I Didn't Forget My Blogiversary

No, I didn't forget July 3rd. This is now my 5th year blogging on the Blogger platform. Got some new plans for some things and the same plans for most things. Stay Tuned!!!

On July 3rd, I was traveling outside of the state of Texas for leisure. It's been a while since I vacationed (Not work travel) outside of my home state. I had opportunities but they were for places I had already been to or out of my budget. I wanted to go somewhere different. Then I.D. got married this time last year. She lives in the Washington DC area. And the idea came to me. Why don't I celebrate the country's birth & my friend's first wedding anniversary in the Nation's Capital? So I told two of the other besties, Shadrack (formerly known as LJ) & T.T. my idea and they were on board. Then a snag came in my plan. My side-hustle had me on their shortlist for training for contest judging in El Paso. I DID NOT want to go to El Paso at the same time. So, I shut up, prayed and kept saving money to go DC. In March, I finally found out that I was not going to El Paso. We told I.D. that we were coming and July 3rd, we landed on the DMV.

Our first stop was a Brunch Buffet!!! Brunch is the preferred hangout meal for my friends & loved ones. It's our Day Party and it is slowly taking over Happy Hour for us. I.D. & her husband, blog name Stick picked us up and took us to this great spot called A-Town Bar & Grill in Virginia. We left Dallas at 6:10 in the AM so, we were Hungry.

The food was delicious!!! There was Breakfast Food, Steak & Chicken Kabobs, Tacos, Sushi Rolls, Chicken & Waffles, Fresh Fruit, Mac & Cheese Balls, Crab Salad, Shrimp Cocktail, and Desserts. We all agreed that the Crème Brule was Wonderful!!! Then we partook in a little hookah smoking. I don't smoke. I grew up in a smoking house. I tried a couple of times and I was not my thing. But when in Rome, you go with the flow. Hookah smoking was cool. I don't detest it. Felt & tastes better than smoking cigarettes & weed. Afterward, we did a little sightseeing on the National Mall. We saw Martin Luther King, Jr & Lincoln Memorials directly & Washington & Jefferson Memorials from afar.

I had no clue those memorials were so far away from each other. Lincoln & MLK, Jr were 15 minutes away from each other. I was so ready for some rest. Stick took us to a pizza place called H & Pizza so we would have something to eat that night for dinner. It was very good to create your own pizza. It was even tasty cold. We got into our room, got some rest and got dressed for a 4th of July Event at the hotel across the rest from us.

The featured group was Dru Hill. We were in VIP and Dru Hill passed right by our table. I straight fanned out. Jazz is my favorite.

Why do I like Jazz the best? Not just because he is a BBHM (Big Bald Handsome Man) *wink* But because when Dru Hill was on Keith Sweat's reality show, Sweat House he was the only one that seems to be genuinely Band Loyal. But they were very enjoyable. I also got a full taste of GoGo music, not just the commercial stuff the radio stations barely play. I think we finally went to bed at around 4 am. Which meant we didn't leave the hotel until noon on Independence Day. Stick had to work so it was just us with ID. She took us to National Harbor.

We got to snap a few pictures before the rain started. We ducked into a spot called Rosa Mexicano. I am now on the hunt for the recipe for those Black Bean. They were so scrumptious that I started dipping my chips into the bowl meant for the table. LoL

We then went to hang out at ID & Stick's new home in Maryland. It was very nice & spacious. They were expecting others but it was raining a lot. So, it was just us. I fixed(with my little help) a meal that included Crab Legs, Burgers, Grilled Pork Chops Pasta Salad, Corn on the Cob & Chicken with Mambo Sauce that we picked up on the way to the house. Mambo Sauce is a beloved condiment in DC. I liked it. Taste like a ketchup & duck sauce or plum sauce mix. The culmination of the night was watching them open & read their 1-year anniversary card we gave them.

The last day, July 5 was ID & Stick's actual anniversary. They spent it at a spa & the Bay. TT, Shadrack & I after a light breakfast took a field trip to the US Navy Memorial & Ben's Chili Bowl.

