RAWR RAWR... like a dungeon dragon

I was just about to say I HATE WAL-MART!!!  Words that I never thought I would utter ever.  I mean the love I have had for this store has been DEEP!!  I first fell in love in Petersburg VA when I started school at the good Virginia State University in August 1991 (I don’t know the exact date LOL).  So it goes back a ways for me.  Over the years I have seen stellar customer service just dwindle.  I have seen people come to MY store looking any kinda ways and I do mean ANY WAY; both with my own eyes and on the great site The People of Wal-Mart.  And I have taken it all in stride.  I still go, and defend the store.  Last fall I filled my prescription and it was significantly less than when I had it filled at the Rite-Aid.  So I am usually a happy camper when I go.  BUT… here lately I have been going a lot more lately to the pharmacy because I have to fill my mother’s prescriptions.  Some adjustments had to be made with all of the things she takes and I’m there.  The pharmacist sees me coming.  SO here is my issue.  Wal-Mart pharmacists are the busiest most disgruntle looking people in the world.  They NEVER smile, they only look up occasionally and then look like they are shooting daggers and it trickles down to the cashier/techs.  They move with the speed of just under the flow of molasses.   Today I go there and thankfully was no one was there in line but that means NOTHING!  They still move slow.  SO I stand there and say HELLO everybody, anybody…  The little girl, OH LAWD where do I start, so she has this weave that has burgundy and blonde.  She has this too bright red-orange lipstick.  Now you know, I like a good red lip, but that was just wrong.  Then she had those damn eyelashes.  BAD BAD BAD!!!  I don’t think she could even see me. It really did look like a caterpillar crawled up on her eye (someone on FB said that) and died!  So what sets me off more than anything is when I am attempting to be nice and I am dismissed.  This chick says last name.  HUH?!?  Oh no niceties, no hello? oh ok… I give her my info and she proceeds to look for the bag with the meds.  So ANOTHER thing that brought me almost to the edge is when I went there last week, they tech says to me oh we don’t have the other prescription in stock.  EXCUSE ME??  So how was I supposed to know that?  I called the day before for it to be filled, so if it was out of stock can I get a call or text or something??  Why am I getting penalized for you not having my drugs?  She looked at me like it was ME.  So today I walk in there pumping myself up like EVERYTHING WILL BE OK!!  I walk into the store as several police and security are escorting some woman out. OH GREAT!! So I size the situation up real fast because there was just a shooting at Columbia Mall this weekend and folks are just… well you never know.  The have her in handcuffs and I don’t see a gun so I proceed.  I have on regular shoes but I can run if need be.  I am not the chick that stands around to see stuff going down.  She is fussing about them pushing her out the door, but I have NO IDEA what she did.  There is nothing that costs enough at Wal-Mart for me to want to steal and then get caught.  I get to the counter… and see above so I was just about as pissed as I could get.  BUT THEN… I need cat food for my cat.  She is just about on the verge of starving (not really) so I go into the outdoor dept and the little guy with dreds (I still love dreds) comes out of his department and points me in the right direction and then proceeds to walk me almost there.  AND THEN... I need a cart because I aint carrying no cat food and the cashier had one and gave it to me.  Then the regular (non-pharmacist) cashier says “Hello!  How is your day going?” Really?!?!  Thanks for asking!!  Balance is restored in Wal-Mart land.

Real Random…

I am listening to the Low End Theory - Tribe Called Quest.  This was my shiznit freshman year at VSU!!! I’m sitting here tripping at how many lyrics I know!! ‘I never ½ step cause I’m not a ½ stepper’ ‘I never walk the streets thinking it’s all about me  even though deep in my heart IT REALLY COULD BE!’ ‘MIC PLEASE’ ‘how far must go to gain respect …. UUUMMMM’ ‘Industry rule #4080 record company people are SHADY... so kids watch ya back cause I think they smoke crack I don’t doubt it LOOK AT THEY ACT!!’ ‘Boomin in ya boomin in ya JEEP’ ‘SO LOW KEY that you probably missed it!!’ ‘HERE WE GO YO!’ ‘I could give a damn about an ill subliminal’ ‘RAWR RAW like a dungeon DRAGON!!’   I swear I just don’t know what the hell these kids are saying today!! OK so not to be outdone I am now listening to Midnight Marauders.  ‘Ludicrously speedy or infectious with the  slo mo’ ‘Back in 89 I simply slid into place’ ‘Lyrics anonymous never hear me copy’ ‘I’m like em brown yellow Puerto Rican and Haitian’

patterns snow hipster random...

