Friday Night Fights: The 50 Edition

 Another week has gone by... 

And I am still at the house. And I am at the point of just accepting things right now. 

This pandemic is NOT my fault is my constant mantra. And I think it is sinking in. 

You know what felt good this week? It is that I have my work review coming up and I had a FULL page of accomplishments. A full page. I got work done while teleworking. And that made me feel good indeed. 

Also, I had some good meals this week. I am working on my meals being 75% vegetables. Not sure how that is working out. All I can do is TRY. 

Happy 50th Birthday! Two Icons celebrate birthday #50 this week... 

Mary J. Blige and Regina King! 

I knew they were close to my age, but I didn't know they were 50 like me! OH JOY!

I so look forward to what the future holds for both of these ladies! 

Meal of the Week: Another juicy salad. 

This is one of my go to meals during the pandemic. And it is not only tasty, but so good for me :)

Glory!! 

Song of the Week. I haven't been listening to to much music, as my eyes have been glued to the television like everybody else. All this ish going on is BANANAS. Ugh.

Anyway, more Busta Rhymes... with Bell Biv Devoe

 

I love the '90s feels I get from this video.

So everyone in this video is 50 years old or older. Why do they all look so young!? 

Oh what a joy to be 50!

That is it for the week. My goal is to post more this year. I have been very bored, and I am posting on Facebook, which means I need to pay more attention over in these parts!

Have a great 3 day weekend! On purpose! 

Friday Freestyles

It is Friday!

I WISH it was PAYDAY.

But it isn't.

BUT it is a federal holiday, which means, I don't have to go to work. Or, these days, it means I don't have to walk to the dining room table and turn on my laptop and check my emails and attend meetings and webinars... Sigh.

So this doesn't feel like a holiday. I will make myself some ribs and potato salad tomorrow and see how that works out. But oh well.

Just ready for all this to be over. Because 2020 so far has been... *blank stare*

The second half of the year is upon us!! My goodness, I wish we could just skip the next 6 months and hit 2021 already. I am ready to holler Happy New Year! But alas, that's not going to happen. I think right now, the way everything is going, we all need to just make it to next year, ALIVE.

I just pray that the rest of the year that we level up.

Level up, y'all! That means that we literally get our sh*t together. Take what is going on seriously! Get a plan! Wear a mask, socially distance, something! I don't know the solutions. All I can do is pray, and right now, prayer is everything.

But on a good note, I finally scored some cheap hand sanitizer and wipes.

So maybe things are looking up. Who knows.

And I have to admit, I am SHOCKED that all this confederate statue controversy is going on.  Sorry ya'll we got other ish to worry about, like this covid. Yes, if they can come down, then they come down. But Lord have mercy, can we get this virus mess under control.

Besides, I like how this one statue is being reconsidered...

Yeah... shine a light on the statues.

Song of the Week. I haven't been listening to much music lately. There has been more mindless TV and a good bit of writing. But there is one song that I have had on repeat much of the week. "Playing your game" by Barry White.



How long has Barry White been gone from us? Looking around on Wikipedia, I see that he died in 2003. So he's been gone 17 years?!?!?!? 17 years! Wow, that's a long time ago.

But I love that song. So lush. I think that song was made with his Orchestra. I just miss really good music like that. Sigh.

I don't have much of anything to write about right now. I'm just sitting around waiting... and waiting.. for all this to be done.

On a positive note. Really hoping our country will have some "Come to Jesus" moment.

On purpose.

Friday Freestyles

Friday!

And it is PaYdaY!

And it is not like I can go anywhere. I, as usual, imagined balling out of control. Then I dragged myself back to reality.  I sat down and paid my bills. Then I went to the store earlier this morning, just because I needed to pick up my prescriptions. While there, might as well do some shopping. I did not need much of anything since I did my grocery shopping this past Monday morning.

But I needed my meds. So I found my gloves, my mask, and my sanitizer. I wrapped my head up in a headscarf. Gotta do all that, because that corona is still bouncing around in these streets.

First I went to the beauty supply store. This is an adventure in itself, but this is the only place to find gloves. I bought four boxes and when I got to the register, they said the limit was one. I apologized, because I didn't see the sign. But they gave them to me anyway. This is the only place to buy them right now. I told them my aunt needed them for use with my bedridden uncle. So they told me to call beforehand next time, and they can make sure to set some aside for me. As many as I need. I thought that was nice of them. Because this is the hood. They could have easily called the police on me.

Ain't trying to mix it up with the police over some gloves. No sir. No ma'am.

They had some nice hair up in there, though. My hair is, like, an inch long right now. While in there, I learned you need different hair for long hair down your back and for bangs. Someone was in there in high discussion with them. That was my one new thing I learned today. (I learn something new everyday).

"Neighbors".  So I wrote about my loud neighbors earlier this week. I figured I needed to introduce myself to these people. It felt something like some family reunion type thing going on, so what's the hurt in introducing myself?

Well, it turns out that house next door is now an ai.rbn.b. (I am writing it that way so this won't come up in a search). They are just renting it. I was like OH! Then I pretty much lost interest. Why? Because that meant they would hopefully be gone soon.

I looked up the profile on a.irbn.b. There were quite a few rules they are breaking. Hmm

How about after I talked to them, the noise and commotion levels went down by around 90%?  Still too noisy for me, though. I live in a downtown hood, but it has been very quiet around here lately (save for the protest noise some two or three miles away), and I like it that way. So I will give them the benefit of the doubt... because they should be gone soon.

But how about one night this week, around 2 in the morning, someone was out there hollering about some $200 they were owed? Lawd, they had to be good and liquored up. It may have been a memory of someone owing them $200. It may have been that at 2 in the morning, they had come face-to-face with someone who owed them $200. I couldn't tell. I thought they were gonna give themselves a heart attack! I would've stuck my head out the door and yelled "Shut the hell up" if I could guarantee they wouldn't come for me.

