This has to be short, 'cause I got a boat load of work to do. I am off on Friday and next Tuesday. Going to VA to hang with my sister. All my skate friends are giving me grief, because Skate-a-Thon is this weekend in Atlanta and it's a BIG event. I wasn't excited about it before, but as it's gotten closer and they have been razzing me, now I feel kinda bad that I'm missing it. Oh well.
Smooth and I hung out on Saturday night. We went to TGIF to have drinks and food, and watch the Panthers game. I don't know what kind of season the Panthers are going to have. It's bad when Jake Delhomme is still in the game in the 3rd quarter and you STILL can't get it together. At some point during the game he finally turned to me and said, "can you believe I did that for 12 years?" I told him yeah, I could. He then started pointing out all his battle scars. He told me how when I first got to the rink, he thought I was kind of mean, and that I was skating around the rink looking like I was going to cut someone...LOL! That's not true, I just don't go up to folks and start talking to them right off the bat. I need to see how you are. And Besides, none of these folks started talking to me until AFTER RB started talking to me. Vastly different atmosphere than skating in ATL. We had a good time. He didn't try to get fresh. I gave him a hug and thanked him for dinner, and now he says I owe him dinner. I think this cat just really wants to see if I can actually cook, because he kept throwing hints. Hilarious. He seems nice so far, but I really haven't had a chance to grill him yet.
Yesterday, he did not come to the rink, so that gave NY a chance to swoop right in. For some reason he always shows up late, and right around the time they slow it down for 2-3 songs. I was just skating by myself, minding my own business, and he came swooping in. He didn't even tie his skates all the way up, breaking his neck to get out there. I feel sort of bad - he called while I was working out earlier in the week, and left a message about how he enjoyed skating with me and he really though we had a connection, etc. There's just something about his NY-ness that can be off-putting at times...I can't put my finger on it. At the very least, I could make a new friend. He and one of the other NY skaters worked with me on my trio skating and I had a good time for a little while. But then I got bored, so I took off my skates and prepped to leave early. He knows I'm going out of town this weekend, so he came over and asked to see me before I left. So, we're going to dinner on Thursday night. Should be interesting!
This is pretty much how dating goes in Charlotte (for me, anyway). It's feast or famine. You'll have weeks and weeks go by where no one approaches you, and you can't get a date to save your life. Then all of a sudden, they just converge and you gotta make choices and schedule things. Reminds me of the time in college, when my friend Tiffany convinced me to go on two dates in the same evening. Comedy! I could probably do a much better job with that now than I did back then, but I won't even try it.
Happy Monday, Blogger!
Monday, August 31, 2009
Thursday, August 27, 2009
It's A Sickness
I love getting packages in the mail. It's this great euphoria when I get home and UPS or USPS has left a note at my door, that I've got a package at the apartment complex office, or waiting for me at the post office. Today, it was the products I ordered from the Soul Purpose party. It was supposed to arrive between 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Usually, when I come home for lunch, UPS has left a note on my door. Today, it was not there. I kept checking delivery status all day at work, like "where the heck is that box??"
On the way home, I wanted to stop by the BSS and pick up a hair color application bottle (I'm going to get back to using my sulfur powder mixture for my scalp - more on that later). I realized it was 5:30 and the apartment complex office closes at 6:00. I made a beeline for home because I didn't want UPS to roll off with my package, and then I'd have to drive over to their location to pick it up.
6:00 rolls by, 6:30...7:05 - um, y'all said 7:00. 7:00. Brown, where is my package?
He finally rolled up at 7:21 looking all sweaty and tired...for that, he got no side eye, 'cause he did look like he was working hard for the money.
Yay! Now I can take these to work for show and tell, and entice folks to come to the Soul Purpose party I plan to give next month. :)
Now, I just need my Asha's and I will be ok for a while. I got my shipping notice today...even though she said it was shipping yesterday. :\ This is already past the 1-2 week processing time (they make everything fresh), but I'm going to let them slide, because they DID email me to say that they were waiting on new containers. This is why I try to order in bulk from her. I should be set for the next 6-7 months, at least.
On another hair note, once UPS left, I ran to the BSS down the street. I walked by the hair color application bottles three times before the lady finally showed me where they were. As I was checking out, a girl came up behind me to check out, and she told me she liked my twist out. I checked out, and then she stepped up to the counter and asked the guy did he have extra virgin coconut oil. He told her no, and to try the Indian grocery store down the street. I didn't want to bust up his advice, so I just waited outside until she came out, and I told here were to get some real unrefined coconut oil. I hope she doesn't think I'm a stalker or something. I'm just really passionate about hair care and the coconut oil I found at the Indian grocery stores was suitable for cooking, but it was not unrefined. I just didn't want her to get it home and then not like it. I hope she finds what she's looking for. That was my good deed for the day. :)
On the way home, I wanted to stop by the BSS and pick up a hair color application bottle (I'm going to get back to using my sulfur powder mixture for my scalp - more on that later). I realized it was 5:30 and the apartment complex office closes at 6:00. I made a beeline for home because I didn't want UPS to roll off with my package, and then I'd have to drive over to their location to pick it up.
6:00 rolls by, 6:30...7:05 - um, y'all said 7:00. 7:00. Brown, where is my package?
He finally rolled up at 7:21 looking all sweaty and tired...for that, he got no side eye, 'cause he did look like he was working hard for the money.
Yay! Now I can take these to work for show and tell, and entice folks to come to the Soul Purpose party I plan to give next month. :)
Now, I just need my Asha's and I will be ok for a while. I got my shipping notice today...even though she said it was shipping yesterday. :\ This is already past the 1-2 week processing time (they make everything fresh), but I'm going to let them slide, because they DID email me to say that they were waiting on new containers. This is why I try to order in bulk from her. I should be set for the next 6-7 months, at least.
On another hair note, once UPS left, I ran to the BSS down the street. I walked by the hair color application bottles three times before the lady finally showed me where they were. As I was checking out, a girl came up behind me to check out, and she told me she liked my twist out. I checked out, and then she stepped up to the counter and asked the guy did he have extra virgin coconut oil. He told her no, and to try the Indian grocery store down the street. I didn't want to bust up his advice, so I just waited outside until she came out, and I told here were to get some real unrefined coconut oil. I hope she doesn't think I'm a stalker or something. I'm just really passionate about hair care and the coconut oil I found at the Indian grocery stores was suitable for cooking, but it was not unrefined. I just didn't want her to get it home and then not like it. I hope she finds what she's looking for. That was my good deed for the day. :)
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Pure Romance?
Yesterday, I went to a get together for a girl I used to work with. Long story short, her hubby cheated on her and they are in the process of a separation/divorce. Yesterday would have been her wedding anniversary, and her friends didn't think she should be alone, so they decided to throw her a party. But this was a regular party, it was actually a Pure Romance sales party. That name is funny to me - because when I think of a party where they're selling "toys" and massage oils, I don't think of the word "romance."
Myself and another friend were tasked with getting the party girl out of the house for a little while so her mom and friends could set up. We took her out to Boardwalk Billy's for drinks. We were supposed to leave there by 6:15, but it didn't quite work out like that. Of course, she had no clue there was a party waiting back at her house, so she just wanted to stay and drink and chat. She kept ordering appetizers and drinks. Finally, my other friend told her that she had a headache and we needed to go.
While we were there, a friend of mine stopped by. We'll call him Smooth. Smooth is a skater (because when your only social outlet is the rink, that's pretty much who you meet, lol). We have always talked in passing, skated together sometimes (he's trying to teach me how to do this move called "Crazy Legs") but that was about it. Somehow on Sunday, we all got to joking about Sugar Mamas and women paying for dinner on dates, etc. That morphed into him asking to take me to dinner. Once again, I never pass up a good meal and good company, so I said that was fine. I gave him my number and he called my phone so I'd have his. I've always known his first name, and that's about it. But I don't just program first names into my phone. I mean - it's not like I have tons of men falling out of the wood work, but what if I meet someone with the same first name as you? I'ma need a last name. So, he gave me his last name and he said, "you're going to Google me, huh?" I just laughed.
FOOL - of COURSE I am going to Google you! You could be crazy! You might be on DDHG. And I need to verify the little tidbits you've been telling me about yourself. LOL!
So, imagine my surprise when I Googled, and it turns out I've been talking to a former NFL player this entire time. Had no clue! But this explains his physique for his age (mid 40s) and the way he moves. I LOVE the NFL. I love football. I'm psyched! I want to hear all about the league, his experience, etc. But anyway - this is about the Pure Romance party, and I've gone all off topic. We'll have to talk more about Smooth at another time. Maybe after we've gone to dinner.
Anyway, after we tore Whitey McWhitey away from the bar (that's our nickname for her)and got her home, she was so surprised to see her mom and friends at her house for the celebration. They had found this "Pin The Tail On Your Ex" game online. It's a big poster, with a donkey's butt and then a cut out at the top to insert a pic of your ex. We had to put on blindfolds and take turns pinning the ex. Hilarious! But the REAL hilarity ensued once the Pure Romance portion of the night began.
