hodgepodge...

Today will be a hodgepodge of random stuff that I wrote at some point this week and maybe even some point this year…

It takes me a full 45 minutes to an hour to get my day started.  I have to read email (personal of course not work related), look at the facebook, Twitter if I’m feeling fancy, go to the bathroom, get water, finish my coffee, find the appropriate music for the day and then I’m good.  One of my favorite movies is Office Space.  The main character, Peter, says that he just zones out for about an hour after lunch and I think I zone out for about an hour before I actually start work.  Some days I just can’t get started.  And forget if it’s Friday (let today) I have to read everyone’s comment on Scandal and add my own. 

It has taken me all day to realize that the woman who I followed into work who had WAY too much perfume on, well the perfume did not mix well with her body chemistry.  It was a nice enough scent but I love it when people can put something on and it just blends in with whatever natural thing that got going on.  I used to sit behind a guy (Josh... name not changed to protect the innocent but I won’t put his last name) in high school and he wore whatever the popular cologne from Calvin Klein in like the late 80’s.  But OMG when I would get a whiff it was like I had died and gone straight to heaven.  It was a popular scent but on him it just somehow smelled BETTER!  And then there is this lady of a certain age here where I work who smells very maternal.  And not in a bad way, like I pass her in the hall and I want to give her a hug because she reminds me of my grandmothers.  And then there are those who just don’t blend the perfumes well with their scent.  It is a gift to know what works well with you.  I tend to like the old lady scents.  Give me anything by Estee Lauder.    I don’t like anything too fruity or pungent.  The last time I bought myself perfume was for my birthday more than 5 years ago.  That was Lovely by Sarah Jessica Parker and it does indeed smell lovely. 

 

Last night I busted my boo-TAY as I tried to walk down my basement stairs.  I am still in a little pain but just popped a few pills to get a little relief.  Then just know I read my Our Daily Bread passage which was titled Genuine Concern.  As I got up last night I really wondered who is concerned about me?  Who is going to take care of me?  As a caretaker now for over 6 months for my mom, unless you are right there in it, you have no idea.  And when people ask about her I say the expected ‘Oh she’s fine’.  Most times she is but sometimes just really want to go in and say exactly what’s going on but people just want to hear that she is fine so that’s what I say.  I don’t get a lot of concerned questions for me and that stings a little sometimes but then alls I’m probably going to say is I’M FINE!

 

I am a church kid! I grew up in the church.  My family were on boards, and choirs, and committees to help everything run smoothly (hear them tell it).  And now I feel so guilty when I don’t go to church.  And actually when I do go I get my good word, pay my tithes and offering and I’m OUT!! I barely know anyone there and whoever I do know I don’t really know from church.  I have a few sorors, some friends and friends of friends and a few family members.  I know I should want to be more involved but sometimes I just don’t.  I know where my faith lies.  I know what I believe and who I am who I belong to, which brings me to ‘Preachers of LA’ the reality show on Oxygen station.  So many people are up in arms about the show. Other preachers, church folks (**side eye** to them), bloggers and random people who have something to say; and here’s what I have to say, wait what do I have to say? So let me start by saying I have only seen 2 episodes.  It is not something I set my DVR for or stay up to watch but it’s TV!  It’s supposed to be entertaining and drama filled.   I know one of the goals is to reach people and save some souls and some souls will be saved and some people will be turned off.  The lavish lifestyles that these mega church preachers live is a turn off to me.  I just don’t believe that’s what Jesus would do.  He was there for the people, He met them where they were.  And some of the rates these preachers charge is outrageous.  I remember when Katrina hit New Orleans and the people who couldn’t get out were just stuck.  One of the first things my pastor said was that Bishop Paul Morton (was it him or someone else hmm)  who at the time was (maybe still is... shows how much I pay attention) the head of the Full Gospel Fellowship made it out.  And I sat there and thought well what about his parishioners?  What about the least of them?  I was a little turned off by my own pastor that day.  But I get it.  I know these ministries take money to run.  Church is a business.  My only gripe is when we or they forget Christ.  And these men and women on this reality shows, even though it is about church and should be about Jesus, they are just regular men and women who  may have a anointing on their lives who decided to be on TV.  I think the show will reach those who need it.  There have been numerous times that I’ve flip the channel and see a televangelist and he or she just says the right thing for what I needed at that moment.  Every outlet, be it church, TV, sidewalks or whatever has there worth.  Everyone has a testimony that reaches different people for different reasons.  I love Joyce Meyers because she always says how mean she used to be and how she came so far, but she still has a rough edge that I’m sure some folks don’t like.  Some people like Pastor Jamal Bryant, but he is and probably will always be a slimy jerk to me.  Now I know he reaches people just not me, in the same way the Preachers of LA… and you know I done lost my train of thought and when it gets back on track I’ll revisit the subject

