Parents, Toilets & Gmail

Randomness

Parents need to parent

I was listening to the radio today, and they were talking about how cold it is, (low 30’s upper 20’s) and how there are some parents that allow their children to go to school without a jacket on. (Mind you, its cold as shyt out here!). A woman called in to the station saying that no matter what she does, no matter how many times she tries to tell her daughter to put on her coat, her daughter refuses to keep it on. So much so that it’s gotten to the point that she doesn’t even ask her daughter to put on her coat anymore. O.K….so here’s the kicker. She daughter is 4 years old! 4 freak’n years old!!! How does a mother let her 4-year-old child go outside into this bone chilling weather without a coat on. I don’t care how resistant a child is, a parent needs to parent. I’d be damn if my child tries to tell me NO, I’m not gonna (fill in the blank with whatever you want). It is NOT going down. I especially won’t be arguing with my 4-year-old child. But hey…that’s just me.

Automatic Toilet Flushers

I think these automatic flusher thingies are the best things ever invented. Nothing is worse than having to use some extra tissue to push down on the handle to flush the toilet. Or better yet, having to hike up your skirt so that you can use your foot to flush, because God forbid you actually touch that feces contaminated handle. Ewwwww. Anyway, so now they have all these sensor operated toilets that automatically flush when you’re done which is GREAT…until you have episodes when the toilet starts flushing before you’ve completed your business, and you begin to feel the nasty toilet water splashing up on you. Ewwwwww. Thats just Gross!...lol Oh, and how bout the times when the darn thing won’t flush. Now that’s the WORSE! You’re sitting there waving your hand in front of the little red sensor light, hoping that the silly thing will detect that you’re done and ready to leave the doggone stall. Am I the only person this happens to? I know it can’t be just me.

Gmail and Google talk

Are GRRRRRREAT! It’s been my saving grace all day. I was a little resistant about signing up for it at first, but I’ve really come to appreciate it. If you haven’t already started an account, you should prolly look into it. It might make your communication a bit easier.

Fire update

So I talked to my sister today. She's been the one providing me with continuous updates on the status of my parent's house and family living situation. I don't know how they're doing it. Living in a hotel is fun when you're on vacation....but damn, having to stay there as a primary place of residence is NOT the bizness.

What was once a 1 month estimated time of displacement, has now dragged out to at least 3 moths. That's 3 months of not being able to sleep in their own beds, three months not being able to cook their own meals, three months of running to and from the house to get things that they need for day to day living, three months of not being able to live in the house they call their home.

So these are pics of what's left of the upstairs of my parent's house...

(my bedroom 1)


(my bedroom 2)


(my sister's room)


Upstairs has been stripped down to its bare bones. Construction is underway, and with time our home will be livable again. I have to admit...it will be weird to go back to a room that looks totally different than what I remembered. No longer will I have all those crazy mirrors on my wall and ceiling (yes I said ceiling..lol), no longer will my walls be lined with floral pink and green wall papering. I now have to rely on photographs taken before the fire to retain images of what my room once was. But hey, today is a new day. I'm trying to stay optimistic. Many new memories will be formed in our renovated house. But right now I can't help but to hold on to images of the past.

Dear Daddy,

WOW! I'm at a loss for words. Nothing could have prepared me for those pictures. It's one thing to hear about the fire and the damage it caused to the house, it's another thing to see actual images of it.




I thank God that no one was seriously hurt. And as you said in your e-mail to me...material things can be replaced, but we must be thankful to Him that lives were spared. I still am in a state of shock about the entire incident. Why did this have to happen to us? Why did it have to happen now? The new year has just begun, and I was hoping for great things. But I was NOT expecting this. I wish there was something that I could do from here, but all I can do now is pray. When I first got the call at 8am, I knew the news couldn't be good. Why would anyone in my family call me at 5am (CA time) if not to deliver bad news. When Rae told me that our house caught on fire....I was in a state of disbelief. I said "WHAT!, what did you say?" as if I hadn't heard her clearly. She repeated, "Our house caught on fire". I sat there frozen with my mouth wide open. This is crazy. This must be some kind of joke I thought. But unfortunately, this was real. The fire was real. The heat was real. The destruction was real.

My first instinct was to want to come home, but I realized that given the situation, I would become more of a burden than help. I wanted to be there with you. I wanted you to know that I was willing to do any and everything you needed me to do to make the situation better. But my distance from home limits my physical capabilities. Daddy, please know that I am praying for our family. Praying that God will give us the strength to get through this troubling time. Praying that He will continue to bless us, and provide us with all that we need to move on with our lives. This situation is only temporary. This inconvenience is only temporary. Trust that we will get through this. I pray...

Your Loving Daughter,

New Year...New Plans (no resoultions)

Say NO to New Years resolutions!.lol...Believe me, I'm not being a pessimist. I'm all about supporting those who want to start the new year off right and make positive changes in their lives. But it seems as though every time I hear someone say they've made a new years resolution, its as if their magnificent resolution is doomed to fail.

Take for example...those people whoes new years resolution is to become more physically active and lose weight. (yeah right...who are they fooling) Like I said...I'm all for making positive changes, but at least if you say you're gonna do something...try to follow through on your word. The gym is super packed at the beginning of the year. All the ladies and gents are running on the treadmill, lifting weights, doing 50 million crunches... tryna 'get it right get it tight' for the new year. But as many of you have noticed, the number of bodies in the gym tend to decrease as the progresses.

