So you think you know who your friends are...

yesterday I went to hang with my good friends TiTo at there house in the SUBURBS (see previous post for source of sarcasm) and we took the toddler with us. I have mentioned their PSYCHO cat Jinks before and she reinforced why pets are a reflection of their owners... am I calling my dear dear friend psycho? you be the judge

Ti: Don't let the baby near the cat - the cat is freaked out! (the cat is clearly not freaked out)
Cammy walks up to said cat - cat sniffs baby [fyi-cat is declawed] baby smiles gigles and pets cat remarkably gently for a one year old
Ti: "Ohhhh no!!! Get Jinksie! Get Cammy - shes gonna hiss or something!!"
cat walks aprox 1.5 feet lays down and grooms - baby promptly follows stoops down and pets cat again - cat bats at the baby's hand and walks behind the couch. Cammy attempts to find a way behind the couch tried to move art work ect to get to cat - no luck she comes into kitchen
Ti: "ohh God Raquita Hold her so I can put the cat away shes tramautized."
Kid looks at Ti like -'She's funny.' Cat looks at Cammy like 'Wow I didn't know they came in that size' Jerry and I are cracking up because anyone with children knows you loose that hyper sensitivity after two weeks of parenthood or you get committed. I can't believe shes had it this long with the cat.

Rep yo City! or at least city living....

First - I have been blogging my butt off.. there are seveal new entries in the last 72 hours and possibly a few more. I'm just warning you guys... Now I was at the Mominthemirror.com blog - which I read and enjoy regularly. Today she was talking about choosing to raise her kids in the city- I understood but it made me think...this was my response.

I was born a suburb kid. I didn’t know the first thing about city living but know now I was always a city girl on the inside and now I am a city mom.
I first noticed this about myself reading a blog today about this mom who felt she had abandoned her city roots for the betterment of her son, he called her a nature girl – and she balked until she took a look at herself. I am aware I am a city girl by the response of my best suburb friends TiTo (that is two people - people) We have constant arguments on which is better city living or suburb living – they dwell in her family home in St. Charles County MO. It takes me 40 minutes to get to her house- needless to say we don’t visit as much as we’d like.
“You step out side and hit an alley at the end of your 3 feet of yard” she pointed out.
“It only takes me two minutes to mow it, and I’m five minutes from every where – you drive 20 minutes to get gas”
“I don’t!”
“Do too, at least I don’t have to send passenger pigeons to tell my friends hi”
“At least I can get a cell phone signal in my house”
"Your cookie cutter just like the rest of the block house- that you had to put a boulder in the yard to make it different?"
We concede a draw cause she’s right my house gets no signal, and she does live twenty minutes from civilization.
How did I end up so far form my suburb roots? Was it falling in love with a city man? I don’t want to give him too much credit, as I wanted the city long before I met him. I longed for college in a big city town like Chi, or Atlanta, as a matter of fact I wanted to go to Spellman so bad I could taste it – I never even applied – too scared of rejection, ended up at the most non big city school near me, the University of Missouri (MIZZOU). It is probably one of my bigger regrets and secrets. When I ws a kid I would tag along with my city smart cousins and take the bus into downtown and mall walk. Yearly trips with my mom to the At museum and Zoo, and major trips with my middle school to the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago made me love city ambiance. But I always chose safely when choosing college and my first few apartments, the county was where my family was, buying “better” houses on faux wooded lots where gorgeous oaks were cut down to build snap together houses and little trees were replanted to make everything look natural.
How was I to unleash my inner city dweller?
I fell in love with poetry in 1999, and found myself hanging most regularly in poetry spots speckled around St. Louis city. Tuesdays were in the Central West End, Monday nights on the Delmar Loop, Wednesday’s night was Troy’s near Lafayette Park, Sunday was Love Jones at the Bistro near the Fox theatre and my still spot Legacy on Friday. Then there were all those little spots I would stop in on – The once upon a star café in the CWE, Venice Café, Churchill’s, Cicero’s anywhere they put a mic and invited a poet. They all invited me, fed me. The people, the cultures, the smells, the food, everything was different than it was in the ‘burbs. NOTHING was cookie cut out and it was okay that I wasn’t either. So in falling in love with the poetry – it made me fall in love with the city, it made me fall in love with myself. I found the theatre, The Black Rep, the bookstores, the buses. I thrived on having access to different people. I loved the rhythm of the streets and the anonymity because St. Louis City was coming out of a coma at this time, and if I had been smart I would have bought property then but I was young and hind sight is 20/20.
I envy my husbands time in New York, the ultimate city. New York is the City’s CITY. What I wouldn’t give for a year to soak in the subways and the theaters and Central Park and China town and Harlem, you have no idea what I wouldn’t give to live a year there. But even in all of my city girl glory, I know there is a limit to what my wants for me and my wants for my girl are. While I am still a city mom- yes I plan on joining a gym for the baby, yes, we have a dog park in our neighborhood, yes my block has more nationalities on it than a food court in a airport, we are glad of this and we are happy. My immediate neighbors are Hispanic and Black we got white people across the street – gay people catty corner – college kids in the apartments on the top of the block – professional people, working class people – everybody. I worry that my heart will harden – but I make sure I speak to the people on our street when I see them and I plan on joining the neighborhood group.
Its not the pretty suburbs with the .25 acre yards and room for playgroup equipment for Cammy, but its not the ghetto from Good times either. We can go to the Botanical Gardens which are literally a stone’s throw from our front door, go to Tower Grove which is six blocks away, take the seven minute drive to Forest Park or drive to a playground and hang out when we need a jungle gym. Besides we do good as the city family. And whileI admit I did look at houses in the burbs when we were house hunting – now just isn’t the time, it will come, I’m sure when the absolute quite will be what we want for our family but for now I can still smell the roses through the city sounds and smells. City life is as simple for me as suburb living. It is as slow in our brownstone as it is in my sisters suburban ranch home. Life is what you make it where ever you happen to make it. Though I worry am I raising my daughter at a disadvantage? Sure we go to museums and see all the new exhibits and she certainly wouldn’t ever be able to claim her parents didn’t expose her to other cultures, she’s one and has already eaten Thai, Vegetarian/Vegan, Chinese, Greek, Persian, Authentic Mexican, Pan Asian, Japanese, Korean, Ethiopian, Caribbean, Creole, and French. And we know and count friends people from at least 2/3’s of these backgrounds. So we got the cultural gap and the diversity gap covered. But what if this is all too much? What if she needs the quiet, spacious childhood city living cannot offer? Yes the sights and sounds of the city will be second nature but what about butterflies in her own backyard.
The lady who’s blog sparked this interest, this thought process – at least for it to be blogged she believes my city child will be hipper and wiser than her county child. That her child will suffer from an achievement gap and mine will learn faster, rise quicker in college, work and life. She thinks my kid (city kids) will be the one . They'll probably be the ones hiring or firing him in about 15 years. She worries the differences will stack against her son. I worry that my child will see her son’s and his easy laid back world and she will wonder why I didn’t give her that.
That mom said:.

I hope that their exposure to all walks and talks of life has done more than
render them street smart, cynical and sophisticated. I hope that it enables them
to postpone snobbery and the prejudgments that most of us immediately form.