I'm not going to go into great detail, because I don't want to offend any sensitive people (if 2 of the 5 people who read my blog are sensitive...lol). Let's just say you should not get a bunch of drunk women in their 30s and 40s (along with 2 in their 50s/60s) in a room with gadgets and massage creams and whatever else. At one point, I had to take WMcW's drink away and cut her off for the night. She was so drunk, I don't even know if she knows what she was saying. Her mother was sitting next to me on the couch, face just red. It was hilarious! I wish you all could have been there.
Thankfully, WMcW's supervisor knew about the party and my other friend arranged it with him so that she would have the day off today. She will need it. I'm going to email her later and ask her what she remembers about yesterday. It should be interesting. LOL!
So, that was my Tuesday. Now it's back to my regular grind. Working and working out after work. I went to the greenway on Monday to run with my friend A, but she was not feeling well so we mostly walked and talked. Considering the two pieces of chocolate cake I had last night, I really need to actually run today, so I hope she's feeling better.
Myself and another friend were tasked with getting the party girl out of the house for a little while so her mom and friends could set up. We took her out to Boardwalk Billy's for drinks. We were supposed to leave there by 6:15, but it didn't quite work out like that. Of course, she had no clue there was a party waiting back at her house, so she just wanted to stay and drink and chat. She kept ordering appetizers and drinks. Finally, my other friend told her that she had a headache and we needed to go.
While we were there, a friend of mine stopped by. We'll call him Smooth. Smooth is a skater (because when your only social outlet is the rink, that's pretty much who you meet, lol). We have always talked in passing, skated together sometimes (he's trying to teach me how to do this move called "Crazy Legs") but that was about it. Somehow on Sunday, we all got to joking about Sugar Mamas and women paying for dinner on dates, etc. That morphed into him asking to take me to dinner. Once again, I never pass up a good meal and good company, so I said that was fine. I gave him my number and he called my phone so I'd have his. I've always known his first name, and that's about it. But I don't just program first names into my phone. I mean - it's not like I have tons of men falling out of the wood work, but what if I meet someone with the same first name as you? I'ma need a last name. So, he gave me his last name and he said, "you're going to Google me, huh?" I just laughed.
FOOL - of COURSE I am going to Google you! You could be crazy! You might be on DDHG. And I need to verify the little tidbits you've been telling me about yourself. LOL!
So, imagine my surprise when I Googled, and it turns out I've been talking to a former NFL player this entire time. Had no clue! But this explains his physique for his age (mid 40s) and the way he moves. I LOVE the NFL. I love football. I'm psyched! I want to hear all about the league, his experience, etc. But anyway - this is about the Pure Romance party, and I've gone all off topic. We'll have to talk more about Smooth at another time. Maybe after we've gone to dinner.
Anyway, after we tore Whitey McWhitey away from the bar (that's our nickname for her)and got her home, she was so surprised to see her mom and friends at her house for the celebration. They had found this "Pin The Tail On Your Ex" game online. It's a big poster, with a donkey's butt and then a cut out at the top to insert a pic of your ex. We had to put on blindfolds and take turns pinning the ex. Hilarious! But the REAL hilarity ensued once the Pure Romance portion of the night began.
I'm not going to go into great detail, because I don't want to offend any sensitive people (if 2 of the 5 people who read my blog are sensitive...lol). Let's just say you should not get a bunch of drunk women in their 30s and 40s (along with 2 in their 50s/60s) in a room with gadgets and massage creams and whatever else. At one point, I had to take WMcW's drink away and cut her off for the night. She was so drunk, I don't even know if she knows what she was saying. Her mother was sitting next to me on the couch, face just red. It was hilarious! I wish you all could have been there.
Thankfully, WMcW's supervisor knew about the party and my other friend arranged it with him so that she would have the day off today. She will need it. I'm going to email her later and ask her what she remembers about yesterday. It should be interesting. LOL!
So, that was my Tuesday. Now it's back to my regular grind. Working and working out after work. I went to the greenway on Monday to run with my friend A, but she was not feeling well so we mostly walked and talked. Considering the two pieces of chocolate cake I had last night, I really need to actually run today, so I hope she's feeling better.
Friday, August 21, 2009
A Quick Football Prayer
Dear Lord:
Please help Jason Garrett to get his mind right, as the highest paid offensive coordinator in the league. Please help Romo to lose his "butterfingers" status, and keep Jerry Jones off the sidelines unnecessarily. Let us prosper without T.O.'s presence.
Amen.
P.S. - could we make it to the playoffs, and then make it past the 1st round? I know I'm asking for a lot, but IJS.
Please help Jason Garrett to get his mind right, as the highest paid offensive coordinator in the league. Please help Romo to lose his "butterfingers" status, and keep Jerry Jones off the sidelines unnecessarily. Let us prosper without T.O.'s presence.
Amen.
P.S. - could we make it to the playoffs, and then make it past the 1st round? I know I'm asking for a lot, but IJS.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
I Need A Life
Seriously. I go to work. I work out. I come home. Feed Bogey, give her some love. Shower, do hair, pack things for the next day, go to bed. That has been me for the past month or more. Pretty much down to the T. My teammate and I decided not to bowl the fall league. I'm sort of relieved, because it's $15/week, and if you don't finish in the top 3, it's really not worth it. But, that was one social outlet, and now it's gone.
What it really boils down to is motivation. I have my Natural Hair Meet Up, but I haven't been to a gathering in a minute. I forgot to RSVP for the one on Saturday, and it's already full. There's the black MBA group here. I need to up my community service. I had contemplated a sorority. All these things require energy and time. More restructuring of my life. Last Saturday, when I was at Kelli's house, we were talking about work out. People always say, you're always so dedicated to it. In my head I'm thinking, "I ain' got nothin' else to do!" I don't want to be overwhelmed with things to do, but there definitely has to be a happy medium that's more than this.
I just need to suck it up. There are single moms out here who are able to get things done, and I don't have any kids, so the real question is - what's my problem? I mean, besides motivation. I don't really know. I just know I haven't attacked the social aspects of my life, in the way that I'm attacking career and health/fitness. My relationship and the break up last year really took some of the wind out from under my sails. I need to get that wind back!
What it really boils down to is motivation. I have my Natural Hair Meet Up, but I haven't been to a gathering in a minute. I forgot to RSVP for the one on Saturday, and it's already full. There's the black MBA group here. I need to up my community service. I had contemplated a sorority. All these things require energy and time. More restructuring of my life. Last Saturday, when I was at Kelli's house, we were talking about work out. People always say, you're always so dedicated to it. In my head I'm thinking, "I ain' got nothin' else to do!" I don't want to be overwhelmed with things to do, but there definitely has to be a happy medium that's more than this.
I just need to suck it up. There are single moms out here who are able to get things done, and I don't have any kids, so the real question is - what's my problem? I mean, besides motivation. I don't really know. I just know I haven't attacked the social aspects of my life, in the way that I'm attacking career and health/fitness. My relationship and the break up last year really took some of the wind out from under my sails. I need to get that wind back!
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Creating Concoctions
So, as you know from my previous post, I'm trying to get my skin back in gear. I have my 5 lb block of unrefined shea butter and my gallon bucket of coconut oil (unrefined/virgin). I decided to be a mixtress last night, and came up with something that was better than even I knew.
I have several bottles of essential oils hanging around, that I haven't really been using. For those of you that don't use them, essential oils are used in aroma therapy. In rare cases, they can be applied directly to the skin, but most have to be diluted - either with a carrier oil (like jojoba oil, almond oil, olive oil, etc) or with a cream or lotion of some kind. You can also dilute them in water.
In my stash I have tea tree, lavender, orange, lemon, tangerine and a few others I can't even remember. Somewhere, in the far corners of my mind, I remembered that lavender oil was good for skin. I don't even remember where I read that or when. But every now and then, the epiphany happens.
I was out of my shea butter/coconut oil mixture, and it was time to mix more. Unfortunately, this is kind of like down home cooking - there were no measurements, so I can't share an exact recipe with you. I took shea butter and then added maybe a rounded teaspoon of coconut oil. You need more shea than coconut, otherwise the mixture will be really oily (unless you prefer it like that - if so, go for it!) I mixed those thoroughly until the mixutre started to smooth out. To that, I added 10 - 15 drops of lavender oil, 5-10 drops of lemon oil, and 5-10 drops of orange oil. I added the lemon and orange mostly for scent. It was yummy and smooth going on my skin after my shower. I even put a little bit on my hair before I twisted it up. My skin feels really good, and my hair is moisturized as well.
But let me tell you why this mixture is REALLY a keeper. This morning I started looking up some of the benefits of the different oils and found the following:
Lavender
When used in cream or lotion it helps to relieve burns, helps skin heal faster and helps it do so with less scarring. It is anti-inflammatory and can be used for dermatitis, eczema, psoriasis, boils, carbuncles (whatever that is?) and acne.
Lemon Oil
When used in lotions/creams, it helps clear congested skin, and it is astringent and great for oil skin conditions. It helps to treat cuts, boils and minor wounds. It also helps to sort out cellulite and acne. (I also read somewhere that you can apply a few drops to a cotton ball and use to treat corns).
