Happenings

Friday Video

It's Friday again, so that means time for a video. Today though I'm gonna keep it current. Tonight I'm going to see Raheem DeVaughn. This brother is bad! He's DeAngelo before he fell off the face of the earth and started smoking crack ("allegedly"-side eye). If you haven't already, check out his latest CD, Love Behind the Melody. All the songs are tight, but "Empty" is right on!

No vid, but have a listen.

Customer

As long as I hear these two joints tonight, everything in the world will be alright. Not to mention that he may just set the mood for the rest of my evening...

Wink, Wink!

Yummies

I have a couple of new yummies.

The other day I was craving some ice cream, so it was off to my fav food store, Super Target. I think I began to develop frost-bite on couple of my fingers, standing in front of the freezer trying to figure out what to get. Finally, I decided on another newbie (at least to me), Strawberry Drumsticks - doesn't that sound good? Anyways, as I'm exiting the aisle my eye is drawn to the Klondike Caramel Pretzel Bar. Screech! The Strawberry Drumsticks quickly forgotten and thrown back in the freezer, I snatched the yummy goodness up and placed it in my cart. YUM! This bar had my favorite combination of sweet and salty. Have you ever had a Take 5 Candy Bar? Yummy I know. OK, now replace the peanut butter insides with chocolate ice cream! It is so dang good. I'm sure that when I had one of the bars later that night, if anyone was standing outside my living room window they would have for sure thought I was partaking in a little lovin' rather then watching Ghost Whisperer reruns. (I know pitiful, Friday night, sitting on the couch eating fattening food, watching bad network TV. Oh did I mention that I was ALONE.) I swear I caught myself moaning a couple of times. Then when I finished I said out loud, "MMMM, that was good."

Then on my way to get my hair done the other afternoon, I stopped by the corner store, because I didn't want to pass out from starvation and risk 3rd degree burns from one of the marcel irons. A little background, the store is in the inner city. If you've never been to a corner store in the inner city you should check it out sometime. They have ALL kinds of different product-they got the GOOD stuff. I don't like Cheetos, but LOVE Flamin' Hot Cheetos. SO when I spied these I was instantly interested! Hate to admit it, but I have been spending $5 a pop for some gourmet hot popcorn at a little shop by my job. The popcorn is good but damn, $5. I grabbed a 99 cent (yes, 99 cent!) bag of the Chester's Flamin' Hot Popcorn and went on to my appointment. Well, once I started I couldn't stop eating it. I finished the bag by the time I made it to the hood dryer, much to the chagrin of my hairdresser - she said it was stinky! I could barely concentrate for the rest of the appointment. As soon as she placed the final curl and removed the cape, I threw the money at her and high tailed it back to the corner store. I bought 3 more bags and have instructed a friend that lives close to there to get me more bags. Pure yumminess!

New shoes

Got a new pair of shoes (shut it up haters. You can never have too many shoes!) last night. Can you say LOVE'EM? They are from Old Navy and they are $9.50. They are all rubber. I like to think of them as flip flops with a twist! They are so comfy and offer a little more support then regular flip flops. The ones I got have slate colored straps with a black and white bottom.

Have a good weekend! Gin is in from Memphis! Food, drink and friends all weekend! It doesn't get any better!

Friday Fun!

TREE
The secret is out. A few weeks ago while walking to lunch with my friend “A” we passed a grassy area that’s outside our (work) building. Well, the most awful smell bombarded our senses. I mean it was “stank”. We both commented on how horrible the smell was, but secretly I thought to myself “WTH, that smells just like semen.” But I kept it to myself, because seriously, how do you say “man doesn’t that smell like cum?” I’m not even supposed to know what that smells like, right! So, over the last few weeks every time I passed the area I would brace myself for the funk and keep on walking, all the while perplexed by its origin. Finally, a few days ago, I was commenting to “G” about the odd smell emanating from outside my building, and after some investigation narrowed the origin down to a large shrub with small white flowers. Again, other then “G” I hadn’t shared my nasty thoughts with anyone. Well, today while at lunch with “A” and another co-worker, we got on the subject of stinky trees. “A” and I started to explain to our co-worker about the funk that engulfed the area surrounding these bushes. SO, she turns around and says “I’ve smelled it. I’m not gonna tell you what I think it smells like”. My heart began to beat faster, could it be that someone else has made the same observation? Could it be? As I looked at her smirk, I just knew that I had finally found an ally. “Say it. Say it.”, I said. As the words spilled from her lips I could barely believe my ears. “It smells just like semen.” Hallelujah! The cat was outta the bag! I wasn’t the only one that thought the mystery tree smelled like ejaculate. And thanks to “A” who put her fingers to work surfing the web for “semen smelling trees” we now have an explanation:
At 5:48 PM -0000 8/22/99, Wandering Jew wrote:
>Hey, dudes, this might strike you as a silly question
>but I hope I can get an answer! There's this tree that
>sort of smells like human sperm in summer (I think when
>it flowers). A pretty strong distinct smell. What's it
>called? And is it the flowers that smell?
> >Thanks!

