You Don't Say, Huh?

So....I just came back from the beauty shop (on the clock!) for my wonderful NYC trip tomorrow. Thanks to that damn Gustav, who I hope does not hit anywhere in the US, it's supposed to be raining the entire weekend. Thanks for nothing! That really pisses me off, especially when the sun is shining BRIGHT and it's HOT as hell here. But it's God's work, so what can you do?

While I was under the dryer, I read a couple of magazines and as I was flipping through one of them, I saw a story or a briefing, rather, in a section of the mag that looked so familiar....

Welll, over the last few months, I have pitching magazine editors with different story ideas (with no particular topic in mind). Funny how a pitch I sent out in April has turned into a small story in one of the magazines.

Am I saying this magazine "stole" my idea? Not necessarily so. Maybe great minds think alike. Maybe someone beat me to the punch months ago before I ever pitched the idea. Who knows? Whatever the reason, it doesn't sit well me at all, but I have no control over it.

So I need to ask some real professionals, how do you keep your ideas from being used, instead of your writing services? Can you do anything at all? I never heard from that mag with a yea or nay on whether or not they liked my idea, so that's makes me a little irritated. I imagine that this happens a lot.

I've got to do my research.

Last Night

This is one is gonna be a hard post. I've been out of the office all day, so I'm just now getting to the blogs and commentary on Michelle Obama's WONDERFUL speech at the DNC last night. I would be out of order as a blogger if I didn't dedicate a post to that historic moment. However, I can't find the words to say.

All I can say is the moment was REAL and not scripted or staged. It was so eloquent. And when she spoke, tears filled my eyes. That's the kind of emotion that came from my heart and manifested in tears running down my face. If you watched it, certainly you felt the same.

I guess that's all I can say. Oh, and Barack telling Michelle she "looked real cute." Gotta love it!

Oh, and who would have thought I'd get that excited over Ted Kennedy! He looked so good!

http://gallery1.demconvention.com/Default.html?Date=8/25/2008&TimeBlockID=2&ProgramID=-77

Woman Up

It's 10:34 p.m. on a Sunday night. I should be folding this huge pile of clothes on my bed so I can actually get in the bed...Instead, I'm sitting here, listening to Faith Evans' first album, Faith and typing this blog.

Yesterday, some things took place that have put things in perspective for me. You already know that I have an issue with telling people, mainly the opposite sex, my true feelings. For example, if I'm just not into him (anymore) or if I never was or if there is simply no potential for anything to be, I have a hard time expressing that. That's absolutely crazy because they probably don't care either way. I drop hints all day every day and where has it ever gotten me? Nowhere fast!

Case and point:

Scenario #1
A guy a met at a club turned out to have three children with a BM who he nearly married. The first conversation he asked me if I was sleeping with anyone because he wanted to know if I was "emotionally attached" to someone. Who says one has to do with the other all the time?? Anyway, sorry buddy, you're not my cup of tea! I ignored his relentless text messages and phone calls. Finally after a couple of weeks, communication on his part ceased. Mission accomplished!

I'll be damned if dude didn't call me yesterday--twice. I never saved his number, so I'd long forgotten about him. An unknown number came up on the phone, but it looked a tad familiar, so I called it back. Stupid! Dude, why are you still calling me? Why is my number even saved? He was on some, "You probably don't remember me because we didn't talk that much, but..."

After I realized who he was was, I put him on hold to catch another call. He sent me a message that said, "Did you forget about me or do I need to erase your number?"

I'll take the latter for $400, please!

Scenario #2
The youngin from the Summer '07 fling fizzled out for reasons that I know and some I don't. Bottom line is we were on two different levels in life. After he visited me earlier this year to reconcile, I froze up on telling him that I really wanted him to disappear into thin air on the spot (that's way harsh!). Good guy, but I think that's just the way I was feeling at the time. I lied and said everything was cool and while I didn't think we should see each other anymore, we could still be friends. I didn't really mean that, either.

He's still calling me to go "out to lunch" or to "come over" because we're still "friends" damn near a year later.

Scenario #3
A guy I've known for 10+ who has liked me since Heck was a pup will NOT give up on getting me. I play him to the left constantly and I've done some things that I wish I could reverse, so now it's time to have that talk with him about how it will never be. I even tried to justify "trying" to like him because he had a lot of things on the checklist ( no kids, homeowner, great job). It's so much more that needs to be considered though. He and I just will not work. I finally get it. Now it's time for him to get it, too.

I have to woman-up and just come out with it. I can't spare others feelings for my own anymore. No, I don't think these guys will fall apart because I'm so hot, etc. But I do know how people can be when they don't get what they want, but you know what? Tough titty! That's their issue, not mine. It'll keep me from dealing all this foolishness that could have been prevented on the front-end, if I would have spoken up.

Take that, take that!

Weekend Wrap-Up: I'm Me!

It's been awhile...about a week since I last posted. This week, I have no long-term outlook, meaning for the first time in minute, I haven't analyzed everything I'll have to do at work, etc. for the week. I went to sleep last night and woke up and got dressed. That's it! But it just hit me that I have a story to write (PR stuff) and the deadline is.....TODAY! I hate it when contacts don't call me back.