I chose this life for my child exactly for this reason. So she would see so many walks of life and know she is not better because of what she is but perhaps because of who she is. And if all of these things we are giving her will make her sophisticated and street smart all the better for her, we just want her to be happy, and have every opportunity we had and the few our parents couldn’t provide, cause honestly from my memories there weren’t many. If she is a snob, I hope it is because she has excelled at everything we have challenged her with and I hope she is the kind of girl next door/round the way kinda girl who brings people with her – not shuts them out.
Because the truth is, my daughter is a city kid. She is pleasantly overwhelmed at new things and never overstimulated, at least not yet, and loves to play at home as well as a good adventure like last weekends circus.
And I am a city parent. Even if we could afford to live in the suburbs my husband would find acceptable, I'd have a hard time giving my daughter the kind of diversity I know helped me blossom and I don’t believe city living will leave her any harder around the edges when she enters adulthood, just maybe smarter about the possibilities good and bad the world will offer her
So, we live in a medium size city, biggest one in our state, not far from a major tourist trap. We keep memberships to the Gardens and other societies. We walk to the park. We go to the classic ice cream shop after church in North City, where the candy counter, shoot the whole place looks like it was lifted out of the 1950’s sans the white only signs, and my husband can remember going with his father, over his BTL and my Carmel pecan sundae. We drive to Barnes and Nobel and Borders for reading hours and quiet time cause we always forget to return library books (which is funny since the library is closer) – besides we like to own them. .
So I know suburbs are okay – but with everything a city can offer I just wouldn't want to live there.

keeping the beat....

Our life is falling into its rhythm. It is catching smoothly, like the first few bars of a new song you know is gonna be your jam. And while I know this song is gonna be our jam – I worry about catching rhythm. A marriage I believe, should be like bad white boy dancing – you should have to work to keep the rhythm. This most days seems too easy – like YOU GOT SERVED dance scenes – it should look as hard as it is, but it don’t and it feels easy once you learn it. Did that make sense? N-E way in thanking God for how special my current love is I have to remember how bad some of the others got. I have been lucky. I have loved and been loved well, even if those loves did not culminate into marriage and old age and long life together. If love is a home fire, then I have loved uncontrollable 3 alarm blazes and fires that had to be restarted over and over and over… well you get my drift.
I don’t miss the 3 alarm blazes or the fires that always ALWAYS had to be relit – but I do want to remember to work at keeping this fire going – no matter how self contained it may seem. I am a little older, and I have thought a bit harder about how to love, we even if have found the rhythm in building a fire we cannot take for granted that we will naturally keep it going. People love in so many ways, we love like classic wood fireplaces. You build it, use the right kind of wood, oak, or maple, no cheating and using lighter fluid, just some kindling, and once its lit you delight in that glow, until it burns down to red hot coals, the kind that burn for a long time, and if you need some flames every once in a while – you just put a new log on the embers and it will catch just as it should.
So while our rhythm is solid now I pray that I don’t forget to watch the beat – that is doesn’t get to soft or too complicated, that we don’t end up looking like a white man with no rhythm trying to keep the beat but more like dancers that have learned all the styles and lessons necessary to be able to change dances as the music changes.

Random bits of WHAT THE HELL!?!?!

* The RIAA sued an 83 year old woman for downloading music illegally, even though a copy of her death certificate was sent to the RIAA a week before it filed the suit.

* A ten year old mattress weighs double what it did when it was new, because of the -ahem- debris which is absorbed through the years. That debris includes dust mites (their droppings and their decaying bodies), mold, millions of dead skin cells, dandruff, animal and human hair, secretions, excretions, lint, pollen, dust, soil, sand and a lot of perspiration, of which the average person loses a quart per day. Good night!

* A private elementary school in Alexandria, Virginia, accidentally served margaritas to its schoolchildren, thinking it was limeade.

* Each year, more people are killed by teddy bears than by grizzly bears.

* Quebec City, Canada, has about as much street crime as Disney World.

* Seven percent of Americans claim they never bathe at all.

* If you hook Jell-O up to an EEG, it registers movements almost identical to a human adult's brain waves.

* The leading cause of on-the-job deaths in workplaces in America is homicide.

* A British gymnast survived a fall from a fourth story window because he went into a somersault and came down on two feet.

* Amusement park attendance goes up after a fatal accident. It seems many people want to ride upon the same ride that killed someone.

* Microsoft threatened 17 year old Mike Rowe with a lawsuit after the young man launched a website named MikeRoweSoft.com.

* Astronauts cannot burp in space. There is no gravity to separate liquid from gas in their stomachs.

* The glue on Israeli postage stamps is certified kosher.

* The winter of 1932 was so cold that Niagara Falls froze completely solid.

* There are more plastic flamingoes in the United States than real ones.

* In 1998, more fast-food employees were murdered on the job than police officers.

* According to Genesis 1:20-22 the chicken came before the egg.

* Only 14% of Americans say they've skinny dipped with the opposite sex.

* Half of all Americans live within 50 miles of their birthplace.

* Cats can hear ultrasound.

* In all three Godfather films, when you see oranges, there is a death (or a very close call) coming up soon.

* 23% of employees say they have had sex in the office.

* 40% of all people who come to a party in your home snoop in your medicine cabinet.

* The first Fords had engines made by Dodge.

* Chewing gum while peeling onions will keep you from crying.

* In 2003, there were 86 days of below-freezing weather in Hell, Michigan. So hell has frozen over many times

This site is very speical to me... I am sharing with you because you may need it, the way I needed it. Just to know humanity is real. Its called PostSecret and the post that touched me the most was:


That is all..

T&A brings me back to hip hop

I was just reading a fellow bloogers entry which was talking about how she lost a friend in hip hop and a conversation she had with someone about the loss. She spoke on black men's blindness to the state of Rap music. Then there is Crazy Al Cayne. If you have ever watched BET uncut - which I have been party to watch so we have ample (no pun intened) images to use for these types of discussions. Besides my husband thinks Joker the bail bondsman is hilarious, recently we were watching and after my heart cried yet again for the throngs of girls gyrating to a 50 cent track, we had the pleasure of watching Al rap about Tits and Ass while dressed in a milk carton outfit.
Now while some people will say that it is hypocrytical that I would find this song and video amusing while upset with Nelly and 50 cent for the content of their videos are missing the point. I liked Crazy Al because he clearly was not taking himself or his song seriously. Women with butt attachments and balloon breasts that are clearly fake are not demeaning themselves, no one is suguesting we can't laugh at our selves. But to have a man objectify a woman by running a credit card down her butt cheeks is vulgar and unnecessary and there is nothing funny about it.

People use the argument that Rappers are rapping about the reality they live in. I guarentee Snoop Dog is not gang banging anything cause he has to. Anybody remember how straight his walk was when he was facing a murder rap? And none of these rappers have lived in any hood since their first album dropped- My biggest complaint is they are fronting about keeping it real - but they rent all teh crap in their music videos. Hello?!?! But I'm just talking for the hey of if.

I couldn't help it -

IMGP1598
Originally uploaded by Queue_D.

she was too cute - there is a post with words and thoughts and just as much cuteness further down - below teh other cammy picture- What can I say - she got me!

Sleeping Beauty

IMGP1529
Originally uploaded by Queue_D.

When was the last time you slept this good?

The Beauty of New Eyes

Yesterday, was a good day. A nice Sunday cap to good weekend. It didn’t start off that way and I’m not sure how it ended up on the good side of my viewfinder - but hey. Quick recap. I didn’t make it to the poetry spot I so wanted to go to Friday– because I was stressing over the bad money management moments that seem to plague my other wise perfect relationship, and ended up going to bed WAY too early, then spent Saturday morning fixing said problem like we always do – together. Spent the rest of the day playing with the baby – avoiding the killer St. Louis summer heat, working on a family web site, making my heart let go of a poetry site idea I’ve wanted to experiment with, and hanging out with my kid brother and his boyfriend and the happy people who randomly show up regularly at my home and watching You Got Served for the Zillionth, Kagillionth time.

