First of all, I want to apologize for my absence and lack of commentary on other blogs but so far this semester has been extremely overwhelming!
I am taking five courses, the most I've taken since resuming my educational studies in 2007. Additionally, I’m working full-time and in a relationship so my head is spinning. Nevertheless, this is what I wanted and I don't have any regrets. Overall, I'd much rather remain occupied than idle similar to my month-long winter hiatus.
Therefore, in short paragraphs, these are the latest happenings in my life:
Psychology 270 (Statistics) isn't as hard as everyone made it out to be. So far I'm getting the formulas, doing the homework and keeping pace. If I begin averaging low marks, I'll take the class as Pass/Fail option. Furthermore, I think I aced the first exam today!
Music Theory II and Ear Training are much more difficult. I received a C+ on a homework assignment (I was a straight A student last semester) so I'm going to have to step up my game. However, Wednesday's homework came back with an A on it – yeah, I’m back!
Additionally, Jazz Band is looking much different than last semester. New singers, a slim mocha cutie on the keys (hey, I can window-shop as long as I don't whip out the charge card!), an accordion player (don't ask!), and I'm on the real concert grand for now. No horns and we're actually going to be tested on improv skills around mid-term. Ugh!
Private lessons with Professor Hand Killer are killing me ... loudly! I’m working on a nine page (yes, you heard correctly!) Beethoven sonata for my jury (click here for previous post - Crazy For Classical). I'm struggling so can someone just shoot me now? Ready! Aim! Fire!
My sobriety crusade continues. Nearly two months! More about that in a subsequent post.
I finally saw Noah's Arc: Jumping The Broom. It was far better than the series (great cinematography, writing, acting, etc.). However, it wrapped up too neatly but hey, that's Hollywood for ya! I’d love to comment more but I don’t want to ruin it for my readers who haven’t seen it. So definitely check it out!
Pops bought a new car. A dark blue Ford Explorer. Yep, he's finally moved into the 21st century! The funny thing is that I didn't even know they purchased a car! I came home at 2:30 AM to find a strange vehicle parked in the drive. I haven't even sat in it, let alone rode in it!
Speaking of cars, I'm planning to trade mine in (yet another problem with it - over $3,000 in repairs last year) and I've got my eye on the Ford Edge. I'm looking at getting leather interior (Limited or Sport edition). Rugrat is already dissing it. "It looks like a car that a white woman would drive! Like Cameron Diaz or something... "
I sent my boyfriend flowers for V-Day. I know it's stereotypical but after seeing that Super Bowl Teleflora commercial, "flowers in a box," I just had to try it out. I know, I know, I'm easy! Nevertheless, I still have a few sweet ideas for V-Day so I'll let you know how it turns out!
We're officially booked on the Caribbean cruise! I soooooo can't wait!
I found out yesterday that The Voice and I were invited to a June wedding in Jamaica! Talk about “compound excitement” (inside joke relating to Music Theory class!)
I jailbroke my iPhone and while I was extremely hesitant to do it, I’m glad I went through with it. It took a few tries but wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be. I’ve already got a Star Trek theme going (you’ve gotta love the geek in me!) and even found a way to wirelessly connect it to my desktop. The Voice had his jailbroken within a few days of receiving it. Yes, we’re that nauseating couple who has matching phones … go ahead and say something! I dare ya! Ha ha!
I'm headed to Philadelphia next weekend. Any bloggers from that area have some recommendations of things to check out? Where can a Beantown brotha get a good Philly cheesesteak? I've been to Philly before (loved it!) yet never with the man I love ... this should be fun!
The Jaybirds (The Voice's roommates) got a small puppy. Yeah, I'm oozing with excitement! Seriously though, I think she's exceedingly cute but a ton of work. I only hope she's not neglected as he and his roomies work full-time. Either way, she's already "marked" The Voice's room. So if puppies love him, I guess that's a fantastic sign! LOL
I went bowling this week for the first time since Thanksgiving 2007 (Atlanta). Man, I missed that sport! For those of you that don't know, I was on a bowling league for several years when I was a pre-teen. Java-Mama was also on a league and has a ton of trophies to prove it. However, neither of us really broke 100 in the two games so we're thinking about making this a weekly thing to get our skills back up.
I won over $300 in corporate gift cards for the past two months! Can you guess how I’ve been paying for gas?
