Blogdangit

Having a Moment

Hello friends. At this very moment I am sipping on a glass of Pinot Grigio by Sutter Home. GOOD STUFF! I'm sitting here actually thinking about the contents of the writing projects I'm working on. I'm also thinking about how I sooooooooooooo miss my friends, co-workers, and acquaintances along the highways and byways of this great country. I miss the snow storms and white outs and temps so cold, it became an advisory to expose skin for more than 30 minutes. I miss the airports and delays and shuttles and short term parking in Dallas, Houston, Chicago, Boston, Atlanta, New York, Memphis, Phoenix, Minneapolis, Philadelphia, Denver, and Omaha. I'm sure I've missed a few. I miss the cities and countries and mountains and hills, and people of different cultures, race and structure. I miss the Maine lobster in Maine, the walks along Manhattan and the somber feeling of the atmosphere one year after the towers fell. I miss the country roads and the farms and strangers taking me in their homes and cooking me steak dinners and seeing tractor pulls for the first time. I miss hearing high school children talk about feeding the chickens every morning and milking the cows before school. (much admirable to see young people so disciplined)

I miss the sand storms, and the thunderstorms just outside my hotel window as the winds blew so hard it hailed golf balls. I miss the Cajun cooking in the hotels feeding staff of two or three because they had never had the taste of Louisiana – while being over a thousand miles from Cajun land (home). I miss having to wear the long winter coat, hat, gloves and scarf and waterproof shoes just to go to the grocery store.

I miss the visits to the Mall of America, the stroll along Virginia Beach and staring at the huge Nova Scotia cruise ship just before it sailed to sea as it sat on the Atlantic Ocean. I miss the interstates 55, 65, 40, 95, 85, 44, 35, 10 west, 70 and 80, to name a few.

I've only scratched the surface here. There are so many memories and I am grateful and blessed to have endured the wonderful experience of these things and more during my travels. Always being an adventurous type, this just makes me proud to have traveled thus far.

If you're new to my blog, please dig through the archives and travel back with me as I took you there.

I realize now that I was creating history. I didn't realize the importance of the experience until now when it hit me that I've… been places and have seen life's wonders through many things. I'm honored. I know it was planned and here I am. As that chapter has closed, the livelihood of the experience is forever embedded in my soul.

I'm also thinking about the here and now. How I'm indulging in the arts. How I'm connecting to another chapter in my life. How I'm reaching out to find the ultimate purpose of my well-being. I believe it all plays a part of my existence. And again, I'm thankful.

I think I'm just having a moment. There's never enough time in a day to absorb it all.

An Afternoon with Lil’ Cuz

What's up readers? I'm really trying to do better with updates. Forgive a sistah! Remember I told you about my lil' cousin who started school at SU? I picked her up yesterday around 3ish and we'd planned to just come back home and chill. But I decided we would enjoy the cloudless skies and get out a bit. We drove over to grab something to eat as I had the best lobster a sustah could ever put her lips on. My lil' cousin ordered an appetizer which included alligator, shrimp and crawfish tails. Eighteen year olds around here don't go to a restaurant and order alligator. Blew me away!

As I've had lobster from several places across the country, this one time was even better than other times I've had it here. It was closely comparable to the way the New England folks cook lobster, and y'all, they know how to cook lobster! The meat was sweet and cooked to perfection. The chef came out when my meal was served. So of course I had to later give much love to a brotha. (yeah he was a brotha). With cooking like that, I could have packed him up and brought him home! Along with my two what seemed like jumbo lobster tails was a loaded baked potato (even the potato was cooked to perfection… Yeah I had a moment with that meal) and I had a glass of Chardonnay. Evan had sweet tea.

After dinner we drove over to the new B&N here in Baton Rouge. She'd brought along her laptop to finish some updates with Mi.cr.os.oft and I of course brought my laptop to do what I do… write. The coffee aroma was tempting as we laughed about the upper/downer thing in contemplating having the coffee after having had the wine early on. She ordered an Iced Caramel Macchiato. Nope I had never had it, yep it looked good… I watched her sip on it a few minutes and couldn't resist. I went up to the counter and as the folks back there know me well 'cause you know I'm a regular…:) , the manager smiled and eagerly versed my usual back to me…'Venti Pumpkin Spice Latte extra shot extra hot, one shot short on the syrup." Now how impressive was that especially with all the people in line listening in as she had her ish together. I smiled and said politely that I was going to try something else. I didn't want to seemingly ruin her moment ya know. I kept a brief conversation with her telling her the drink looked good after my cousin had it, so I decided to try it. Then she says, "…and you do want to add the carrot cake cheesecake, right?" Y'all she was on it. Another usual! Again impressed, I told her I had just eaten… but thanks for remembering and I appreciated her service. We kept small talk even while she waited on other customers as I waited for my drink to be made.