Orange Oil
Again, in creams or lotions, it is good for older, more mature skin. Helps with dermatits, acne, and soothing dry, irritated skin. Supports collagen formation in the skin.
Neroil Oil
Now, this is one oil I don't have, although I had looked into getting it before, simply for the scent properties. Neroil can be used to fight stretch marks and prevent scarring. Rejuvenates/regenerates skin
(all info on oils taken from www.aworldofaromatherapy.com/essential-oils-body.htm)
Y'all see where I'm going with this. All the things I bolded, that these oils help with, are things I'm struggling with. However, I didn't realize any of this when I mixed up this body cream last night. I'm so glad that I read this info this morning. This mixture will become part of my routine until further notice!
Off to the health food store at lunch to price Neroli...and see if they have some of that yummy white chocolate toffee back in stock. :)
I have several bottles of essential oils hanging around, that I haven't really been using. For those of you that don't use them, essential oils are used in aroma therapy. In rare cases, they can be applied directly to the skin, but most have to be diluted - either with a carrier oil (like jojoba oil, almond oil, olive oil, etc) or with a cream or lotion of some kind. You can also dilute them in water.
In my stash I have tea tree, lavender, orange, lemon, tangerine and a few others I can't even remember. Somewhere, in the far corners of my mind, I remembered that lavender oil was good for skin. I don't even remember where I read that or when. But every now and then, the epiphany happens.
I was out of my shea butter/coconut oil mixture, and it was time to mix more. Unfortunately, this is kind of like down home cooking - there were no measurements, so I can't share an exact recipe with you. I took shea butter and then added maybe a rounded teaspoon of coconut oil. You need more shea than coconut, otherwise the mixture will be really oily (unless you prefer it like that - if so, go for it!) I mixed those thoroughly until the mixutre started to smooth out. To that, I added 10 - 15 drops of lavender oil, 5-10 drops of lemon oil, and 5-10 drops of orange oil. I added the lemon and orange mostly for scent. It was yummy and smooth going on my skin after my shower. I even put a little bit on my hair before I twisted it up. My skin feels really good, and my hair is moisturized as well.
But let me tell you why this mixture is REALLY a keeper. This morning I started looking up some of the benefits of the different oils and found the following:
Lavender
When used in cream or lotion it helps to relieve burns, helps skin heal faster and helps it do so with less scarring. It is anti-inflammatory and can be used for dermatitis, eczema, psoriasis, boils, carbuncles (whatever that is?) and acne.
Lemon Oil
When used in lotions/creams, it helps clear congested skin, and it is astringent and great for oil skin conditions. It helps to treat cuts, boils and minor wounds. It also helps to sort out cellulite and acne. (I also read somewhere that you can apply a few drops to a cotton ball and use to treat corns).
Orange Oil
Again, in creams or lotions, it is good for older, more mature skin. Helps with dermatits, acne, and soothing dry, irritated skin. Supports collagen formation in the skin.
Neroil Oil
Now, this is one oil I don't have, although I had looked into getting it before, simply for the scent properties. Neroil can be used to fight stretch marks and prevent scarring. Rejuvenates/regenerates skin
(all info on oils taken from www.aworldofaromatherapy.com/essential-oils-body.htm)
Y'all see where I'm going with this. All the things I bolded, that these oils help with, are things I'm struggling with. However, I didn't realize any of this when I mixed up this body cream last night. I'm so glad that I read this info this morning. This mixture will become part of my routine until further notice!
Off to the health food store at lunch to price Neroli...and see if they have some of that yummy white chocolate toffee back in stock. :)
Powerball
I've already claimed it. Y'all can play if you want to, but that jackpot is mine. I'll continue to update my blog from my undisclosed location - can't have folks rolling up on me trying to get loans and such. LOL!
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Quest for VA
Over the weekend I started looking at jobs in the Fredericksburg, VA area. There were a few for pharmaceutical sales reps. This is something I looked at before, but haven't really delved into. I reached out to the ex, because his cousin's frat (whom I've met twice) is a pharm sales rep, and I wanted to pick his brain for info. Such as, how he got started in the industry. Especially if he was doing something else first. Breaking into a new industry is a challenge. They always want someone with experience. You really have to sell yourself and your current skills, and be able to play up how they will translate into the new position. Frat seemed really nice the two times I talked to him, so I'm hoping he'll help me out.
I'm also realizing that I need to have my resume professionally re-done. The way it's set up now, I could pretty much get any claims job I applied for. But of course, that is not the goal. I'm at a loss as to how to get started re-writing it. I don't mind deferring to the professionals, as long as it doesn't cost a grip. I will feel more confident with posting it and applying for jobs. Have any of you ever used a professional resume service?
I feel like life is "on hold" until I get more momentum behind the VA Plan. I really don't want to start anything significant here, only to end up moving next year. But I am going to have to renew my lease. The question is if I will do it for 6 months or for a year. It depends on what the rent would be.
NY (I've referenced him in previous posts) keeps telling me he wants to take me out on a dinner date. I've already prepared my "I'm moving and I'm not trying to start a relationship" speech for him. However, I basically want to be nosy and find out more about him, so I agreed to go (besides, who passes up a free meal? lol). He hasn't called me to set the plans in stone, so he's already losing points with me. We'll see. Of course, I'll be here to blog about it, should it turn into a complete nightmare.
On another note, I had a head hunter reach out to me when I was moving to ATL back in 2005. I had posted my resume, and he found me online, which is how I ended up with my job down there. I'm thinking about going that route again. But of course, I have to get that resume in order. I won't rule out the use of a head hunter this time, because they tend to know about positions that are not posted publicly. I just need to make it clear that I don't want to work claims.
Patience is a virtue. I just need to keep reminding myself of this.
I'm also realizing that I need to have my resume professionally re-done. The way it's set up now, I could pretty much get any claims job I applied for. But of course, that is not the goal. I'm at a loss as to how to get started re-writing it. I don't mind deferring to the professionals, as long as it doesn't cost a grip. I will feel more confident with posting it and applying for jobs. Have any of you ever used a professional resume service?
I feel like life is "on hold" until I get more momentum behind the VA Plan. I really don't want to start anything significant here, only to end up moving next year. But I am going to have to renew my lease. The question is if I will do it for 6 months or for a year. It depends on what the rent would be.
NY (I've referenced him in previous posts) keeps telling me he wants to take me out on a dinner date. I've already prepared my "I'm moving and I'm not trying to start a relationship" speech for him. However, I basically want to be nosy and find out more about him, so I agreed to go (besides, who passes up a free meal? lol). He hasn't called me to set the plans in stone, so he's already losing points with me. We'll see. Of course, I'll be here to blog about it, should it turn into a complete nightmare.
On another note, I had a head hunter reach out to me when I was moving to ATL back in 2005. I had posted my resume, and he found me online, which is how I ended up with my job down there. I'm thinking about going that route again. But of course, I have to get that resume in order. I won't rule out the use of a head hunter this time, because they tend to know about positions that are not posted publicly. I just need to make it clear that I don't want to work claims.
Patience is a virtue. I just need to keep reminding myself of this.
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Hey Young World
Sorry to be MIA...haven't had much inspire me to blog as of late. Just been working, working out, and chillin' at the crib.
My friend Audrey runs with a running club. Last weekend she talked me into getting up for a 7:00 a.m. run this Saturday, at the greenway. We have this system of paths back behind some neighborhoods on my side of town, built by the city. It's actually pretty cool. Before I moved to ATL, my apartment was on the path, and I used to go back there and walk. Haven't been back there since then.
Yesterday, I got up at 6:00 a.m. and got myself prepared. I think we went about 3.5 miles in total. Thankfully we jogged some and then walked some. The way she took off in the beginning, I thought I was gonna have to tell her to go on without me! Being taller than me, her legs are longer, so she takes longer strides. I just had to fall in behind her. I really enjoyed it, though. The path had hills, which I don't get to do on the treadmill. It was definitely a challenge, and I was sweating when it was all over. I saw a lot of runners with these little belts on - the belt had these little compartments, like one to hold your keys/phone, and then it had small little water bottles. I need one of those. The bag that I brought was too big and it wasn't tight enough - it kept slipping off and getting on my nerves, and distracting me from the run. I'm going to head over to Run For Your Life, because I bet they sell them there. Let's just hope they don't cost an arm and two legs.
After the run, I came home and did a little ab work, did an Ayurvedic treatment on my hair, then promptly fell asleep while I was in the process of deep conditioning. Good thing I use a heat cap and not a table top dryer. When I woke up it was 2:30, and by the time I finished rinsing out the conditioner and started twisting my hair, it was 3:30. I rushed though but I got it done. Here's a pic of what I did:
Looking at these pics now (where were taken today after I slepf on this style, in a scarf), I see what I did wrong/what I'd do differently. I'd bring the back twists up towards the top more, past the ear line. But not too bad, considering I was in a rush. I may take the front twists out and wear that part puffed out tonight. Someone at the party asked me if I got my hair done at Lockstar, so I take that as a great compliment, because those ladies do excellent work!