We took the Metro Way around. Oh, and the subway issues were very real. My grandfather always talks about the memorial during his travels with the Dallas Postal Credit Union Board. So, I had to see it. I know it is just a statue but I teared up. Just the thought that I was seeing what Pau-Pau saw decades ago was emotional. Then we went to Ben's. Foodies always talk about Ben's Chilli Bowl but I don't eat hot dogs in public. Also, I was trying to lighten it up on the cuisine a bit. My stomach was thinking about frowning. So, we kept Ben's like a photo op, too. Later that night I had a bowl of Southwest Tortilla Soup at Chili's near our hotel in Crystal City. Then we were off to packing because our flight was at 7:55 am. Wheels Up and we were home on July 6th.

Oh yes, I will be returning to the Washington DC area aka The DMV. Next time, I will tack on 2 more days and make it a 5-day trip. I didn't get to see another good friend while I was there. Only saw one other wedding party member and that was at the party with Dru Hill. Oh, it was not Ridge. I talked to Ridge while I was there. *sigh* I ended up having a little revelation. I need a Reformed(ing) Playa in my world (Had one but Football Nerd left this world) to translate F-word Boy language & mindsets. And I will leave it there.

Yeah, I'll admit it, I'm still on a high.

As Always, Talking to You in Adult Terms

I Promise to Blog as Soon as I Get My Emotions Right

Dallas was under attack last night, Thursday night. My home, My City was under attack.

I stay 15 minutes south of Downtown Dallas. The same area Erykah Badu is from & talk about in this song above. I had just tweeted that my tweet was shown on Big Brother before it ended. Went up to the front of my home, I was just looking around outside & locking up the house because somebody in my Fair Park area neighborhood was still shooting firecrackers. You know that is annoying. Then I looked at my grandmother's TV at Breaking News. *sigh* I would rather hear firecrackers than about anyone being shot.

Somebody was firing bullets after a peaceful Black Lives Matter protest in Downtown Dallas. They say you don’t get a true picture of an incident until it happens to you. When it was Ferguson, LA, Baltimore, it is sad to watch. But when it is your home, it is frightening, mind blowing & unreal. I had just passed by Downtown, the other day. The college, El Centro, whose garage the shooter eventually was hold up and died in, was the community college I went to for some courses. The year I decided to find myself, one of the places I found myself was taking classes at El Centro so I could transfer to Lamar University after I left University of Texas at Arlington. The infamous Green Building Aka Bank of America Plaza, my mother retired from her job in that building. One of my aunts works in that area, also. It was unreal to see all of that unfold.

Oh & Yes, I am person who believes Black Lives Matter & I Back the Blue, also. That became very apparent last night. I have a cousin, VJ, black man, who lives in some lofts in Downtown Dallas. Until the they cornered the shooter in El Centro garage, I worried for him. I figured he was not at the protest but Bullets don’t know directions. But the shooters location was known and I knew that my cousin’s loft was on the opposite end of Downtown I relaxed for a moment. Only for us to find out that another black male cousin, M&M was down there for the protest and his car was in the area where the action was. VJ told M&M to come to his loft but the police had M&M locked up in one of the hotels. So, we knew that he was not on the street. Then reports were coming that most of the victims were cops. I know quite few cops. My hairdresser’s husband is police. My teenage crush at my foundation church is an officer. I had to just pray. Black Lives Matter & Back the Blue are always in my prayers but last night I had to put names & faces to those causes. And I am happy to say all are safe. M&M is a t home. And both guys I know in law enforcement were not Downtown but rather at their respective precincts.

It's sad but this time I could not go through the paces of hoping that the shooter was not black. I knew he was black. Maybe not the one that was misidentified (Open has in effect since January 1, 2016. And it took July 7, 2016 for us to have proof it is not an equal opportunity liberty, here. 7 whole months, Texas I’m so proud of you) but I knew he was black. Many felt like because the police were negotiating with him, he was white Many felt because the mayor & police chief would release his name right away, he wasn’t black. No, he was black. Many don’t realize that Dallas will try it’s hardest to seem to act better than other places. The crime rate is already extremely too high. They can’t look like Baton Rouge & Falcon Heights. Dallas has to look like a shining example on how to handle things the best way Dallas can. And this case was not any different and it has a black police chief at the helm. Oh and a robot killed the suspect.