 

Sidebar – WHY did I just click on a youtube video of these little Korean kids playing the guitar?!?!  They are getting it in!!! LOL WHEW!! They can’t be more than 6 and the guitars are almost bigger than them.

b-day random and random shame...

This time of year I really go through a self-imposed depression.  In about 2 months is my birthday.  And normally I don’t want to think about it or really acknowledge it.  Honestly I don’t know why.  I am very thankful that I get to see one more year.  It is probably more seasonal that anything.  It’s getting darker earlier and the trees although beautiful it’s a fleeting beauty because the trees will be bare soon.  I haven’t really been able to pinpoint it.  But for some reason this year is different, which is definitely a good thing.   I am turning 40!  I am invigorated!!  Many of my friends have already joined the 40 and over club.  Some of the ones well over 40 have not been sympathetic to my angst for this upcoming birthday, and it took me a minute to get over it mainly because who cares what other people think!? The best advice/idea I got was from my soror aunt-in-law (yeah I just made that up) who said when she turned 40 she did something for herself for 40 days.  She went to a hotel for the weekend and just splurged and did various thing for 40 days.  When she told me that I though OH HELL YES!!  That’s what I’m gonna do!   SO I started a list of what I might want to do for 40 days which I am going to start January 1, 2014.  A few things are restaurants I haven’t been to in the Baltimore and DC area, places I haven’t yet explored (like the zoo and Aquarium… I KNOW right?!), and a few pampering events!  And then I have been thinking what am I going to give myself?  I have a friend who gave herself a big Louis Vuitton bag for her birthday.  I’m not really a purse kinda chick although her purse was nice; I can’t really wrap my head around paying that much for a handbag.  Although I am on the LV site and there are no prices so I guess if you gotta ask… I digress.  And I treat myself pretty well throughout the year so I don’t really know if there has to be 1 thing.  I am planning on doing a party but I’m still not sure where.  Another of my friends just had a reception/party at a restaurant inside of a hotel this past weekend.  It was really nice!  So that helped to reinforce that I do want to do something to signify this auspicious occasion (LOL).  In fact I might do several!  The only problem is the few places I’m thinking of I want there to be entertainment, like a dj or something.  It just feels like nothing in going on in January.  I mean I know winter will be in full swing and folks like to stay inside, but I really just want to add myself in, I don’t really want to think about having to plan something.

There are a few things I am feeling a lil ashamed about:

·         I bought a 10 pack of Twinkies!  I’m not sure if I was hungry that day at the Wal-Mart or if I was feeling nostalgic. Either way I ate all of them but 1.  I gave my mom one who inhaled it in 2 bites and then was like Yeah I don’t even like Twinkies!  That’s how the geriatrics do, they eat so fast because I think they think there food is gonna go away… well not food but snacks and junk

·         The shear amount of wine I have purchased could stock a medium sized restaurant bar.  I am in the wine of the month club and then I went on QVC (y’all know I got issues) and bought more wine mainly because there was not shipping and handling

·         And then there is QVC… **loud shameful sigh** I need to go on a spending diet just from that site alone.  It has gotten BEYOND ridiculous because I can justify everything I get.  Yes I DO need a supersize face cleanser in fact; you selling 2, then let me get them shits right now!!  Orange scarf!?!? HELL yes I need an orange scarf to go with my… uhhh  it matches nothing but that don’t matter!!  I need it.  Pray to all the Jesuses for me!!  (LBJ, teenage Jesus, AND adult Jesus!!)

music review WED... cause it don't hafta be monday!!

I am sitting here listing to the ArchAndroid by Janelle Monae and I have a ton (quite literally a ton) of work because some shit just fell through the cracks so OF COURSE this is a good time to write a blog, right?  RIGHT!!  So it just occurred to me that not everyone gets it.  She is doing some really creative and different stuff here.  And I think folks really liked Tightrope but then that was it.  Just like Beyonce who passive listeners just like Single Ladies or whatever they are playing on the radio might not … oh wait that wasn’t a good example because she really releases everything!!!  Ok so that was my deep thought for the moment because this cd is just as different good and crazy as The Electric Lady. 