Around 5:40 I went to my friend Kelli's house for a girls' night. I hadn't been over there in a year. Last year when I was there, she and like three or four of her friends were all preggers with their first kids. Yikes! LOL We still had a good time - virgin drinks and Taboo. This time we could all drink alcohol, except for one who was still breastfeeding. I finally got to meet her son in person, and meet her hubby. Very good peeps and their house is gorgeous. I always love seeing upwardly mobile black folks!
One of her co-workers sells products for a company called Soul Purpose. I had never heard of it before. I went online before heading over there, and I liked what I read, as far as their ingredients. I was looking forward to checking out the scents. I found three scents that I really liked, so I ended up ordering three of the solid perfumes and one of the shea butter balms. I ended up telling the rep some things about the ingredients that she didn't really know, but I will give her the benefit of the doubt because she is new to the company and the products. I can tell she's enthusiastic about it, and I wanted to support her. Lord knows I've been in her shoes: with Mary Kay (briefly in college), and with Partylite last year. She has a very nice personality and she did a good product demonstration, despite the interruptions. I was the first one there and the only one for a while.
We wrapped up the presentation with sangria and food and baby talk. The sales rep was 40, but she looked so young, no one could believe it. When she told them she had 17 year old daughter, everybody was in shock. I hope when I'm 40, people think I'm in my mid 20s. LOL! I let the sangria wear off, and Kelli and I talked for a little while before I left. Looking at her life always reminds me to "keep hope alive." She is my official pep talk provider. She reminds me of how she didn't meet the right person until she was 37, and she doesn't want me to give up. I'm just like, "whatever" at this point, when it comes to dating, but I DO listen to what she says. I mean, I have proof of what she says in front of me, whenever I'm at her house. We shall see.
My friend Audrey runs with a running club. Last weekend she talked me into getting up for a 7:00 a.m. run this Saturday, at the greenway. We have this system of paths back behind some neighborhoods on my side of town, built by the city. It's actually pretty cool. Before I moved to ATL, my apartment was on the path, and I used to go back there and walk. Haven't been back there since then.
Yesterday, I got up at 6:00 a.m. and got myself prepared. I think we went about 3.5 miles in total. Thankfully we jogged some and then walked some. The way she took off in the beginning, I thought I was gonna have to tell her to go on without me! Being taller than me, her legs are longer, so she takes longer strides. I just had to fall in behind her. I really enjoyed it, though. The path had hills, which I don't get to do on the treadmill. It was definitely a challenge, and I was sweating when it was all over. I saw a lot of runners with these little belts on - the belt had these little compartments, like one to hold your keys/phone, and then it had small little water bottles. I need one of those. The bag that I brought was too big and it wasn't tight enough - it kept slipping off and getting on my nerves, and distracting me from the run. I'm going to head over to Run For Your Life, because I bet they sell them there. Let's just hope they don't cost an arm and two legs.
After the run, I came home and did a little ab work, did an Ayurvedic treatment on my hair, then promptly fell asleep while I was in the process of deep conditioning. Good thing I use a heat cap and not a table top dryer. When I woke up it was 2:30, and by the time I finished rinsing out the conditioner and started twisting my hair, it was 3:30. I rushed though but I got it done. Here's a pic of what I did:
Looking at these pics now (where were taken today after I slepf on this style, in a scarf), I see what I did wrong/what I'd do differently. I'd bring the back twists up towards the top more, past the ear line. But not too bad, considering I was in a rush. I may take the front twists out and wear that part puffed out tonight. Someone at the party asked me if I got my hair done at Lockstar, so I take that as a great compliment, because those ladies do excellent work!
Around 5:40 I went to my friend Kelli's house for a girls' night. I hadn't been over there in a year. Last year when I was there, she and like three or four of her friends were all preggers with their first kids. Yikes! LOL We still had a good time - virgin drinks and Taboo. This time we could all drink alcohol, except for one who was still breastfeeding. I finally got to meet her son in person, and meet her hubby. Very good peeps and their house is gorgeous. I always love seeing upwardly mobile black folks!
One of her co-workers sells products for a company called Soul Purpose. I had never heard of it before. I went online before heading over there, and I liked what I read, as far as their ingredients. I was looking forward to checking out the scents. I found three scents that I really liked, so I ended up ordering three of the solid perfumes and one of the shea butter balms. I ended up telling the rep some things about the ingredients that she didn't really know, but I will give her the benefit of the doubt because she is new to the company and the products. I can tell she's enthusiastic about it, and I wanted to support her. Lord knows I've been in her shoes: with Mary Kay (briefly in college), and with Partylite last year. She has a very nice personality and she did a good product demonstration, despite the interruptions. I was the first one there and the only one for a while.
We wrapped up the presentation with sangria and food and baby talk. The sales rep was 40, but she looked so young, no one could believe it. When she told them she had 17 year old daughter, everybody was in shock. I hope when I'm 40, people think I'm in my mid 20s. LOL! I let the sangria wear off, and Kelli and I talked for a little while before I left. Looking at her life always reminds me to "keep hope alive." She is my official pep talk provider. She reminds me of how she didn't meet the right person until she was 37, and she doesn't want me to give up. I'm just like, "whatever" at this point, when it comes to dating, but I DO listen to what she says. I mean, I have proof of what she says in front of me, whenever I'm at her house. We shall see.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Smoothie Queen
I've gotten on a smoothie kick in the last week. It really is good to blend something yourself. You can see what's being put in it. Not to mention, it's cheaper! Lord knows, I LIVED in Planet Smoothie when I was in ATL. I used to go to the one on Powers Ferry all the time, because it was near the first job I had there. Then I moved to Cobb County and I would stop at the one in Vinings all the time. Since moving back to Charlotte, I've noted that we really don't have Planet Smoothie here. We have Smoothie King. I know it sounds crazy, but there really is a difference, and I'm not feeling Smoothie King.
One of the blogs on my reading list is Healthy Hair and Body. She posted a blog about incorporating protein into your diet, with a link to a smoothie recipe for a peanut butter banana soy smoothie. You can check her post here. The ingredients for the smoothie are as follows:
1 cup soy milk (I chose to use Silk vanilla flavor)
1 medium banana - quartered (quartered? I just chopped it up into pieces. LOL!)
1 tablespoon peanut butter (a prudent person would probably go for natural peanut butter, but this is me. So I used Peter Pan honey peanut butter)
3 ice cubes
I mixed it just like this the first day, with no additions. I wasn't sure if I was going to like the peanut butter and banana together. It wasn't bad. I mostly tasted the soy milk and the banana. I love peanut butter,so I have since decided to tweak the recipe. I now add 2 tablespoons instead of one (the serving size on the jar of peanut butter is 2 tablespoons, anyway). I also added some Aria protein powder that I have had sitting in the pantry and I haven't been using. The protein powder is vanilla flavored, and has a combination of whey and soy protein. It added some extra flavor and made the smoothie a little more creamy. I think I'm hooked!
One of my favorite smoothies from Planet Smoothie is the Leapin' Lizard. It's strawberries, peaches, crushed ice, and their fat burner blast. That's pretty much all I ever ordered from there. Over the weekend, I decided to get the fruit and do it myself. I ended up at Trader Joe's, where I bought the following:
--Bag of mixed tropical fruit - pineapple, mango and papaya chunks infused with passion fruit juice - can you say, yummy?
--A carton of their orange-mango-peach juice. This is yummy as well!
--2 bags of frozen strawberries
I also got some of their to-die-for yogurt pretzels, but that's another post for another time. Unfortunately, they did not have any frozen peaches. They did have blueberries and a mixed berry blend. If you have a Trader Joe's in your area, check it out. I think they were reasonably priced.
I took myself to Food Lion on a whim, and they did have frozen peaches in stock, so I got 2 bags from them. I was ready to make my smoothies happen!
On Sunday morning, I blended a cup of the orange-mango-peach juice with a cup or so of the tropical fruit mixture. It was very fruity and very tart, but it was still good. I put in a little bit of honey, but I probably should have added more. I think next time, I will add some of the protein powder.
This morning, I mixed the following:
--1 cup orange-mango-peach juice (you could just use orange juice, or probably any fruit juice of your choosing)
--1 cup frozen peach slices
--1 cup frozen strawberries
--1 tbsp honey
--1 chopped banana
This mixture was to die for! It's supposed to be 3 servings at 130 cals each. I would be walking around like an anorexic crack head if I only had 130 cals for breakfast, so I drank the whole thing. You'll have to tweak it to your needs, though. This was just like the Leapin' Lizard, with the added mild taste of the banana. This is definitely going to be incorporated into my diet. Nothing like getting the fruit you need, and enjoying the taste.
So far, I've found 3 smoothie blends that I like. I think with the last two fruit blends, I am going to add the protein powder every now and again and see how that works out, as far as taste. I hope to start experimenting with other fruits and recipes. I didn't find it to be any more expensive than buying fresh fruit for the week, and actually it might be slightly cheaper. It takes a little extra time in the morning, but I think the benefits are worth it. Let's just hope my blender holds up. :)
One of the blogs on my reading list is Healthy Hair and Body. She posted a blog about incorporating protein into your diet, with a link to a smoothie recipe for a peanut butter banana soy smoothie. You can check her post here. The ingredients for the smoothie are as follows:
1 cup soy milk (I chose to use Silk vanilla flavor)
1 medium banana - quartered (quartered? I just chopped it up into pieces. LOL!)