It is very interesting to see the patterns people exhibit.  I have purposely not spoken to my weird ass co-worker to see if he will.  He hasn’t since he started working here so I’m not sure why I think he will start today.  Calling people is also another experiment.  I have often tried to see how long it will take someone to call me even though I call often to make sure they are ok.  Last night on Being Mary Jane part of the story she was doing was a woman who died and no one noticed for 3 years.  I think that is a bit extreme and exaggerated, but I often wonder how long it will take someone to miss me.  Well now since I have the 71 year old roommate maybe a little less time.  She would miss me but then how long would it take for her to call anyone?  I wonder.  I think my train of thought was that sometimes we miss the signs that are right in front of us.  I know I miss the writing on the wall sometimes.  And sometimes I just ignore it.

The big news of the day is that it’s snowing!  But its winter and I live in the Mid-Atlantic sooooo… why is that news again?  I am from Pittsburgh, went to school in it and learned to drive in it, since I am a January baby, snow is such a nonfactor.  I get up clean off my car and go to work!  I expect everyone to do that.  But not so here in Baltimore.  They actually closed everything and I do mean EVERYTHING even before one snow flake fell.  And I get it; I mean at least I think I do.  God forbid if I say something to anyone here or further south.  The explanation is that ‘they’ aren’t prepared.  But YEAH ‘they’ kinda are!  It probably wouldn’t faze me if I was in an industry that didn’t keep moving no matter what the weather and if I was a full-time employee. But both of these for me are not true.  I work in the financial industry and when the stock market is on, so are we.  Now what I do specifically is not that essential, but I am a lowly contractor thankful for my job, if I don’t work, I don’t eat.  And I’m not trying to be so dramatic, but it’s really real, I mean I won’t starve immediately mostly because I have lots of extra layers, and some cash in reserve, but you know what I mean!

