To make up for the Holidays I will "miss" while on vay-cay

While I'm on vacation, there are a few holidays I won't be able to cover. The only reason I'm taking my lap top is so I can keep my iPod charged and burn CDs.

The first Holiday I will miss is Sisters and Frienship Day. I have made 3 posts about friendships, so make sure to check them out if you already haven't. On this day, August 5th, please get together with your friends and sisters (biological, sorority, sisters in Christ, play-play, whatever), and do something fun. Go out to eat, go to a movie, go to the club. DO SOMETHING TOGETHER. True Friends last a LIFETIME, I'm telling you. Make a point to call or email friends who live far away from you to let them know they've been on your mind. K.I.T., if you will. Buy cards, candy, and/or balloons for friends or sisters. Everyone probably has at least 1 of each (under my definition).

The second is National Underwear Day, which is observed on August 8th. The only thing I can glean from this holiday is to make sure you have on clean, hole-free underwear when you go out that day. Also, it'd be fun to buy some new lingerie, ladies. Or some new boxers, fellas...Think about it, it's an investment in "preserving your sexy" and your dignity.

August 12th is International Youth Day. It is a Sunday, so if you know a young person who does not attend church, or you are one of those people, invite them to go to church with you or go to church with a friend or relative. Afterwards, sit down for a nice lunch or dinner in a restaurant (not McDonalds). It's Youth Day, so this day is for the kids!!! Also, youth, take this time to enjoy what so many people covet and pay money to get back to. Go ride a bike, take a walk in the park, go skating, go skinny-dipping (umm...maybe not). We're always complaining about not having a day...well, here it is. Do it big on your day! It only comes around once a year! Oh and as far as what is considered youth, man, if you're 55 and you think your 15--I say DO YOU!! If you are confident and vibrant enough to roll with the youngins, you deserve this day as much as they do!!


Last but definitely not least...

From August 10th-12th, I and others will be celebrating Kool-Aid Day! Nuff said...Kool-Aid is the shit, and the mascot is funny as hell (yet weird and destructive). Take this time to make you some kool-aid to quench your thirst instead of drinking water (shit, it's only 3 days). Make up new flavors and if you're bold, set up a "lemonade-style" stand and sell your concoctions. I know I make up some concoctions, baby!! LOL...But it's just an over-all fun weekend to celebrate the joys of Kool-Aid. Harmless fun, if you ask me.

What do you do when they try to come back?

They being friends you have become disenchanted or estranged with. Do you accept them back with open arms, or do you turn a blind eye and a deaf ear to their pleas of forgiveness? Naw, this ain't a two-way street. I'm speaking strictly on, if a "friend" does YOU wrong, realizes the error of THEIR ways, and decides to come back...what do you do then?

This situation has presented itself to, not me (as of late), but my bf. And I commend her for the way she's been handling the issue since it first arose. She was definitely the mature one, in all aspects, and even today the disenchanted friend offered his sincerest apologies for being immature.

I asked her when things first broke out what would she do if he should come back and apologize for his behavior. She simply said that she didn't know. This situation was not cut-and-dry and the whole thing REALLY hurt my bf. She was furious that someone she called a good friend and brother could turn on her in an instance over another female....

They are in the process of straightening things out, but we all KNOW that things will never be the same between them, and they will probably never really feel comfortable around each other. What's done is done, and has become past issues. Me and CT are one in the same that we don't necessarily hold grudges--but we do. We tend to never forget how someone treats us (good or bad), especially a "friend".

And this leads me to my next question....Can men and women be "just friends"? Now I have seen this issue discussed and debated many times over different message boards, blogs, and real-life social settings. But I never interject, because until recently, I had never had an opinion on the topic. After what happened to my bf...I think about it often. Can you be just friends with someone of the opposite sex? Without complicating things and saying, "Well we were attracted to each other at one point and tried to talk, but it didn't work, and blah blah blah..."--I mean can you truly, honestly, be in a FRIENDS ONLY SITUATION with a member of the opposite sex?