Sunday started the way more should, though the last few have for us, we got up and went to church. Not our church – as we don’t know where our home church should be at this point. Our previous church was too big – we just got lost in the shuffle, I need to know the people I’m worshiping with, feel comfortable about their influence on my child and my home, and not need to go through three or four levels of associate pastors before I can talk to my pastor about an issue, however my family’s church is too small – my family’s church being the church I grew up – most consistently in and was the church I attended on this Sunday with my young small family. After some good morning family drama with my brother- we went to church – and while it was nice to be there with my family – I’m not getting anything at all in the form of teaching (my primary reason for not staying there is this – not the size) so I’m pretty sure we are gonna have to find a another worship home, although I have yet to discuss this with hubby – I guess he’ll tell me what he thinks after her reads this blog.
We left church and went home did some minor straightening up and changed clothes and we went to the four o’clock UniverSoul circus which was in St. Louis this week.
It was by far the most enjoyable experience we could have had as a family. My mom, sister, my moms friend and my two god sisters went with us, and Cammy had the best time. We had more fun watching her and her reaction to everything from the light shows on the roof of the tent to the Stilt Walkers and dancers which she really enjoyed to the contortionist Lunga that Jerry and every other straight man in the tent gave a standing O to, to the brother and sister pole act which twirled the sister BY HER HAIR – that about did it for me that and the guys on the wheel of death. My Daughter had her mouth formed into a permanent O the whole time. She sang and danced and easily had more fun than any other kid in our immediate view. She tried to mimmick the dancers, she looked like she was gonna figure out how to do all of the things she saw. We they sang – she sang – when they did call and response – well she responded with heart and gusto! .Our whole section found great amusement in her reaction to all the newness around her. They say you learn things and get to experience things for the first time through your childs eyes, that was never more true than it was today. Jerry’s eyes too since he had never been to a circus before either. She made me forget every less than stellar thing that happened in my life before walking into that circus tent and watching her little eyes just sparkle and sing and dance made my whole life.
You ever just know that someone is the perfect embodiment of fate and destiny and Gods will? Its moments like these that let me know God has a plan, and I have followed well enough, I must have to be blessed with a family such as these.

What are some things you remember doing as a kid or remember doing with your kids?





Amendment to A Past Post

Okay a while ago I noted my pleasure in Usher for learning to make sound business decisions, I now retract my former positive statements about said kncklehead. Why? you ask? A few weeks ago I heard a story about how he bought a very expesive watch. How expensive? $1,ooo,000. ONE MILLION dollars. Okay I was gonna let that one slide - until I saw a picture of said gaudy peice of jewelry. See here:


all I have to say about that is- "You stupid Cole." big ups to Leon for posting the picture. I'm mad at his momma for not slapping some sense into his ass. I'm sure he had to sign one of those stupid ass things I'm about to do clauses that his management team has for stupid purchases. I mean - what is that a red beard of diamonds under his chin? And who needs to see them selves profiled in diamonds. If you thought he was conceited before - have no doubts about it now.

The truth via Rich

I am reposting this from Richs blog - well cause it needs to be said. If I have one more girlfriend call me about some jerk but when I point out how cool so and so is.... forget it just read below and go give Rich his props


This is a tribute to the nice guys. The nice guys that finish last, that never become more than friends, that endure hours of whining and bitching about what assholes guys are, while disproving the very point. This is dedicated to those guys who always provide a shoulder to lean on but restrain themselves to tentative hugs, those guys who hold open doors and give reassuring pats on the back and sit patiently outside the changing room at department stores. This is in honor of the guys that obligingly reiterate how cute/beautiful/smart/funny/sexy their female friends are at the appropriate moment, because they know most girls need that litany of support. This is in honor of the guys with open minds, with laid-back attitudes, with honest concern. This is in honor of the guys who respect a girl’s every facet, from her privacy to her theology to her clothing style.This is for the guys who escort their drunk, bewildered female friends back from parties and never take advantage once they’re at her door, for the guys who accompany girls to bars as buffers against the rest of the creepy male population, for the guys who know a girl is fishing for compliments but give them out anyway, for the guys who always play by the rules in a game where the rules favor cheaters, for the guys who are accredited as boyfriend material but somehow don’t end up being boyfriends, for all the nice guys who are overlooked, underestimated, and unappreciated, for all the nice guys who are manipulated, misled, and unjustly abandoned, this is for you.This is for that time she left 40 urgent messages on your cell phone, and when you called her back, she spent three hours painstakingly dissecting two sentences her boyfriend said to her over dinner. And even though you thought her boyfriend was a chump and a jerk, you assured her that it was all ok and she shouldn’t worry about it. This is for that time she interrupted the best killing spree you’d ever orchestrated in GTA3 to rant about a rumor that romantically linked her and the guy she thinks is the most repulsive person in the world. And even though you thought it was immature and you had nothing against the guy, you paused the game for two hours and helped her concoct a counter-rumor to spread around the floor. This is also for that time she didn’t have a date, so after numerous vows that there was nothing “serious” between the two of you, she dragged you to a party where you knew nobody, the beer was awful, and she flirted shamelessly with you, justifying each fit of reckless teasing by announcing to everyone: “oh, but we’re just friends!” And even though you were invited purely as a symbolic warm body for her ego, you went anyways. Because you’re nice like that.The nice guys don’t often get credit where credit is due. And perhaps more disturbing, the nice guys don’t seem to get laid as often as they should. And I wish I could logically explain this trend, but I can’t. From what I have observed on campus and what I have learned from talking to friends at other schools and in the workplace, the only conclusion I can form is that many girls are just illogical, manipulative bitches. Many of them claim they just want to date a nice guy, but when presented with such a specimen, they say irrational, confusing things such as “oh, he’s too nice to date” or “he would be a good boyfriend but he’s not for me” or “he already puts up with so much from me, I couldn’t possibly ask him out!” or the most frustrating of all: “no, it would ruin our friendship.” Yet, they continue to lament the lack of datable men in the world, and they expect their too-nice-to-date male friends to sympathize and apologize for the men that are jerks. Sorry, guys, girls like that are beyond my ability to fathom. I can’t figure out why the connection breaks down between what they say (I want a nice guy!) and what they do (I’m going to sleep with this complete ass now!). But one thing I can do, is say that the nice-guy-finishes-last phenomenon doesn’t last forever. There are definitely many girls who grow out of that train of thought and realize they should be dating the nice guys, not taking them for granted. The tricky part is finding those girls, and even trickier, finding the ones that are single.So, until those girls are found, I propose a toast to all the nice guys. You know who you are, and I know you’re sick of hearing yourself described as ubiquitously nice. But the truth of the matter is, the world needs your patience in the department store, your holding open of doors, your party escorting services, your propensity to be a sucker for a pretty smile. For all the crazy, inane, absurd things you tolerate, for all the situations where you are the faceless, nameless hero, my accolades, my acknowledgement, and my gratitude go out to you. You do have credibility in this society, and your well deserved vindication is coming.

That's what I'll talking about right there!!!

"And All The Children Are Above Average..."

I found this blog by Dr.Sanity who spoke about an article I found in Odd News today - I'm posting his thoughts then mine....

 

...so none of them should fail according to professional teachers:

 

The Professional Association of Teachers will be told at its meeting next week that the label of failure could undermine pupils' enthusiasm.

Delegates will also hear a condemnation of the phrase "happy slapping". (NOTE: they want to condemn the words--not the action??)

The term is used to describe bullying where assaults are filmed on mobile phones.

Liz Beattie, a retired teacher, will call on the association's annual gathering in Buxton, Derbyshire, to "delete the word 'fail' from the educational vocabulary to be replaced with the concept of 'deferred success'".