This past Friday I went after saying I needed several drinks on the good Facebook a friend of mine said that a DJ I hadn’t seen in years was playing at a spot in Baltimore.  I had never heard of this place, The WindUp.  The powers that be are revamping North Ave. it’s called ‘Station North’.  I guess in part to separate it from its hood tendencies.  At any rate after I found a parking spot comically in front of Club Choices (put ya guns up what’s up WHAT’S UP!!) and then proceeded to read the meter information to see if I needed to pay.  I don’t mess with getting tickets in Baltimore City so thankfully the Asian guy from the restaurant told me I didn’t need to put money in there.  There was a homeless dude that looked like he was about to get out of pocket but what he didn’t know is he was gonna get a massive beat down.  He stayed in his lane!  So I’m all excited Kommie Pig which is a food truck is outside of the place.  I get a hotdog because I just needed a little something.  The random guy in front of me says I have to try the potato salad.  I didn’t want anything mayonnaisey yet his response was well don’t worry about the calories.  Lookey here little boy, let me concern myself with calories and my butt.  The food truck dude gives me a fork and I ensure there are no cooties and give a taste.  Pretty good!!  Now even though the cover was only 5 bucks I still managed to get there before you had to pay.  I can be real frugal that way. LOL I find some seats next to the break dancing ‘cypher’; you know what I’m not even sure if that’s what you call it but it was a bunch of kids in a circle trying to 1 up each other by break dancing which I didn’t even know was popular. At the point where there were too many flat asses in my face I decided to move.  I met my friend and her boyfriend at the bar.  I should say I don’t really do clubs to much anymore, HOWEVER in the name of getting out there more I have been to a few places this month.  My issue is I don’t like crowds, I don’t like to be pushed; I don’t like you dancing all up on me.  I just need my own little space and corner and I’m good.  So I decided that I would make my way to the wall and either lean or dance whatever the song called for.  This is a mixed club but it is mostly 20something Baltimore hipsters who are an odd yet interesting bunch to say the least. I get to the wall and begin my lean and then the DJ put on something that deserved a lil 2 step.  The crew to my right were drunk white girls.  **LOUD SIGH** Please leave me alone and more importantly don’t spill your drink on me.  So one decided I needed to be her best friend.  HEY!!! YOU CAN JOIN OUR CIRLCE!!!  Ummm… no thanks I’m good right here.  NO NO NO!!!! JOIN OUR CIRCLE!!!  So I move a little more to the left.  I don’t know where the blind dude came from but all of a sudden there was a guy in the middle of the floor with a big ass seeing eye stick… wait what do you call them?  A big cane that blind people use.  A CANE.  This is very curious to me because no one is helping him.  Not that he needed help… but yeah he kinda did.  I kept looking around to see where his friends were.  I think the dudes dancing near him were his friends but it was strange.  He persists to bumping into EVERYONE around him… well cause he’s blind.  But wait is he really blind?  Naturally he makes his way to me and I’m standing there like DAMMIT WHY ME?!?!  I am just trying to post up and wait for Rich Medina, the DJ.  He of course bumps into me and steps on my toes, but I take it for a bit, well you know cause he’s blind.  Now I may have imagined this but I coulda swore he reached for the girls.  I stood there for a second like DID THIS FOOL (BLIND FOOL) JUST TRY TO TOUCH MY GOODIES?!?!?  So I move more to the left.  Now I am smack dab in the middle of black Baltimore hipsters who CANNOT DANCE.  The one guy was dancing so hard I was really afraid for my life, he was dancing like Elaine (from Senfield LOL).  At this point I have had all the ‘partying’ I can handle for one night.  I move more to the left and now in front of the speakers and it is just way too loud for my 40 year old self LOL.  I found my friends got my coat that I hung up.  I’m not sure why I thought it was ok to do that, but I am pretty trusting and it was still there.  I went to the back just as Rich came on, but at this point I am so sleepy and the floor is concrete and it just about murdered my back.  I listen for maybe another ½ hour and then I’m out.  I was going to hit up the food truck again but they were moving slow and I needed to sit…. You know cause I’m 40 now!!

When my initial response to something is ‘how the fuck does that help me?’ I know I need to take a step back before responding…  Responding with that potty mouth will not get me anywhere so I should woosai…  I’m turning up my music which is good mix from Gilles Peterson basement session.  Maybe if I get up and do a little kneegrow 2-step I’ll feel even better!?  The folks would really think I’m crazy then.

I guess I shouldn’t be mad when they don’t celebrate my birthday at work when I never bother to tell anyone… but then they never bother to ask.  Hmmm…. And then when they DO celebrate someone whose birthday is near mine I get a lil funky.  I guess I can’t have it both ways LOL

short random...

Something I need to work on is living in the moment.  I am not distracted by technology.  I’m not that chick who texts, twitters and facebook’s her life away.  But I do have a tendency to wish things were over; for instance, just this past weekend I really had to get myself together.  So I had a party bus for my 40^th birthday party.  I invited people via eVite and on Facebook.  Some folks could make it and some could not but for a minute I got a little discouraged and thought ‘Well I’ll just be glad when this thing is over’.  And then I had to get it the hell together!!  A good group of people had RSVP’d  so why was I tripping about the few who couldn’t make it?  I said well if it’s just me and whoever… and then the list kept growing so I really had no worries about having a good partay!!  Right now I am wishing away this day because it is mad gloomy and I just want to be up under my covers and not doing a thing.  But I just did my time sheet and me halfheartedly working most days is leading to my check being short yet again.  SO I need to be grateful and thankful for this job and get into it today. 

One of my favorite Mary J Blige songs came on the radio this morning Be Happy!  Actually it’s probably just one of my favorite songs.  It’s a request to herself and a statement.  ALL I REALLY WANT IS TO BE HAPPY!!

It’s in the end of the day…   I am convinced my cubemate is a little cra cra!! He said BUT WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT TO ME!!!  WHY WOULD YOU SAY THINGS LIKE THAT!!!  I hope he was on the phone and I think he was joking but that is when the earbuds got put in.  I can’t take on the drama of others which is a great resolution!!!