I have read the other suggestions, and would only
add that Ailanthus is a tree (as opposed to the
shrubs that have been mentioned), and it certainly
smells. How close it comes to semen I suppose is
a matter of personal interpretation. In my experience
the whole tree smells but especially the leaves. To
me it is "strong and distinct" but not necessarily
"semen". This tree is common in disturbed soils
and seems to even thrive in paved urban areas. It
grows VERY rapidly. It is sometimes called "tree of
heaven" though I might think of it in a different
way.

(Obviously, this person has never gotten a good whiff of their own juiciness, cause the smell is very distinct and could not be mistaken for anything but “joy juice”.)

So, mystery solved. The next time you’re out walking the neighborhood and get a whiff that brings to mind nights between the sheets, just know that you are not imagining it or having olfactory flashbacks from your steamy evening, it’s the stank Ailathus Tree aka “Semen Tree”.

FRIDAY NIGHT VIDEOS
I can’t begin to tell you the unmitigated joy I felt when I heard about this song and finally saw this video. For you “babies” the song was produced by USA for Africa, an organization that set out to raise money for the starving people in Africa. The song, written by Lionel and MJ, was recorded and the video taped immediately following the 1985 American Music Awards (my hubby hosted the show, thank you very much!) My man is looking all spiffy in his gold lame suit and check out how MJ’s glove is all sparkly. This was the shiznit! And don’t get me started on how I went on later that year to become the proud owner of a We Are the World sweatshirt that I had hoped to wear on May 25, 1986 during Hands Across America another project for USA for Africa. Unfortunately, I never made it. I don’t remember why though. I think there may have been transportation issues because it was some distance from my house.

We Are the World



Of course, I have to leave you with a video from my hubbie. I have another oldie but goodie for you!
Saturday Night

TGIF!

Not sure why I haven’t been posting much lately. I don’t know if it’s because my life is becoming a bore or what? Hopefully, something funny will happen soon. I did have a not so funny experience this morning. It left me stunned, but then again I don’t know why I should have even been shocked, given the "white supremacist capitalist patriarchy" society that we live in. (Check out bell hooks for an explanation) While, switching radio stations this morning, I landed on KQRS (the local rock station). Now, normally my finger wouldn’t even hesitate at this station, but the words “dark skinned woman” caught my attention. And given their disposition for offensive remarks, I stopped to listen. Well, the morning crew did not let me down. Over the next five minutes they said the following…

*Talking about someone (missed who) that was always with “dark skinned” women (aka Middle Eastern) so that if they “didn’t get him a drink of water” then he could set them on fire, because “that’s what those people do”.
*While discussing recent increase of Somali’s in Owatonna, one gentleman (use the term loosely) asked what do they all do in Owatonna. There were several references made to cotton and field work being plentiful in Owatonna.
*Lastly, they began discussing young Somali girls wearing long skirts to keep covered. They have noticed (how enlightened on Somali culture they must be) that these young girls are wearing very tight Morticia (The Addams Family) type skirts. One grown pig went on to describe how good these young girls looked in their tight skirts and how he followed one girl because he could so clearly see her thong.

Needless to say I stood on the bus stop with my mouth hanging open, thinking to myself “Am I really hearing this”? I am drafting a letter to the station. Even though nothing will be done, because even if they apologize they would only be talking outta the side of their necks. It would only be a matter of time before they or someone else said something hurtful.

But I digress…its Friday! It’s beautiful outside and I’m not going to let a few bigots get me down. Oh yeah and its Friday Night Videos.

In honor of people talking out the side of their necks, I have some classic Cameo for you. I used to love Larry Blackmon. He was sexy as hell in those tight clothes and that plastic “nut cup” thing he used to always wear!


And in celebration of Friday! I know you remember this! HEEEEYYYY!!!!!

The only time I ever won anything off the radio was back in 1984. Of course, it was WLOL and they were promoting the release of the movie "Breakin". While listening on my boom box (it was silver and black, you remember!) surrounded by Menudo and Lionel (the walls on Heather Locklear's side of our room were plastered with Menudo and Julio Iglesias and mine with Lionel and Debarge, yeah we were kinda strange) I was the lucky caller! I won the Breakin' (album) soundtrack and a Breakin' t-shirt! Yeah boy! So in honor of my only radio win....

Man I loved this movie. It had me and my best bud, Lisah out on the driveway with a broken down cardboard box, falling on our faces and scraping up our knees, really thinking we were gonna be the next big break dancing crew. In fact, I saw the sequel Breakin 2 - Electric Boogaloo too! I was seriously crushin' on Poppin' Taco aka Bruno Falcon. He and Boogaloo Shrimp toured with Lionel Richie as back up dancers (more Lionel Richie trivia - everything leads back to Lionel!) Here he is battling the stars of the Breakin' movies Shabba-Doo and Boogaloo Shrimp (Poppin' Taco is the one in reddish jacket, curly 'fro, dangling earring, red or black hat)

For the record they all ended up friends at the end of Breakin 2 - Electric Boogaloo.