1 tablespoon peanut butter (a prudent person would probably go for natural peanut butter, but this is me. So I used Peter Pan honey peanut butter)
3 ice cubes
I mixed it just like this the first day, with no additions. I wasn't sure if I was going to like the peanut butter and banana together. It wasn't bad. I mostly tasted the soy milk and the banana. I love peanut butter,so I have since decided to tweak the recipe. I now add 2 tablespoons instead of one (the serving size on the jar of peanut butter is 2 tablespoons, anyway). I also added some Aria protein powder that I have had sitting in the pantry and I haven't been using. The protein powder is vanilla flavored, and has a combination of whey and soy protein. It added some extra flavor and made the smoothie a little more creamy. I think I'm hooked!
One of my favorite smoothies from Planet Smoothie is the Leapin' Lizard. It's strawberries, peaches, crushed ice, and their fat burner blast. That's pretty much all I ever ordered from there. Over the weekend, I decided to get the fruit and do it myself. I ended up at Trader Joe's, where I bought the following:
--Bag of mixed tropical fruit - pineapple, mango and papaya chunks infused with passion fruit juice - can you say, yummy?
--A carton of their orange-mango-peach juice. This is yummy as well!
--2 bags of frozen strawberries
I also got some of their to-die-for yogurt pretzels, but that's another post for another time. Unfortunately, they did not have any frozen peaches. They did have blueberries and a mixed berry blend. If you have a Trader Joe's in your area, check it out. I think they were reasonably priced.
I took myself to Food Lion on a whim, and they did have frozen peaches in stock, so I got 2 bags from them. I was ready to make my smoothies happen!
On Sunday morning, I blended a cup of the orange-mango-peach juice with a cup or so of the tropical fruit mixture. It was very fruity and very tart, but it was still good. I put in a little bit of honey, but I probably should have added more. I think next time, I will add some of the protein powder.
This morning, I mixed the following:
--1 cup orange-mango-peach juice (you could just use orange juice, or probably any fruit juice of your choosing)
--1 cup frozen peach slices
--1 cup frozen strawberries
--1 tbsp honey
--1 chopped banana
This mixture was to die for! It's supposed to be 3 servings at 130 cals each. I would be walking around like an anorexic crack head if I only had 130 cals for breakfast, so I drank the whole thing. You'll have to tweak it to your needs, though. This was just like the Leapin' Lizard, with the added mild taste of the banana. This is definitely going to be incorporated into my diet. Nothing like getting the fruit you need, and enjoying the taste.
So far, I've found 3 smoothie blends that I like. I think with the last two fruit blends, I am going to add the protein powder every now and again and see how that works out, as far as taste. I hope to start experimenting with other fruits and recipes. I didn't find it to be any more expensive than buying fresh fruit for the week, and actually it might be slightly cheaper. It takes a little extra time in the morning, but I think the benefits are worth it. Let's just hope my blender holds up. :)
Monday, August 10, 2009
I Got Nuthin'
Nothing exciting happened this weekend, unless you count my third henna treatment. I do think it might be affecting the texture at the front of my head. It was already straight up there, now it's getting straighter. I think I will have to add some amla powder (more than what's already in the henna) and see if we can counter act this a tad.
I didn't get out and about except for skating. There was a skate jam in Raleigh on Saturday night, from midnight to 5:00 a.m. A group of skaters was supposed to have a van going, and it was $11 to ride with them. The more I thought about it, the more I felt like I didn't want to be smooshed up in a van with them for 2.5 hours. And who's driving? I can't just trust anybody's driving, especially at 5:00 a.m. I didn't want to take my car. I just didn't want to drive, period, because I knew I wouldn't feel like driving back at 5:00 a.m. RB was hinting that if I decided to go, he would go too and he could do the driving. Negative! He is finally learning how to stay in the FriendZone, no sense in giving him any extra encouragement. I found out last night that Big Bob was the DJ. Big Bob is a prominent skate DJ in NY...I wish I had really known. I think I would have made the sacrifice to hear him DJ.
NY and I are going to have to have a Come to Jesus meeting. He wants to skate all around the rink all fast, sweating up a storm, and then slow skate with me. That equals his sweat getting on me. No, no, no, no, no. I'm trying to figure out a tactful way to hand him a towel and tell him to handle that. I need to remember to pack an extra towel in my skate bag.
Last week I added an extra day of cardio to my workout routine. So I worked out Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday. I liked just doing cardio on Tuesday, so I think that will become a regular thing. One of my friends from the Natural Hair Meet Up group likes to run outside on the weekends. She has convinced me to run the greenway with her at 7:00 a.m. on Saturday. Luckily, we run about the same pace. I hope my knee holds up. It will be nice to get outside and off the treadmill. I hope I can keep up with her, and I hope I have the cardio strength to halfway hold a convo. :lol:
PSA of the Day: Don't drink wine and cyber flirt at 3:00 a.m. I used to talk to this dude back in 2003-2004. Good ol' Que. We seemed to butt heads a lot. But we had the basic makings of an interesting relationship. He was very smart, and he knew how to push buttons to get me riled up (in an argument sort of way). He ended up moving to NYC. I saw him once when I was living in GA (he was down visiting an old high school friend), but I haven't seen him since then. Apparently he's been working out and is all chiseled up now. Somehow this conversation ended up with him flying down here in September or October for a visit. Um...ok. We'll probably argue half the time. We'll see if this visit actually comes to fruition. I don't know how I feel about it yet.
I guess I better get back to work now. Here's to a speedy Monday and a speedy trip through this week to the weekend. :)
I didn't get out and about except for skating. There was a skate jam in Raleigh on Saturday night, from midnight to 5:00 a.m. A group of skaters was supposed to have a van going, and it was $11 to ride with them. The more I thought about it, the more I felt like I didn't want to be smooshed up in a van with them for 2.5 hours. And who's driving? I can't just trust anybody's driving, especially at 5:00 a.m. I didn't want to take my car. I just didn't want to drive, period, because I knew I wouldn't feel like driving back at 5:00 a.m. RB was hinting that if I decided to go, he would go too and he could do the driving. Negative! He is finally learning how to stay in the FriendZone, no sense in giving him any extra encouragement. I found out last night that Big Bob was the DJ. Big Bob is a prominent skate DJ in NY...I wish I had really known. I think I would have made the sacrifice to hear him DJ.
NY and I are going to have to have a Come to Jesus meeting. He wants to skate all around the rink all fast, sweating up a storm, and then slow skate with me. That equals his sweat getting on me. No, no, no, no, no. I'm trying to figure out a tactful way to hand him a towel and tell him to handle that. I need to remember to pack an extra towel in my skate bag.
Last week I added an extra day of cardio to my workout routine. So I worked out Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday. I liked just doing cardio on Tuesday, so I think that will become a regular thing. One of my friends from the Natural Hair Meet Up group likes to run outside on the weekends. She has convinced me to run the greenway with her at 7:00 a.m. on Saturday. Luckily, we run about the same pace. I hope my knee holds up. It will be nice to get outside and off the treadmill. I hope I can keep up with her, and I hope I have the cardio strength to halfway hold a convo. :lol:
PSA of the Day: Don't drink wine and cyber flirt at 3:00 a.m. I used to talk to this dude back in 2003-2004. Good ol' Que. We seemed to butt heads a lot. But we had the basic makings of an interesting relationship. He was very smart, and he knew how to push buttons to get me riled up (in an argument sort of way). He ended up moving to NYC. I saw him once when I was living in GA (he was down visiting an old high school friend), but I haven't seen him since then. Apparently he's been working out and is all chiseled up now. Somehow this conversation ended up with him flying down here in September or October for a visit. Um...ok. We'll probably argue half the time. We'll see if this visit actually comes to fruition. I don't know how I feel about it yet.
I guess I better get back to work now. Here's to a speedy Monday and a speedy trip through this week to the weekend. :)
Friday, August 7, 2009
BGLH interview with white dad of adopted ethiopian daughter who learned to do her hair
BGLH interview with white dad of adopted ethiopian daughter who learned to do her hair
I posted the link to the original story in the AJC a few weeks ago. This is a follow up interview with Professor Green, which was done last month some time. Miriam's hair is on the grow!!!
I posted the link to the original story in the AJC a few weeks ago. This is a follow up interview with Professor Green, which was done last month some time. Miriam's hair is on the grow!!!
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Lisa Turtle! What Have You Done??
Lark Voorhies...a.k.a. Lisa Turtle on Saved By The Bell. Man, as a teenager I just wanted to be this chick. Pretty, popular, fashion sense. OK yes, she was a TV character, but still. You could tell that some of that was Lark, too.
YBF posted some recent pics of her, and a friend of mine put them on the Book of Faces. I posted them on another board I frequent, and the thoughts are Botox and then make up that's 3 shades off. Thoughs?
