Weekend stuff...

I had a great weekend! Didn’t do anything major just a happy hour, the play Fela! And the superbowl (well not really the superbowl, but I’ll get to that in a minute).


Happy Hour

So I recently reactivated my membership into Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. The main reason I stopped was because I didn't have a job. Sorority life no matter which one belong to can drain your account if you’re not careful. And at the time 2008 I think, having just lost my job and no real prospects for a new one thanks to the hellacious economy, letting that go was very easy. Now when folks say ‘where have you been?’ I just say around. Not working is kinda embarrassing even though I know I wasn't the only person in that current condition. Many of my friends and family were in constant pursuit of finding a job. And it wasn't that I was laid off or downsized, I was fired for really dumb reasons. I fit real well with folks who got laid off or downsized, which I guess is a nice way of saying fired. I worked little piddly jobs but nothing anywhere near to what I was making or doing. My credit went to pot. The house...AWW LAWD all I was trying to speak on was the damn happy hour. SO here lately anytime something is going on and I go I have been getting so excited! It’s almost like I’m a housewife with 5 kids that never gets to do nothing; and that is so not the case. So when I heard about the happy hour I was majorly excited!! It was at a bar/restaurant that I went to a few weeks ago (again I was very excited to go that night too) so I knew what to expect. And nothing dramatic happened it was just a good time with some ladies I haven’t spent time with in a long while.


FELA!

This was the highlight of the weekend. So I sent out a rather last minute email to my friends asking who wanted to go. I belong to several list-servs and sometimes I pay attention and sometimes I don’t. But I saw the ‘flyer’ for Fela! and I remembered how I wanted to go see it on Broadway. I don’t know why I never made it up there but I knew I wanted to see it. What I knew of Fela Kuti was very minimal. I knew his songs were long as hell, any given song could be 20 minutes long and the music plays for a good 10 minutes before you even hear singing. But that was alright with me. I’m a househead so I have heard many versions of the songs over the years. And I knew he was an activist of some sort. But just like Bob Marley and Jamaica, there are corrupt governments all over the world, and that’s about the extent of what I knew of Fela. So I encourage any and every one to go see this play. We got to the theatre maybe 5 or 10 minutes before it was to start. Parking is bad in DC and garages will rip you off if they can. The 2 attendants with there not so good English at one garage after they told me the rate wasn't a flat $15 even though that was what the sign had said, and that it would be $11 per hour… uh YEAH NO I need to find the $7 garage which was a few blocks away but worth it. So in the theater, the band is onstage already playing music, and people milling about. Several dancers are already... well dancing and the men are acting as if they are on the street pounding each other up. I love when stuff happens in the audience. Just like when I went to see Lion King and the animals were coming down the aisles, at first it freaks you out and then you start singing along with THE CIRCLE OF LIFE!! So a man tries to pound my friend and she is like HUH WHAT?!? But then she gets into it. Then Fela and his entourage come out on the steps and the play begins for real. So the setting is the Africa Shrine (a club) in Nigeria and he is talking to us like we are the audience at the shrine coming to see his show. It’s not a linear play, things have happened and things have yet to happen and of course I got a little confused. The music and dancing were awesome!! I had to youtube (thank LBJ for youtube) the actual music because the main song ‘Water Get No Enemy’ I knew that beat. It’s one of those songs that took 5 minutes before you hear singing. And not that every song has to have singing, but you know it's coming you're just not sure when. And the set was very colorful and vibrant! And the dancers!! I know I already said the dancers, but the women you could see the muscles in their arms and backs. So my new goal in life is to be a African dancer in Fela! The men... ok so any man who can move with such grace and agility you HAVE to love. And a few of them were real sexy!! The choreography was just great and I would definitely go see it again. I got a little overwhelmed in the gift shop. I wanted to buy something but there were just to many recordings and actually I didn't even see how much the tee shirts were. But it was great and I really enjoyed the show!


Superbowl

Ok so I really didn't watch the superbowl I watched AT it mainly for the commercials which were really not all that great. And I’m happy with the outcome. I mean I am not a Raven fan...but contrary to popular belief I am not a hater either. What I am is a Steeler Fan! I rep Steeler Nation no matter where I live or go. So when I wear purple, it’s because I look good in purple, AND THAT’S IT! And please PLEASE spare me the stories of how you were harassed by some random Steeler fan in Pittsburgh or even in Baltimore at a game between the 2. That has never been my MO so save it. To me all I see is Black and Gold and that's about it!! I will say though that the SNL skit with Keenan playing Ray Lewis was freaking hilarious!! I don’t even hate Ray Ray! I honestly wasn't rooting for one team other the other EXCEPT if the 49ners had won they would have tied us for Superbowl rings... and we can’t have that. And I really (REALLY REALLY) enjoyed the news when they kept showing Torrey Smith and his beautiful locks running to... wherever the hell he was running. That shit made me VERY happy!! I hope to see it again tonight when I watch the news!!

The halftime show. I said this jokingly to one of my FB friends from high school that this is Beyonce's world and we are just privileged to be in it. And again not hate or shade to Bey. But at one point I thought WOW narcissistic much?!?! Don't get me wrong the show was amazing, but the screen of Beyonce's both behind her and below her and the cut out pic of her where the 'fans' stood was a bit much. It was nice that she allowed 'an nem' to perform... i mean Destiny's Child (bka Beyonce an nem) But why OH why was Michelle so stiff. She was supposed to have been in Fela! so I know she is in shape, but maybe she just needed one mo rehearsal and she woulda killed it. Everyone is commenting on the Kelly and her thickness. She definitely got a booty now! Because Beyonce has soooooo much music out and every cd has so many songs that get air play I would have liked a mega melody and forgone the Halo song which I never really cared for that much. But it still rocked. the pageantry and her freaking legs that you know one day I will have long lean light skinded legs LOL

Jennifer, girl we know you can sing! You don't have to shout or over sing it or church it up. Just sing the damn song and we will still love you!! I promise!!

Alicia, my dear sweet honorary soror ***loud sigh*** You tried. But next to Harry Connick Jr., that was about the most boringest rendition I had ever EVER heard!

Torrey Smith and his locs... HIGHLIGHT!!! :)


Other stuff that had happened

HOT yoga. Ok so the men in hot yoga go topless. And actually most of the women wear just the bra top. I am not quite there yet. I know I need to feel less self-conscious about my body because truly no one is paying me no attention. The goal is to breath correctly and to focus on yourself and getting into the pose properly (which is still a journey for me). I thought I had seen the hairiest man my first time there... BUT OH NO, I HAD NOT!! Let me say there was a very attractive guy in the class I took Saturday, but then after the sweat started pouring the attraction faded. The guy next to him was as my mom would say, one of the last to evolve. He had hair on his chest, he had hair under, over and all over his arm. He had hair on his back O_o. I kept trying not to look at him but I could not look away. It is hot yoga you are supposed to sweat and I get that, but I always wonder where all this sweat is coming from these people around me? Like dude, are you really drenched and sweat is dripping off you shin? I mean I sweat too and it’s aggravating because it gets in my eyes, but there are literally puddles around these people.


I had the best lamb chops at Chop House in DC! I was mid-sentence, mid story and I took a bite and was like MMMMMMMMMM this is GOOD!!


I had an cupcake. The actual cake was just ok, the icing was freaking DELISH!! I kept trying to figure out if I should have gotten more than one. I mean nowhere on any eating plan is a cupcake a preferred food. So it was a cheat. I still enjoyed it because of the icing.

and that about sums it up!!