The coffee was good. I ordered mine extra shot too, so it is now on my list of favorites. My cousin and I talked and browsed about online. I tried writing this blog then, but lil' Evan can keep a conversation going… That's my cuz! Later we decided to call it a day and she bought a couple books and I… get this… bought no books. That's right readers, none…

After we got in, we spent a few hours in the studio. Did I tell ya'll she writes poetry and has desire to do spoken word? She has goals of owning a TV/Film/Broadcast business so she was all up in the studio deep. She played around on one of my keyboards and talked and talked and showed me pictures of her friends and her honey-bun (whom she misses dearly) who's many miles away in her hometown. He's a handsome young man, and they look so adorable together in the many pictures she has of them. Finally she went to bed, and I spent a couple more hours in the studio.

She had two classes today, and I'm sure just after class, she could have been found tearing down some z's in her dorm…

That's it folks, lil cuz and the Lady ProducHer during our Sunday stroll….

P.S. I didn't throw it in the blog, but as I am allergic to some seafood, I did get minor itches last night and the eyes were red and puffy this morning like I'd been cryin'... Could it have been the lobster, hmmm don't know, but that meal there was worth it all baby. I popped a Benedryl and rubbed the skin rash with my prescribed medicated cream and all is good honey. U know me!

 

Jan. Second

Hello readers! There's nothing much going today other than the same ole beautifulness with the weather. Sunshiny and a bit nippy -- equals perfection for me. Overnight we got down to the 20's. Can you believe here in Baton Rouge we are having those types of temperatures?

I took my car over to this maintenance shop to get an estimate for changing out the timing belts. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I'd never had them changed out, but I knew I couldn't keep pushing my luck, especially with all the driving and running around I do. From what I'm told, once a timing belt breaks, it's an ugly situation – you're stuck like chuck, plus you can tear up your engine.

Other news, let's see – Oh, as you are aware I didn't make it to Saint Louis for the Holidays as I'd planned. There were numerous things preventing the occasion (more-so with the studio), but I do plan to make it there soon to visit my friends. And believe me, they talked about me baby – bad too. :) (I still love all y'all!)

Well that's it my peeps. Copa get back at me so we can hook something up boyee!

Y'all have a lovely day…

Happy New Year

My friends, fellow readers – WE MADE IT!

I'm anticipating a wonderful year. I had a blast last night! It started around 10ish and ended around 5ish this morning. The New Year's wishes of text messages were pouring in most of the night/morning as I was sending many of them out as well. I did the club thing till almost 2 then we (close friends of mine) bomb rushed another long term friend's house for breakfast. And baby she did that! Biscuits, Sausage, Fried chicken, and the best scrambled eggs I'd ever tasted. I had the chicken (don't you just love cold leftover fried chicken?), eggs and biscuits. She puts parsley and other veggie ingredients in the eggs and baby, talk about some good stuff.

We sat around talking the breeze having good times as we always do. I didn't drink too much last night (well not enough to be hung-over), so this morning was all good. I'm going over to a friend's for the traditional New Year's meal after I finish writing this post, then I'll get back in the studio to work on some things. I have a few new little projects going on. I called an electrician (which a close friend recommended) to have him possibly add another circuit and more outlets for the studio. He says he'll try to come over this evening and check me out and shoot me an estimate. I wasn't expecting the man to come on New Year's Day. I didn't want to disturb his groove, but he was cool with it.

So that's another wrap my peeps.

 

 

Day after Christ's B'Day

Yesterday was the perfect holiday. Anytime there's good fam, friends and food around, it's all good baby. It's simply a blessing. As for gifts; I got a bundle of Barnes & Noble gift cards, a Bath n Body Works gift basket of the only fragrance I wear -- Moonlight Path, a gift card for Olive Garden, a set of candles, a couple pair of slippers, books, and a few dollar bills. :)

My godson (5 years-old) has been with me since last night and at this very moment, he's sitting in the family room singing out loud to his MP3 player. His dad brought over more of his Christmas toys which he's been begging for all day. So now he's in hog heaven.

As for me, I've got a few music projects (production) to get going and some to finish. I'm basically back to the grind. So I've got a few days to try and knock 'em out before I decide my plans for New Years.

And on the front of these painful knees -- OH MY GOSH! I got injections a few days ago, and -- but uhm, these days I'm having consistent pain. I guess with playing volleyball yesterday over at the neighbors didn't help. :) But it was good times!