I don't think Lisa Turtle would approve. And what's up with that purse? Somebody said she was turning into Jason Voorhies. I fell out laughing. I hate that lots of women feel this need to just inject ourselves and do crazy stuff to stay "young." I mean, she's 35. I'll be 35 in January. If I do something to make myself look like plastic or frozen, please come smack me. If I can't get it done with shea butter, coconut oil, exfoliation, and maybe some facial creams, then it just can't be done. :lol:
Would you ever consider getting plastic surgery done to preserve your youth?
YBF posted some recent pics of her, and a friend of mine put them on the Book of Faces. I posted them on another board I frequent, and the thoughts are Botox and then make up that's 3 shades off. Thoughs?
I don't think Lisa Turtle would approve. And what's up with that purse? Somebody said she was turning into Jason Voorhies. I fell out laughing. I hate that lots of women feel this need to just inject ourselves and do crazy stuff to stay "young." I mean, she's 35. I'll be 35 in January. If I do something to make myself look like plastic or frozen, please come smack me. If I can't get it done with shea butter, coconut oil, exfoliation, and maybe some facial creams, then it just can't be done. :lol:
Would you ever consider getting plastic surgery done to preserve your youth?
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Baby, Baby!
Remember that song by Amy Grant? If not, here it is:
Baby Baby - Amy Grant
OK, enough with the 90s flashback...
One of my friends from the ATL is unexpectedly preggers. The timing is crazy 'cause she was laid off and has been without a job for a few months, had to move, give away her dogs...all kinds of madness. But everything happens for a reason (or so I've been told, repeatedly).
We were discussing all things baby, and she showed me this list of names she had come up with. I'm convinced this is going to be a girl. One that acts just like her, because you know how karma works. One of the names she picked, if paired with her last name, would be akin to naming your baby Robin Robins. Or John Johnson. Or Richard Richards - you get the picture. I told her that under NO circumstances is she to name that baby like that, or I will come down there and smack her. I know the parents who came up with that stuff thought it would be amusing. It's not - it's annoying! :lol:
Why do we have to get so crazy with the baby names? Some of the names folks come up with are so bad, it's just downright comical. Don't believe me? Check out Babies Named a Bad, Bad Thing! That will keep you entertained for at least an hour. You probably shouldn't read it at work, because the blog author's comments are hilarious, and you will guffaw.
Another thing on my list of pet peeves with adults regarding babies, is the thing with babies' ages. When I ask you how old your baby is, if the baby is not 1 yet, I expect to hear an age in months. If your kid is 2, don't come at me with, "he's 26 months." WTH? He's TWO - get a grip! I don't care if he's 14 months, he's ONE. Smack me, if I ever have a kid and I do this. Maybe I'm just not familiar with baby protocol. I mean, I know the clothing labels are done in months, but that doesn't mean you have to refer to your kid in months. IJS. I might be in the minority on this, but for some reason, it just REALLY annoys me. Maybe I should go around telling folks that I'm 415 months.
I wonder how I would feel if I were in my friend's situation. Actually, there probably wouldn't be any blog postings for a good chunk of time. I'd be in the corner with my arms wrapped around myself, rocking back and forth, repeatedly yelling, "why, Lawd?? Why?" OK, not really. I guess I just can't picture this, because I don't even have any prospective boyfriends in the Rolodex right now. I think my mom has resigned herself to having 6 grandkids...so if lucky number 7 came along, she'd be verklempt - in a good way.
I think if I ever have a child, it will totally be in a surprise manner. In all likelihood, an "oops" moment - which is what I was. Because I can't see me charting ovulation and calling my hubby in the middle of the day saying, "we need to do it now!" My friend K got engaged at the end of 2007. She was busy traveling with her job (sometimes overseas), and planning her wedding. Spring 2008, she makes a quick visit to the gyn, because she wanted to discuss getting her tubes tied. She was 39, so she just figured she and her hubby to be were well past the ripe ages. Well, surprise! Doc said, "you're about 6 weeks too late." When she told me the story about how she just showed out in that doctor's office, breaking down in tears...everything...I was dying laughing. She said they left the appointment and her fiance took her to Bojangles...in the midst of the drive through line, she suddenly went from panicked to excited and happy! Her fiance told her she was crazy. But he married her anyway, and now they have a bouncing baby boy.
K had a happy ending. I hope my friend from ATL has a happy ending. And I hope my "happily ever after" is out there somewhere. :)
Baby Baby - Amy Grant
OK, enough with the 90s flashback...
One of my friends from the ATL is unexpectedly preggers. The timing is crazy 'cause she was laid off and has been without a job for a few months, had to move, give away her dogs...all kinds of madness. But everything happens for a reason (or so I've been told, repeatedly).
We were discussing all things baby, and she showed me this list of names she had come up with. I'm convinced this is going to be a girl. One that acts just like her, because you know how karma works. One of the names she picked, if paired with her last name, would be akin to naming your baby Robin Robins. Or John Johnson. Or Richard Richards - you get the picture. I told her that under NO circumstances is she to name that baby like that, or I will come down there and smack her. I know the parents who came up with that stuff thought it would be amusing. It's not - it's annoying! :lol:
Why do we have to get so crazy with the baby names? Some of the names folks come up with are so bad, it's just downright comical. Don't believe me? Check out Babies Named a Bad, Bad Thing! That will keep you entertained for at least an hour. You probably shouldn't read it at work, because the blog author's comments are hilarious, and you will guffaw.
Another thing on my list of pet peeves with adults regarding babies, is the thing with babies' ages. When I ask you how old your baby is, if the baby is not 1 yet, I expect to hear an age in months. If your kid is 2, don't come at me with, "he's 26 months." WTH? He's TWO - get a grip! I don't care if he's 14 months, he's ONE. Smack me, if I ever have a kid and I do this. Maybe I'm just not familiar with baby protocol. I mean, I know the clothing labels are done in months, but that doesn't mean you have to refer to your kid in months. IJS. I might be in the minority on this, but for some reason, it just REALLY annoys me. Maybe I should go around telling folks that I'm 415 months.
I wonder how I would feel if I were in my friend's situation. Actually, there probably wouldn't be any blog postings for a good chunk of time. I'd be in the corner with my arms wrapped around myself, rocking back and forth, repeatedly yelling, "why, Lawd?? Why?" OK, not really. I guess I just can't picture this, because I don't even have any prospective boyfriends in the Rolodex right now. I think my mom has resigned herself to having 6 grandkids...so if lucky number 7 came along, she'd be verklempt - in a good way.
I think if I ever have a child, it will totally be in a surprise manner. In all likelihood, an "oops" moment - which is what I was. Because I can't see me charting ovulation and calling my hubby in the middle of the day saying, "we need to do it now!" My friend K got engaged at the end of 2007. She was busy traveling with her job (sometimes overseas), and planning her wedding. Spring 2008, she makes a quick visit to the gyn, because she wanted to discuss getting her tubes tied. She was 39, so she just figured she and her hubby to be were well past the ripe ages. Well, surprise! Doc said, "you're about 6 weeks too late." When she told me the story about how she just showed out in that doctor's office, breaking down in tears...everything...I was dying laughing. She said they left the appointment and her fiance took her to Bojangles...in the midst of the drive through line, she suddenly went from panicked to excited and happy! Her fiance told her she was crazy. But he married her anyway, and now they have a bouncing baby boy.
K had a happy ending. I hope my friend from ATL has a happy ending. And I hope my "happily ever after" is out there somewhere. :)
Memorandum
M E M O R A N D U M
To: My Skin
From: Me
Subject: Acne
------------------------------------------
Maybe you haven't kept track, but I'm about to be 35 in January. This acne has GOT TO GO. Seriously??? I thought we were done with this! Two years ago my skin was freakin' GLOWING. Now? One bump goes away, only to have two more appear. And not just on my face...oh no, now we're involving the back and shoulders and chest. We won't even address the hyperpigmentation in this memo.
I've given you Ayurvedic soap, black soap, shea butter, coconut oil...I take my multivitamins and supplements and I try to drink 66 - 99 oz of water per day. I'm ordering a cease and desist right now. I mean it! I refuse to look crazy when my birthday rolls around!
To: My Skin
From: Me
Subject: Acne
------------------------------------------
Maybe you haven't kept track, but I'm about to be 35 in January. This acne has GOT TO GO. Seriously??? I thought we were done with this! Two years ago my skin was freakin' GLOWING. Now? One bump goes away, only to have two more appear. And not just on my face...oh no, now we're involving the back and shoulders and chest. We won't even address the hyperpigmentation in this memo.
I've given you Ayurvedic soap, black soap, shea butter, coconut oil...I take my multivitamins and supplements and I try to drink 66 - 99 oz of water per day. I'm ordering a cease and desist right now. I mean it! I refuse to look crazy when my birthday rolls around!
Back Down Memory Lane...
I just finished reading Serenity's blog for today, and it triggered a childhood memory for me.
When I was younger, I went to Catholic school. From Kindergarten to 4th grade. Until I decided I wanted to go to school with the kids in my neighborhood. I had rehearsed all my reasons, because I just knew my mom was going to veto me. But she said yes, without me having to argue about it (later I figured out that they were tired of paying the tuition and were gonna suggest public school to me anyway. LOL!)