BONUS

You also get some bonus vid's because I missed quite a few Friday Night Videos. Enjoy!

Supersonic - JJ Fad

I remember this from like 1988. I went to Washington DC to visit colleges and they were playing the mess out of this song! Check out the biker pants (leggings) with the over sized sweaters! And the outfit wasn't complete without some BK's!!! (British Knights for you suckers that weren't hip enough to come of age in the 80's!)

Here's one that was actually from the 70's, but my hubby is so cute rockin' his 'fro and bell bottoms that I just had to include it! Have a Great Weekend!

NYC

Long time to talk! I have really been slacking with the blog. We'll I'm back!!

It's been a little over a week since getting back from NYC with the family!! And I'm still wishing I was there!! I LOVE that city. The people, the food, the things to do, everything! Already planning my trip for next year. Next year I would love to have a girls trip to NYC! So, start saving your money Chicas! Here is a sampling of a few of the things we did...

LODGING

http://grandnewyork.hyatt.com/hyatt/hotels/gallery/photos.jsp?icamp=propPhotoGallery

We stayed at The Grand Hyatt again. Still the best location - in mid-town(42nd), right above Grand Central Station - with nice accommodations. Will definitely stay there again!!! Thanks Priceline!

FOOD

Surprisingly, I didn't take any photos of the food (might have something to do with the fact that I inhaled it all before I could get a pic!), considering I ate 95% of the time and thought about what to eat the other 5%. Heather Locklear and I ate mostly street food (only ate in a restaurant a few times in 4 days) from morning til night! I ate enough skewers (flame cooked chicken w/ hot sauce and bbq sauce on a hot dog bun!! YUMMY!) to last me a life time. But I could still eat more! (I've been craving them all week!) It got so bad that one night I took a couple skewers back to the hotel with me (gotta have something to make it through the night). Well, as I was pulling them off of the skewer, a piece of one fell on the floor. I was able to pick it up well within in the 10 second rule. I set it back on the paper and spent the next 10 minutes contemplating whether or not to eat the piece that fell on the floor (of course I chowed on the other part of the skewer while I contemplated). Every Dateline and 20/20 episode on the nasty hotels raced through my mind. In the end you'll be glad to know that I threw the piece away. My mind was finally made up because I thought, "what if I eat it and then get sick because of it, then I wouldn't be able to eat more". Makes sense to me! Here is a pic of food from one of the Halal stands. Heather Locklear couldn't get enough of it.

One of the times we were in Harlem and one of the times we ate in a restaurant, we went to Manna's. They have several locations in Harlem. It is a buffet with food good enough to slap yo' mama! The greens, the mac and cheese, the ham, the black eyed peas, the cabbage, it was ALL the bomb.

Another spot we hit up was an Oprah Favorite! Garrett Popcorn. Let me just say YUMMY! We were doing good until "the niece" spilled it on the floor. Had me considering AGAIN eating off the hotel room floor!

http://www.garrettpopcorn.com/

WICKED

We went and saw Wicked (THANKS MAMA!). It was SSSSOOOO good! It's the story about the witches in the Wizard of Oz story. Provides all the info leading up to Dorothy and her cohorts arriving in Oz! It was all about status, prejudice, labeling, love, friendship. LOVED IT! Can't stop singing the music! "Defying gravity..." Just one hiccup in the evening, literally. Unfortunately, a gentleman 2 seats away ate the food off of the hotel room floor and ended up getting sick during the performance. Yes, vomited right on the floor. The ushers tried their darnedest to clean it up but paper towels and a pen flashlight don't really get the job done. So, despite having to constantly rub my fingers on my wrist (to pick up a little perfume) and them holding them under my nose throughout the performance, it was SSSOOO worth it!

ME - after the show (hence the BIG smile)

CANAL STREET

Of course, we made our way to Canal Street (I even went back by myself one day). I was a bit disappointed. Didn't really see anything new and different that I just had to have. I did get a couple purses and sun glasses. I even met a gentleman from Senegal. He had the most beautiful teeth and dark chocolate skin. Just YUMMY! Did I mention he was about 19 and I was chatting it up/flirting right in front of my daddy! Sorry Daddy, a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do! He did call me that evening but by then I had come to my senses and didn't answer the phone.

These are the real purses I got. Both are Dooney and Burke. (the first one I actually got in black, not brown)

WENDY WILLIAMS

Heather Locklear and I got to go see "friend in our head" Wendy Williams, real life and in person! Love her! We went to the comedy show that she hosts at Caroline's in Times Square. The show was SSOO funny! There were like 6 comedians!

"Laugh Now, Party Later" - The NEW Wendy Williams Experience

Starring the "Queen of Radio" Wendy Williams, with the country's best comedians and special surprise guests.

MISC PICS

Daddy, G Renee, The Son

Me, Mom, Heather Locklear

Washington Square Park (I AM LEGEND - YIKES!)