Otherwise, ya lady is good. I'll holla!

Taking Out these Braids/Twists

What's up my fellow readers? It is I back again, but this time with a sore head. I've been removing braids/twists from my hair for 3 days. No lie! I left these in toooo long and with my already tender-headedness, it is NO joke. I'm almost done getting them out and I'm going to try to finish up tonight… I guess! And, I still have not done the hard part of combing my hair out. OUUUUCH! Ooh it's going to hurt. I know it! Tears will be streaming from my eyes while I try to hold 'em back.

My hair is THICK and NAPPY… It's what I wanted though. Most of the perm has been cut out by now. Months back, when I started going with the naturalness, I didn't cut my full-length at that time (which was long). I was chicken! But as my hair was redone with the braids, I would have an inch or so of the perm cut out.

My niece is going to re-do me this weekend!

So that's it for now…

Will holla.

Much Pain in the Knees... For Real!!!

Good morning everyone! I've been on this extreme painful situation with the knees. Remember somewhere in back yonder days, I'd been having some problems and had been getting injections, went through therapy and the whole nine? My Doctor put off the surgery indicating I had more time and the treatments should suffice. (I wonder if getting the treatments and injections and making the visits is what keeps his bills paid?) However, I KNOW I'M NOT ready to go through SURGERY NOW. I've got work to do! Seriously I can not be on nobody's LOCK down!:)

I've made an appointment to go in early next week and see what is going on. Perhaps things are worst up in there! My right knee hurts mildly yet constantly -- but my left knee has swollen and hurts badly especially while lying or sitting still. As you know, I've been doing more of the latter since working in the studio and sitting at the keyboards, mixer or computer.

Other than the pain, chile, I've been busy doing what I do!

That's a wrap my good folks. Ya gurl's gotta run and try to eat! I mean that in terms of this grind I'm on...You feel me right?!

Blessings...

P.S. Come holla at me or listen to what I do over at my M.y.Sp.ac.e Music page -- I'll be posting new tracks later on today (Wednesday).

Checking In

Hello everybody. Sorry about slipping for a few days on the blog. I've been extremely busy, but had you all on my mind and had to come through. I'm here for a minute just to say hello. Wishing everyone a blessed and successful week. I've got a lot going on right now (Good things) and will give y'all the scoop shortly. Be well and take care. I'll holla.

Ya gurl,

BP Page? Hmmm… I don’t know!

I recently started a Bla.ck Pla.ne.t Page. I used to be a member a long ago, and left because of all the annoying ads. Well nothing's changed in that regard. Also, I don't have time to juggle through all the bull crap notes I'm getting from strangers that just want to hook up and those bogus invites which are irrelevant. I'm trying to network and keep this productive thing in sequence -- ya know? Also, I really haven't made the time to hang out over there.

I haven't finished setting up the page, so I may need to do some tweaking to emphasize that I'm only seeking business connections. I know I can definitely get my workout on with contacts having all those members on board, but those ads and my time may just be the death of my page. Hmmm I'll see…

Sunday

What it do my blog readers? How everyone's Monday going? Last night was off the chain. I swooped up a buddy of mine and we rode out to the Crescent City. Since I was craving seafood, we stopped at this seafood joint. YEP, I did! I was craving it BAD! And yes I did have my breakout…and itching afterwards as normal due to this new allergic reaction to seafood. I had a dozen raw oysters. Oh my goodness, they were fresh and good. I know not many black women eat raw oysters; at least according to the peeps I know, but ya gurl can get down honey. My sister (RIP) got me hooked years ago. I used to think it was the grossest thing. That girl, used to eat them right out of the jar with hot sauce and crackers. I'm not there yet! However, I do enjoy them freshly shucked and dressed in the shell with cocktail sauce, horseradish, lemon, hot sauce and crackers.

I also had a cup of artichoke and oyster soup and a half shrimp po-boy. So, as you can tell, I most definitely took care of the craving and at this moment am still paying for it. ;)

After the restaurant, we went out to get the best chocolate and eggnog daiquiri's you can find on this side of Southern Louisiana. When I first learned of the chocolate daiquiri, I thought it was the worst type of daiquiri, but after tasting it – chile I fell in love and got hooked. This daiquiri shop uses fresh ingredients and you can tell there's no powdery mixture going in there.

Later we drove back to the BR and stopped through Wally world to pick up a few items. I needed some blank media (CD's and DVD's). I got in and did the studio thing for a few and knocked out to bed.

Sunday was all gravy baby.