I refuse to call the police. The police have problems. Ladylee is not trying to hear her voice on the 911 call on the news for days on end when the police shoot up the house and kill everybody. LadyLee is not 'bout to be out here singing and protesting and having vigils for people. NO. I can deal with some noise. I will not be trading a little noise for a lifetime of headache and regret. Hopefully they will be gone soon.

But you best believe I will be calling the owner, who moved somewhere a few months ago, and letting him know... look dude, I was nice, but uh... you better talk to your tenants. I am not dealing with this all summer. I am accustomed to quiet.

Book of the Week. So... one of my top 5 favorite authors, Brandon Massey, put out a novella!

So Brandon Massey always announces his new books on his Facebook Page. I, being the ultimate fan, go and buy it IMMEDIATELY. I think this one was a free novella. Look, he can charge $19.99 for a one page short story and I am ALL IN. I just love his writing. He is such an excellent storyteller. He can spin a tale with a gazillion twists and turns with the greatest of ease. And I am here for it! And I love-ed it!

This story is about a couple, Dante and Nicole, who are having problems in their marriage, and are thinking about divorce.  They decide to go on a little vacation to hopefully rekindle the romance. So they rent a beachfront a.irbn.b for a romantic getaway. Once they get settled in good, all hell breaks loose! The host has stolen many of their secrets, and it is some CRAZINESS! Can their relationship survive the madness? Hell, can THEY survive the madness?

It was a VERY good read. At only around 60 pages, I read it in a little over two hours. And as always with a Massey book, I sighed when I read the last page. I want his stories to go on and never stop.

Lawd have mercy, I cannot WAIT until he puts out a 1000 page book. I may just faint if he does that!

LOL

Song of the Week. For some odd reason, I've been listening to this song this week.

Salt-n-Pepa "How Long (Betcha got a chick on the side)"



I love that song. It reminds me of my old boyfriend Eli's maroon Ford Escort with the booming car stereo system.

But now, I play it when I'm getting ready for bed...

... or trying to get my masks, hand sanitizer, head wrap and gloves together to leave the house.

Not sure why I associated this song this week with these tasks, but I did. It sure brings back great memories.

That is IT for the week. I am glad it is Friday. I hope to have a decent weekend, even though I will be house bound. Life has pretty much opened back up this week, but I don't plan to venture out more until mid July or whenever they phase us back into the workplace.


Have a great weekend!

Good Friday Freestyles

Happy Friday!

Happy GOOD Friday!

Happy PayDay to ME!

Yes, this is a good Friday indeed. Alas, it is raining cats and dogs and frogs in the Atlanta. UGH.

And I am getting some new living room furniture, so I had to call a junk removal company to come get the old furniture.

Now, I could have just dragged it to the street. But no telling when City of Atlanta would pick it up. And there is NO way I wanted to be looking at a couch and chair sitting out next to the mailbox for two weeks. (Yes, I have seen peoples crap sitting out for that long).

I called Peachtree Junk Removal Service. And they showed up even in the rain. And they were all smiles like it was a sunny day.

Wow.

They were in and out of my house in 10-15 minutes. They even put on little booties over their shoes so they wouldn't jack up my carpet. They were really nice and prompt. I will be using them for my garage cleanout soon. GLORY.

I don't know how they did it all with a smile.

Now, the cats were all confused, especially Mitch.

He will figure it out. I placed a blanket on the floor so they could lay on it. And I placed a tennis ball in the middle of the floor. Maybe they will have a good time with all that empty space.

Otherwise it has been an uneventful day. And it is Friday, AND a payday, so the blinds of my mind are half closed. I got a couple of hours worth of stuff done, but that's about it. I will just go ahead and plan for next week. That's all I can do.

Song of the Week. I found a song by Andersen.Paak, on his new Ventura CD, that I absolutely LOVE.

"Come Home" (Featuring Andre 3000)



That song is AWESOME. I loved-ed it! And when Andre 3000 chimes in at the end... My goodness. I really miss him and Outkast in general.

That is it for me. I am not doing anything special for Easter. Haven't in years. I take time to pontificate the reason for the season. No new dress for me.

Have a good Friday and a Great Easter! On Purpose!

Fried Chicken Friday Freestyles

So look at this and guess what it is...

That's the bottom of the skillet I use for frying chicken.

And it's a hot mess.

It did not get like that overnight. I bought that skillet during the summer of 1991 from the local Big Lots store. So it had to be cheap. That comes from years and years, some 28 years, of not scrubbing the bottom of the pan with a brillo pad.

It's too late to be thinking about that now. I would think an afternoon with a chisel and rag would make it look a little better. But mind you, I have been fastidious about keeping the inside of the skillet clean.

So much so that it's no longer non-stick. It is dayum near shiny. So I gotta be careful what I cook in it.

Alas, it's best for frying chicken. And I pulled a couple of old photos from my blog where I have caught the sizzle of the chicken in the pan.

That's some good chicken. I do not remember that batch of chicken, but I must tell you, by faith, that that was some GOOD chicken.

(That chicken had another 30 minutes to go in the skillet before it's is turned up).

 Now, I have had bought several skillets over the past 28 years, but this skillet has lasted all these years. I thought about tossing it, but I will keep it.

There is history there.

And it reminds me of the old skillets that my grandparents fried up chicken and pork chops in.

Now, I have a new skillet that I just LOVE. I bought it at the Target, not the Big Lots. I bought it, a small one and a large one, with my birthday monies. I have fried up some chicken in it, just once since I bought it on my birthday. I tend to sautee more veggies in it. I LOVED-IT it.

But I was washing it the other day and I noticed something.

Is the bottom of the skillet turning black?