My opinion is of course...yes and no.

Yes--because there are some people that God brings into your life to make you smile, forget about your troubles, and talk to, but only for a season. There have been a lot of guys in my life that I saw as just friends. Whether they like/liked me then/now is irrelevant. I guess they figure if they can't have me romantically, they'll settle for friendship. And I wouldn't have it any other way.

No--because (this is more complicated) Most times than none you and a guy/girl have been or are attracted to each other...shit, that's why you went over and spoke in the first place! And no matter what, in the midst of taking another's hand in commitment, the attraction will still linger on and has the potential to fuck up a good relationship.

There is this guy that likes to call himself my "brother". How we became friends is WEIRD and fucked up (to me), because it was on some stalkerish shit. We were at a summer camp our church was holding and there was this guy that I really liked. The dude had BEEN asked for my number, and I gave it to him. One night, I get a call from a number I didn't recognize (I was still answering those back then), and low-and-behold, it's the "brother" dude. I was shocked and appalled because I don't find him attractive at all, and we're not even on the same level! I was mad and asked him, "How did you get my number?" and he's like the dude I liked gave it to him...

Y'all know I called HIS ass and cussed him out right? You don't give my number out like that!! And the mofo was just laughing his head off, it was so funny to him. He knew that at the time, I found the other boy to be VERY annoying! Anyway, I felt like, for the "brother" dude to go through all this trouble to get my number without even notifying me, he must like me or something. And I really think he did. He would talk about girls, and about me "hooking him up" with friends, but now I see that this was just a ploy to throw his scent off my trail. He didn't wanna come off as too interested, as his homeboy had already made waves with me.

Needless to say, he continued to vigillantly pursue me, I guess as just a friend (one day he called me 16 times in the span of about 5 hrs) and he got no--where because I was annoyed as hell with him. And to this day, he is just a friend. He still looks the same, acts the same, is THE SAME. He has accepted that I didn't and don't want him like that, and I have accepted that if he can't have me in love, to at least let him be my friend. I have grown fond of him and can stand him calling 3 times a day sometimes. He started calling me his little sister around 11th grade year, and we rolled with it. He has no choice but to be my friend if he wants me in his life...cuz I can't give him anything else.

But then there's the other side of the token (which I will try to be brief about, but I could write a book). Guys that YOU like that YOU have to settle being friends with (grrr,*sigh*). It happens to me quite frequently, but I'll get over it. Going into detail causes me great emotional pain, so I'm gonna leave it alone and just say that, through all of MY disappointments with guys, I know that as Brittni says, "God has something for me that's gone blow "us" out the water". I can't wait to see and know who that is, but I obviously have no choice, so I will let it be.

I have to continue to do me, regardless...I believe he's right around the corner in the next phase of my life...we'll just have to wait and see...:-)

Last Night...

...I didn't even get an answer (P. Shitty).

Yeah you didn't get a damn answer because that bitch don't love you no mo'! Just kidding (not really), but this post is just the recap (kinda) of last night.

Britt picks me up in the PT (her new car...'06 model bih--get yo weight up!), we ride to Hooters. We park and I call Tamara (who lives down the street from the restaurant, but still manages to be late--luv ya Tam). She tells me she'll be there soon. We call Hanae to see where she's at and she tells us she's waiting in the parking lot too. We (me and Britt) get out of the car and meet Hanae at the door. Hugs and greetings are exchanged because we haven't seen each other in some months.

We go in and get seated...**we have the Hooters experience**...our Hooters Girl (waitress) is a little bit (lotta-bit) ditzy, we (me, Britt, Hanae) sit and wait for about 15-20 minutes for Tamara to arrive, all the while wondering if Keturah was gonna show up.

Ket and Tam walk in together and get seated as well. We eat and talk and laugh really loud. Then we get our checks and leave (I'm not goin into detail...if you haven't, you should experiene Hooters for yourself). I'd go back in the future...the food was okay (the fries were GREAT!!!).

