DAYUM!

 
Easy Jazmine……eeeeasy……

 

 

 

I get chills everytime I hear this song.

Her voice……whew. It captures the very essence of love and pain.

(not to mention, the joint is just HOT)

 

Real talk ladies……who’s been there before?

Who’s there NOW???

 

Hmmm, maybe you shouldn’t incriminate yourselves.

 

I have yet to (seriously) attack someones property for being an ass to me. But MAN! If I could do it and get away with it……and if I didn’t think it would come back on me……

 

Wooo CHILE!

 

Now……I don’t condone such actions……

 

……But I DO understand.

 

 

*sing along*   “I bust the windows out your caaarrrr……”

 

 

 

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There’s a homeless woman who stays outside the Rite-Aid (pharmacy) in my neighborhood. She’s always sitting out front, very quiet, very peaceful, reading a book, reading the paper, or taking in her surroundings. If you speak to her, she’ll speak back. But she never asks for change, she never asks for help. She just does what she does.

Is she a woman in need? She appears to be, yet she seems content.

The kind of person you want to help, even though they never ask.

 

And Then……

 
There’s the lady down the street, posted in front of the Washington Mutual (bank), who doesn’t speak the English, with a beg and a plead written on a piece of cardboard, with a picture of her son and daughter on the back, laminated, asking for money to help feed her kids.

When you kindly tell her “No, I’m sorry, I don’t have anything to give you”, she prods you further as if she’s sure you’re lying. When your answer is still “No”, she sucks her teeth and shakes her head, so as to shame you for not giving up the dough; thus sending you on an all-expense paid trip to guiltville.

Lady, just because I’m standing in front of a bank doesn’t mean I have money. Matter of fact, I’m waiting on someone to come out so they can give ME some money. Shiiiiiiiit.

The kind of person you’re almost glad you didn’t help, simply because they think they’re entitled.

 

 
I don’t know either woman’s story - these are just my observations. But more than that, I observed my own approach to each woman’s situation.

Eager to do for the one who’s doing for herself. In her I see a reflection of myself. Who I might be if I were in her shoes.

Who I am, in my own shoes. A woman in need……but who is content within herself.

 

 

4 comments

 
I don’t know bout yall, but I have THE best friends ever ever ever. All 5 of ‘em, lol. Naw, but for real, the people I call “friend”, those who I’ve remained close to amidst our bi-coastal relationship, are out of this world.

 
I need to shout out my bestest friend from the HIGH SCHOOL days. We’re going on 10 years…whew! The reason we’ve sustained our friendship for so long, is because we’re the same in that we not only talk about it, but we BE’S about it. She’s accomplished something MAJOR…something she’s been talking about and planning for the last couple of years. I don’t know who all reads this blog, so I’m not gonna put ALL her biz in the streets, but my girl tackled item #1 on her list of things to do before age 30, and she did it on her own. I’m SO proud! And being able to call her “friend” REALLY makes me look good, lol. *smile* Love ya girl!

 
I just had a visit from my bestest friend from college and beyond! We’re kindred spirits, for real. She FINALLY made it out here to NY to see why I refuse to go home, lol. It was SO wonderful having her here, just like the old days. Even wrecked a BBQ for nostalgia sake…yet we really didn’t even do that much, lol. I was spoiled for all of a week, and now that she’s gone……I don’t wanna go back to hangin’ with the same folks I been chillin’ with in her absence. Its just NOT the same. *sigh* I miss you girl!

 

I just wanted to take a moment to highlight my “team”, my girls. The ones who make me a better person, just by them being around.

They are my gifts from God, and I’m am SO blessed to know them!

 

*HUGS*

 

 

 

4 comments

 
…ummm, damn, that’s all I got, lol. Yall don’t have as many names as Detroit.

OH, speaking of Detroit–

 

So, I totally forgot to include Raheem Devaughn and Dr. Ian Smith in my highlights for Detroit. Oops! You can view them now if you click the link.

 

Anyways……I was asked to go to Houston for a work assignment. It sounded like a great opportunity, so I jumped at the chance. Ended up being a headache - my manager gave me half-ass information and left me hangin’. Being the strong, capable person that I am, I managed to pull it altogether and deliver in a major way. Yay me.

 
But the person who REALLY delivered and saved my trip was Tex in the City. She was the ULTIMATE host, and gave me the best Houston experience one could ask for. Let me tell yall, if you wanna know about Houston…where ta go, what to do…Tex knows it ALL! We had some great food and some great times, and she is the main reason I’m going back. Tex is a sweetheart, and just a wonderful person to be around. She’s got the biggest heart!! (sometimes I think she’s just too good for me) Sorry, had a Sade moment, lol. But Tex is like my sister from another mother, and I can’t wait to visit again! There’s so much more fun to be had!

