesterday and was sounding kind of down. And she said "Grandma is about to pass."

"What?!!" I replied.

"Mama say the doctor and the chaplain are in the room. She is about to pass."

O_O

Well, I left and went down to the hospital. I am only a few blocks away (I work in midtown, and her hospital is in midtown). I hightail it up there. Kentucky has to hightail it all the way from way out in the southside suburbs.

I get to the hospital, and Grandma is sitting there on the side of her bed with her hands in her lap.

*crickets*

"Hey there," I said.

She waved.

And I look over at my mother. And I automatically think... "This is some of your ol' bull....."

Kentucky arrives. And she is looking a little distraught and confused, just like me. She asks if she can talk to me out in the hall.

She said our mother was hollering about grandma is about to pass. My sister and mother had been fussing that morning.

*blink*blink*

Now this right here? This pissed me COMPLETELY off. I am NOT trying to be caught up in all this tomfoolery. If you have read this blog for any length of time, you know that I do not fool with my dramatic mother. Only when I have to. I have to do all I can to support my sister's desire to maintain some semblance of relationship with our mother, and even she is getting to the point (that interesting 30 something age) where she is realizing that she don't have to put up with this crap from her.

My sister apologized for any confusion caused, and she said she would pay my parking. I told her that was alright. No need. I was livid that she had to rush all the way downtown from so far away.

I know my mother is exasperating her something awful, but they need to leave me out of that crap! I had to tell my sister "Dude! You know I don't get down with all this bullshit!!!"

Excuse my language, ya'll. But man... She will NOT be stressing me out. She can stress my sister out if she wants, but I don't have time for this.

And the thing is, my sister told Mama to call everybody if that is the case. Our Mama is pissed with her siblings, so she doesn't want to call them.

O_O

Boy. I tell you... Ya'll need to keep your friendly neighborhood Oldgirl LadyLee from digging up her Big Black Book of Cuss and knocking SOMEBODY upside the head with it. 

Somebody. Please. Hold. Me. Back.

My goodness.

My sister and I had a very spirted whispery conversation in the hallway. I needed to kick or hit something. But I didn't. I calmed down.

I'm just trying to remain calm. And that means staying as FAR away from all of them as possible. FAR. If I could stowaway on a ship to China I surely would... just to get away from this mess.

But... I want to see my Grandma. And when I was there yesterday, she was quiet. That's not like her. My mother is stressing her. Sigh.

Before my sister got there, Grandma was up walking around with her physical therapist, learning to use her walker.

One good thing happened while I was there. I talked to her physical therapist. That dude has the calmist voice I've ever heard. What's up with that? Jenny, who reads this blog, is a therapist. She has a very calming soothing voice.  Do ya'll take a class in that? Wow!

Anyway, I need a physical therapist. I copped his phone number.

I've been needing one for a couple years. I am really upsetting my doctor with my slow ways.

But this guy is downtown, and I think he can track down exactly who I want and what I want it for. i need someone who works with lupus patients. I need some stretching exercises to go along with my walking. I need to get back to the point where I can turn some wide swooping cartwheels, you see. LOL

And that's a good thing, meeting him. And he's like, a minister or something. That was the positive out of my visit to the hospital yesterday.

And oh yeah... I decided to go to the hospital after my writing class... I got there at 10:30 pm last night.  And grandma was awake. And that lady... she talked non-stop. She talked my ear off! 

I am glad that she could talk unfiltered, and not be muzzled by my mother.

We had the best time. I sat there and crocheted. She has the softest soprano voice, so I had to pull a chair real close to her bed just to listen. She talked of how I took her to the Gladys Knight Chicken and Waffles place long time ago, since it is near her hospital. She remembered my phone number from 20 years ago (I thought she was trying to give me the next cash 3 or cash 4 lotto number).  She talked about some things we did together back in the 70s, when I was a little girl, and I was the only grandchild.

She talked and talked and talked.

The nurse came in and gave her her shot and medicine. And grandma kept on talking.

I remember last year she said to me "I need to be quiet because I talk to much."

I told her "No you don't. You keep talking. There may be a day when you can't talk. So you talk while you can talk. Talk about anything and everything you feel like talking about."

I wanted to tell her "Don't you pay no attention to my Mama. You know she is ratchet! She on that ol' bull....."

I had the best time with Grandma, the hour that I was there with her. She didn't even want me to leave, but I had to get on home and get ready for bed. 

I grabbed her hands and we prayed together.  I gave her a hug and a kiss and I left.

I wish I had a change of clothes so I could stay down there with her and sleep on the couch. But I don't want to run into her any of her kids and their tomfoolery.

I was happy for the stolen hour of time alone I had with her.

My sister has been down there with her too... She is telling my sister all kinds of interesting things. My sister is getting some good revelation on the "why" behind our ratchet family dynamics, and she is passing it along to me.  That's good. I guess Grandma has some things to get off her chest in these last few twilight days.
I got home around 11:45 pm. Oscar-Tyrone was looking a HOT mess because he hadn't eaten since morning. I fed him and then I went on to bed. I think I finally fell asleep around one in the morning.

Retirement.  Congrats to my workplace securtiy guard Ms. Hillery on her retirement!

Go head on, honey. Get on out of this workplace and enjoy your golden years. Oh yeah!

You know, I rarely see her because she works the front desk. I enter the workplace from the back way, the back loading dock. But she was always kind to me. And you NEVER heard a bad word about her. She was a good hard worker and a mother figure to some of the other security guards. (I loved hearing them talk about her, and the good advice and wisdom she offered).

I think that is a strong attribute --- when people smile when they hear your name, and have nothing but great things to say about you. That is worth more than silver and gold indeed. Yes it is.

I went and sowed a nice size seed into her life and told her to enjoy her retirement.

"It's your last day! Don't you work too hard, honey!" I hollered.

She nodded and laughed. And went on and did her work like she usually do!

That really made my day. I was in a funk for a couple hours yesterday, but I have been all good since.

Let the good of the day put the fires of the day completely out!

Video of the week.  I LOVE this song. It's one of my favorites. One fo the early bootleg videos.

"Maybe" by the Three Degrees.



I remember the first time I heard that song. I was rolling down Old National Highway in the pouring down rain and this song came on. I remember thinking "Who the heck is this with all this long preamble with all this talking? When these chicks gonna start sanging the song?"
I love that song now. VERY DRAMATIC. The video is bootleg as all get out.

That's the type of song that make you want to drank some good strong brown liquor with no ice. And smoke a good unfiltered cigarette. Or a blunt.

Just crying-in-your-drank type of music.

My supervisor like this type of song. Sad and drunk and begging some man... I need to send it to her. She would eagerly be a backup sanger in this song... swaying left to right, sanging the chorus... with her glass of brown liquor in her hand.

LOL

I have a big weekend ahead. I hope it's a good one.

You have a good weekend.... by your own design, and not by default... and ON PURPOSE!