I tried to scrub it clean with a brillo pad to no avail.

So will it crust up like the old one?

Only time will tell.

Friday Freestyles

It is Friday.

I WISH it was Pay Day.

But alas, it isn't.

Terrorist Attack 2019. You know, it was some ol' craziness being half awake and half asleep last night, with my television still on, and there's some newsflash about a terrorist attack on a mosque.

My first thoughts:

AGAIN!?!?!

My second thought:

Maybe I'm just dreaming.

But I woke up, and I wasn't. I tell you what... they get thrown into a tizzy if there is some Islamic terrorist acts taking place, but when these white men get out here acting a fool, they get all confused. And you know what and who I mean by "they". It is getting old and tired. But it will keep going on. Until they start addressing "domestic terrorism" by the majority, this will continue to happen.

And we will continue to become desensitized to it.

But until we focus on all of the issues it will keep happening...

And the same moot response will continue: My thoughts and prayers are with the families.

We need more than thoughts and prayers. I'm just saying.

And that's my 2 cents.

College scandal. This was hilarious. Because you know this has been going on FOREVER. And I have a couple of thoughts about it.

#1. All I know is, I better not hear another word about affirmative action. Nope. Not another word.

#2. So... one spends $1,000,000 to get their beloved child into a specific college. How 'bout you just donate the money to the school? That's the legal way to do things. But no, gotta be different. Your child is so WHACK that you gotta buy their way into school. Some of the million dollars could have been spent on tutors and test prep programs. Not to mention private schools. Sigh.

#3. Here is what is up... I spend a million dollars on my kid to fraudulently get them into the school of their choice. And now you want to bring charges concerning it. Listen, if I am that rich, DO YOU THINK I'M GOING TO PRISON?

No.

And that is my prediction. No one will go to prison for this. A slap on the wrist... and back to the yacht.

Song of the Day: On this day, 33 years ago, the song "Your Smile" by Rene and Angela was #1 on the charts.



That is a FANTASTIC song. And I always thought she was singing about her man. No, she was singing about her grandmother.

How cool is that.

And that is it for my Friday Freestyles.

Have a great weekend! On purpose.

First Friday Freestyles

It is the first Friday of the New Year.

I feel like I should be doing something special today. But it is cold outside. And it is raining. And that means I am not gonna be running these mean streets today.

Now I can handle the cold. I can even handle the rain. But both together? No ma'am. No sir.

Tomorrow will be much nicer. Sunshine for three days straight. But the bad news is that this is the end of "Staycation". I have to go to work on Monday, even in the midst of a gubment shutdown.

So I am still being held hostage. But I am a hostage that moves around and possibly gets a paycheck.

I still have the hostage look on my face, though.

You know, I just want it to be over, where everything goes back to normal. I do not want to go back to work with 10 people being in the building versus some 200 people in the building, the normal amount. It is just terrible. And I have been passively looking at the news, which needs to stop. Sometimes we just need a break, where we replace the emotionally draining craziness of the news with something positive. And I think that will be my goal this weekend. That will be my goal this SUNNY weekend.

I have much to do. I need a new battery for Pam the Protégé. The battery is dead. Oh yes, I tried to jump her off.

I jumped her and let here idle for some 20 minutes. I turned her off... and she would not crank back up. Alas, I need a new battery. It would be good to take that dead battery out, take it to the auto parts store, switch out for a new battery, and bring it back home. But I do not know right off hand where my tools are to do this. (I am sure they are around. I just rarely use tools, and I am not sure where I should look first).

My sister called the other day and said, "Lisa, batteries are expensive now. I thought they were $59.99. What happened?"

"It is called inflation, girl," I responded. "Pam's battery is $110, and Lucy Jr.'s battery is over $200. You and I are thinking of 1999 prices, because we rarely buy batteries."

Inflation is something else, ain't it?
I am thankful that I can go get a new battery. I just hope that is the only issue. Most likely it is.

I can purchase a slab of ribs from my favorite rib spot for $28. I found this out when I went to get a couple of slabs of ribs for a family gathering on my father's side a couple of months ago. I asked the cashier why they were so expensive?

"The last time I bought a slab, they were $14.95."

"How long ago was that?" she asked as she rang up my order.

"The year 1992."

*blink blink*

Both she and I had a GREAT laugh behind that one. That was funny.

Yes, the prices of those ribs have gone up in the last 26 years. Go figure.

What is interesting is that we do not notice these things. It is so SUBTLE. And that's the way it has to be done.

Song of the week. My favorite song is by one of my neighborhood rappers JID. *throws up eastside Atlanta gang signs*. The song is titled "Off the Zoinkys".

Sorry, I could not track down a clean version. OH WELL.



That song is probably the most interesting appeal of "Just Say No" to drugs that I have heard in awhile. I love the production and beat structure too. Good song. Lay off the xans and lean and the cigarettes, ya'll. Mind needs to be clear, because we are a long way from Decatur, ya'll.

Right on.

And you know I like to go look up the samples. This song samples "I'm so Grateful" by the Crowns of Glory.



This song makes me see how FAR urban gospel music has come. This song is not shined up. It definitely sounds like something my Grandma would have listened to back in the day. Good song, though! They did snatch a lot for the sample.

That is it for freestyle Fridays!

I think on this cold rainy Friday I will take a lesson from Big Mitch.

Lay out for the rest of the day.

Big Mitch knows how to relax and lay out, even if he's showing all his bizness. He does not care.

Sounds like a good plan, though. I have much reading to do, and I will be up early on Saturday morning so that I can get out and run the streets on a sunny day!

In other words, I'm gonna have a good weekend. You have a good one too.

On purpose!

Friday Freestyles: The Last Day of Summer Edition

Ah yes...

The summer has ended. This is the first day of fall.

