Quarterlife Mocha Girl

Friday, August 31, 2007

Thank God It's Friday

I can't say it any better than that.

I have some ish on my chest that I need to get off, but not right now. Instead, I'll tell you that I have yet another post up at Honey Magazine. I'm on a roll these days.

Have a safe, happy holiday weekend.

Love ya,

Me

Monday, August 27, 2007

Just Be Thankful

What's up, Peeps?

As much I know you're still basking in the beauty that is Pretty Ricky, it's time for another post. I've been slipping for good reason, I guess. So here is the randomness.

I've decided to begin the job search again (not like it ever should have ended). I really like it here, but something is not right. The vibe is off-kilter. A very sweet co-worker of mine just resigned today because of an "unhealthy working environment." That really has nothing to do with my decision though. I have tried not to be naive and think that this office is so different. No matter where you go, there's mess. I'm just glad I'm not in it.

Anyway, there's nothing to complain about at all. But I think I got a word from the Man Upstairs that it's time to get back on my grind. In my field, specifically. This job has afforded me the chance to write again and I'm loving it. I know that if need be, I could give someone great advice on how to manage their credit and facilitating a class (about whatever) is a piece of cake. But there's something missing. I've got to find it--in a new job (with an increased salary).

That brings me to today--my first day of class at the University. It's a satellite campus, but a University, no less. I'm excited. A little nervous, but not like I usually am. This should be interesting. No, I'm not toooooo keen on getting another job, especially twice a week, but you do what you have to do. I'm grateful for the opportunity and extra cash.

While searching like a maniac for a parking spot at the school Friday in 101 degree heat, I noticed something about myself that I don't like. Unfortunately and fortunately, the friend who I was on the phone with pointed it out first. I complain too much. Yep, that attitude that can be pretty bad when things are going my way. She fussed at me and told me to be happy I had a second job so I could pay my bills and have a little play money left over. Thanks for that DeepRooted. It was kind of mean, but I needed it.

Me and the youngin. Yea h, we're still kicking it. I still like him, he's still sweet as pie. I'm confused though. I think I put my foot in my mouth last week. Sometimes I don't blame men for reacting to us women the way they do. We are CRAZY AS HELL. Or is that just me?

The Blasts from the Past just won't stop. I wish they would.

Making the Band Finale: If Diddy wouldn't have called Big Mike's name, I was going to hunt him down and throw Proactiv Toner at him (cause he needed it last night)! I must say I'm pleased with his selection. I wouldn't have chosen Q though. Way to go, Donnie! That's a hot white boy. And he can play the piano! I was waaaayyyy too hype about them to say they'll probably only have one album. But I'm happy for them, no less.

On to the sad, sour note of the week (well last week). Read my latest Honey post and this link. Rest in peace, Soror Lauren.

Tell someone you love them. Have a great, blessed week!

Friday, August 17, 2007

Happy Friday!!

This weekend is going to be, should be pretty fun. My granny's 80th bday party is Saturday, followed by the foolery that will take place at my LS's Luau! Tonight I'll see my favorite neo-soul band perform, followed by partying amd maybe a little tipsyness.


But before I go........


Somebody told me to tell you what's up!




















LMAO @ the tomfoolery that is Pretty Ricky! Help our children!

Thursday, August 16, 2007

Over the Hump

Good Morn-ting!

Okay, it's Thursday and it's DAMNED hot outside--as if you didn't know. As of today, SEVEN people have died here due to the heat. Yeah, it was on Yahoo News.
Let me tell you what really gets on my nerves (maybe I'm emotional today). As soon as I get to work, my co-worker bugs the ish out of me. Not really, but no sooner than my butt can hit my chair, here we go...
"Hey...Alisha...." That's how it always starts. Let me get settled first. I'm trying to say my daily prayer, Lord knows I need it. I may just want to sit here for 10 minutes or so and just contemplate being here for the next eight hours, when I'd sometimes rather be in my bed or doing something else. In other words, "HOLD UP, DANG!"
As I write this, I'm thinking that I'm complaining too much. Especially when I was about tell you about another thing that gets on my nerves. In spite of it all, I'm grateful. Grateful that I have job to complain about. I have somewhere to live and food to eat. Even though my bank account is losing money like a cancer patient losing weight, I'm thankful. No exotic trips to Mexico or the beach, but I can take care of myself with no assistance. Thank You, Lord!
I received an email from a friend and it was kinda cool, so I'll share it.
10 Virtually Instant Ways to Improve Your Life