Speaking of work, I passed my three month probation. While it took a while to adjust, I’m settled for the most part. I’m not getting too chummy with the other employees as I don’t want to develop any attachments like I did at The Fund. The work sucks (I’m glad I chose healthcare since the job market is unbelievably bad!), the pay is “okay” but what do I care? It’s paying for my education and once I snatch that degree, I’m bouncing!
Okay, my break is over (I'm typing this at 1 AM so forgive my rambling!) and I'm going to get back to work ...
Have a wonderful Valentine’s Day/Presidents’ Day Weekend everyone!
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
My Favorite Super Bowl XLIII Ads
Anyone noticing the theme centers around work and the office ... huh?! go figure!
Friday, January 30, 2009
It's Love!
Wednesday, January 28th, 2009 - 6:35 PM
Night swiftly descended as I drove to work. Tonight wasn't any different than any other night. Same old routine ... or so I thought.
I pulled into the garage, breathing a sigh of relief that my parking space hadn't been invaded by my day shift counterpart. I leaped from my car, surprisingly elated to be at work early and eager to get the night over with. I hurried across the street to the building, swiped my access card and entered.
Several custodial staff members roamed around, mopping and vacuuming while I clocked in. I hurried upstairs, donned my lab coat and rushed down to the lab. After retrieving the requisitions for cytology, I set to work and called up my boyfriend, anticipation oozing from every pore.
We are currently amid a two week non-voluntary hiatus. Simply put, he’s out of town on business and is the longest duration apart from one another.
The phone rang.
He answered, "Hello?"
"Hey ..." I responded breathlessly.
"What's goin' on?"
"Not much, was thinking about you and missing you ... how was your day?"
We volleyed back and forth, detailing our occupational and academic adventures. The sounds of the couriers and drivers continuously trudging in did little to dampen my spirit and excitement over hearing his voice. Prior to calling him, I had spent a great deal of the day attempting to jailbreak my iPhone. Needless to say, I didn't have much success. I came to the realization that I was once again becoming green-eyed over his prison-broke phone. So I told him I had a confession.
"What's wrong? Is everything okay?" he asked.
"Well, it's nothin' serious baby. I was just admitting I had another green-eyed moment. And I know you'll roll your eyes but you know I'm working on that!"
"Mmmm-hmmm," he droned playfully.
I confessed my thoughts and waited for his reaction.
He chuckled and began to say something just as the phone disconnected.
I immediately placed my work to the side, picked up my phone and dialed him back. The ringer buzzed a few times in my ear and then I heard him pick up.
"What happened?" he inquired.
"No idea ... damn AT&T!" I huffed angrily as I continued combing through the lab requisitions.
"So did you hear the last thing I said?"
"No"
He hesitated. "Oh, oh ... good then!"
"Um, what'd you say? I won't get upset, just talk to me," I assured him, secretly fearing he was upset about my uncontrollable envious personality.
"Well, I started laughing and said 'that's why I love you', even when you're green-eyed!"
He paused.
“Wow, I can’t believe I just said that ... I haven’t said that to anyone in a long, long time baby ... since I was in college. I just can’t believe I said that!”
My heart fluttered a few times, not quite sure I was hearing him correctly.
“I didn’t want to say that over the phone, I’d rather say it in person but I guess you can’t control when it happens,” he continued chuckling out of nervousness.
“I really love you baby boy!”
Night swiftly descended as I drove to work. Tonight wasn't any different than any other night. Same old routine ... or so I thought.
I pulled into the garage, breathing a sigh of relief that my parking space hadn't been invaded by my day shift counterpart. I leaped from my car, surprisingly elated to be at work early and eager to get the night over with. I hurried across the street to the building, swiped my access card and entered.
Several custodial staff members roamed around, mopping and vacuuming while I clocked in. I hurried upstairs, donned my lab coat and rushed down to the lab. After retrieving the requisitions for cytology, I set to work and called up my boyfriend, anticipation oozing from every pore.
We are currently amid a two week non-voluntary hiatus. Simply put, he’s out of town on business and is the longest duration apart from one another.
The phone rang.
He answered, "Hello?"
"Hey ..." I responded breathlessly.
"What's goin' on?"
"Not much, was thinking about you and missing you ... how was your day?"
We volleyed back and forth, detailing our occupational and academic adventures. The sounds of the couriers and drivers continuously trudging in did little to dampen my spirit and excitement over hearing his voice. Prior to calling him, I had spent a great deal of the day attempting to jailbreak my iPhone. Needless to say, I didn't have much success. I came to the realization that I was once again becoming green-eyed over his prison-broke phone. So I told him I had a confession.