Or is it? *LadyLee running and googling the beginning of fall*

Nope... Fall officially begins on September 22nd.

So I have today to celebrate the last day of Summer.

My favorite summer pictures of late have me already missing summer.

That's a picture of my friend Karla's husband and son, taking in what must have been a beautiful ocean on a just as beautiful day.

I myself took in some ocean waves out in San Diego. I rode out on one of those duck boats. I need to put up those pictures, because a sister will NOT be hanging out on a duck boat anytime soon. Nope.

But that picture just says "summer" to me.

Another picture that oozes summer to me is this one.

Isn't that lovely? And just how GREEN is that grass? That is some green grass.

And God bless the man who cuts that green grass. God bless him indeed.

Well I am happy because today is not only the last day of summer, but it's PAY DAY. GLORY!

I love Pay Day. If only for a moment, though. Because the very same day that I get paid, I pay a bunch of bills and alas, some 2/3rds of my money is gone.
Oh well. STILL thankful for payday.

Song of the Summer. This one is considered the official song of the summer. I don't care for mainstream current music, but I must agree that this is the song of the summer: "Boo'd Up" by Ella Mai. I don't think I even first heard it until August. But what I really like is the live version.



That song makes me feel like love, and cotton candy, and all things summer.

And that is an ESPECIALLY great live version of the song.

I like Ella Mai. The EP that this song appears on is FANTASTIC. It's only 6 or 7 songs long, but it is a semi-concept album, meaning all the songs are linked together to form a story of sorts. I LOVED-ED it that.

I just love good R&B music, which means that I like OLD SCHOOL music, because I just can't listen to much of today's "R&B". It has no substance and leaves me feeling rather blaaaaaah... And I love live music.

And that gives me an excuse to post up a live version of my other favorite song. "Poetic Justice" by Kendrick Lamar.



Man, listen... I could listen to those two live versions ALL day long. ALL DAY.

Quote of the Summer. This summer, I crunk my "Morning Pages" back up. Shout out to Big Mitch for helping with my morning pages!

 Dude gets a bit of ink on his ears. He doesn't mind.
If you've never heard of Morning Pages, they are early morning journal entries. The catch is that they are three pages of journaling, not just a thought or two. So when I write that much long hand, I am SERIOUSLY unpacking my mind. I'm getting all the junk and goo off of my mind, so I can start off a fresh as possible for the day. It's especially helpful when I'm a bit down or depressed or confused. I RARELY tell anyone what's going on me, because I simply think no one cares about that. And I am not saying it in a "woe is me" way, but I just don't bother anybody with any of my problems.

I just choose to write them out and figure it out on paper. This is spiritually helpful in that it shapes my prayer life up very well... Prayer is laser-sharp and focused, I must tell you. Wow.

When I write that much, a good bit of it is mundane. I write about my finances, what bills I need to pay and savings goals and the like. I will write about what I ate that day (did most of my diet consists of raw fruits, raw veggies and water?).


But, I find that there are times that I am writing out of my spirit. In other words, there are moments of Where did THAT come from???

So my quote of the summer is one that I wrote somewhere around page 180 (I number all of my pages. I may have over a thousand handwritten pages. Now that's a LOT of unpacking of the mind. LAWD).

I don't have the quote with me right here and write now, where I can quote it word for word. But it has been on my mind every single day.

"Today is the last day of my life thus far, and today is also the first day of the rest of my life. So I must take time to learn from the successes and failures of my past, enjoy the sweetness and beauty of the present day, and be sure to have hope and faith for the future."

Something like that. I think I must have expanded on it and unpacked it for a couple of days. Heck, I am STILL thinking about it. I figure if I keep chewing on it like one chews on a chicken bone, then I will get more and more out of it.

But it first came up because one day, people were getting on my nerves and trying to get me caught up in petty mess. Someone got out of pocket, and I had to go off on them. This happened a couple of times (and this is NOT good when it goes on at work. NO). And I was thinking... would I be fooling with you and your craziness if I this was the last day of my life? Yes, it sounds a bit morbid, but think about it. If you knew that this was the last 24 hours of your life, would you be concerned about important things or some foolishness? Hmm.

Likewise, today is the first day of the rest of my life. We've all heard that phrase before. That means to me that I should leave all the cares and worries of yesterday behind. Today signals the chance to get it right, to just be better and to do better. And I should always strive to be positive concerning my future. I, like everyone else, tend to worry about the unknown, and where I will be and what I will be doing in the future. I need to smear my thoughts of the unknowns of the future with hope and faith.

I like that thought that was scribbled and scratched out in the early morning hours of my day. Surely it's something that leaked out of my spirit. I am happy for that.

And I'm happy for my morning pages.
And I'm happy that these hot summer days are coming to an end.
And I'm happy for a great weekend.


And I will make it a great one... on purpose.

You do the same!

Friday Freestyles

So it is Friday.

This has been a LONG week. I think this is because I have not set a foot up into the workplace. Oh yes, I drove past the exit, and looked over in that direction while I sat in traffic, on my way home from the IKEA, but that's about it.

Now when I look over that way while driving down the freeway, I see a new building that leaves me mesmerized for some reason.  I think because it's all glass.

Now, I've worked in downtown area for some 16 years and I have seen many, at least 20, skyscrapers go up. It is amazing to see something go up from scratch. I'm talking from where they dig down deep and have to remove tons and tons of Georgia red clay before they even start building.

And that was the case with this building. While walking to my own work building, I would take pictures of it. I'd never seen an all glass building being built.

Turns out that's the world headquarters for NCR. I took a virtual tour on youtube. It is state of the art. There's a garden halfway up the building, extending out from the building. Let's just say I'm trying to find a way to get up in that building. I am sure somebody's mama or cousin work up in there. I want to see it in person.