I attempted to get my music fix last week which Best Buy could not fill.  SO what I ended up doing was going on the good Amazon.  So what I didn’t realize with this little handy dandy tool called the Kindle Fire HD is that for the most part the music you purchase can also be downloaded on the kindle immediately after purchase SO I DID in fact have some instant gratification. I got Black Radio 2 by The Robert Glasper Experiment.  Now I thought this was just going to be remixes of the songs he did on the first Black Radio but NAH… it’s all new stuff and new arrangements to a few songs.  He worked with just so many people.  I still contend that Bilal sounds better when he duets with others and his song is with Jazmine Sullivan who I contend has not had great material to work with because she can SANG!!  Then you have a song with Brandy which I like.  I wasn’t really feeling her new CD.  Dwele’s song always takes me by surprise.  Then you have the goose pimply songs by Marsha Ambrosius, Jill Scott, Emeli Sande, and Lalah Hathaway not necessarily in that order.  Even the damn song by Macy Gray and Jean Grae is just GREAT.  Not mind you a few of these songs are on the deluxe edition because you can’t just buy the regular old CD you gots to get the DEE-LUXE!!  And bold me direct tweets Robert Glasper and I ask why the Japanese (which I spelled out because saying the Japs looked real REAL bad) got an extra song and he replied back  **SWOON** cause he saw MY tweet and twittering is not something I do well so that took me a back a bit!! LOL I got a mention which in the twitterverse is a GOOD THING!!

retail random...

I guess I don’t have much to say this week, which is odd because I always have something to say about a whole lot of nothing. Someone just lit UP the bathroom so there’s that. Oh here’s something…

So I went to the Wal-Mart the other day because I needed some Wal-Mart crap. Having done a short stint in retail I know that there are some items are under lock and key because they are either easily stolen or have a high dollar amount. To my surprise the earbuds and earphone were under lock and key which just put a crimp in my get in-get out mode. So there was an older lady in a hover round who was trying to buy the same thing I needed. So to me that was win win for the little cashier, but it caused him great grief. She didn’t appreciate me asking questions so I stepped back because you know I am didn’t want her to think I was taking over. At one point she said can I just pay because I need to get outta here, which is probably when I stepped back. Another employee saw that there was still me and another couple who needed help so what did he do? NOT A DAMN THING!!! This is where I get my love/hate relationship for the good Wally World. The couple was ahead of me and English was not their first language so again, me trying not to take over said they are before me. So then old lady in the hover round after she purchases her lil earbuds decides she has questions about some other product. Um NO MA’AM you hafta go so GO!! The couple found what they needed and went on their way. I on the other hand still needed someone with a key to get me to the $12 earbuds. Some other employee comes up and get the key from good for nothing employee and helps me. And I use ‘help’ loosely. My idea of shopping is touching things and reading what’s on the label. When I asked her to hand me the items she only wanted to give me things one by one, because I was clearly going to bash her upside the head for some earbuds!! Maybe I should step back and explain why this purchase was needed right then and there because you know I’m good for walking away and even paying more somewhere else for good customer service. Summer before last I bought these Sony earbuds from the outlet in Rehobeth Beach and I freaking love them!! Had I known, I would have bought more. I am very particular about the earbuds I use. I have literally 3 back-up pairs in my drawer and countless more at home. The fit is important and the sound quality. I need to hear all the bass, all the ad-libs, EVERYTHING. So often I buy them and then toss them aside because something just wasn’t right. Well last week the right ear decided to break and it broke in a way that I cold tape it up. Then the left ear decided to break in the same exact way. I have clear tape on both of them and it was a hot ghetto mess. I can still hear out of them but I can feel the tape on my ear. That aint gon work!! I schlepted my way to Wal-mart the good big new one in Randallstown. So then after I get to look at the ear buds in a piece meal another fashion woman comes up with her son standing in the basket. The woman who was helping me even though English was her first language she still didn’t speak it well. What she should have said was let me check this lady out and I will be right back to you. What she mumbled was do you need help and then walked away to finish up with me. WELL why did she do that?? The lil ghetto mama went clean off Shenene style. She was like EEEWWWW yous a rude son of a bitch dats why I hate coming to this damn place!! I looked like a deer in the headlights. She wasn’t talking to me but it was so very unnecessary. I started to say something to the ghetto mama but I took my little bag and hauled ass. I always cringe when people speak so carelessly in front of their young children. So then I went to the food section and bought a 10 pack of twinkies…

 

btw… I don’t like the earbuds I bought. The fit is not as precise as I like. I am scrounging the Internet to get the Sony ones because I will NOT be going back to the Wal-mart

 

And I have another story.. wanna hear it? here it go...