She argues that repeated failure, such as in exams, can damage pupils' interest in learning.

So we begin to see why editors and journalists believe we should never use that awful word "terrorist" and should select less pejoritive words (wouldn't want to hurt their poor feelings, would we?) to decribe them! Perhaps we can refer to suicide bombers as "deferred living specialists" so as not to damage their interest in life, perhaps?

Well, if you want to truly damage pupils' interest and enthusiasm in learning --not to mention their genuine self-esteem --then parents should encourage this kind of tripe in their local schools.

As our children's education is taken over more and more by the guardians of multiculturalism and the priests of political correctness, we parents can happily watch as student scores drop even further and further into the toilet, secure in the knowledge that at least their self-esteem hasn't suffered from the trials and tribulations of objective reality. If we are really really lucky, they will remain children their whole life and simply defer success entirely!

This nonsensical and not-so-subtle attempt at political correctness which distorts language and thus distorts the ability to think rationally, is just what our children need, don't you think?

A modest suggestion: if you want to keep kids interested in school, give them an intellectual challenge and some good teachers who live in the same world you and I inhabit. Do not--I repeat, do not--give them teachers who are so dim that they are willing to sacrifice Truth and Reality on the altar of feel-good, happy talk.

 

And I so agree its not even funny - I swear if Cammy's teachers start talking blabbing about changing grades from F's because its damaging to the kids i'm pulling her out day one. Now while I don't feel the word Terrorist is used properly in all cases I remember when people who rose against oppresive government wern't called Terrorists, I think that is a convient title used by media and politicians like W to scare the public into what ever box they want to keep us in. Anyway back to my point about stupid people- being politically correct should not be every persons goal - I admit teaching your childern proper social skills is necessary so they don't get the shiznit knocked out of them for calling some one out of their name or purposely being insulting but everything doesn't need to change and for the most part people are simply to godD##@ sensitive. Instill in young people a solid sense of self and be comfortable in who they are. Teach your kids how to read and study, teach your kids that half hearts don't beat, teach your kids how to ask questions and question authority, how to be leaders and not followers; teach them out history and gloss over the 90's cause they about sucked. But don't pacify them and that's what this kind of change is attempting to do - pacifyers are for infants and toddlers who don't go to school. And that's all I have to say about that

 

I hold her easy 

like the baby she was then 

to remember love  
 

How old are you anyway?

Okay this weekend was - interesting to say the least. My mom got us to host a fight party - which anyone who knows us hosting a party isn't an issue - but typically all of our friends just wanna hang they aren't really boxing people - alas my sister, her fiance - the famos Peet, Bora - jerry's best friend and another guy we'll call Hakeem, my buddy Joe and his girl Gigi, and later Bora's girl all gather for an evening of Mexican food and boxing goodness. While preparing the food I am listening to our local radio station Majic 104.9 www.kmjm.com (they have a online listening stream if you want to hear how dated I'm about to go)and I swear they played every JAM I could think of - not to mention I spent the whole day cleaning to the 80's music station on DISH, which brought me to one conclusion - I AM WAY OLDER THAN I THOUGHT I WAS, and on top of that all the presets in my car are clearly wrong - I can just erase that little hippity hoppity station cause I spend way more time ranting about song content than I do enjoying song selection. Fo real i was jammin out to Billy Ocean Caribbean Queen and Luther's Creep, (four times creep creep creep creep )Babyface - For The Cool In You - I mean why is my favorite box set the Funk Box? and who ever jacked me for it is gonna pay if it don't turn up before I come out another fourty dollars to get a new one. I actually own El Debarge - On vinyl!! My brother don't know jack about Levert just like I can't tell my daddy about the O'Jays. LL rocked a few cuts like Hey lover with Boys to Men before they were WACK AS HELL! Prince was the man cause I got my first sex ed watching Purple Rain. And Mint condition is still the bomb- (see me croonig Pretty brown eyes) When whitney was not a crack head/reality TV charater. Man - I'm not as young as I thought I was. And I think i'm okay with that.

Torture of Those in Sushi land

There are few things more sinster than man - except maybe man with his friends. Adam pointed out how much he missed his boys and a few other mentionables like his favorite fast food Del Taco.. Alas what do they do- They gather around bags of their lost commrades favorite muchie junk food dinner items - DEL TACO and procede to toast his adventures and ask me to document said moments. I being the loving new wife that I am- do so under the understanding that Adam must be kept abreast of their goings on while he's away. I also refrained from photgraphing them in their Halo playing glory because that would have just be cruel and unusual punishment - alright crueler and more unususal punishment than just the Del Taco documentation. This rare photo opportunity also proves that grown men do sit around my dining room table and role play weekly- an activity that has become far less entertaining since Adam has crossed the globe. A few of the guys were late to this particular session and they- the group- have yet to recover from a mild emplosion of testotrone which proved to me men suffer from PMS just like women do, alas unlike women they will regroup and play nice alot faster than women. That shit takes us years, takes men maybe two weeks to a month depending on the level of violation. I tease them and poinit out that Role playing is a bunch of guys sitting around playing make beleive (visualise Mr.Rogers neighborhood of Make beleive meets dungeons and dragons.) Ironically I know that Jerry wouldn't be half the writer or nearly as easy to live with with out his Sunday night role playing session with his friends, and I like the guys - they are great - they bring so much diversity to our house. (Our daughter is more comfortable around people of all nationalities because of the very diverse world Jerry and I live in from poets to hair stylists, to religion majors.) Ironically a friend of mine voiced that all of our friend wer white but I digress we have alot of caucasian friends, asian friends, black, african, persian, and mixed ethnicities. Anyway out side of race our friends think outside of so many boxes and push envelopes on religious ideals and politics and shoot ANYTHING including comicbooks and history and any number of interesting conversations inspired by NRP or their minds random firings. . I'm glad that I know them all - even the ones I don't necessarily agree with. But this is all besides the point. This post is mostly just about the torture men can think up - no matter how diverse and well read and wonderfully thought - they all thought this would be a great idea. Adam I love you, despite what maybe running through your head as you witness this scene, this debachery on your computer - take solice that anyway!one of these guys would trade places with you in a heart beat- okay maybe not Bora or Jerry or Justin but Justin wasn't involved and Bora is PIMPTRON andJ is Jay so - forget what I just said hold on to the fact that I love you and we both know their insides can't handle the Del like you any boundries -politics And Cammy was an innocent bystander in the plot to torture you

Cammy's New pictures

Cammy's New pictures
Originally uploaded by Queue_D.

I took hte Pooh head to get pictures taken this weekend - YES auntie I'll be handing them out - I spent too much money on them - should be charging folks for tehm. Or at teh very least get the kid into modeling - make her college tuition or something - any who I'm going to blog to morrow I've got many a thing to say!!!

Joe Brown's log of daily misfortune and calamities

Joe Brown's log of daily misfortune and calamities

My boy - my ace - my ni**a - but he's a white boy - oh never mind that one...My most dependable - most loveable most there for me - most in love with my kid (adam excluded) Cool as a mug!! SUPER JOE - able to train slackers in roughly 6 months depending on thier commitment level and ability to pay for personal training!!

My Bestest buddy - who I honestly don't see often enough or spend enough time with - has decided to blog. Joe is the best - he has the most wonderful heart and giving spirit- however I often think that his life plays on the reality t.v. channel in heaven cause something is always going on with him, and he is all set to tell us about the adventures of SUPER JOE. He does look like Clark Kent with out the stupid suit and one day he will feel comfortable enough with his life to fly around in blue tights and a red speedo. He's already willing to wear the speedo for weight training competitions (I know I know Joe - "Its NOT a speedo!") Ladies - Its a speedo. Maybe one day if I can get him relaxed enough to give me permission I'll post the pick and you can settle the disagreement speedo or not a speedo- THAT is the question!!
Any who welcome to the wonderful world of blogging!!!