Anyway... I did ALL my Christmas shopping today at the Dollar Tree and the Wal-Mart.  In 2.5 hours flat. You cannot beat that.

I have one more thing to get: a gift card for my sister. I have no idea what to buy her, but a Visa gift card never hurt nobody. After that, I am done!
 
Picture of the Week. Justin and Me!

He will be over this weekend. This means I probably won't get much sleep. He needs MUCH entertaining. He wants me to stand him up and bounce him repeatedly... hold him up while he walks across the floor. I don't remember babies doing all this at 4 months old.

Can you believe he's 4 months old??? Go Justin!

Song of the Week. A BUNCH of music came out this month. I not particularly interested in much of  it. So I guess what I see people hollering about in the twitter streets should be song(s) of the week. The new Cardi B song and the new Migos cut are good. I suppose they can serve as songs of the week.

But no... two videos from the TDE crew came out in the last couple of days.

"Love" by Kendrick Lamar.



He makes some great videos as of late. He definitely has a big budget.

"The Weekend" by SZA



Now, this is my favorite R&B song of the year. But the video SUCKS. Obviously TDE video budgets go to Kendrick Lamar. But knowing how SZA operates, she came up with this video by itself. It is an official thot/side-chick song. She could've done SO much more with that video. Sigh.

But that song is everything. SZA is an amazing writer, and her melodies are awesome.

That makes up for the confusing video. It is different, but I was expecting something different.

Both of them are up for Grammys, though. Go Top Dawg crew!!! That's such a strong talented camp!

That is it for me...

We have only one more good week in the year of 2017! If you haven't met your goals, you still got time!

You still got time...  Close to 200 hours or thereabouts.

Make it happen. On purpose!!

Friday Freestyles

Friday!

And it is PAY DAY!

And as usual on payday, the blinds of my mind are at half staff. Pretty much closed, really.

And I am thinking of the upcoming thanksgiving holidays! I have a 5 DAY weekend!

Wow!

Oh the things I will get done. Or better yet, the DREAMS of the things I will get done.

And it is alright to dream.

I know one thing we will get done: gumbo.

I asked my sister what she wanted for Thanksgiving since she and I will be spending that time together. She thought about it and she requested the gumbo. I sent her the recipe that I posted on this blog years ago ("The Original Oldgirl's Gumbo Recipe").. (And until this day, that is my most popular blog post searched in google).

She didn't want to make it herself, though.  But she wants me to watch her make it.

*crickets*

Wow. And I guess I will do this while holding the baby.

"Okay, Kay.. Keep stirring that roux until it turns the color of a penny. Okay, Justin is crying right now. Let me take over while you breastfeed him.When you finish, come back and give him to me. And finish this roux."

Yeah. That's how that's going to go.

We can make gumbo. And the best part of that is teaching my sister how to make it. Now, no, we are not from New Orleans, and the recipe was not passed down from some family matriarch. But I lived there and I had my share of good bowls of gumbo, and I know what I like! So I have a recipe that I've used over the past 15 years that leaves me satisfied. So yes, I will watch her make it.

But I wanted something for myself. And that is this right here.

Stuffed acorn squash.

I posted up the recipe a year or so go ("An Acorn Squash Tale").

That is quick and easy. I will basically throw the french doors of the refrigerator open wide and stuff the squash with whatever vegetables are there.

So that will be our Thanksgiving. And we will watch movies, movies, and more movies.

Song of the Week. So I went to lunch with a coworker. This is special because I don't go out to lunch with people. I may go no more than 5 times a year. And I save hanging out for lunch for people who have a good positive affect on me and my life. We went to a local korean street eatery and bakery, Sweet Hut, in midtown. They play an interesting mix of contemporary pop music. It was all music from the past couple of years, meaning that I didn't know any of it. I do NOT listen to current radio at all.

But then they messed around and played some old Michael Jackson.

Man, I had to do ALL I could not to bust out crying.

I told my coworker, "I'm going to go back to the lab and pull the Thriller album up on my Spotify!"

And I did. My favorite song on the album is "Lady in my Life".



Oh how I miss Michael Jackson! He had his problems, but the music from 30-40 years ago was AWESOME.

The last song by him that I like that I listen to often: "Heaven Can Wait".



That song is SO good.

That's off his final CD. Sigh.

He died in 2009. That is over 8 years ago. Wow.

Gone too soon. Music was his legacy. I am glad we still have that!

Well I am off to my weekend. And it will be a GREAT one, whether it is or I imagine and dream it to be!

LOL.

You have a great weekend, too. On purpose!!

Friday Freestyles

As always, this week has flown by like jet plane.

And I want to post, but I like a lot of pictures and visuals, and I can't get my pictures to transfer in a good time. I can get them to upload, but transferring them from my phone to my computer is a BEAST. I am not sure what that is about. I mean, it takes hours and hours. It's just odd.

Then there is that 5 or 10% of the time when everything happens immediately.  That's really odd.

So I think I will load up pictures/ideas on the weekends. It bothers me not to get some writing in any form done everyday. Sigh.

Anyway, just some stream-of-thought thinking. I have to solve those problems.

It is FRIDAY! And best of all, it is PAYDAY.

So as always, I will spend around 30 seconds imagining what it will be like to ball out of control with a whole check. Then I will roll back to reality and spend the next few minutes paying bills online. LOL

This has been a strange week, as I have only worked 3 days this week. On Halloween, I had to take off and take my grandmother in for her 6 month regular medical appointment. She hasn't been doing all that great lately, as my uncle took her to the emergency room the night before. But she was okay at the doctor's appointment, and she may have been suffering from some type of infection. She has some dehydration issues too. So there was much talk about that. But I got her to her appointment and back home without many issues.