Many of our problems come from within our own minds. They aren’t caused by events, bad luck, or other people. We cause them through our own poor mental habits. Here are 10 habits you should set aside right away to free yourself from the many problems each one will be causing you.
1. Stop jumping to conclusions. There are two common ways this habit increases people’s difficulties. First, they assume that they know what is going to happen, so they stop paying attention and act on their assumption instead. Human beings are lousy fortune-tellers. Most of what they assume is wrong. That makes the action wrong too. The second aspect of this habit is playing the mind-reader and assuming you know why people do what they do or what they’re thinking. Wrong again, big time. More relationships are destroyed by this particular kind of stupidity than by any other. Ask yourself how many potential opportunities were missed because of bad assumptions. Some of the world’s worst sales people are gold medal winners in conclusion jumping.
2. Don’t dramatize. Lots of people inflate small setbacks into life-threatening catastrophes and react accordingly. This habit makes mountains out of molehills and gives people anxieties that either don’t exist or are so insignificant they aren’t worth worrying about anyway. Why do they do it? Who knows? Maybe to make themselves feel and seem more important. Whatever the reason, it’s silly as well as destructive. Everyone makes a point to avoid the drama queens and kings of this world.
3. Don’t invent rules just for the sake of rules. A huge proportion of those “oughts” and “shoulds” that you carry around are most likely needless. All that they do for you is make you feel nervous or guilty. What’s the point? When you use these imaginary rules on yourself, you clog your mind with petty restrictions and childish orders. And when you try to impose them on others, you make yourself into a bully, a boring nag, or a self-righteous bigot.
4. Avoid stereotyping or labeling people or situations. The words you use can trip you up. Negative and critical language produces the same flavor of thinking. Forcing things into pre-set categories hides their real meaning and limits your thinking to no purpose. See what’s there. Don’t label. You’ll be surprised at what you find.
5. Quit being a perfectionist. Life isn’t all or nothing, black or white. Many times, good enough means exactly what it says. Search for the perfect job and you’ll likely never find it. Meanwhile, all the others will look worse than they are. Try for the perfect relationship and you’ll probably spend your life alone. Perfectionism is a mental sickness that will destroy all your pleasure and send you in search of what can never be attained. Don’t let great become the enemy of good.
6. Don’t over-generalize. One or two setbacks are not a sign of permanent failure. The odd triumph doesn’t turn you into a genius. A single event—good or bad—or even two or three don’t always point to a lasting trend. Usually things are just what they are, nothing more.
7. Don’t take things so personally. Most people, even your friends and colleagues, aren’t talking about you, thinking about you, or concerned with you at all for 99% of the time. The majority of folk in your organization or neighborhood have probably never heard of you and don’t especially want to. The ups and downs of life, the warmth and coldness of others, aren’t personal at all. Pretending that they are will only make you more miserable than is needed.
8. Don’t assume your emotions are trustworthy. How you feel isn’t always a good indicator of how things are. Just because you feel it, that doesn’t make it true. Sometimes that emotion comes from nothing more profound than being tired, hungry, annoyed, or about to get a head-cold. The future won’t change because you feel bad—nor because you feel great. Feelings may be true, but they aren’t the truth.
9. Don’t let life get you down. Keep practicing being optimistic. If you expect bad things in your life and work, you’ll always find them. A negative mind-set is like looking at the world through distorting, grimy lenses. You spot every blemish and overlook or discount everything else. It’s amazing what isn’t there until you start to look for it. Of course, if you decide to look for signs of positive things, you’ll find those too.
10. Don’t hang on to the past. This is my most important suggestion of all: let go and move on. Most of the anger, frustration, misery, and despair in this world come from people clinging to past hurts and problems. The more you turn them over in your mind, the worse you’ll feel and the bigger they’ll look. Don’t try to fight misery. Let go and move on. Do that and you’ve removed just about all its power to hurt you

Monday, August 13, 2007

Latest Developments

This is what has happened so far today:



My co-worker who had a stomach virus (I guess) came back to work today after being out on Thursday and Friday. Our resident Know-It-All/Sometimes-Gets-On-My-Damn-Nerves chick asked him if was he feeling better. He replied with the following: "I wish people would stop asking that. I wasn't doing better I wouldn't be here...."



Alllll-righty then! LMAO! I guess she gets on somebody else's nerves, too.



My other co-worker whom I share an office with (White, well-off (enough)) tells me that her neice found a sofa at a family friends furniture store, off of Hollywood in North Memphis. (Background: North Memphis is considered a "bad" part of the city.)

Co-worker: So, then she says it's on Hollywood. Can you believe it?
Me: ........................So?...............................
Co-worker: Well, I don't think I'd want to shop over there unless I have a bulletproof truck.lol
Me:____________________________________
Co-worker: I just don't feel safe.
Me: .....................Oh.............it's not that bad...................
Co-worker: I've been there before and I think I'll pass...

Whatev.

After all of the email and phone stalking the community college lady, still no word. So what's a girl to do? I looked at the bank account and wanted to poor out liquor for it. Pass the 40! Anyway, I'd been trying to get on at U of M because (1) they pay more and (2) it's closer to home, actually in Memphis. I'd contacted the dean, but he said he had no openings earlier this summer. Dammit boi!!!

Lo and behold, he emailed me this afternoon with four different openings at three different campus---all evening classes!! Even though I only wanted to teach once a week, the class is two days a week, only until 7 p.m. I snatched it up real quick. So August 27, I'll be back in business.

Ain't God good???

The Other Side of the Game

What do you know about it? Let me tell ya...

Remember when I was glowing about the story I wrote for this local magazine? The two glossy, full pages with nothing but my words sprinkled on them? Yeah, that one. After contacting the editors about my dough, I was told the checks would be distributed on the 31st of July and my name was just added to the list. Ok, great.