Then we go out in the parking lot and parlay. I take pics (as I always do), and then me and Britt demonstrate the "Soulja Boy" and "Spiderman" dances to Hanae and Ket. We laguh and then walk out to the PT so the girls can see it. Then to make a long story short (you just had to be there), we ended up at Bruster's for ice cream. I had orange sherbet. it was...okay...not tangy enough for me...but *shrugs* what can you do?

Anyway, we danced in the parking lot after eating the ice cream, and then Tamara's mom called and we parted ways with hugs. Britt (BJ) is leaving us to go back to school early (8/7). She will be an RA this year along with 3 of my other DIAMOND sisters--Kandace, Jessica S., and Charna. Congrats girls, have fun and don't do the Freshmen in too bad!! Congrats also to my boy Anthony. He's an RA this year too!! Now for the pics (there were more, but they are hella blurry, so just deal).

Britt's '06 PT Cruiser (in my driveway)

Hanae and Keturah

Umm...
My girls (Hanae, Britt, Ket, and Tam in the back)

Crazy heffa, Tam!

Ice---cream---

Alright now, I'll holla. *I apologize for the way my camera was acting. The pictures themselves are very blurry :-(

GOOD MORNING!!!

Hi All! Today is a very exciting day!!! IT'S FRIDAY!!! YAY!!! Today, I'll be getting off at 2 to go to my Eye-doctor, and I must tell you that it feels good to be starting the weekend off early! Last night, I did go to Hooters (I'll make a separate posts with pics), and I had so much fun with my girls Britt, Tam, Hanae, and Ket. After Hooters we stopped at Bruster's for ice cream, and then danced in the parking lot until Tamara's mom called. Good Times! But yeah, I love those girls, and they and I are only about half of our illustrious DIAMONDS clique. Shout-outs to Jessica S., Jessica T., Charna, Kandace, Kia, and Megan. DIAMONDS are forever! But, anyhoo...

I wanted to let y'all know that I'll be on vacation from Aug. 5-12th. I'm going to LA (Lower Alabama, duh...lol)--Gulf Shores and Orange Beach to spend time with the fam, shop, and just relax my nerves. I'll also be hanging with my girl Monie (she's from down that way) for a day! I haven't seen her since school let out, so I'm tre's excited! Since I'll be on vay-cay, I WILL NOT BE POSTING. I'll try to post when I get back on the 12th (a Sunday), but if I don't get a chance to, I'll be back in full-effect Monday afternoon. Moving on....

While in LA, I hope to swim, soak up a lil sun (don't need too much), shop, eat some good food, hang with fam and friends, sleep, and relax. But that's what you do on a vay-cay anyway, right?

I also plan (towards the end of the trip, on Saturday) on getting a tattoo. I'm HYPED about it. A lot of my friends have one or two, and with the excitement created about them from the song

Tattoo by The Alliance, I figured now is as good a time as ever to follow suit. One thing about me is that I know how to be a leader and a follower. Being either has its good points and bad points, and if you are against marking your body, you may deem me foolish and weak...but guess what...ain't nobody holding a gun to my head making me do it. It's my choice and the ever popular and dreaded words, "It's MY BODY!!!". In the words of Jessy-Mae, "I do what I want, because I can". No truer words have ever been spoken. So yeah, I'm following a fad and the crowd...but ultimately it's my decision, just like it's my decision to remain abstinent (proud virgin here, baby), not drink, and not smoke.

Anyway, I think that handles everything on the announcement tip. I may come back with a "life question" or rant or something...I don't know. And I'll be making a post about last night soon.

Enjoy your morning, and happy Friday!!!

Update on the "READ A BOOK" Situation

Well, not really an update, but remember how I said I was browsing thru some GW Bush pics? Well, I found something that disturbed the hell outta me. Now, because he's our President, I automatically give/ or had given him respect, and honestly did not think he was THAT DUMB until just recently (2006). I am aware of a lot of the mistakes he and his administration have made in running this country, but I didn't know it was THIS BAD! All I can say, is come January 20, 2009, if you (as in readers of this blog) are/were a supporter of Bush, be ready to be offended, because I am going to let his dumb ass have it! I'm sorry...his stupidty has breeched new levels, in my eyes. I will probably be dedicating a post a day to him for a whole week leading up to 1/20/09...*sigh* it's a damn shame. But Imma save my rant for then.