"What's wrong? Is everything okay?" he asked.
"Well, it's nothin' serious baby. I was just admitting I had another green-eyed moment. And I know you'll roll your eyes but you know I'm working on that!"
"Mmmm-hmmm," he droned playfully.
I confessed my thoughts and waited for his reaction.
He chuckled and began to say something just as the phone disconnected.
I immediately placed my work to the side, picked up my phone and dialed him back. The ringer buzzed a few times in my ear and then I heard him pick up.
"What happened?" he inquired.
"No idea ... damn AT&T!" I huffed angrily as I continued combing through the lab requisitions.
"So did you hear the last thing I said?"
"No"
He hesitated. "Oh, oh ... good then!"
"Um, what'd you say? I won't get upset, just talk to me," I assured him, secretly fearing he was upset about my uncontrollable envious personality.
"Well, I started laughing and said 'that's why I love you', even when you're green-eyed!"
He paused.
“Wow, I can’t believe I just said that ... I haven’t said that to anyone in a long, long time baby ... since I was in college. I just can’t believe I said that!”
My heart fluttered a few times, not quite sure I was hearing him correctly.
“I didn’t want to say that over the phone, I’d rather say it in person but I guess you can’t control when it happens,” he continued chuckling out of nervousness.
“I really love you baby boy!”
Monday, January 26, 2009
Tuesday Morning
"Woke up this morning, with a smile on my face"
(The Way - Jill Scott: Who Jill Scott? Words and Sounds, Vol. 1)
Last Tuesday morning, I did exactly that. I grinned a toothy smile from ear to ear in hungry anticipation for what I considered the most astounding event of my lifetime and in the history of America:
The inauguration of Barack Obama, the first African-American President of the United States.
I can recall as a youngster my grandfather's die-hard civil rights fanaticism and the mark it imparted on my life. I was instructed to always be proud of my ethnicity and understand our history no matter how embarrassing or difficult it felt when infrequently taught in school. An attendee of the March on Washington, my grandfather felt our race was the most prominent aspect of our appearance and strived to instill an extraordinary sense of decency and decorum. Consequently, I harbor an extremely profound sense of pride for my people (even when they annoy me) and carry myself as honorably as possible.
So it comes with no surprise that I believe my vote for Barack Obama, like the vote of most African-Americans, carried with it the spirit of my grandfather's vote as well as the weight of my ancestors extending back to Africa. Furthermore, many African-American individuals stated that they voted based not upon race but on the issues facing contemporary America.
I concur.
Nevertheless, the emotional factor that determined my vote runs exceedingly deep. It is something that many of my white friends and colleagues cannot possibly comprehend. Consequently, watching the fulfillment of that vote, that dream of an African American president, simply took my breath away.
I sat in the kitchen with my parents, Java-Mama and Pops and while we joked and commented throughout many of the pre-inaugural happenings (i.e. outrageous outfits, who was thinking what, the event running on CP time, etc.), silence rapidly descended during the oath of office and throughout Obama's inaugural address. I glanced over to catch my mother tenderly dabbing at the corners of her eyes and Pops looking on in quiet satisfaction, his mind flashing back to days when this event would have been nothing more than a pipe dream.
They came of age during the Civil Rights era, watching evening news reports displaying pictures of beaten protestors, sprayed with hoses and attacked by dogs. They experienced the void in our community with the deaths of the great Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, John F. Kennedy and Robert Kennedy. And my father, who was raised in the substantially racially charged state of Mississippi during the 1940's, felt the sting of injustice and discrimination at segregated schools and restaurants.
Yes, I've had it good but only because of their generation and the many before them, who fought to bestow this upon me. I've been fortunate enough to attend top schools, experience diversity among my social circle and never remain confined to the back of a public bus.
This inauguration meant so much to young and old alike in our community. And as I watched Barack and Michelle walk the streets of D.C., I felt an enormous swelling of dignity and wished my grandparents had lived to witness this day.
Reality has set in. The time for celebration has passed and Obama is hard at work. Will his presidency mimic his predecessor or will he outshine the administrations of some of our most esteemed presidents? History will be the arbitrator of that question. Does his achievement signal the end of racism and discrimination for blacks and other minorities in America? Perhaps. The fight for equality is not over by a long shot. There will still be a hate crime somewhere, sometime before the fulfillment of his first week. However, we must stay true to Obama's message: "...But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions — that time has surely passed. Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America."