Now what is crazy is that the shooter Micah Xavier Johnson, live in the Dallas suburb of Mesquite that is 10 minutes to the east of my home. I am in Mesquite at least 3 times a month. Mesquite is not urban blight. And as Johnson’s facts are released, he is not a stereotypical thug but was an army reservist. I probably passed him at a Walmart, bank or mall. His crime was still not warranted. It did not have to happen. And the other possible suspects in custody that want to stay mum might as well start talking. It’s already reported that Johnson said he was after White cops & people. He been planning this shooting for a while. Last night was his opportunity to execute it, If there is a different story to be said being quiet won’t get it heard. Also, if they didn’t even know Johnson there is no use going down some crap if they don’t have to.

I got my thoughts all out. There’s no bubble to crawl into so it’s time to do my part in healing. I lift up in prayer & stand with everyone affected by the senseless violence that happened in Downtown Dallas, in our country, USA & all over our planet, Earth. ‪#‎Dallas‬ ‪#‎PrayForDallas‬ ‪#‎PrayfortheUSA‬ ‪#‎PrayfortheWorld‬ ‪#‎DallasStrong‬ ‪#‎DallasisMyHome‬

As Always, Talking to You in Adult Terms

I Know I Need to Blog But...

I am Not in the darn mood. The climate of the country I call home is unreal right now. It's not new but right now it is overwhelming.

I'm tired of being "Woke". I'm so "Woke" right now that I want to cry myself to "Sleep". I really wish I could detach from it all and live in a bubble. But only a coward would actually do that. But heck my nosiness would would "Wake" me back up. So, No Worries, I Stay Woke!!!

But it is hard to blog about what I want to share. Yet, I will share it despite up. Somebody might need my a post just to think about something else. And I said on FaceBook, The world will never stop while you live your life

Rest in Peace to Alton Sterling & Philando Castile.I lift up prayers for your families. I don't understand how selling CDs or having a busted tail light could escalate to your death. But I (We ) have to trust "It Will All Come Out in the Wash". Or as the elderly church lady in my mind is saying, "We'll Understand It Better By & By"

 As Always, Talking to You in Adult Terms

Relax, It's Just Hair!!! (Another Relaxer Stretch)

What? I have relaxed hair and I want it longer. So, I'm on a journey. But you know this already. Well, I hit a bump in the road last December. Last Fall, I got sick and my hormones went a little wacky. Then I also burned my hair trying to keep it straight. I mean I only flat ironing once a week but I was passing the flat iron & electric comb through at least 4 times for every section.

So, I had to wack my hair to my bottom of my ears to rid the damage I cause. So, it was side part unders & roller sets for a while. Those are my boring I mean classic go-to styles for my hair. But I didn't stay classic for a long. I saw a lady at church with this pretty twist out. I gave her a compliment and she told me it was a crochet weave. My reaction caused her to say, "Yeah, crochets are so different than the 90s. I found this one on YouTube". I thought Crochet Braids in the 90s were Cheesy. They just looked fake and plastic. They were like a failed microbraid dupe. And apparently those who wore them regretted them because I took me some time to find somebody (I didn't know *wink*) on the internet with them. I finally found one.

Since I am talking crap about her hair choices, I cropped her face

So, off to Youtube I went. The possibilities were endless.

Then I was talking about it on Facebook and my cousin, Clois said she'll do mine. And in February, I got a crochet weave. Fun Fact: I hadn't had "professional braids of any kind since 2003. And for six weeks I kept my hands off my hair. It needed a break from me. I loved the style. I got so many compliments. The only drawback is this particular style is for the cold. And guess what it really didn't do this winter? Yep, it didn't get very cold. So after two or three weeks, I had to started pulling some of the curls up.

And by the last week. I had pulled it all up into. My hair grew quite bit. I could have relaxed my hair after I took the braids out but I decided to stay on schedule and waited two more months. And I am happy to say I got my length back to it's original fighting length.