And then on Thursday, I took off because I felt like crap. I sometimes have issues with my right sinus cavity and it was just terrible on Thursday morning. I spent most of the day in bed. I can remember the time I felt okay, when the pressure eased up some: 1:24 pm. I was feeling awful all morning, and I blew my nose at the time and it was as if flowers bloomed over my head. Thank goodness. I was impatient and full of anxiety all morning.

Picture of the Week. So I was folding clothes, and I pulled a piece of clothing from the dryer.

My nephew Justin's hoodie. How cool is that? It made me smile. Of course I have to rewash it in that ol' expensive baby Dreft detergent, but it was just funny to see a piece of his clothing mixed in with my own. For some reason, it meant much to me.

Song of the Week. So what I consider some good music came out this past week. Most notably, Mississippi rapper Big K.R.I.T. came out with a VERY good CD titled 4eva is a Mighty Long Time.

A very good ADULT CD. Free of trap. Thank goodness.

It is very mellow, very jazzy, and has its moments of conscious thought. So good to hear adult rap music for a change.

One of the songs I liked features Jill Scott. "Higher Calling"



That's such a good mellow love song. I liked-ed it.

That is it for me. I am looking forward to the weekend. I think Justin will be over. It's always good to see him, as he is growing and changing by the day. He was here this past weekend.

He weighs 7 pounds, 11 ounces now, and he is 10 weeks old now. How cool is that?

WAY cool.

Have a great weekend!

Friday Freestyles

Man... I have not posted ALL week.

I have wanted to. But I've been super busy. But it is rare for me NOT to post.

I am glad it is Friday. This has been an odd week in the ATL because there have been some cold days. This, of course has left me completely confused because I have to throw on a jacket in the mornings. I even noticed the leaves on the trees in my backyard turning colors.

So I guess summer is over and fall has officially arrived.

But today is a warm day, so I am wearing my capris for the last time this year.

Notorious J. My nephew had his official "birthday" last Sunday. He was born 9 weeks premature, and on last Sunday he turned 9 weeks old. He is a far cry from the high yellow tiny baby born then.

I think I took that picture some 15 minutes after his birth. And I was thinking "He sure is light-skinned-ed!"

My friend Dawn, a massage therapist, called my sister over for a massage. I think my sister needed it because she had been a little stressed about starting back to work that Monday.

But guess who also got a massage?

That Notorious J!

It  must've been a good massage because he sure did lift up that arm!

He even fell asleep on the table.

Hilarious!

That made my whole entire week!

He is getting big.  I know he has to be over 6 pounds. I use to be able to pick him up like I pick up a little potato chip bag but no more! He is heavy and solid. Still little, though.

But overall, my week has been a good one. Hard, but good.

Song of the Week.  So... North Carolina rapper Rapsody released a new CD last week titled Laila's Wisdom. I have been waiting for it because GOOD female rappers are few and far between. And one rapping something of substance is an anomaly.

But here's a song from Crown, the mixtape that came out before the CD.



How AWESOME and positive is that!

Loved-ed that.

And I loved the CD. I will talk more about it next week!.

That's it for me!

I am looking forward to a great weekend.  I need to get a haircut. And I am going to a book club meeting.

Fun fun fun!!

Friday Freestyles

Friday. Finally. Still feels like a Tuesday to me.

It might be October before I get my head straight concerning what day it is. This picture right here describes the past 2 weeks of weather craziness.

Katia to the left, Harvey in the middle, and Irma to the right.

Such devastation from these storms. Wow. Who would've thought so much could occur in such a short period of time. Wow. The wonders of nature... and climate change.

Since my conference was canceled due to the craziness left behind hurricane I have a free weekend!

So I hope to get some things done around the house, as usual.  This is a simple hope. These days, I am giving myself permission to hope. (That is a food-for-thought driveby in there somewhere).

Song of the Week. Something STRANGE. I hate mumble rap, but I am a bit fascinated with this song. I think it is due to a writing class I'm taking right now.

Warning: You may or may not understand what Young Thug is saying. And after watching it a few times, I found it gruesome. But it is the best piece of mumble rap I have heard (Note: this ain't saying much). And the language. Ugh. Why we gotta cuss so much!



The first thing I thought when I saw the two little girls was "This here is a play on that movie The Shining." 

And The Shining scared the cheese out of me when I was 12 years old. YIKES! I still can't look at the movie, all these years later.


But it is a good piece of horror rap, even though it is that silly mumble rap. And I think my genius IQ just went down by a couple of points after watching it.

Did I burn your eyes out with that video?  You know I have to do something little ratchet here and there! 

So with that said, you have a GREAT weekend! On purpose!

Freestyle Fridays

Friday!

And this week has been so busy that  I haven't had time to post. Sigh.

I have a project that I am working on, and it is a fail as far as I am concerned right now, so I will just have to start over next week. And I am good with that. I am just BONE tired.

I have been like Callie Jo all week when I get home from work.

Laid out, stretched out and sleeping. I'm not sleeping all that well, but it is good enough. 

I have gone to see my new nephew little Justin about 2 or 3 times this week after work. He is doing well, and he has gained 4 ounces. That is a lot for a preemie. He's even taking breast milk mow, but mostly through a feeding tube. He is not on any IVs. So once he gets off that feeding tube, he is all good.

I am sad about the hurricane destruction and flooding in Texas. I know these natural disasters happen, and I pray for those involved. However, I am tired of all the armchair quarterbacking that we do. Unless I am IN the situation, or I've been through something like that, I feel like I have no right to judge how folks handle things. No right. That's just me. I think we are just trained in social media  to comment, analyze, and tare down every single thing.

I have no idea what it is like to have my house fill up with flood water, hit by a tornado, destroyed by fire, none of that. The best I can do is to have some empathy. Hope that makes sense.

