Rest in Peace, dear Nikki... Rest in Peace.

Anika

aka

My beloved ATLien Nikki

The Iniquitous One... Nikki Indigo

August 1, 1971- August 30, 2009

Nikki... I will miss you.

I am so glad you were my friend.

Love LadyLee

I am dedicating my week of blogging to her. Heck, I don't even know if I will be able blog. I am more than stunned over this. Just torn. But she was such a great friend to me. Amazing how this virtual blogging world connects you with people.... I am glad that I met her and clicked so well with her.

I will miss you, Nikki... we've laughed and cried together.

I will miss hearing you holler "Hey Sis!"

I am just relieved that you are no longer hurting.

Love,

LadyLee

Happy Monday Morning!

Happy Monday Morning to YOU.

That sounded festive, didn't it? LOL

Nothing much ado about nothing over this way. As a matter of fact, didn't do much at all this weekend.

And that's the way I wanted it.

I've been in the house since Friday afternoon. A nice quiet weekend indeed.

Now, I had things to do. Always have things to do. But couldn't do much since it was raining so bad. I was NOT getting out in that mess. I even missed my finance group meeting. (It was canceled anyway).

I did a lot of reading this weekend. I sometime like to read 2 books at a time, the requirement being that they are vastly different.

Tia McCollor's The Last Woman Standing.




Brandon Massey's Cornered.



The Last Woman Standing is a piece of Christian Inspiriational fiction, and Cornered is a grip-your-wig-before-it-blows-off thriller. Both are set in Atlanta (I really like fiction set on an ATL backdrop). I am reading the first with LBeezy and the second alone. So it was nice to just sit around and do some nice reading.

I really like both of these authors and I HATE when I finish reading their books because it means I have to wait a whole nother year before they publish another book. Sigh.

That was the gist of my weekend... Got a lot of reading and a bit of crocheting done. Cleaned up the house (not as much as I'd liked, lol), and even brought some work from work home to do. (Didn't like that AT ALL, but only spent 30 minutes on it).

Will I post every day this week. I don't know. I have a few LONG posts to do, and I'm not looking forward to that. So we shall see. Maybe some parts 1-3 or something like that.

Last week was shaky. I am looking forward to a much nicer week.

This week is going to be great and lovely.

Something great is going to happen this week... I am going to expect it!

And I am saying that on purpose!

You have a great week too...

Freestyle Fridays

Good Friday Morning...

TGIF!

Not just because it is Friday.

But I am OFF today. And this is GOOD.

I have a doctor's appointment today, so I decided to just take the day off. The problem is that it is raining cats and dogs and frogs today. It has been raining like crazy over the past three days... I have never seen so much rain in my life. It's as if it will never stop.

And I gotta drive in this craziness. Allll the way down to Henry County, some 30 miles away. Atlanta drivers are crazy. They drive fast. On rainy days, they drive faster.

Not worried about it. Gonna get my umbrella and keep it moving.

I'm not sure what I'm doing afterwards. Green Eyed Bandit, you live down there with those red necks... I'ma call you and see what's up! Might stop by.

I've been reflecting on my week. It hasn't been the most productive week at work. I feel as if I'd been digging a ditch with a toothpick.

My conclusion is that it be that way sometimes.

Sometimes, you gotta take your toothpick and diligently work that toothpick. I feel as if I've done that.

I am a member of 2 fantasy football leagues, and we had a fantastic draft last night. I am somewhat happy with my pics. My team The Original Oldboys may not come in last place this year. I have one more draft next week, and I'm in there. Can't wait for football season to jump off!

Nothing much is going on today. I just have to battle this rain. And I'm buying a lotto ticket, since the lottery has jumped past 300 million. (This is when I buy my ticket. If I'ma win, I need to win THAT, lol). I'm buying it down in Henry County. Never buy in the city. We don't win in the city.

This will be a slow weekend. I am happy about that. The month of August has been a fast one. Not a good look. I am not a fast Oldgirl.

Well, I've been vegetarian all summer. Did a decent job all summer, but I was not pleased with August. But the trial period is up in a few days, so I have much to think about. Overall, Iwill continue. I just have to tweek. As my blog bruh says so vehemently, I must strategize and optimize.