2014 New Year... may the random continue

Happy New Year!!  I am so glad to welcome this year.  I am turning 40 like next week.   I plan on having ignorant amounts of fun on the party bus I got for this weekend.  Then the next day a nice little Founders Day that I sincerely hope I am not too hung over.  Initially I intended for 1/1/14 to be my start of 40 days of 40, but I (as usual) did not get my shiznit together.  It was so cold this past weekend as I sat in my pj’s on Saturday I remembered I was supposed to be doing something fun.  All I could manage was showering and putting on new pj’s.  That was about as much fun as I could handle.  So the official kick off will be 1/11/14.  I really think I’m grown and can do multiple things over several days and think I won’t be tired.  So we’ll see. I have a spa day scheduled for my actual birthday!   

I’m already generally disgusted by the ladies room (and I use the term lady loosely) and what these chicks do and don’t do in the little stall.  So yesterday after glancing in the stall and see all the remnants I say to myself ‘come on ladies we can do better than this!’  Another woman hears me and says yes we absolutely do need to do better.   So then she goes on to say she doesn’t know why she even brought her coffee mug in there.  Of course I give her a blank stare and think YEAH that is extremely gross.  BUT then this morning I go in to the restroom and there is a pint of milk.  WHO DOES THAT?!?!?  I don’t even take food into my own bathroom at my house and I know what goes on in there. Just gross.

You are standing in the middle of the hallway!  WHY are you looking at ME crazy when I can’t get by??

A Few months ago 2 of the black male actors or comedians on Saturday night live made a comment about the lack of black women on the show.  Specifically Keenan Thompson said that when it was time for auditions black comedians were ‘not ready’.  This bothered me on so many levels but the main one was the fact that he thought he was ‘ready’.  I barely watch SNL so I only know one of his bits as a talk show host that can never really get to the guests because he breaks out into song “what’s up with that?”  It’s actually kinda funny.  OH and when he did Ray Lewis last year right before the Superbowl.  Other than that Kenan is pretty forgettable.  So I was glad to know that after the firestorm from those comments SNL actually did some ‘not so secret’ secret auditions for black actresses and comedians.  I searched for her on the YouTube and saw 1 of her stand –up acts.  She’s pretty funny and pretty, AND brown!! Sasheer Zamata.   Now I’m not sure if this is gonna make me watch the show any more than I currently do because we all know my eyes go sleepy time at about 10:18 PM  LOL

I am so not motivated to work right now.  I keep trying to wrap up a project that I’m doing but I actually am waiting for a few more things before it can be DONE.  SO I sit here and try to look as busy as possible.  Also, I try to not look like I am constantly on facebook (even though I am) to the guy I sit in front of.  He is not my manager, but I still want to look like a team player and be productive.  You never know who talks to whom.  I might be up for a position or transfer and he might be like OH NO NOT THAT CHICK!!!  All she does is player Words with friends and she is on the facebook ALL day.  That’s not a good look.  SO I do try.  Also he ALWAYS seems to catch me putting on lipstick.  It’s like the second I pull a tube out he is leaving or coming back to his office.  My manager has been working remote and that might be so good for the kid!  I need some boundaries.  And then there’s the whole WHY AM I HERE?!?  I appreciate my job and that they pay me well to do a whole lot of nothing most days because I have been there where I work my booty almost clean off and get paid peanuts and I like macadamia nuts.  You feel me?!?

So I am finally (freaking FINALLY) going to a natural hair salon to get my hair did!!  I saw this shop pop up and I kept meaning to see about it.  But actually I did try and google it.  And then one day about a month or so ago I see a woman with a nice braided style and she gives me the card to this exact spot. SO what do I do?  Oh I lose the card LOL  There is a sign in front of the store so I called and left a message.  When the lady called me back and I admitted it had been almost a year since I had my hair cut and done it sounded so stupid!  Like REALLY have I really been that careless?  I mean I do my share of upkeep and deep conditioning, but I know I need more.  I saw one of my regular youtube naturalistas cut her own hair and for about a good 3 minutes I thought about doing a DIY trim job on myself.  That would have been disastrous to say the very least.  I am a salon kinda chick!  I like going somewhere to have someone do my hair and me not getting a relaxer shouldn’t really stop me.  I’ve just been dragging my feet. But no more!