Anyway, like I said...I've decided not to make any "New Years Resolutions" this year. Rather, I'm going to work on a few things that I've been talking about for a while. So, here are the changes that I plan to make this year:

1) DANCE DANCE DANCE! As in, join a dance class. Ideally, I'd like to join dance company, but I don't know if I have the time to make such a commitment. If anyone knows of some good (African/ Hip Hop/ Modern) dance classes in the area, please let me know. Cuz like everyone else...I'm tryna "get it right, get it tight" too!

2) Become more ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN MY COMMUNITY! I feel a tremendous void in my life. As a person of color who has been afforded many opportunities in my life, I think it's about time that I return the favor. I see kids all the time with no direction, no support, no guidance, and little hope for the future. I can no longer sit and watch as children waste their lives getting caught up in all the 'wrong' things. As an African American woman, a woman that cares about people, that cares about my community, it is my responsibility to extend my hand and provide resources to those without. With this said, I've completed a couple of applications for mentoring programs in the triangle area. One of which was an application for the "Big brothers Big sisters" program. However, I've been debating whether I should try to volunteer my time with children in this organization, or another local organization that isn't was well known, and may lack resources. It is my feeling that my reach can go a lot further within a smaller local organization. What do you think? If you know of any organizations in the area that work with youth (especially delinquent youth), and are in need of volunteers, please let me know. I have been blessed, and it's time that I give back.

3) Watch some MOVIES! I know this is nothing as profound as change #2, but I'm sick and tired of being the butt of everyone's jokes. O.K....so I haven't seen many movies, BIG FREAK'n DEAL...lol, but I think it's about time that I 'get with it'...even if it's only a little bit. People are constantly making references to movies, actors, and actresses, and I NEVER know who and what they're talking about. So, for the new year...I've decided to subscibe to Netflix. Please shoot me some ideas of some 'must sees'.. I've already watched about 4 movies through my subscription (which is probably more than I watched in 2006). I've got popcorn, I've got movies, I've got comfortable seating, so let the movie nights begin!

Holiday Party 2006!!! (late post)

There girls and I have been hosting holiday parties for the part few years. Being that many of us have moved to other states since graduating from high school, this has been our one opportunity to spend time together and try to catch up with folks that we hadn't seen in a while. Usually, we have the party at someone's house, but last year we decided to change it up a bit and move it to a more public location. There was a new lounge that had just opened up in Downtown Oakland called the "Air Lounge," and we thought it'd be a good idea to explore this venue. To make a long story short, our Holiday Party of 2005 that was thrown at the Air Lounge was fun fun fun! The ambiance was nice, there was a good turn out of people, and folks seemed to have had a good time. But nothing could prepare us for the party we hosted this year (or shall I say last year).

The girls and I were talking on IM one day when someone in the group came up with the bright idea of going with a color scheme. No, I'm all for colors. I LOVE colors, but Lord....why did someone have to pick the most difficult color to find this season. The color theme for our holiday party was purple. So here I am on the search for a purple dress, shirt, skirt, something. I've visited every mall in the triangle area (literally) and i couldn't seem to find one decent purple item suitable for this here holiday party. I mean, I guess I could bought a random little purple top, but you have to understand that this was OUR holiday party, and I am NOT trying to be outdone. At least not by our guest.

Needless to say, it took me and my trusty friend Monica driving 2 hours away (Charlotte) to finally find something I could wear to the party. O.K. so lets fast forward to the fiesta .........................................................................................................
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The party was off da chain! (if I do say so myself) There were tons of people. Folks were there that I hadn't seen in years. Most looked GREAT...but others....ehhhhhh. (My mother always said...If you don't have anything nice to say...don't say it at all)....Actually, I doubt that MY mother ever said this. But you know what I mean. We all had an amazing time. The music was good, the drinks were dee-lish, and the ambiance was just right!



Woo Hoo to throwing a successful paaartay!



Until next year folks....

Home Sweet Home (late post)

Boy oh boy did it feel good to be home. I mean...literally, when I stepped off of the plane my heart felt full of life, joy, and anticipation with the thought of seeing familiar faces again. I hadn't been home is quite some time, so this opportunity to see friends and family members was loooooong overdue. As we pulled up to the house, it felt a sense of comfort. Though I like my place here in NC, Oakland is where my home and heart is. I know many people say this about their family, but I honestly believe I have a family like no other. The bond we share is unbreakable, one that has been tried and tested, but remains unscathed. Time with my family is always great. We joke around and laugh continuously. There’s never a dull moment in our house (ask anybody). But sometimes it amazes me how we don’t drive each other crazy. Soooo…my sister and I are laying in my bed talking about God knows what….and my mother comes to my room and proceeds to squeeze her thick behind in the middle of us. Ok…so at this point my face is practically plastered onto the wall because having three grown ass women try to lay comfortably on a full size bed is NOT the business. But even during my physical discomfort, I was happy. Happy to know that my mother was there. Happy to know that she wanted to hang out with her daughters, Happy to know that she missed me. Happy to know that even though my freak’n cheek was against the wall, I still had energy to laugh at her silliness. I missed home. I miss home a lot. *sigh*

Back at it again

It feels like it’s been so long since I’ve last written a blog that I don’t even know where to begin. So much has happened since my posting on Dec. 14^th 2006, which I guess is part of the reason why I have hesitated to even write anything. It would have been ideal if I had written down my feelings, experiences and reactions to recent events immediately after they happened. But obviously I failed to do that, and because of this, I feel like my distant recap will not do my experiences justice. I’ve had high highs and low lows over the past couple weeks, and I have learned a lot about myself and those I hold dear to my heart. Life is about making choice, sharing new experiences, and learning along the way. Life is a continuous journey. A journey in which I constantly wonder about and pray that He will provide me with the strength to face each situation as it comes.