And that's what I'll do...

If you're considering kicking out on this Dominican Republic 40th birthday trip in February, drop me an email at oldgirl_1@earthlink.net. I can email you some information. If you wanna go, you betta come on!

So that is my freestyle offering for the day.

You have a good day!

Make it great. Make it lovely... even if you have to close your eyes and use the eyes of faith, i.e., step into the realm of your imagination.

As Labelle says in the song "Holiday": "Gonna close the blinds of my mind and let my own sunshine brighten up my day!"

And that's what I'll be doing in rainy ATL today.

You do that, too.

Have a great weekend!!

The Taking of Stuff

As I've mentioned in a couple of previous posts, I am a member of a Writer's group. I haven't talked about it much, as I had no idea how it would pan out, but it seems to be going well, and I must admit that I do look forward to our monthly Friday evening meetings.

There's only 5 of us, and the young ladies are much younger than me. This could've bothered me, but I didn't let me

An Oldgirl is young at heart, you see.

And I can get a little more racy with my writing, as they are a bit more racy in general.

The group was started by my former book club sista Dawn. I like ol' Dawn. She's particularly enchanted with a double chocolate triple strength coffee infused cake I've made in the past for journal writing meetings.

I remember Dawn sitting in the corner, killing this cake and commenting "Lee, this cake is hot. It's better than sex! It do the trick. I could go without sex if I had this cake. This hit the spot!"

*crickets*

What in the world?

Dawn, let me tell you something. Ain't no cake better than sex. I don't see it. Not even better than bad sex. Cake ain't gonna do the trick.

I don't know. Maybe I feel like this because I'm not big on sweets.

That's some food for thought all unto itself.

And I've jumped off subject. I just think of that EVERY time I see Dawn.

She wanted to know if I wanted to be a part of her group, and I said yes. I am happy to support Dawn in such endavors. I think it's a great idea, especially her method of handling our writing assignments.

And an Oldgirl's writing needs a little stimulating.

(Maybe I should have a big slice of that cake, lol)

Anyway, we get together for about 4 or 5 hours on a Friday evening once a month. Most of them are vegetarians. (It wasn't a good look to show up that first night with a gang of hot wings, lol). They are also future massage therapists.

(I hope one of them breaks me off a free massage. 2 hours worth, please. lol)

We do writing prompts, writing for 5-10 minutes on each. I've posted something on the walls of the House of LadyLee before from our meetings. (See, In this one...).

And here's a little something we were asked to write. It was in response to a portion of a play Dawn read to us, the subject of which was a woman hollering at a man about taking her "Stuff". We were to attempt to write a man's response to such.

Here is my 5 minute attempt at such.

(And uh... this is rated PG. Parental Guidance suggested).

The Taking of Stuff

Yeah… I took your stuff.

I took ALL your shit!

The money, the stereo, the fur coats, the diamond rings…

The pussy, the thoughts, all your dreams.

I took all that shit!

And if I’m being real,I really didn’t take it.

You gave it all to me; eagerly, without a second thought.

They all told you I was no good.

No job, no ride, no hopes, no dreams.

Even after all that you knew, you gave freely.

Even I knew that you were looking for anyone who would make all the pain go away, if even for a moment.

I was that man, the one who could make you feel like the sun, the moon and the rain.

But there comes a time when the sun will set.

The moon will fade.

The rain will end.

And I will run off with all your shit.

My bag stuffed to the top with all your love, hopes, and dreams.

I took it, and you know it.

Next time… be more careful with what means much to you.

Or should I say, be more careful with what should mean much to you.

Afterword

I don't think a man intentionally thinks this way. But I do think this tends to happen. We as women give our all, and in some cases, motives are exposed and all our "stuff" is taken.

The material stuff that may be taken is not as important as the intangible stuff that is taken from us... our hopes, our dreams for our lives. For some reason, some of us allow this to be taken.

So ladies, I ask you to protect your stuff... the very essence of who you are. It's of great value, more valuable than furs and diamonds. Don't expose your stuff to those who are not worthy of you.