I am looking forward to the weekend. I am on a panel for Atlanta Noir at the Decatur Book Festival. I haven't been to the festival in years. The last time I went was when Tayari Jones was there and was reading from her book The Untelling, and that was back in 2006, I believe.  I even wrote a blog post on it. It meant a lot because I took my brother, and it was the first reading he had ever attended. So it means much to me to actually be a participant some 11 years later.

So that is it for me. 

So I am excited about that. I don't think we will get to read. Maybe one page or so if we do. And that is cool. I am just happy to be a participant!

Song of the Week.  I don't really have one. But I have a song that I listen to often. And I came across the video. Oldgirl had better made a video QUICK since Jay-Z sampled her song.

"Late Nights and Heartbreaks" by Hannah Williams and the Affirmations. 



It ain't the highest quality video, but she worked it out, didn't she? LOL

That is is for ME. I am thoroughly ready for the 3-day weekend!

I will make the best of it. At least I hope to.  It might just be a lot of this:

And that is alright too. I will still have a great weekend.

And you do the same!

Friday Freestyles

Friday!

And it's Pay Day!!!

Which means the blinds of my mind are half closed. I learned a LONG time ago that no one should expect me to do much of anything on Pay Day. No sir, no ma'am!

And today is a lucky enough day... I have been passing back and forth corrections with my supervisor. The blinds of his mind seem to be shut, too.

"Lee, I didn't get those corrections for your protocol back," my supervisor said.
"Uh, yeah. I been finish. By the time you get back to your office [in the adjoining building], you will have it."
"I don't have time to check it. I will just pass it on to Dr. D. [our Director].

*ladylee stares... and closes the blinds of her mind ALL the way*

 LOL.

This has been a great week, seeing that I've had a 3 day workweek. Oh, to be able to work like that all the time. That would be such a joy. Someday!

I bought a fantastic salad today. I didn't have it for lunch. I had a burger and cucumber salad from the same place for lunch. I love this place's burger, because they put a ton of veggies on it (cucumbers, carrots, avocado, spinach, cabbage) and it's very light.

But I have never had their salad, tho. Since it's Pay Day, I thought I would SPLURGE. Spend that extra $8 and see what's up. If it's trash, I'd just throw it out.

But uh... this looks pretty good.

That looks good.

Here's a better picture. I placed a pen next to it so you can tell how HUGE it is.

My goodness... that sure looks good. I will NOT be throwing that away.

They have 3 other types of salads. I will be testing those out to. No more burgers for awhile!

Song of the Week/Food for Thought. I think it is a shame how much of the hip-hop music is soaked in drugs. This has been the growing case over the decades, where drug dealers brag about their endeavors.

However something different is happening in the past few years. Rappers are rapping about actually being ON drugs... like molly, percocets, and the like...

Ugh.

I am seeing this in videos now, whenever I am cruising around YouTube. And I saw one the other day that made me go... hmmm...

"Perfect Pints" by Mike Will Made It.



That is a visually stunning video. But I believe it is what drug induced hallucinations would look like.

Hmm. The lesson I learned here: do not take drugs that will make me hallucinate. No thank you.

I am a big fan of Mike-Will-Made-It as a producer, and of course, I love some Kendrick Lamar. I don't like Rae Sremmumd or Gucci Mane. And the song was so-so. It's not anything I would add to a playlist or even go back to listen to again even.

But that video, tho...

Awesome.

There's another "drug-induced" video that's actually a very good social commentary of the state of the drug culture at the moment.

Danny Brown "Ain't It Funny" (Warning: this video is a little disturbing. Don't say I didn't warn you).



Danny Brown is such an odd bird. My male friends like him. I can't get into him because his rapping voice is way too annoying (although him rapping in his normal voice is pretty good, but I understand he is trying to distinguish himself from others). However, he makes some good experimental rap music, and I liked his last CD Atrocity Exhibition. It was a thought provoking listen.

But this video... it symbolizes a cry for help, yet everyone views his cries as entertainment. And that is not a good thing.

And that made me think. Just say no.

(I think my song of the week discussion  was a partial food-for-thought piece!)

That is it for me. I MAY attend a workshop tomorrow, but I STRUGGLE with anything that occurs on a Friday night or a Saturday morning.  I have NO idea what to do about that. I may just have to start getting up on the weekend at the same time I get up on weekdays. And if I want to do something on Friday nights, I may have to change my work schedule. I don't know. I just know it bothers me.  And there is a good solution to the problem.

I am looking forward to having a good weekend anyway!

You do the same.

On Purpose.

Friday Freestyles

It is Friday.

And I am happy!

Because I am OFF today.

I need to take Grandma to her scheduled doctor's appointment, and the appointment is smack in the middle of the day, so I may as well just take off.

And I am glad I did, because imagine my surprise when I started getting text messages about I-85 collapsing. I had NO idea, as I hadn't been watching the news regularly. But when I turned on the news... WOW.

Whoa!

That is major. And there were no injuries.

That is in midtown. I work in midtown, but not that far up. That has to be about 3 or 4 miles away.

Now, traffic already sucks in Atlanta. It is really about to look crazy. No telling how long it will take to get that fixed. That area of the interstate is old and funky. Thank goodness I don't have to go that way. There is a bowling alley down there that I like, but OH WELL.

There is a game at the new Braves stadium tonight. I may have to pop some popcorn and turn on the news and just watch the traffic monstrosity! Lawd help us ALL!

I haven't been posting like I should. I was thinking about posting everyday in April. That would good for me, as this is my therapy. I think I can spend some 30 minutes a day on blogging. SO much goes on... Why not? Not making any promises though. But it would be interesting to see what I could amass in 30 days.