 

So today I wrote as my status 'I miss record stores' And I do, I SO DO!!I am still not a full fledged member of the I *heart* apple club so yeah I know I can get it on iTunes, but I don't want to.  I am the last of a dying breed who like to feel the cd, look at the pictures the artist put on there, and read the lyrics, producer info, who played the piccolo and all the thank yous!! And I do like Amazon, but having to order and then wait... then wait some more, some days just don't work for me.  Like today I had the bright idea to just go to Best Buy and buy a few cd's.  So I get there, look in earnest for what I was trying to buy then saw the kiosk and got on that.  It for whatever reason decided not to work.  I see people in blue shirts and go for the 2 older guys black and white tag team.  Surely they will help me right!?!  SO I say Excuse me can you help me in the cd section.  The white guy says well maybe you can ask someone in computers to help you **blank stare** EXSQUEEZEME!?!? Why did that fool say that to me.  SO I say OH is that what I can do? Then the black guy who I think oh yeah the brotha will help me out goes well yeah the people in computers can help you.  Then the white guy says the cd's are in alphabetical order so it shouldn't be that difficult.  And this is when I called on the Lord literally.  I said out loud OH LORD JESUS HELP ME!! They both looked so annoyed with me like how dare she interrupt us? So then the white guy tells some person I didn't see that he was going to go help this customer but then proceeded to have a conversation with this unseen person.  Well you know I was about to go smooth off.  Another guy (white guy as well... although as I type I sound increasing racist and it really isn't that at all) comes over and says I'll help you.  Well I am hella frustrated at this point and I was really ready to walk out.  SO I say to him, you know I KNOW the cd's are alphabetical and I tried the kiosk but it's not working right and the guy over there made me feel like I was a bother and I DON'T LIKE THAT!!  So he pulls up the info on some handheld devise he had.  I get a glimpse of his name tag... this is the store manager!!  Well thank you LBJ!! He said he would definitely have a talk with him.  So nothing I wanted was at Best Buy.  This new dude really helped me out, what was intersting is he really didn't know the layout of that section so he had to really walk each section with me.  I told him I really appreciated his help and now I wish looked at his name so I could send a kudos to Best Buy.  I also feel like I need to let Robert Glasper and Amel Larrieux (both my best friends in my head and on twitter) that I tried to buy their cd's I really did. So my instant gratification music needs were not met.  Which led me to really to consider opening my own little wrecka sto!  It would be called 'The Random Chick Music Emporium and Java Joint' I might need to work on the name.  LOL I really wonder if i build it , will people come?  This is where my good marketing degree kicks in becasue I do need to do a SWOT analysis on this.  I know I can't be the only person who like music and coffee. 

Music Monday!! 10.28.13

Gregory Porter
There will be no love that’s dying here!  Those are the lyrics to the 1^st line of the 1^st song on Gregory Porter’s new CD which is AMAZING!!!  I think this is my favorite so far.  I always listen to a cd several times from beginning to end and when that song comes on it just puts a smile on my face.   It helps that when I met him this summer at the Capital Jazz festival he is a nice person.   I have watched several interviews with him and he is genuine.  I even watch one the other day where the interviewer was speaking in French.  He answered in English so I’m assuming they edited out the interpreter.   And I also know my dad would have absolutely loved him!  ‘Musical Genocide’, ’Brown Grass’, ‘Free’, and ‘Moving’ are the other ones I really like.  Now he just did a video for ‘Hey Laura’.  I’ve only seen it once and maybe I need to see it again. He never plays the love interest.  It’s almost like in all of his videos he is the singer who is telling the story of the people in love, or out of love, or trying to get there.   ‘When love was king’ he said he wrote for his newborn son.  This one has some heavy bass playing in it.  Not really good for work because it puts me in the mood of sipping cabernet! Well the whole thing I want to be somewhere sipping! ‘Liquid Spirit’ is the cd title and probably the most upbeat song on the CD.   Now my only gripe about Mr. Porter is that he does not do enough touring in the states!!  And I get it.  Europe does seem to embrace jazz and jazz artists more than we do.  And if they are not mainstream meaning they are not in constant rotations on the radio station people don’t really know what’s out there unless they are really seeking that type of music.   Even at the Capital Jazz Fest he was featured as a Rising Star which means he was on first.  After I heard him I could have gone home feeling like my money was well spent.  At least he was on the main stage which is good!! So yeah this is jazz!  I like jazz and this is a must have!  I have all of his cd’s (he has 3) and will continue to purchase them when he puts more music out. 