That little 5 minute piece was born out of my thoughts on that.

And it helped me realize what "stuff" should be crucially important to me.

You Wanna Go?

I, that Oldgirl LadyLee, will be turning 40 in 6 months.

You know what I holler: "You don't know nothing 'til you turn 30."

And someone told me something quite interesting:

"You don't start LIVING until you turn 40."

Well, well, well! Alrighty then.

Let's get ta living, baby!

And live it up, we shall!

An Oldgirl's turning 40...

'Tis monumental indeed. Historic even.

I know one thing to be true:

An Oldgirl will NOT be working on her birthday. Heck, I won't be working the entire week of my birthday.

If I could take the entire month off from work, I surely would. I have enough vacation leave time to do so. But an image of my edgy boss smothering me with a pillow as I slumber clouds my mind. Not a good look.

So I'm taking a week off...

Heading off somewhere with beautiful beaches, sky blue waters:

*LadyLee screeching "Come back to Jamaicaaaaaaa!!!"*

You can go back to Jamaica, but I ain't. I don't wanna go there. Feel free to do so yourself.

Nope.

I've never been there. And since it looks like I'll be vacationing twice a year from now on, it is on my list of places to go. But, not for my birthday. I want to go somewhere off the beaten path. Somewhere not too touristy.

Now there were several places on my mind. I'd been arguing hard with my homegirl Kim (the chick with the acrylic toenails; the one who throws the funny card parties ). We're stomping down to the Mayan Riviera for her 40th birthday in a few weeks, and we were discussing where I'd like to spend mine.

I wanted to go to Aruba. Problem: High season in February. I'd have to rob a bank to go there.

I wanted to do Turks and Caicos. Problem: Gotta rob 2 banks to go there. (Plus there's an outside chance I'll go there later in 2010).

I wanted to hit up Puerto Vallerta. Issha: 2 connecting flights to get there. I am not changing flights twice. I would have to have my luggage strapped to my head if I'ma do all that, lol.

I wanted to go to Cancun. Problem: Hen-Dog was hollering against that.

"If you wanna have sex with everybody, go to Cancun."

What the world?

Hen-Dog must've had too much fun down there. Kim was irate behind this.

"You tell that n*gga ain't nobody trying to do all that, blah, blah, BLAAAH!

LOL. She was HOT with his tail. Thank goodness she was not face to face with him. She would've knocked him upside the head.

Plus, I don't want to go somewhere besides Mexico for my birthday. Went there on the last birthday, and will be back there in September. Mexican destinations are low on my list.

I wanted to go to Costa Rica. But the travel agent was like, "Uh, if you're the adventurous type who likes to do zip lines and rock climbing, then it's good."

*crickets*

Who me? The Oldgirl? Ziplining and climbing rocks?

Girl stop!!!

LOL!!!!! Yeah right!!! Ain't no way, man! Get down in Central America and get injured out in the jungle doing that craziness... NO WAY!

So, we decided on the Dominican Republic...

We'll be hanging out on the eastside, in Punta Cana.

This place is touristy, but not as much as the more popular spots. I don't know too many folks who have been there. Kim went awhile back and loved it, even though she was hollering "Girl, it was hot as 10,000 hells!"

She went at the end of summer. I ain't going nowhere near the equator during the summer. It's already hot as hell in GA. I could only imagine how hot it is down there in the summer.

We checked the winter temps and they average in the high 70s. This is ideal for the Oldgirl, as I don't like too much heat.

So, 'tis the destination for the birthday trip...

We'll be staying at the Punta Cana Princess All Suites Resort and Spa

All inclusive... 5 star.

All you can eat, all the liquor you lushes can drank, 24 hour room service...

You wanna go?

Nice massages, all outside while you feel the cool breezes and watch the ocean. (That ain't included, but if you a baller, you might like that)...

Do you wanna go?

They even got beds out on the beach.

That seems a bit freaky... and creepy to me. Give me a lounge chair, and I'm cool. But shoot, that might be your thang...

You wanna go?

If you wanna go, better let an Oldgirl know. We got a crew rolling out, you better come on.

LadyLee is turning the big 40, babes.

It's gonna be on... and popping.