August 1, 2, 3, 4 fly by and the mailbox is still checkless. Beauceup sales paper, but no check. Did someones steal it out of my janky-lock mailbox? I doubt. I proceed to call the admin office back to speak to the "check-cutter" and he sounds about as clueless as they come.

"Uhhhh, let me seeee......I think she sent me an email the other day....hold on."

WTH? I should have gotten my money the other day. There was no sense of urgency (like it would be), just a blatant lack of concern. Eventually, he found my information and said the check would be sent the next day. I'm checking that mailbox today and if it's empty, they'll find me at their front door.

And you know I'm serious.

On to the next.....

I love my job. I work with and meet all kinds of people teaching my classes. From 6 figures to minimum wage. High rises to public housing. The job does not discriminate. Bottom line: everyone faces financial problems, no matter what they do, where they live, etc. Sometimes people can't help the choices that they have to make. But the key is to better yourself and clean up the mistakes you made.

Try explaining that to some of my co-workers though. Those who just don't understand the dynamics of poverty or persons who live in public housing or Section 8. Who are we to judge a person because of their situation? And who are we to assume a person's situation and mindset just because of their color?

I get so tired of some ppl who shall remain nameless having pity on "poor Black people." Looking at them in disgust and thinking that they are less than everyone else. That they aren't as smart as anyone else, so my classes "may have to be dumbed down."

Some days it's more than I can take. I cannot "teach" my co-workers to understand what they have never seen or experienced. It's true ignorance, which isn't a terrible thing. Yet, sometimes it really sad.

Thursday, August 09, 2007

I'm Sorry, But.......


This is killing me!!!















Wednesday, August 01, 2007

Here We Go

It's been a lot going on. Really and truly. Well, maybe not so much, but still...you know what I'm saying. Right? This is what's been going on.
An article that I wrote for a local magazine was finally published after an infinity. I hope it doesn't take that long to get my check! They were mailed yesterday. Umm hmmmm....
Me and that youngin'.....I don't know what to say...stay tuned.
A friend and I were discussing that our PMS is never the same from month to month. Is that TMI? So what? Like it has a monthly theme. For example, one month, it's a crying fest, then I'm the exorcist reincarnated, this month, I was on the mushy/affectionate deal. Being a woman is hard work. I need to get paid for it.
No, I never said, but the "friend" popped up again. The one with the GF. Dammit. I'm so over that and so over him. And I'm so in Bible Study every Wednesday. God help me.
The security guard at the hotel parking lot across from job, aka the Parking Lot Pimp, tried to holler today. I tried to be nice. "Oh thanks for the compliment! Thanks, but I'll pass." Then he looks at me and asks, "So what, I'm not good enough for you???" Whaaaattt???? I just looked at him and kept it moving. I could have said, "No that's not it, sir. You're the PLP and old enough to be my mama's old school ex-BF and your hips are bigger than mine! Don't blame it on the cuffs and flashlight. I know man-hips when I see em. Now beat it!" But I didn't. Seee? Told you I'm nice!
I can now high-five Claire Huxtable because I know the power of a foot rub. Ummph. That may not sound like a lot to you, but I used to hate my feet. And they don't even look half bad. I never wanted to wear flip flops or show my feet, especially to a guy. But I did. Eventually, as I got older, I said, Freak that! These toes need to breath. Exhale.
This past weekend I attended a fashion show put on by a friend from high school. It was pretty darn good. Except the crowd was quite conservative, yet the show was hip hop/urban. The entertainment consisted of music by the following:
Hometown favorite Playa Fly who had to be put in a muzzle and straight jacket to give up the mic. The song is over, dude. No one cares that you "been gone fa so looonng. Now I'm back, back!"--even if you say it 100 times back to back.
The super-crazy Computer from Adventures in Hollyhood. Cowboy hat and all, he's is definitely a fool.
The Fat Mack, Eightball and some no-name dude. Ball, I really need you to not look like you threw on some clothes to drop off your Blockbuster DVD and pick up a six-pack of Budlight, then go do a performance. Put some damn decent clothes on. Sheesh!
And what happened? They got NO love from the audience. You could hear the leaves hit the concrete outside. Hilarious.
On another note, I saw my secret high school crush at the show. I'd seen him maybe once before since we graduated eight years ago. He came over and chopped it up with me. It was good to see him. He was with his GF. Cute. Maybe I'll put that on our reunion website. Like he didn't already know. Awww, memories...
I had a blast at a friend's spa party this weekend. Part of the old clique came back home and we kicked it at the house. Extremely relaxing. Wine, daiquiris and chocolate covered strawberries. Yummy.
I told my mother about all of my recent incidents with the opposite sex. Yeah, forgot to tell you. I don't discuss any of that with her. And I should. I'm getting better. When she asked me if I "gave the Friend some" I almost spit out my drink. That's mama for ya though.
My six year cousin became "urbanized" overnight. He taught me how to crank dat soldier boy, lean/rock with it and walk it out in less than three minutes. Then he asked me had I heard the Same Girl Rmx with T-Pain. Said it was tight. WTF?