It's so humid outside

Yeah, I played with chopping it off and going my to a short bob but I am happy to see this length. My ponytail is a decent size now. Plus, the shorter the hair, the less time I get to sleep longer. I can brush my teeth and take rollers out or unwrap my hair at the same time. So, I just got it wrapped. It's easier to manipulate into a classic side part under or a flip than if I had a curlier style.

And when I your birthday event rolls around and your hair is dirty,

It is easy to style into this French Braid style. It's is a variation of a style I saw on a relaxed hair vlogger, AllofDestiny's Youtube channel. The video is below. Check it out. A Facebook page I follow (Heck I follow them on Twitter & Instagram too) called Celebrate Relaxed Hair posted her picture and I had to know what she did.

It is a very easy style. I just French braided my hair on both sides and added my handy dandy bun piece. I added some hoop earrings and I was ready for the shindig. I got a some compliments on this style. So, it a Keeper!!! Oh and be prepared to see this hairstyle in a later post even though my hair will be clean.

So, that's it for this Relaxer Stretch update.

Hey, we all have setbacks of some kind in life. Next time along with a length check, I plan to have tried what I think will be a more temperature friendly crochet weave style. There are some very cute styles out there and I plan to try them out towards the last six weeks of my stretches. Any safe way I can keep my hands out of my head, is good for me.

As Always, Talking to You in Adult Terms

The Audience at Life's Performances.

Life is a theater so invite your audiences carefully. Not everyone is holy enough and healthy enough to have a FRONT ROW seat in our lives.

Some people in your life need to be loved from a distance.

It's amazing what you can accomplish when you let go, or at least minimize your time with draining, negative, incompatible, not-going-anywhere relationships, friendships, fellowships, and family!

Everyone Can't be in Your FRONT ROW.

Observe the relationships around you. Pay attention to Which ones lift and which ones lean?

Which ones encourage and which ones discourage?

Which ones are on a path of growth uphill and which ones are just going downhill?

When you leave certain people, do you feel better or feel worse?

Which ones always have drama or don't understand, know and appreciate you and the gift that lies within you?

Everyone Can't be in Your FRONT ROW.

The more you seek God and the things of God, the more you seek quality, the more you seek not just the hand of God but the face of God, the more you seek things honorable, the more you seek growth, peace of mind, love and truth around you, the easier it will become for you to decide who gets to sit in the FRONT ROW and who should be moved to the balcony of your life.

Everyone Can't be in Your FRONT ROW.

You cannot change the people around you...but you can change the people you are around!

Ask God for wisdom and discernment and choose wisely the people who sit in the FRONT ROW of your life.

Remember that FRONT ROW seats are for special and deserving people and those who sit in your FRONT ROW should be chosen carefully.

Everyone Can't be in Your FRONT ROW

Even though I celebrate my birthday all month long, my official events with my June Birthday Bestie, T.T. have come to a close. Every year within the past 6 years maybe, I am reminded of this poem above, which was emailed to me years ago. Growing up, I celebrated my birthdays traveling a lot. My birthday would usually fall during the week of the National Baptist Sunday School & Baptist Training Union (BTU) Congress. I was an attendee, for some of those years. One year, we were traveling back home from Los Angeles and at midnight, a charter bus full of church members broke out into a round of "Happy Birthday". I think that was my 13th birthday. In my twenties, people would be nice and throw me dinner or a party but invariably somebody would be upset by the end of the event. And even though my loved ones meant well, by age 27, I refused for anyone else to plan an event ever again.

As I get older I realize all the people that cause the major issues at 20s events are people that are not in my life now. As I get older, life has changed for me so, I know it has changed for other people. Sometimes the people at Act 5 of Life's performance are not around for Act 10.

Some left because you are not their type of play. Some acted up and the ushers had to escort them out of the Life Theater. This goes for the people on the Front Row to Last Row.

My birthday is not limited to Front Row people but they are the people I think of first. Over the years, that front row has changed. I remember one birthday, only two Front Row people were celebrating in person with me (It was a Monday). That was 8 years ago.

One is no longer a front-row person. She's not watching my performance anymore. I realized that I was not her type of theatrical work and she was not mine. Probably like the poem says, I should have observed some things earlier and switched that seat some time ago.

But That's Life!!!

As Always, Talking to You in Adult Terms