Smallest BIG quandary

I have a small problem.....

I got married. That how ever is not the problem - it is the blessing. The problem is in choosing the most stress free way to pull that off - I created a new set of dilemmas for myself. I am happy, mind you, pleased about our life and the things we ahve chosen to do and all of that jazz. I have a wonderful group of friends. Mostly poets whom I don't see nearly as much as I would like, many of whom live out of state and travel extensively as poetry is thier lively hood. I am meeting and expanding my circle with my "blog-buddies" people who I know and love from our blog life (big up to Sarah, Blu, and CoPo my personal trilogy) But my local people want to celebrate with Jerry and I this happy event - and we are greatful, we have chosen to celebrate Aug. 27th with our family and friends. Alas one of my bestest friends wants me to move the date of or reception again (one day to a sunday ) so she can come - while this should be out of the question - if she was talking about another week it would probably have been more feasable but I can't move it to a Sunday - it kills travel for all of my non poet realitives- which is not possible alas most of theose are Jerry's family. I can't trade the travel possibilities of upwards of 10- 20 possible people for the guarenteed presence of one - no matter how much I wish she was there.
Besides in making my wedding dream come true Jerry scaraficed all of his families presence at our nuptuals. And I know how much that broke his heart, that his Mom and Dad wern't there., so this reception is more of an opportunity for Jerry to share this event nad his happiness with his family - Shoot most of my family was there (see photos here and blog recaps here and here) so for me the recpetion is about my friends who didn't get to go - and who if I could have paid for them to go I would have- Joe, Tonya, Starra, Spoken , TiTo, Poetry and Maury and perhaps a few others. But we could just kick it at the crib and get hte same effect. But my baby needs to be able to share this with his family - and while I love that he wouldn't let me compromise my dream to make more people involved - I won't compromise his desires on this. So contrary to sugguestion I won't be having a open house, I'm not simply going to do a dessert reception - but that sounds so simple (must be strong must not choose most easy way out!!! ) - I'm going to plan a whole event - ifin it kills me -I'll die Mrs Henderson and that's okay with me.

St.Louis - is just like Compton....Tag from Mo'Browne

yes that is a quote from NWA- I am a child of the eighties and I liked gansta rap before I knew too many in black america would take it seriously anywayMo had this funny ass list about NY on her blog and issued a challengeto we who live else where to write one about our cities... This is my list about St. Louis...

You know you're from St Louis when....

You say you are from the Lou when you are really from a suburb 45 minutes away - (yes I'm talking to you St. Peters)

You only go to the Arch when dragged by out of town guests and you won't ride up you just wait at the bottom for them to come out.

you haven't been to the Zoo, Art Museum, Magic house, Butterfly house or any other tourist spot since grade school - and always say ther is nothing to see in St Louis.

Nelly is still Cornell to you and is not the citys most shining star to you ; Tina Turner is .

You know where the walk of Fame is in St.Louis

If you are white you go to Busch Stadium; if you 're black you don't -unless the tickets were free-most likely from work.

you know there is a rail system -you've seen it from the highway

Highway Farty, herre, Thurr, Myrk, prencyl, and pryckle all sound perfectly okay to you

Your friends from New York and LA think your 700 a month apartment is a steal - you know you're getting ripped off

you know where East Boogie is - and can only get to the strip club and back without getting lost

Forest Park is not Spectacular to you - its just grass ; unless you live in the city - then its beautiful

You keep trying to stay out past 2 am but NOTHING stays open but Denny's

You love toasted ravioli with Budweiser beer.

Beer is Budweiser… Period

You believe St. Louis is the beer capital of the world (well it is isn’t it?)

"Vacation" is a choice between Silver Dollar City and Lake of the Ozarks.

Road trip is Six Flags or Worlds of Fun.

You can find Pestalozzi Street by aroma alone.

You can get anywhere in 20 minutes, except on highway 40.

You can debate for 30 minutes whether Missouri Baking or Marge Amighetti makes the best Italian bread.

You know what "Party Cove" is, and where the "lake" is.

You still can't believe the Arena is gone. (makes me sick every time I pass those damn Office buildings)

Your first question to a new person is, "Where did you go to High School?"

Your non-St. Louisan friends always ask if you're aware there is no "r" in "wash."

You know in your heart that Mizzou can beat Nebraska in football, and Illinois and Kansas in Basketball

You think the four major food groups are Beef, Pork, Budweiser and Imo's.

You know there are really only three salad dressings: Imo's, Zia's and Rich and Charlie's.

You'll pay for your kid to go to college unless they want to go to KU. ( SO TRUE!!)

You would rather have a root canal without anesthetic than drive on Manchester on a Saturday afternoon.

It just doesn't seem like a wedding without mostaciolli. AND YOU PRONOUNCE IT 'MUSKACHOLLI'. The balance of the menu is ham, fried chicken, boiled roast beef, string beans with ham and of course pitchers of Busch Bavarian (class weddings have Bud)

You know, within a three-mile radius, where another St. Louisan grew up as soon as they open their mouth.

You know what a Pork Steak is...and what kind of sauce to put on it!

Everyone in your family has floated the Meramec River at least once.

A hoosier is someone that lives just south of Chouteau, not a person from Indiana.

You've said, "It's not the heat, it's the humidity."

Your favorite summer treat is handed to you upside-down

You bleed Blue between September and May

You think Missouri is pronounced with an "ah" at the end

You know that Concordia is halfway between Kansas City and Columbia, and Columbia is halfway between St. Louis and Kansas City, and Warrenton outlet mall is halfway between Columbia and St. Louis.

You think Imo's is larger than Pizza Hut

There are only two R&B stations and one Rap station at ANY given time on the radio no matter what city in Missorui you are in

You know enough to get your driving done early on Sundays before the Sunday drivers come out

So when you movin'?

Let me know..

This is a Tag from Delrica

Please leave a one-word comment that you think best describes me. It can only beone word, no more (Or don't... or leave several, no skin off my back either way).Then post this in your journal so that I may leave one word about you as well.

Def Poetry : Part 3

Okay I'm still going on about it... its what I do. Now Rich aka 'Ricardito' hit it right on the head check out his post 'the Confession' I read his blog all the time he is a great poet from what I have been able to find, but this opinion peice about poetry vs. spoken word is AWESOME! I agree with him on SO many points. Anyway go read the post - and can't you just visualise that first part! Too cute!

Todays to do list:

1. Grab the closest book to you
2. Open to page 54
3. Find the seventh sentence
4. Post said sentence to your blog and leave me a comment with it so I can see it.

Mine was
The most famous of these was the Oracle at Delphi on the islad of delos, said to be near where Apollo slew Python a mere four days after being born.

ummm, the reading material in my house is strange... diverse yet strange still.

Ode to Cereal

This girl who blogs said:

I happened to look inside the cereal box this morning and was sad. There was an advertisement for a four-piece scissor set you can send away for. How adult. And how cheap!

What happened to prizes in cereal boxes?? I don't want reminders that I'm a grown up! I want cheap plastic cartoon characters already IN my cereal box! I want color-change spoons. Matchbox cars. Sticky stretchy things sealed in plastic. Candy! Stickers! Lick 'n press tattoos! Tiny boats with rubber band powered motors! Trading cards! Is this too much to ask?? And I wanna dig for it. I wanna stick my arm down in that box and pretend I'm on Double dare! I wanna fling oat and corn and sugar all over the room 'till I get what's coming to me! I wanna earn my prize! Ooh - Ooh - or I wanna pour the whole box into my bowl until the prize lands on top of the pile! My sifted treasure! NO - I wanna HANG the box from the ceiling, put on a blindfold, and go pinata style on it with a baseball bat!