In other news, this has been a pretty good weekend. One of my best friends from high school came home and we hung out at our girl's house. We ate sushi (the best I've had so far!), had drinks and watched....Love Jones. This will forever be a classic. Some classic lines from the movie:

Masterpiece of minimalism...

I steal, I don't get stole on!

Do it, girl! Do it!

It was like his d*ck...just talked to me....
What it say???
Ninaaaa...Ninaaa!

When that Love Jones come down....it be a muthafucka!

Let me break it down so it can forever and consistently be broke!

Don't make me break outtt..my Karate girl!


My grandmother's birthday was Saturday. She's 81 years old. Thank God for that! I visited with her and later went out with a friend downtown. She'd never been on Beale Street (wow!). It was a sight and experience for her, no doubt. The next day we had a party for Granny and brought her to my mama's house from the nursing home for the first time. She was GREAT! And she looked so cute. All of the family was over and my little cousins (7, 8 and 10) bumped Keri Hilson, Chris Brown and MILEY CYRUS on their mp3 players. Again, I say wow. How do they know about Keri Hilson???

Speaking of music, I just think Michael Phelps is hotness.

The fact that he listened to Weezy's "I'm Me" before he won his fifth (?) gold medal makes him even hotter.

I'm putting swimmers up there with baseball players for having the most banging bodies of athletes!


Usain Bolt, the fastest man in the world for Jamaica---Big ups!! I bet he lit one up some serious after his race. Yea mon!!

Saturday, as I was cleaning up my house, I turned the TV to VH1 Soul and Driven: Kanye West was on. I've seen it like five times, but I really paid attention this time around. It made pull out my College Dropout CD. Oh the memories! One of my favorite songs was "Spaceship." I would listen to it everyday on the way to my dead-in job (SuperTarget) while I was in grad school.

I've been working this graveshift and I ain't made shit
I wish I could buy me a spaceship and fly
Past the sky!

Oh, how I felt you, Kanye! Sometimes I still feel like that. I was still feeling inspired today, so I popped in Ye's "I'm Good" mixtape that I bought in 2004. Classic stuff. My fav is "Out the Game." Do it John Legend!

So, all in all, this weekend was great. I'm off to finish (um, start) my work!

Monday Morning Inspiration: And It Is So...

Top of the morning to ya!

What's new in your world? Nothing that new in mine. I'm anxiously awaiting my trip to NYC. Trying to be ever so frugal until that time comes. Waiting on a few checks to come in so I can replenish my savings. Ummm, what else?

I need a plan. A plan to make some of these dreams of mine come true. God has opened so many doors for me regarding this writing thing in such short time. I'm learning to operate on the mantra "Just do it! What have I got to lose??" Yes, I am the queen of "what if" and "how will I know...?", but sometimes you just have to do it to get your dreams out. Whether it's taking a part-time job, providing a service for free, being persistent (email-stalking) and asking questions and asking for HELP, you've got to do it. Simple as that.

I've been thinking, it's about time I join the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) again. Duh, right? Even though I've made connections on my own, it helps to have an accredited association on the resume.

I need a mentor...hence my needed affiliation with NABJ. I need someone to guide me in the right direction in this thing. I've been doing things blindly. I don't have all (or even some of) the answers, clearly, or I would already be where I want to be.

Next question: Where do I want to be? Do I want to work full-time at a magazine or just freelance? But I do know that I have to start with freelancing to get my pinky toe in the door.

I need to take a writing class ASAP. This blog has helped me tremendously, I think, but even when I blog, I can be all over the place. That's fine because it's my blog and I can do whatever I wanna do. Take that, take that! Features or storytelling? I need pigeonhole my niche, per se...I believe in improvement.

I believe that if one believes, has faith and does the work that is required to move to another level in life (whatever it is), it will be. So I say:

I (and you) will see my name in the byline of a major print and online magazine.

I will write and publish entertaining and thought-provoking stories and articles for the world to read.

I will fulfill all of my dreams, goals and aspirations.

I will have the life that God has for me and only me.

-end

26 Texts and $9

That's how much I have until the 15th of the month. That's NEXT THURSDAY. How in the hell did that happen?

Because I'd like to think I'm a responsible, law-abiding citizen and billpayer, I decided to pay not one, but two of my bills early. I'm such a Type A personality, right?

Shortly thereafter, I checked my account online and you could have knocked me over with a feather. That money is like Mike Epps...FUNNY!

If I was really as smart as I think I am, I would have checked my account FIRST. But noooo, I had to jump bad. Where did my money go?

Let's see, there was tax-free weekend, Starbucks, an unexpected expense for lunch...I could go on and on.

Dammit!

Now if I could get people to stop texting me about nothing, I could keep this phone bill at minimum. Don't ___ this up for me, people!

-End rant

Who's Up for a Little Texting?

Hey Ya'll!

I've been hella busy working, so I haven't been blogging much (duh!). BUT...I did write one story and it's posted at Belle in Brooklyn. D., the wonderful writer who keeps us on our toes with her daily true life tales, was so gracious to post it earlier today. Feel free to comment there (or here--whatever your preference.) Don't forget to add her to your blogroll if you're not already a regular.

Good day!

http://abelleinbrooklyn.blogspot.com/2008/08/mr-non-telephone-man.html