I think the most memorable ummm memory was going to the Saltgrass Steakhouse to eat dinner. Chile……when Tex mentioned that we were going to “Saltgrass”, I just knew she was taking me to some green, healthy, foliage-friendly place that serves wheatgrass appetizers, and sprout salad entrees. I’m thinkin, “I know I’m a vegetarian and all, but I don’t eat that shit. PLEASE don’t take me there!” Is it wrong that I was thrilled when I saw it was a Steakhouse? LOL

We were served by an adorable waiter (what was he, 22?) who was originally from Brooklyn, and was steadily gettin’ his flirt on wit ya girl. Tee hee.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then I decided to let my eyes wander around the restaurant, as I hadn’t seen more than the waiter, and I looked up from the table to see a giant buffalo head looking down upon me as I ate my bread.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Have Mercy.

Scared the shit outta me.

 
Then I turned around, and saw an equally large Longhorn watching over myself and Tex. I’d later learn that everything is large in Texas.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As Tex would say……

Welcome to Texas!

 

 

Ok, so let me tell you why I can’t live in Houston.

 

1. THE HEAT! Oh my goodness, it was SO DAMN HOT! I mean, it gets hot and humid in NY, but the heat in Houston was different. That mess was straight off the sun. Just blazin!

   And then to counteract the heat, every building and car has their A/C on FULL blast. So in a matter of seconds you go from 100 degrees, to 50 degrees. Damn, can I get 72? Do I hear 72??? I’m still a tropical person, ya know.

    
   Ok, this next one is two-fold. Its a gift and a curse.

2. The FOOD. OMG, there were SO many restaurants, drive-thru’s, and take-outs in Houston…and they weren’t all chains and commercial franchises. Lots of local cuisines to take part of as well. I mean LOTS! Just lined up and down the streets. Everywhere you turn. Yall don’t understand, there was an unlimited supply of edibles throughout the city. No one should be hungry in Houston. NO ONE!

   And the portions…THE PORTIONS!

   Let me tell yall, I like food, ok. I love to eat. I couldn’t tell you the last time I took a doggie bag home from a restaurant. I did it twice in 2 days while visiting Houston. I mean, they pile it ON!

    
   So, yeah, while I love food and love eating, I couldn’t live in Houston, because I’d be a straight heifer! Dear God.

    

3. The strip malls! Strip malls with eateries galore. Geez, I’ve never seen so many. Seriously! Shops, upon shops, upon shops, upon shops. And good ones too! Just readily available for all to enjoy. Too many opportunities to spend my money. How can one resist such temptation??

    

4. Man, Houston is so spread out! I think I’ve been in NYC too long. Everything is so close together here, I wasn’t used to all the traveling we had to do. Hmmm, I wonder if I could re-adjust to living in the Greater L.A. area? But at least the gas is cheaper in Houston - I saw it as low as $3.69!! Heavens!

    
   And the last reason I couldn’t live in Houston (besides it not being on a coast)…

5. It was brought to my attention that there are NO 7-Elevens in Houston. NONE!

   (I feel like singing a verse from An American Tail - “cuz there are noooo cats in America…”)

   *ahem*

   Anyway, the closest one is in Austin. I gotta drive to Austin for a slurpee? Yeah, not gonna work for me.

 

 

So all in all……Houston was cool (not literally), with some cool inhabitants. I see why people dig it. But erra ummm……

 

 

 

How yall expect me to beat the heat with NO SLURPEES???

 

 

 

5 comments

 

Ever read something you wrote and go, “DAMN! That was a good ass post. Whoever reads this suuureee is lucky!”

 

Yeah, me too. But this post isn’t one of ‘em.

 
So I talked a bit about my tendency to self-sabotage…uhh…myself. Its a sick & twisted cycle, because my predictions of self-sabotage are actually a secondary form of self-sabotage as I convince myself that I’ve dun it once again, when in fact……I may have not sabotaged myself at all.

 

wha?

 

I know.

 
So anyway, I did some cleaning, dusting, organizing, and disposing on Saturday. Ya know, straightening up the living space is unbelievably therapeutic. I fell in love with my apartment, my couch, my room, and mySELF all over again. I even did a lil decorating. I felt more at home and more at ease.

 
With all those positive endorphins running through me, I wasn’t as anxious about me screwing up my own happiness……again. Come game time, I just contacted my friend to see if they were still coming over to watch, and that was all there was to it. And……………………

 
……………………they WEREN’T!

 
Just as predicted.

 
But it wasn’t for the reasons I thought. At least, thats not what they implied (but who knows). No no no, stop it! Whatever reason they gave me, I’ll take it! Had NOTHING to do with me and my big mouth.

They even apologized for backing out. I felt ok about things.

 
Then I remembered that not much earlier in the day, I had backed out of something with someone that I really didn’t wanna be around. But I didn’t blame it on them either.

 

 

*sigh*

 

 

Its the circle of life. And it moves us allllll

 

 

 

This is SHESOPINIONATED.com,
and everyone is entitled to my opinion.

 

 

 

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