Then, I'm gonna play with the prize until I rip or break it - or until I get bored - which actually takes the same amount of time if you think about it...

And then I will look for another cereal box!!!

And I agree with her.... Lst time I checked they wre giving away PDA's what kid needs a PDA from out of a cereal box?!?!?!

interesting thought that makes me hungry

From the guys over at Making light:

Anybody else notice (this is Patrick’s observation) that the proposed redesign of the “Freedom Tower” on the WTC site looks like one of those big spitted hunks of meat that get sliced up to make gyros and donner kebabs?

Ummm.. why yes it does. And I'm mad that you thought it too Patrick.

The sisterhood of the traveling pants to Madagascar

Life lesson #63255 – infants like cartoons – not live action –
Life Lesson #63256 - if you kid will watch live action at home – they will not watch said live action in a movie theatre

My kid is hilarious.

Okay I took Cammy with me with a girlfriend to see Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. She normally does pretty well in adult situations, ummmm… how about not today?
She was dead set on talking to the girls on screen, and ironically this movie we had to hunt down was actually full, I thought it’d be empty – which was why I avoided fantastic 4 and Batman and all the other block busters, clearly that didn’t work – So Cammy and I left a few times and went to see Madagascar – the animated cartoon, where I got my first understanding of my girl as a person. Not as my kid - but as a I know what I want – little person. Apparently she really liked the idea of the giant cartoon way more than she liked the idea of giant teenagers (thank God for small favors hopefully she keep that mentality until she safely past teen angst) and proceeded to leave the Sister hood theatre and go to Madagascar. It was hilarious. I of course wanted to see the movie I paid for and so – my movie plot went something like this….

The girls introduce themselves and tell how the come across the pants decide the pants should travel with each of them this summer. And the pants head to Greece – then the zebra convinces the lion to leave the zoo headed for the WILD, and the jump on a boat with some penguins, a hippo and a giraffe. They make it to a tropical island and everybody is hungry and the lion keeps dreaming everybody is a steak and wakes up licking the zebras leg- then the really forward girl is at soccer camp and is coming on way too hard to this older guy and she dangerously close –I think to costing him is job – I never quite got that plot line down – cause the little monkey like animals are trying to convince themselves and everyone else including the lion that he won’t eat them all – despite the fact he hasn’t had any meat in days and isn’t fond of pineapple.

Anybody see a trend here?

So clearly to clean up my little mental marriage of movies I’m going to have to see them both. And NOT take Cammy to see the Sisterhood again. Although I do think I’ll take her to see Madagascar again. My girlfriend was a great sport. Even though the car battery died (I think I left the lights on – okay I know I did.) and she actually watched the movie alone., Cammy and I watched what little we did get to see from the hall way for easy get a way access when tantrums were threatening. We actually sat in seats for Madagascar. Then we went to grab a bite to eat, and Ramon’s Macaroni Grill where Cammy decided she wanted to sit and talk to the young white ladies in the booth a few steps over from us. They were very polite – picked her up and talked to her – thought she was so cute ect.. gotta figure out how to break that strangers are cool thing. She is the cutest thing and most people think shes a sweet heart – but I have to remember some people aren’t kid friendly – like the old fart who was upset that my child talked AT ALL in the movie. DUDE shes a kid that’s what they do – she’s legal before five at a movie – so GET OVER IT. I had to bless him and excuse him before I went off. Cammy took out her pacifier and yelled at him – followed him and yelled. It was hilarious.

She is going to be – or is rather – quite the young woman.

Senryu
beauty too young hers
to be timeless she is new
though our love is old

When blogging becomes real

Well I've had the most entertaining weekend - so far- I finally got to meet Cousin Sarah - like we've been blogging for years and never met - its been more realistically a couple of months. And it was truly an honor. She is a VERY good poet. A little nervous but her content was awesome. But I think she has an inkling of that or perhaps like me she wouldn't be signing lists if didn't think she could hang, and I KNOW she can hang anywhere. She got me out of the house and to my home spot so I must say thank you for that. We got to talk and hang - although I was late as I am usually to Legacy so I couldn't sit with her - Like I warned her, all the seats were gone by ten - figures. But she is a really cool lady. The kind of person I would hang out with regularly - would be my poetry buddy, the kind of person I would write with, cause she beleives in the writing, the person I would run to new spots with - I sure hope she moves to St Louis.
We were out on the parking lot doing the "I hate to go home" thing that poets do - my crew was playing frisbee for poets sake - and we were talking about all the things poets like:

1. you know your a poet when you wake up in the middle of the night to write something that has just come to you - and you write it in the dark as to not wake up your significant other, but that means you are writing all carefull in your half sleep delusions leaving big gaping spaces between the lines and praying you can read it in the morning -and it makes sense.

2. or you need to write down the line that has come to you but you can't find any paper so you write it on ANYTHING a napkin, a paper bag , your leg, toilet paper anything ink will stay on? but not your hand cause you know you'll wipe it off absent mindly?

3. Or the free style you know is the hottest shit you should be writing down but you don't remember that you can't remember shit untill you've gone about three stanzas in and in your run to find papaer and pen you forget the whole damn thing anyway?

I don't know about you but these moments happen way too often for me. But I had a very good time at legacy. I stayed and talked to Spoken until 1:40 am and I realised how much I missed the scene. I know why I stoped going. I asked after those people most regularly involved with my unease - heard they are holding on but restructuring, didn't hear about a few others apparently they've held on as well from a few e-mails I've received. I know why I stopped going but the people and the faces and the poetry don't seem like a fair enough trade so I'm pretty sure I'll be going out more often - possibly not as hard core - I'm sure not as hard core as I used to. But just making the decission makes me feel better about writing. That there will be people to share with. Now I just need to get the fifteen notebooks I got poems in together and write maybe ONE whole new peice - that's my goal for this weekend. Who knows if I'll make it. Got baby stuff to take care of this weekend and yard stuff and other wife stuff. I like wife stuff. Like being the wife. i'm still getting used to this whole husband and wife thing- if I call him my boyfriend one more time..... anyway.

anyway I thinkI'm going to take Blus lead and write a Hakui or rather a senryu on each post from here out.