Now, to my point...I don't know when this picture was taken, may have been years ago, but I'm just now seeing it, and I'm over here shaking my head.

click on the picture to make it bigger

I don't care if this picture is old, and true enough dumb mistakes like this may have been less frequent over the years. But it doesn't erase the fact that he had the damn book upside down!! I'm not one to just criticize someone for nothin. People make mistakes, and really I just wanted to post evidence of his stupidity. I'm sure someone informed him that he had the book upside down...but are you telling me he was looking at the kid so hard that he didn't notice? Okay...you're not there to stare at a kid, man...

I'm just sayin, I agree with the whole message of READ A BOOK, and who it's trying to target, but we all need to understand that a message such as this needs to reach broader audiences (whites, blacks, hispanics, and asians). And maybe that is also READ A BOOK's intention (though I believe it's initial intentions were to target the black community). Like I said, it may be an old pic, and I'm not saying Dubya can't read...but this picture sends a bad message and it is loud and clear. Do better in 2008, America. My voter registration card came in on Monday or Tuesday. Best believe I will be filling that bih out and voting Nov '08. I encourage you all to do the same.

But anyway...I just thought I'd share this gem. They'll be more soon. 'Til then!

** Disclaimer: The only relevance this picture has to the READ A BOOK song is that Bush is holding a book...and it's fuckin upside down...:-(

**YES!!! Praise God, it's...

**I've been sitting up here bored out of my mind, looking at "GW Bush pictures" and laughing my ass off! Tomorrow should be kind of exciting, seeing as I have an announcement to make. I should be posting a bit more tomorrow as well.

Today I'm going out with a few of my girls (goin to HOOTERS), and it should be fun. We wanted to get together before BJ went back to school. I might post some pictures of the night if I get them up before Sunday. Anyway, I don't really have much to say so Imma end this.

Have a good one! "Might as Well, tomorrow FRIDAY"--Auntie Helen (originally from some dude she went to high school with)

I TOLD YOU SO!

Remember when we visited the topic of overexposure? Hmmm? Well, I'll be damned if a sign wasn't sent...Diddy, or Beaver as I like to call him, has officially been B-LISTED in the popular celeb vay-cay spot of St. Tropez.

Story via celebrity-gossip.net (gossipgirls.com) July 30, 2007:

"It must have been like a slow motion video as fading rap star Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs watched his star fall when he was refused entrance at an exclusive club, Les Caves on the French Riviera. What makes this insult even more close to home for Combs is that he once “ruled the roost” at the Riviera back during his superstar days.
However, it appears as if Diddy’s fan base has shrunk, as insiders gleefully pointed out that, “He is so B-List here. No one even acknowledges him.” Going a step forward in casting the ultimate celebrity putdown, one insider claimed, “Nobody even recognized him at the St. Tropez hotspot”. "

"This is a stark comparison to Combs’ first experience with the Riveria, when he arrived at the resort with a full-time personal entourage back in 2003. At the time, he was often spotted partying with other celebrities, including Uma Thruman , and indulging in bottles of Cristal champagne with the ladies.
Not content with just watching Diddy receive the cold shoulder at Les Caves, several insiders went out of their way to question why Combs was in the Riviera at all. “Nobody goes out there until the first and second week of August. Maybe he’s afraid he’ll get lost in the crowd once all the real celebs show up.”"

**http://www.celebrity-gossip.net/celebrities/hollywood/diddy-joins-the-ranks-of-the-b-team-201493/#blog--Find the story HERE!!