Anywho, as you can imagine, I was one of the only chips in the cookie at this school. In my kindergarten class, there was one other little black girl. Then she left, and my cousin came for 1st and 2nd grades, and it was just the two of us. She was gone by 3rd grade, and then I think there was one little boy. Needless to say, there weren't more than 2 black children in my class at a time. However, we did have some older black children at the school.
There was this girl, I don't even remember her name. I don't even remember what grade she was in, I just know that she was older. She rode the bus with us. For some reason, she felt the need to tell me on a daily to weekly basis that I had big lips or that I wasn't pretty. I remember her sitting on the bus in the back with my cousin (whom I'm sure she didn't know what my cousin), discussing my lips. OK, why? I only remember bits and pieces of this, because I think after that year she was gone. But imagine it that had really stuck with me? She was probably dumb as a box of rocks. And she's really lucky my brothers and sisters were not there...she might have a limp right now. Nobody picks on the baby of the family! :lol:
But I digress. Thinking about it as an adult, it saddens me that her parents would give her such a message of self hatred. Because - hello? - you're black, too! We're in this sea of white kids, and you feel it necessary to sit and talk about somebody else who's black? Nonsense and tom foolery.
I just don't understand why anybody would feel the need to reinforce negative feelings on a child. I know my aunt used to always make comments about my weight when I was younger...but I pretty much ignored her. Again, what if I couldn't ignore her? I had chubby cheeks and I was not a skinny child from the 3rd through 5th grades, but once I hit puberty and had that growth spurt, everything evened itself out. I'm sure my mom knew that would happen and that's why she wasn't much worried about it. I mean, for the love of God, I was probably a size 5/6 throughout junior high and high school. But let me gain 5 lbs and Aunt Letha had something to say. Mind you, she was skinny by no means...so, wth? I remember weighing 118 lbs my freshman year of high school (I remember because my track coach had a friend at S.U. who was doing a study on body fat percentage in teenage girls, and she used our stats). If I weighed 118 pounds right now, trust and believe, you would all be signing me up for Intervention.
If I had been at that park that day, I think I would have done the same thing Serenity did. Kids need to hear positive messages! Should you enable bad habits? Of course not. If you see that your child has a problem with overeating or doesn't have a healthy view of being active/exercising, it's certainly something to be addressed. I don't suspect this is the case with the little girl who is the subject of her blog. I wish I could find that little girl and just give her a hug.
I wonder where the Mean Girl is now? Probably somewhere lookin' like an ashy chicken head. Meanwhile, people are injecting their lips with collagen to get them to look like mine. Who's laughing now?? :)
When I was younger, I went to Catholic school. From Kindergarten to 4th grade. Until I decided I wanted to go to school with the kids in my neighborhood. I had rehearsed all my reasons, because I just knew my mom was going to veto me. But she said yes, without me having to argue about it (later I figured out that they were tired of paying the tuition and were gonna suggest public school to me anyway. LOL!)
Anywho, as you can imagine, I was one of the only chips in the cookie at this school. In my kindergarten class, there was one other little black girl. Then she left, and my cousin came for 1st and 2nd grades, and it was just the two of us. She was gone by 3rd grade, and then I think there was one little boy. Needless to say, there weren't more than 2 black children in my class at a time. However, we did have some older black children at the school.
There was this girl, I don't even remember her name. I don't even remember what grade she was in, I just know that she was older. She rode the bus with us. For some reason, she felt the need to tell me on a daily to weekly basis that I had big lips or that I wasn't pretty. I remember her sitting on the bus in the back with my cousin (whom I'm sure she didn't know what my cousin), discussing my lips. OK, why? I only remember bits and pieces of this, because I think after that year she was gone. But imagine it that had really stuck with me? She was probably dumb as a box of rocks. And she's really lucky my brothers and sisters were not there...she might have a limp right now. Nobody picks on the baby of the family! :lol:
But I digress. Thinking about it as an adult, it saddens me that her parents would give her such a message of self hatred. Because - hello? - you're black, too! We're in this sea of white kids, and you feel it necessary to sit and talk about somebody else who's black? Nonsense and tom foolery.
I just don't understand why anybody would feel the need to reinforce negative feelings on a child. I know my aunt used to always make comments about my weight when I was younger...but I pretty much ignored her. Again, what if I couldn't ignore her? I had chubby cheeks and I was not a skinny child from the 3rd through 5th grades, but once I hit puberty and had that growth spurt, everything evened itself out. I'm sure my mom knew that would happen and that's why she wasn't much worried about it. I mean, for the love of God, I was probably a size 5/6 throughout junior high and high school. But let me gain 5 lbs and Aunt Letha had something to say. Mind you, she was skinny by no means...so, wth? I remember weighing 118 lbs my freshman year of high school (I remember because my track coach had a friend at S.U. who was doing a study on body fat percentage in teenage girls, and she used our stats). If I weighed 118 pounds right now, trust and believe, you would all be signing me up for Intervention.
If I had been at that park that day, I think I would have done the same thing Serenity did. Kids need to hear positive messages! Should you enable bad habits? Of course not. If you see that your child has a problem with overeating or doesn't have a healthy view of being active/exercising, it's certainly something to be addressed. I don't suspect this is the case with the little girl who is the subject of her blog. I wish I could find that little girl and just give her a hug.
I wonder where the Mean Girl is now? Probably somewhere lookin' like an ashy chicken head. Meanwhile, people are injecting their lips with collagen to get them to look like mine. Who's laughing now?? :)
Monday, August 3, 2009
Monday Recap
I'm functioning on about 3.5 hours of sleep. This should be a really fun day!
I got here to work and worked a few files, then went to the kitchen and fixed my oatmeal. I got back to my desk and went to get out my water bottle and my multivitamin/supplements, and realized I had left the bag at home D'oh! So I promptly jumped in my car and got it. It's a good thing it only takes about 7 - 8 minutes for me to get home. :)
Yesterday I told RB that I was contemplating a move to VA. You would have thought I told him I was moving tomorrow! He was straight verklempt. I told him to breathe and focus. LOL! He said he figured I was going to move, but he thought I was going back to ATL. I would, if my family was closer. Moving back to ATL would mean an even further commute to see my sisters. I just feel like right now I need to regroup. Retreat and lick my wounds, then come back out fighting. I just can't do that here. Too many crazy things have happened to me in the QC.
KC is gone...I think he went back home with his dad being sick. I'm guessing he took a sudden turn for the worst, because he rolled out and we have not heard from him in a few weeks. I think the last time I saw him was before the 4th of July. I hope he's ok, but I know he was really close to his dad. I get the feeling that things are not going well.
I jogged 4 miles on Saturday. The last mile was really a struggle. I may have to add one extra day of cardio, since I'm not really skating during the week anymore. We shall see. I guess if I at least put it out there, I'm semi-accountable for getting it done. LOL!
This will be a super busy Monday for me, so I guess I better get to it. Have a good Monday, Bloggers!
I got here to work and worked a few files, then went to the kitchen and fixed my oatmeal. I got back to my desk and went to get out my water bottle and my multivitamin/supplements, and realized I had left the bag at home D'oh! So I promptly jumped in my car and got it. It's a good thing it only takes about 7 - 8 minutes for me to get home. :)
Yesterday I told RB that I was contemplating a move to VA. You would have thought I told him I was moving tomorrow! He was straight verklempt. I told him to breathe and focus. LOL! He said he figured I was going to move, but he thought I was going back to ATL. I would, if my family was closer. Moving back to ATL would mean an even further commute to see my sisters. I just feel like right now I need to regroup. Retreat and lick my wounds, then come back out fighting. I just can't do that here. Too many crazy things have happened to me in the QC.
KC is gone...I think he went back home with his dad being sick. I'm guessing he took a sudden turn for the worst, because he rolled out and we have not heard from him in a few weeks. I think the last time I saw him was before the 4th of July. I hope he's ok, but I know he was really close to his dad. I get the feeling that things are not going well.
I jogged 4 miles on Saturday. The last mile was really a struggle. I may have to add one extra day of cardio, since I'm not really skating during the week anymore. We shall see. I guess if I at least put it out there, I'm semi-accountable for getting it done. LOL!
This will be a super busy Monday for me, so I guess I better get to it. Have a good Monday, Bloggers!
Sunday, August 2, 2009
OK, So...Maybe Not
I have been pretty much avoiding the use of Carol's Daughter's hair products. Mostly because of the reviews I've read on various websites. Everyone seems to universally agree that her products were better before she went "corporate" and had celebrity spokespersons. I can't say for sure, because I never tried them before Mary J. and Jada came into the picture.
My staple hair butter for the last 4 years has been Asha's The Mane Attraction. I like the smell and the consistency, and it always has given me great twist outs. The problem? I hate paying S & H. Hate it, hate it, hate it. But I just can't seem to find products locally that work for me the way MA does.
I was scraping the bottom of the last container of MA, and knew I needed to either buy more, or find a plan B. I love shea butter, but the combination of products in Asha's seem to work better for me and give better hold, than plain shea butter.