Janelle Monae

I am not an early adopter.  This is a term that I didn’t even know existed until, well late.  It basically means someone who jumps right on technology right when it comes out.  Like if the iPhone 7 came out today, that person would have already been in line for it to get it and be the first.  Well this true for music as well.  Some artists have a following that may be underground and then when they finally get a major label deal then everyone know about them and start loving them.  This can be said of Ledisi and  U2 (yes that band from Ireland…err Bono’s (friend of Oprah) band). Since I am a late adopter, I usually have to go back and purchase everything from the artist all at once to get caught up. I had to ddo this for Eric Roberson, Frank McComb, and Esperanza Spaulding.  All this build-up is for my review of Janelle Monae’s ‘Electric Lady’.   Say of think what you want, if you are not onboard, then you just don’t know any better!  So the concept behind her music is based on a futuristic android named Cindi Mayweather who falls in love with a human.  Now in the video ‘Tightrope’ I got a glimpse into the storyline and for a little bit that cd was on my wish list in the good Amazon store, but I never got it because I didn’t get it.  There was a limited (like maybe 500) release cd that wasn’t really officially released called ‘The Audition’. This one dealt with Cindi falling in love.  This chick was 18 when she did this.  You have to do some real good searches to find any information on this one and you won’t really find too much.  Then there was the EP ‘Metropolis’ and then ‘ArchAndroid’ was the full length CD.  All of these projects follow a path so Electric Lady is labeled suites 4 and 5 of 6.  Initially she intended to do 4 suites.  So Metropolis was 2 of 4, but then it got expanded.  I’m giving a whole lot of background info, but what you need to know is that this most recent CD gives me everything I need!  It gives r&b, pop, a lil go-go, big band, some retro and futuristic and it is all just fused together seamlessly.  She has a vision and writes ALL her own stuff.  So you have to wonder what the heck some of these other singers are doing out there?  I am a firm believer that if you sing it, you should have had a hand in writing it.  How else to you fully embody your music?  When I hear some of these artists speak about the writers they had for their project I’m always like HUH?!? To me that is a very detached way of being in this crazy industry.  On this CD there are some heavy hitters that she did collaborations with, Prince,  yeah THAT PRINCE, Erykah Badu, Miguel and even Solange.  There are a few videos out but of course I like the stuff that probably won’t be played on the radio, like ‘Look into my eyes’, ‘It’s code’ and ‘Can’t live without your love’.  And then there are these interludes with DJ Crash Crash which are just hilarious.  Go get this and everything else she has done! 
 

I had 2 more cd’s but these 2 were the best!