So right now, the major development in my life is that I have switched supervisors at work. It 'bout knocked me over. But hey, I am resilient. I have had to make a bunch of chess moves, though, and have had to make it ABUNDANTLY clear that I did NOT have anything to do with my switch. There is nothing worse then having a supervisor busting up with microaggressions and psychological retaliation.  Women are 2nd class citizens in our workgroup. I am so surprised that a Tob.acco Womens' Lives Matter hasn't precipitated in front of our building.

"All this testosterone bothers me. Because I am low T."

This is my constant refrain. And it cracks people up. But it is true. I don't understand all the male machismo going on. More like male diva issues. And that is fine.

As long as I get my paycheck. Humph.

But when I have those concerns, I just pray about it. And I don't care who my supervisor is, really. I just need him or her to be able to go into the system and approve my time so that I can get my paycheck. Don't muck that up, and we are GOOD.

My new supervisor is out on spring break leave next week, and he has left me in charge. (I think that means that everybody will be off). So that will be a positive thing. I think I will change EVERYTHING up... uh, nope.

This will be a good experience. And that is what I declare everyday before I even leave the house. So be it.

Song of the Day. Song of the week, really.

Rick Ross released a new album. I am not a big fan of him, but dude picks the BEST beats. I wish I could just get a CD of his instrumentals. But I like in particular the Maybach Music series, as one song appears on every CD.  He is up to Maybach Music part V, which he does with Dej Loaf as a feature.



That beat is awesome. But it is not done as usual by Justice League Productions. As a matter of fact, i don't think there is any Justice League production on this CD. I wonder what happen? Did they fall out or something?

And I am NOT a Dej Loaf fan. I look forward to hearing female rappers, as they are so few and far between, but I think I would have liked her 20 years ago. Not now. But I like her on this song. Her verse is a bit sleepy, and Ross probably wrote it for her. Who knows. But I like that cut!

That is it for me. I feel better because I posted. And that's a  good thing!

25% of the year is over, and I am spending time thinking about what I want to do with the remaining 75% of the year. I am looking forward to doing great things.

And so should you...

On purpose.

Have a great weekend!

Friday Freestyles

I haven't posted all week. I can't let the weekend come without a post. NO.

Look what someone brought to the Sharbucks coffee spot at work:

Mint chocolate Kit-Kats.

Yuck.

And I only say that because I don't mint and chocolate together. Mint chocolate ice cream, mint chocolate cookies, none of that. Yuck.

But I guess some people like it.

I had to try one, just to say I tried one.

You should've seen the look on my face.

More power to those who like them.

If you like mint and chocolate together, go get some...

On purpose...

And have a nice weekend.

Friday Freestyles... The "Roach" Edition

Friday!!

Glory!!

And this has been what my week has been like...

I have the Callie Jo blank face... eyes wide with a mild touch of bewilderment and a hint of anger.

It's just that some things that have gone on at work that piss me off. And I acknowledge that. Only for the moment. I have been journalling and pondering, and I tell you, more good has gone on than bad.

The bad sometimes is like a roach on the wall that catches your eye. The house is clean, all is well... but that doggone little roach is on your mind. 

You know what I mean.

It is amazing how one little thing clouds up the whole week. So many other great things happened (as usual)

But that roach... 

Story of the Week.  Them doggone swimmers! Our perfect beloved Olympic swim team!

This news cover describes it best.

That boy's speedo is a blazing fire!!

So, Lochte claimed he got rob... yet he and his boys vandalized a restroom at a gas station and pissed on a wall. They tried to walk off, and security wasn't having that!

HILARIOUS!

As usual, cameras are everywhere, and they were caught in a LIE!

HILARIOUS!!

That lie of his... it's like that roach on the wall...

You know what I mean... We're winning all those gold medals! We are all proud...

And then there's this.... damn roach.  

So you know what us black folks have been talking about... yes, all at work, all over the radio shows!

Maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan, if it were some black male track and field athletes that had done such a thing.... WOOOOOOOWWWW!!!!

We would be dragging them through the mud.  At worst, they would've been shot dead by the police.

And all that "Camera footage" would've disappeared.

(You know the drill. That's what goes on here in our country).

And it's HILARIOUS... the whole spiel now:

"Oh, they're just kids."

WHAT?  Lochte is 32 years old! This is some mess that we did when we were teenagers. Stop it, dude.  You're a grown azz man. Cut it out!

Yet, I have had to watch young Gabby Douglass get dragged through the mud for her hairstyle and for not putting her hand over her heart when the the Star Spangled Banner.

Humph.

But you know... This CRIME they committed was just boys being boys.  (YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME).

Double standard deluxe.  All day every day.

I'm not mad. It's just the irony of it all. 

So much bad seed is planted everyday about how awful I am as a black person, that I have to remind myself DAILY that I am a successful human being. I am not a law breaker, out here rioting and burning down stuff, and I'm not in poverty. I own a home and two cars. I have money in the bank.  I am not a criminal. I am a great scientist.

I am an AWESOME and WONDERFUL Oldgirl.

Funny... I'm around black and brown people who are just like myself each and every day.  I'm never around the people they portray us to be.

Sometimes... you have to learn to just encourage yourself. 

Sometimes you have to pick up a proverbial can of bug spray and rid your house of lifes' roaches.

(Did you like how I just slid that piece of Food for Thought of the Week up in your life just now? Did you?)

Oh well!

USA! USA! USA!

*ladylee waves American Flag proudly*


Song of the Week: This one goes out to the whole Olympic team, especially that Lochte fella!




Come on, Lochte! Dance with me, babes! 

So high you can't get over it!
So low you can't get under it!
Here's a chance to dance our waaaaaaayyyy.... out of our constriction!!!! 

*chair dancing hard*

Man oh man... I don't know what  I have planned for the weekend.  I know I need to clean up. And I wouldn't mind a good movie!

We'll see.  All I know is that it will be a good weekend... on purpose!