All I can do is give a hardy-har-har to ya, bud. God don't like U-G-L-Y! And you must not have believed that karma was real, because I'm sure this situation HAS YOU BAMBOOZLED !! And get this folks...Kimberly Cavalli, daughter of Roberto Cavalli (?), stole his fuckin Maybach and took it for a lil spin (see Crunk and Disorderly for full story)! Looks like things can only get worse from here, ey Diddy? Naw, I'm just jokin around...but for real, these things are evidence of some SERIOUS karma coming Diddy's way!

I mean, for the way he treated Kim Porter, mother of 3 of his children, Laurie Ann Gibson, someone who was ride or die for his camp for the longest, and COUNTLESS acts on his Bad Boy Label (that he continues to shelve and keep on the back burner (Faith--left, 112--left, Loon, Danity Kane, New Edition, Da Band, Total, and many more)) he deserves it. It's coming back to bite you in the ass man! Maybe if you were a little more considerate and kind to people in general, your life wouldn't suck right now! And let's not even talk about the child support homeboy is/will be paying for his 4 (*cough* 5 *cough*) kids. My number one question is, what the hell is he gonna do with this band he makes this season...what, they make one CD and get shelved too? Diddy, you suck! (other people/products he has fucked over: Biggie, Lil' Kim, Proactive, Pepsi)

Anyway...that's all I have to say about this rude, arrogant ass scum-bag. Maybe he and Pasta Ma$e should just elope to Alaska and start off fresh...Their lives in America are tarnished and basically ruined...*shrugs* (I'm exaggerating...a little bit. I wouldn't say ruined...completely)

Oh and 50, your shit is about to get busted too! You're number 3 on my list of overexposed celebrity mfs...naw...make that 2 since Diddy done got B-listed! *something you'll never see happen to Jay-Z*. 50...time to sit down...Vitamin Water my ass!!!

GOOD MORNING!!! It's August 1st!!!!!

Hello people! Today begins a new month, and (to me), one of the most exciting months of this year!! Today, I supposedly find out who my new roommates will be for this school year (ETA: won't find out til 8/6), I get paid today (YEAAAH!!!), and I get to go shopping. This whole month promises to be jammed-packed with exciting, fun, and fulfilling things to do. Plus I have MANY friends and family members who celebrate birthdays and anniversaries during this month!

Well, on to business...There are a number of holidays and observances that I would like for y'all to be aware of... one of the most important being Black Business Month.

Here is a run-down of some of the monthly and weekly observances in the month of August:

Black Business Month- As black people, we should be willing to stand united and support our brothers and sisters in their economic endeavors. Chances are, they are selling products that will benefit blacks anyway. I know that their are some black-owned businesses that make you wanna scratch your eyes out (rude staff, extremely high prices, always out of desired product), but let's not count them ALL out. If you can, scope around your town and check out some of the black-owned businesses in your area. In order to come up, we've got to stick together!!

Cataract Awareness Month and Children's Eye Health and Safety Month- Self explanatory. Get your eyes checked, damn-it! I got an eye-appointment on the 3rd!!

Learn Japanese Month- My homeboy is taking Japanese in school, and I love Japanese anime. It's always a good idea to try to pick up another language, whether it be Spanish, French, Italian, or Japanese!! (**)

Weekly Observances

World Breastfeeding Week (Aug. 1-7)- I plan on breastfeeding when I have a child. I think it's a wonderful bonding experience for mother and child, plus it helps the baby's immune system.
(**)

National Resurrect Romance Week (Aug. 12-18)- I don't have a boo, but all I can say is if you DO have one, do something special for him or her to let them know you'd give the world to them. No matter what apethetic assholes say, ROMANCE IS NOT DEAD!!!!

Weird Contest Week (Aug. 13-17)- Come up with a cooky contest each day, and winners of these contest should win a PRIZE (oooh)...

And with that folks, I'm out. Make sure to check out the right-hand side of the page to see the daily-observances. Live a little and partcipate in some of them! You might actually have fun!!! Remember to MARK YOUR CALENDARS!!!!

(**)--More to come on particular subject (possibly)