That night, as I sat at my desk at work, extremely focused and on cloud nine, I listened to the song "Changes" from the late Tupac Shakur on the radio. And as the line, "we ain't ready to see a black president" was uttered, I simply smirked to myself in deep amazement.
Dedicated to my grandfather ...
"Hey Grandpa, we did it!"
(The Way - Jill Scott: Who Jill Scott? Words and Sounds, Vol. 1)
Last Tuesday morning, I did exactly that. I grinned a toothy smile from ear to ear in hungry anticipation for what I considered the most astounding event of my lifetime and in the history of America:
The inauguration of Barack Obama, the first African-American President of the United States.
I can recall as a youngster my grandfather's die-hard civil rights fanaticism and the mark it imparted on my life. I was instructed to always be proud of my ethnicity and understand our history no matter how embarrassing or difficult it felt when infrequently taught in school. An attendee of the March on Washington, my grandfather felt our race was the most prominent aspect of our appearance and strived to instill an extraordinary sense of decency and decorum. Consequently, I harbor an extremely profound sense of pride for my people (even when they annoy me) and carry myself as honorably as possible.
So it comes with no surprise that I believe my vote for Barack Obama, like the vote of most African-Americans, carried with it the spirit of my grandfather's vote as well as the weight of my ancestors extending back to Africa. Furthermore, many African-American individuals stated that they voted based not upon race but on the issues facing contemporary America.
I concur.
Nevertheless, the emotional factor that determined my vote runs exceedingly deep. It is something that many of my white friends and colleagues cannot possibly comprehend. Consequently, watching the fulfillment of that vote, that dream of an African American president, simply took my breath away.
I sat in the kitchen with my parents, Java-Mama and Pops and while we joked and commented throughout many of the pre-inaugural happenings (i.e. outrageous outfits, who was thinking what, the event running on CP time, etc.), silence rapidly descended during the oath of office and throughout Obama's inaugural address. I glanced over to catch my mother tenderly dabbing at the corners of her eyes and Pops looking on in quiet satisfaction, his mind flashing back to days when this event would have been nothing more than a pipe dream.
They came of age during the Civil Rights era, watching evening news reports displaying pictures of beaten protestors, sprayed with hoses and attacked by dogs. They experienced the void in our community with the deaths of the great Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, John F. Kennedy and Robert Kennedy. And my father, who was raised in the substantially racially charged state of Mississippi during the 1940's, felt the sting of injustice and discrimination at segregated schools and restaurants.
Yes, I've had it good but only because of their generation and the many before them, who fought to bestow this upon me. I've been fortunate enough to attend top schools, experience diversity among my social circle and never remain confined to the back of a public bus.
This inauguration meant so much to young and old alike in our community. And as I watched Barack and Michelle walk the streets of D.C., I felt an enormous swelling of dignity and wished my grandparents had lived to witness this day.
Reality has set in. The time for celebration has passed and Obama is hard at work. Will his presidency mimic his predecessor or will he outshine the administrations of some of our most esteemed presidents? History will be the arbitrator of that question. Does his achievement signal the end of racism and discrimination for blacks and other minorities in America? Perhaps. The fight for equality is not over by a long shot. There will still be a hate crime somewhere, sometime before the fulfillment of his first week. However, we must stay true to Obama's message: "...But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions — that time has surely passed. Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America."
That night, as I sat at my desk at work, extremely focused and on cloud nine, I listened to the song "Changes" from the late Tupac Shakur on the radio. And as the line, "we ain't ready to see a black president" was uttered, I simply smirked to myself in deep amazement.
Dedicated to my grandfather ...
"Hey Grandpa, we did it!"
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Dead And Gone
To The Voice:
Oooooooh
I've been travelin' on this road to long
Just trying to find my way back home
The old me is dead and gone, dead and gone
I turn my head to the east
I don’t see nobody by my side
I turn my head to the west
Still nobody in sight
So I turn my head to the north
Swallow that pill that they call pride
That old me is dead and gone
But that new me will be all right ...
(Excerpt from Dead And Gone - T.I. feat. Justin Timberlake)
Oooooooh
I've been travelin' on this road to long
Just trying to find my way back home
The old me is dead and gone, dead and gone
I turn my head to the east
I don’t see nobody by my side
I turn my head to the west
Still nobody in sight
So I turn my head to the north
Swallow that pill that they call pride
That old me is dead and gone
But that new me will be all right ...
(Excerpt from Dead And Gone - T.I. feat. Justin Timberlake)
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