I decided to try Carol's Daughter's Health Hair Butter. The ingredients didn't seem too bad, although I was a little skeptical about the use of corn oil. Which apparently, she loves - because it's in a lot of her products. I just can't see me whipping out the Mazola corn oil and putting it on my hair. But, I have used olive oil and coconut oil, so I figured - what the heck.
Ingredients comparison:
Asha's The Mane Attraction - Herbal Complex, purified water, shea butter, cocoa butter, beeswax, and a proprietary essential oil blend that includes rosemary.
Seems pretty simple. The smell is herbal, but not too strong...and to me it can have a slight citrus scent to it, depending on the batch.
Carol's Daughter Healthy Hair butter - Water, Soybean oil, Corn oil, beeswax, shea butter, sweet almond oil, cocoa seed butter, jojoba seed oil, wheat germ oil, essential oils of Ylang-Ylang, patchouli, Bay and Cedarwood, fragrance, phenoxyethanol, xantham gum, potassium sorbate and absorbic acid.
OK...a little more going on here. Lots and lots of oils. My hair tends to do better with butters than with oils. But I figured I'd try it because it had shea butter and beeswax, similar to Asha's. The smell is very strong - I think mostly the patchouli and cedarwood. You won't like it if you generally like sweet things.
For those of you that don't know, ingredients are listed in order of their prevalence in the product. I was ok with those last few ingredients in CD's HHB, because they are at the bottom of the list, so there is probably not a lot of each. But, let's have a quick science break, anyway:
Phenoxyethanol = according to www.cosmeticsdatabase.com, this ingredient is a fragrance ingredient and preservative. It scored a 4 for "moderate" hazard.
Xantham gum = emulsifier, skin conditioning agent, and surfactant. Scored 0 on the health hazard scale.
Potassium sorbate = fragrance ingredient and preservative. Scored a 1 on the health hazard scale.
Asorbic acid = a sugar acid, it has antioxidant properties. Vitamin C is a form of asorbic acid.
My review on my use of CD's HHB:
At first, I loved it. It costs $16. Asha's is $15, but of course, there's the matter of shipping and handling. Both prices are for the 8 oz size, which lasts me a pretty good while.
The first time I used CD's HHB, I added a dab over hair that had not been washed...so it already had a little bit of Asha's in it. I put a slight bit of vatika frosting over it to try and mask the smell. When I took my twists out the next morning, they had very good definition and they held for most of the day. I was impressed!
I put some more in on Wednesday night. Small dabs with my finger tip, nothing major. Still had the definition on Thursday morning, although my hair felt heavier and more weighed down. I didn't think much of it. Serenity saw my hair and she said it looked good. I was feeling like I might have found a substitute. Thursday was one of my days to work out this week, so I knew that night I was going to wash my hair. Here's where it sort of went downhill.
I had just shampooed my hair earlier that week, so I did not want to use shampoo. I did a conditioner wash using HairVeda's Moist 24/7. I rinsed my hair really well before applying the conditioner. It felt sort of greasy and thick. Sort of like when you try to mix oil with water, initially. I had to rinse more than I normally would. I put the conditioner on my hair and let it sit while I washed up, shaved, etc. I then massaged my scalp well and tried to comb through the length, with the conditioner in. It was very hard to comb through. After I rinsed, I felt like I still had tons of the HHB in my hair. I've never had this issue with Mane Attraction. That night I was too tired to retwist my hair, so I put it in big flat twist sections, so I could wear an Afro the next day. But if I was going to rewist, I didn't need to add more HHB - it was still in my hair!
Conclusion? I'm not so keen on things that I have to constantly shampoo out of my hair. I did an ayurvedic paste last night with kalpi tone, shikakai, amla and brahmi powders, and I was worried that my hair wouldn't even feel the effects of the powder, because of the HHB. Because I only like to shampoo once per week, the simpler the product, the better. I will have to just suck it up and buy Asha's in bulk, so that I can save on the shipping. I paid my $16, so I will likely use up the HHB that I have, but I don't think I will be repurchasing. I really wanted to like this product, because I loved that I could go to Sephora and pick it up. But, a bunch of build up on my hair is going to cause more harm than good.
I'm going to give it one more try since I still have dang near a full container. I won't re-apply, I'll just spritz my water with hair when I re-twist, and we'll see if that solves the problem. Maybe this is one of those products that you only need to apply once per week.
My staple hair butter for the last 4 years has been Asha's The Mane Attraction. I like the smell and the consistency, and it always has given me great twist outs. The problem? I hate paying S & H. Hate it, hate it, hate it. But I just can't seem to find products locally that work for me the way MA does.
I was scraping the bottom of the last container of MA, and knew I needed to either buy more, or find a plan B. I love shea butter, but the combination of products in Asha's seem to work better for me and give better hold, than plain shea butter.
I decided to try Carol's Daughter's Health Hair Butter. The ingredients didn't seem too bad, although I was a little skeptical about the use of corn oil. Which apparently, she loves - because it's in a lot of her products. I just can't see me whipping out the Mazola corn oil and putting it on my hair. But, I have used olive oil and coconut oil, so I figured - what the heck.
Ingredients comparison:
Asha's The Mane Attraction - Herbal Complex, purified water, shea butter, cocoa butter, beeswax, and a proprietary essential oil blend that includes rosemary.
Seems pretty simple. The smell is herbal, but not too strong...and to me it can have a slight citrus scent to it, depending on the batch.
Carol's Daughter Healthy Hair butter - Water, Soybean oil, Corn oil, beeswax, shea butter, sweet almond oil, cocoa seed butter, jojoba seed oil, wheat germ oil, essential oils of Ylang-Ylang, patchouli, Bay and Cedarwood, fragrance, phenoxyethanol, xantham gum, potassium sorbate and absorbic acid.
OK...a little more going on here. Lots and lots of oils. My hair tends to do better with butters than with oils. But I figured I'd try it because it had shea butter and beeswax, similar to Asha's. The smell is very strong - I think mostly the patchouli and cedarwood. You won't like it if you generally like sweet things.
For those of you that don't know, ingredients are listed in order of their prevalence in the product. I was ok with those last few ingredients in CD's HHB, because they are at the bottom of the list, so there is probably not a lot of each. But, let's have a quick science break, anyway:
Phenoxyethanol = according to www.cosmeticsdatabase.com, this ingredient is a fragrance ingredient and preservative. It scored a 4 for "moderate" hazard.
Xantham gum = emulsifier, skin conditioning agent, and surfactant. Scored 0 on the health hazard scale.
Potassium sorbate = fragrance ingredient and preservative. Scored a 1 on the health hazard scale.
Asorbic acid = a sugar acid, it has antioxidant properties. Vitamin C is a form of asorbic acid.
My review on my use of CD's HHB:
At first, I loved it. It costs $16. Asha's is $15, but of course, there's the matter of shipping and handling. Both prices are for the 8 oz size, which lasts me a pretty good while.
The first time I used CD's HHB, I added a dab over hair that had not been washed...so it already had a little bit of Asha's in it. I put a slight bit of vatika frosting over it to try and mask the smell. When I took my twists out the next morning, they had very good definition and they held for most of the day. I was impressed!
I put some more in on Wednesday night. Small dabs with my finger tip, nothing major. Still had the definition on Thursday morning, although my hair felt heavier and more weighed down. I didn't think much of it. Serenity saw my hair and she said it looked good. I was feeling like I might have found a substitute. Thursday was one of my days to work out this week, so I knew that night I was going to wash my hair. Here's where it sort of went downhill.
I had just shampooed my hair earlier that week, so I did not want to use shampoo. I did a conditioner wash using HairVeda's Moist 24/7. I rinsed my hair really well before applying the conditioner. It felt sort of greasy and thick. Sort of like when you try to mix oil with water, initially. I had to rinse more than I normally would. I put the conditioner on my hair and let it sit while I washed up, shaved, etc. I then massaged my scalp well and tried to comb through the length, with the conditioner in. It was very hard to comb through. After I rinsed, I felt like I still had tons of the HHB in my hair. I've never had this issue with Mane Attraction. That night I was too tired to retwist my hair, so I put it in big flat twist sections, so I could wear an Afro the next day. But if I was going to rewist, I didn't need to add more HHB - it was still in my hair!
Conclusion? I'm not so keen on things that I have to constantly shampoo out of my hair. I did an ayurvedic paste last night with kalpi tone, shikakai, amla and brahmi powders, and I was worried that my hair wouldn't even feel the effects of the powder, because of the HHB. Because I only like to shampoo once per week, the simpler the product, the better. I will have to just suck it up and buy Asha's in bulk, so that I can save on the shipping. I paid my $16, so I will likely use up the HHB that I have, but I don't think I will be repurchasing. I really wanted to like this product, because I loved that I could go to Sephora and pick it up. But, a bunch of build up on my hair is going to cause more harm than good.
I'm going to give it one more try since I still have dang near a full container. I won't re-apply, I'll just spritz my water with hair when I re-twist, and we'll see if that solves the problem. Maybe this is one of those products that you only need to apply once per week.
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