Pens dry emotions
like old ink wells refill not
just buy a new pen

Def Poetry -30 minutes of quandry

The truth of the matter is that DPJ is a corporate product and I understand that, and appreciate it even. Contrary to popular belief, if I were doing poetry for a living seeing Def Poetry and spoken , and Lyric Café on air would be a motivator, because I don’t believe anyone should starve to do what they love, pastors included. I’ll address the finance of it a bit later.
There are wonderful artist involved wit DPJ – if you watch the credits roll you will notice Suheir Hammad , Bassey Ipki, and Shihan all work behind the scenes to make DPJ a HBO reality. So I am no condemning the entire DPJ network – trust there is always someone fighting the good fight in every situation.
Now it is certainly eye opening to have one of those poets post to our little discussion – Big ups to Bassey for commenting.
I find it disheartening that HBO will show a show full of unknown comics – Bad Boys of Comedy ( a blatant rip of Def Comedy Jam –Record exec showcases talent and makes a appearance at the end? Sean wants to be Russell huh?) – which airs just before def poetry in several time slots, but a show full of unknown but equally if not superiorly talented poets makes the executives shutter? Def poetry on Broadway is a show of unknowns or at least little-knowns, and it won a Tony and completed a full run – but there is no audience? I think that is just a veil they stand behind to justify the B.S. they are subjecting this art form to. Bassey mentioned the concessions people have to make to get the show on the air – and I can appreciate the power structure and the way the world works, but you would think that after the third or fourth season – it would have proven to be a ratings draw or you would have canceled it. The Wire drew on average in the area of 4.5 million viewers and Carnival averaged somewhere around 1.8 to 3 million viewers, so I have to assume Def poetry pulls better numbers than that or they would have pulled this plug too. I know the only reason I have a subscription to HBO is Def Poetry and when the show cancels – as eventually all shows do – I’ll be canceling my HBO subscription as well. HBO doesn’t sell ads people – they sell subscriptions – you can’t say you support the show if you don’t either subscribe and watch or own the DVD’s. I would watch Spoken and Lyric Cafe but they don’t offer those channels on my cable provider and I have written several letters to try and sway them to pick them up – and once I find a provider that provides all the channels I am looking for I’ll probably switch and Tivo those too.
My point was – cause I can sway off point – that HBO gets what it is looking for by airing Def Poetry – subscribers. I believe that their commercialization of the show has more to do with the commercialization of Hip Hop, because they connect poetry so directly with Hip Hop, they want to do exactly what they have done to hip hop- turn it into a form of Rap, and you can’t do that with out celebrities. Rap would not be a viable source of income for record labels if there was no Lil John and Master P with mouths full of gold teeth and cars painted in Gucci. Without 50cent and the Game and characters like Lil Kim and Eminem records don’t sell. And maybe they think that without “celebrity poets” people won’t watch. But people spend hard cash weekly to go to open mics and watch unknowns weekly. Effectively I spend less on my HBO subscription (18-21 dollars per month) than I did on cover charges in any given month (lets say you go to five events any given month 3-5$ covers and two 7$ covers = $24 per month) and still get the same good poetry to time ration filled. Cause you know you go to an “average” open mic and it’s a crap shoot. Its like pulling a slot machine arm, you never know what’s gonna happen until it happens. And while regulars are nice – they get old after a while cause they do the same poems over and over again. (I was a regular – requests –while flattering - can be a bitch) So I can condense my poetry fix to a half an hour (which should arguably be an hour) a week, and avoid wack poets – (at least in theory) all in one sitting, and meet some new artists at the same time? SWEET! Only not cause we only get 22 minutes of poetry and when a third of that is celebrities not directly related to literature I feel gypped of my 7 ½ minutes!
Now the finance of the situation. People have blogged their disappointment in poets for making a living with their poetry and art. I am counting Mos as a poet as several people kindly informed me that Mos is a poet – although if he would read some of his poetry and stop rapping at the beginning of the episodes (I’m talking about when he actually hits the stage and not when he quotes a ‘def poet’ under the cello riff) I might know that. When was the last time you went to a poetry spot and the host NEVER read or spit? That’s all I’m saying on that one.
Back to the lecture at hand- the finance- I personally believe as long at the performance is sincere and quality sponsorship should be encouraged. Shihan with Pepsi and Nike – that –ish he spit was hot. And made a great way to break up mindless T.V to see a spot that made me wake up and Tivo a commercial. Yes I Tivo commercials. Now the Mickey D’s radio commercials about the filet o fish – I HATE THOSE. They are insulting to me as a poet – on some Dr. Seuss crack because really Dr. Seuss was a genius and deserves to be respected a little more than “no mai mai if you pleas, don't want no sushi…” BTW sushi is the shiznit and if you pass on a spider roll for a fliet o fish well you deserve what you get.
So no, I for one, begrudge no artist the right to make money off of their art – if you believe in what you are being asked to sponsor by all means shine your light on that. I have no doubt that Mos drives or owns a SUV so I can’t be mad at the brother on the Denali tip– I am actually a bit more proud that he at least got paid to advertise the product rather than doing it for free, like most rappers who put these products in their videos and rap about Air force ones and increase the sales of the product with no financial gain. That is the same reason why I can appreciate Damon Dash and Jay-Z for starting a liquor company so they could stop giving free add space to crystal. Still destructive to our communities – yes – but at least it teaches our young people SOMETHING.
I really enjoy debates such as these – our communities need to be more vocal about the things we let into our homes and make sure they live up to higher standards our children need. We make progress everytime we talk about something – anything – which is what makes the blogging community so powerful.

Be Peaceful Be Poetry People.

BTW Season 3 of Def Poetry hits DVD on July 19th – pick it up – we still need to support the art and the medium.

Ducktales Whoo hoo!

Okay any child of the eighties had to watch and love ducktales- cause Scrooge McDuck was the penny pinchin man!!! Spoke perfect english with that lovely scottish accient - how is it that all that money couldn't have gotten Donald some speech thearapy? Anyway - You didn't have to love Huey , Duey and Louie they were brats anyway, (Donald and Daisey's love children cause you know they was getting it on - Dasiey didn't even wears panties - at least Minnie wore the little ruffley panties even if neither of them wear pants. But Donald didn't either -maybe thats just how they got down...anyway) But Launchpad Mcquack made his apprearence way before Darkwing Duck hit- and Mrs Beakly?!?! Gyro Gearloose?!? he could put McGyver to shame and so to honor one of my afterschool staples I have found the history of Duckberg - becasue we all should know our geographical cartoon history.
http://duckman.pettho.com/history/history.html

holla at your girl - yes I still shoot a free throw like a squatting duck -and I love mallards - and I do eat the duck at chinese places. WHAT! :)

Honeymoons and other delightful pastries Vol. 2

68730024
Originally uploaded by Queue_D.

Okay – Our honeymoon was a very simple pleasure, an easy recipe as follows – a very expensive, lavish comfortable resort, afternoon rains and decadent ahhem “naps”, REALLY good food, wonderful beach time, playing billiards for diapers, sure hands coupled with a strong back – sleep and repeat until Thursday. We rode a glass bottom boat – avoided any activity that was too strenuous, read a few books and just enjoyed the company – I couldn’t have asked for a better time. We met some nice coules although the people weren’t nearly as cool as they were at Starfish – We did meet a couple who owns a restaurant near our home, and they told us about the big Propane gas plant explosion that happened promptly after we left the city for our vacation. Now, on our way out of the country our flight was overbooked so we got an extra night at the third resort of our stay Sunset Resort. It wanted to be like StarFish but it so wasn’t – the rooms were okay but the food was terrible we played pool though and saw the best sunset of the trip as it was always raining in Negril when the sun was setting. We met a cool guy while playing billiards he beat me a couple of times, although I gave him a good run for his money he jst caught a couple of good set up shots. Jerry started off spanking me at billiards then I got my rhythm and won all the diapers. We also had the best ahemm “sleep” – maybe it was something to do with knowing it was our last night – no extra nights no postponed flights; ironically we had to run through the airport at Charlotte to catch our connecting flight home, but we made it. Had some issues with our tenants air conditioning while we were far away but – that all worked out.

So in the words of Sug Avery – “I’z married now! I’z respectable!!!”

I will address some def poetry issues and some other poetry thoughts as this week flies on. Big ups to Bassey for hitting my comments – how did you even find my post?

wedding details and Other foreign mishaps Vol. 1

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Originally uploaded by raquita.

Well I’m back – We spent several fun filled days in sunny, and at times rainy, Jamaica. Yes we did get married with no drama or difficulties – past the initial departure drama *see below – if there were any other dramas they were kept far from the brides eyes and I thank my family for sparing my any anguish if there was any. But from the sounds of peoples responses when we got back every one had a great time.
DAY 0:
Last day of packing. Got no rest didn’t go to bed – had to leave for the airport at 3am so what would have been the point of sleeping? We were picked up at home and driven to the airport and dropped off our family – we took separate flights and headed to our terminal. Mean while back with my family – my brother tried to fly with an expired drivers license and failed- he was turned away at the gate – effectively causing the biggest wrinkle in the whole weekend, probably more so for him than for anybody else- how would you feel if you shot a perfectly good trip in the foot and got no refund? Anyway barring his drama everyone arrived safely in JA – my family used my child to bypass the two our customs wait- we didn’t have the child so we waited through the two hour customs rigmarole. Took a long scenic bus ride – saw lots of goats and very few cows –made me a little suspect about the red hamburgers.
DAY 1:
Checked in to the resort – 1st impressions were a little scary – looked like Chicago ghettos or the ghetto building from New Jack City – at least from the outside when we arrived most of our family was in the lobby mobbing the bar in their respective beach wear – yes people it was gonna be that kind of trip. Free liquor and fun for every one. They brought us drinks and we checked in and I went to check on the child and everyone’s rooms, we had a few air conditioning issues to address and by the time I made it back to the lobby- Jerry had begun the Mai Tai odyssey. He was working his way through a 32oz Mai-Tai and was pretty happy about it. He introduced me to his new friend Justin who had just gotten married (beautiful couple from Dallas – big ups to Rachel!!) and they went off to be boys and do what boys do when they have access to copious amounts of free liquor – DRINK HAPPILY! Ironically we didn’t see each other much until dinner when J, and Tambora and Justin (our Justin not the one from Dallas) were completely intoxicated, correction INTOX (hiccup) ICATED, by dinner. We had a pretty good Jerk pork /Chicken and fish combo – and I was entertained by stories of my future husbands drunken escapades. My aunt and God sister were eaten alive by mosquitoes – which turned out to be a continuing phenomenon during our evenings in paradise. Although a different person would get targeted – although never the Groom or my uncle – lucky bastards.
DAY 2:
Friday we spent the day in pools and on the beach – We met my sisters in laws (remember Peet?) That all worked out for the best since my brother was no longer there they stayed my with mom and my sister in the extra room there. Big up to Winston for hooking that up for us. If you are ever at the Starfish Trelawney Resort and need anything ask Winston – he can make anything happen – he is the man. Anyway we all did separate things there were drinking games – lots of drinking with out games and pool time with my daughter – who by the way turned out to be a water sprite and loves pools and the ocean – although at first she looked at the ocean like “that pool is too big!” Who knew you could get fabu Sushi in Jamacia – seeing as its an Island I don’t know why I was so surprised but it was really good.
My mom had Jamaican friends who we were supposed to go out with but I wanted to rest before my wedding so I didn’t go – my cousin turned out to be a punk who couldn’t hang with the locals so that night of partying was cut short – Glad I didn’t go cause I would have been hot.
DAY 3;
Wedding day – I woke up early and went to spend some time in prayer on the beach – alone. Ate breakfast alone, enjoyed the scenery before I went to my granny’s room and spent the morning with my kid and did her hair – or rather took it down from the zillion braids she’d been subjected to. Then I went to find my sister and my mom – had a spa treatment (seaweed wrap that didn’t feel like seaweed- I mean who uses a powered seaweed when you got TONS of the crap in your back yard?) and a manicure that wasn’t work the money cause I didn’t have time to let it dry. Bumped into the groom twice – throwing the you can’t see each other thing right out the window.
All in all the wedding was exactly what I wanted, very quick and to the point – as fuss free as it can be when you bring your mother and other female relatives with you. Our officiate had the funniest little accent and my favorite part was when he said “love HERRRR, honor HERRRRR…” it took all my strength not to laugh – I’m looking down in the DVD as not to crack up in his face.
Anyway we were married – My girl Pat from the LOU (actually born and grown in JA) showed up – then we lost her to security – we ate cake and were back into the pool within a hour and a half. We spent the rest of the day frolicking on the beach – The boys did Jet skis and kayaks and stuff, my mom and granny did windsailing, Cousin John –the wussy party mon and Eshon did every water sport available. We were supposed to go out but jerry and I got a little side tracked after dinner and no one called us to advise us the time – not wanting to disturb the newlyweds who actually wanted to be disturbed – the lights went off a couple of times so all of our clocks were flashing 12:00 and we had no idea of the time… makes everything better doesn’t it? when you don’t know when you started or stopped? Anyway – we heard about some minor firecrackers on that trip – it didn’t work out quite the way we had hoped, more party poopers, folks who can’t hang. You know you should know what kind of vacationer you are – if you’re are a resort vacationer STAY ON THE RESORT, if you can kick it with out reservations and can trust your locals – then venture out. That’s another blog for another day. Anyway we spent the rest of the night.. well you all don’t need those details.
Day 4:
Sunday: very low key day. I spent the day talking to my mom, we spent some time – not a whole lot but enough I hope to make her trip a bit better- he took it personally when her Jamaican friends were snubbed by members of our group- that previous statement about staying on resort was for them. I’d really like to go kick it with my mom – I so wish they had called our room so I could go. anyway – we talked and walked the beach awhile, picked out the pictures from the photographer with her, Played with Cammy and her for awhile then spent some time hanging with the gang, Jerry played poker with my dad during the resorts poker night, and smoked a Cuban cigar – I’ve never known Jerry to smoke anything so that was interesting. I spent some time with my baby girl since I knew she was leaving the next day, she and I called it an early night and played in the hotel room for a while to give my grannies a night to enjoy the resort.
DAY 5:
Monday : SWITCH! Everyone packed and got ready to go. I cried when they took my baby – I think they took bets to see if I would. I had a bit of a time arranging delivery of the DVD but that eventually worked out although the DVD received was WHACKED – do I look like Celine Dion and Shania Twain to you? That’s all I’m saying about that.
We switched to a new resort and paid too much for the car trip there, and found a lovely paradise to start our honeymoon at. BEAUTIFUL resort –Grand Lido Negril.

My fingers are tired and I’ll write part two about the trip tomorrow!! Stay up MON!!

32 oz Mai Tai

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Originally uploaded by raquita.

Jerry shown here with his two best menand another guy Justin who gotmarried - he's fromDallas. Jerry drank several 32 oz Mai tais, and Bahama Mamas this was night one just wantedto post the proof - for Adams sake if noone else!

Back FromThe Wedding

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Originally uploaded by Queue_D.

Well its offical - We're a married couple. And it feels good. Easy. Right. Feels right. But I said thaqt already. We got delayed coming home and were forced to spend a extra night in Jamaica - (the horror right? I'm being scarcastic) I'm so sorry - I am very very tired. I'll give details probably on Wed. We didn't get in until 11 pm and didn't go to bed until 3am , then got up at 8am to help my aunt move into her new house - worked out sme acconting issueswith the bank and thenmove heavy stuff all day- them came home, tended to my sick child who had a summer cold when I got home and then hung out with my friend whohouse sat for us- untill six am - them got up with the child and took a nap with her for a few hours before TiTo showed up and we showed them the pictures from the wedding and then I went to another wedding for my aunt - (see previous post) and now I'm sleepy and still not done for the weekend. The holiday is tomorrow, and I think I need a vacation from my vacation. I will let you all know all the details like the story about the 32 oz Mai Tai. Really. Tuesday - I swear!

Too Many Weddings.... So little Time

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Originally uploaded by raquita.

This is my Aunt Patty's Wedding there are shots in my flickr account as well as the other photos from our wedding... that blogis coming shortly!