needs -vs- wants

So today I decided to go to the cafeteria because I was craving French fries.  Not something I usually indulge in but they actually don’t mess up the fries so I went for it.  Added a little old bay which is 1 of a very few things that makes me a Baltimorean, because as we all know I am a Pittsburgher at heart for always and forever!  So on this day they are doing a health fair.  As a lowly contractor none of these services are for me, but I saw the green and red Aetna bags and I had to do a lot of inner self talk to try and talk myself out of it.  After I inhaled my fries and wings I did a quick once over of the room.  Well immediately I saw a table with the little mini candies.  I can’t even tell you what they were pushing at that table because all I wanted was the candy.  And then I spotted mints, but this time the overly hyped fitness center guy also gave me a coupon for free work outs for 2 weeks.  I didn’t have the heart to tell him I was a contractor so I took the coupon and some mints.  I then decided to see what other goodies the tables had.  I have been on all points  of this ‘giveaway’ spectrum.  I have been the person who orders all of the stuff for potential clients and members.  I have organized closets of said stuff ordered by others because they forgot what they ordered and really how many golf towels does one ever really need.  I have been on the receiving end and I still contend that technical job fairs give the best stuff!  And now I am on the compliance end where I track what was ordered, who it was given to and why.  So I know the game people… I know it!  And no matter how many festivals, fairs, or whatevers I go to, if they have a bag, I want it!!  I don’t need it and, it is usually flimsy but I still want it.  I can talk myself out of pens and pencils, but I have not yet been able to talk myself out a free bag.  At the Essence festival this past July I stood in countless lines to get a free bag.  I am a self-proclaimed free bag whore!!  I’m also not shy about asking for a free bag.  I signed up for my IRA and they had these insulated slightly bigger and a lunch bag, bag and I asked the lady at the front What do I have to do to get one of these bags?  And she said well how many do you want?!? She gave me 3.  I worked at an association that was about to throw away their conference bags because the mostly men doctors thought they were too feminine.  I tapped up those boxes and took them for a family reunion I had that year.  Talk about a perk!! I closed an office because they were moving to Florida (I have quite literally worked EVERYWHERE)  and there were random bags around the office and I think I took just about all of them!  At a wine festival as I chatted with a group that had VIP entrance I said well all I want is that wine bag and one of the ladies took her stuff out of the bag and gave it to me.  So yeah writing all of this down I should be ashamed, but I’m so not!!  Sorority bags?!?  Forget about it! Sometimes I sign up for conferences just to get the bag! I still want the shiny bag they had at last year’s National Founders day, but I haven’t found the right soror who I know has more stuff than she knows what to do with AND is willing to give it to me.  I have a soror cousin who happened upon some bags (LOL) and I was the recipient AND I didn’t even have to go to that conference!!  I am still trying to find the person here where I work who has the key to the computer bags that I see a few people have.  Today I am the proud owner of a bright yellow/green Aetna backpack!  I almost made it out of the cafeteria but I looked at and it’s not because I needed it, I just wanted it! 

blog goals and other pertinent random...

I have some new goals for my blogging.  The main goal is to do at least 3 a week.  Last week I got out one on Monday, Wednesday and Friday which is actually pretty good.  I just need to be going in a direction that is vaguely close to at least one of my dreams that I had once upon a time.  I don’t know what happened or rather is happening, but I am just not happy nor content with the direction my life is taking.  And I know it has mostly to do with me getting ready to turn the big 4-0.  Sure everyone says life starts after 40, but I wanted to make one of those 40 under 40 lists.  You know like the ones they have in local magazines.  Like the 40 entrepreneurs or restaurateurs to watch.  Or just the general 40 people who are just doing the damn thing!  I went to school with a guy that ended up on one of those lists in the Baltimore Magazine.  No wait actually he was on a top singles list I think and I FOR SURE can be on one of those since I am perpetually single.  But then he got married like the next year. So there’s that. Maybe a new goal is to make the top 50 under 50!?

My BFF posted an article that listed the 25 things every woman should know.  This list was a little different from the average list.  My favorites were #3) You should resolve to be awesome for the rest of your life. Right now. Do it. and #4) Leggings, no matter how much we wish, will never one day magically transform into pants. Wearing them with tops that don’t cover your bum is not cute. Please, please, please stock up on pants. I think a lot of people make a subconscious decision to be mediocre, but why not choose awesome? Like how Olivia Pope’s father told her on the season premiere of Scandal.  First Lady? Do you have to be so mediocre? This is by no means a knock at the First Lady, because we all know how awesome Michelle is and quietly so was Laura Bush.  But going from mistress and aspiring to be first lady is in fact mediocre. And before I go off on a Scandal tangent… I am not leggings kinda chick but really just wear a long enough top and you’ll be good.  Although if you think it’s awesome to wear a short shirt, do you boo boo!! The other one I like #14) Here’s the truth: you are going to waste a lot of hours focusing on who you are not, or who you want to secretly be. But you won’t ever wake up and actually be that person. You’ve got to embrace what you bring to the table. If you don’t like what that is, have the courage to change it. So that is what I’m trying to do, have the courage to change a few things.

I have a special place of dislike in my heart for customer service people who are in the form of dis-compassionate medical people, customer service phone lines for the bazillion things I seem to acquire or restaurant people.  The phone line people have an extra special place especially when English is not their first language.  But when English IS your first language, what you still are not on do is try to talk loud and make me think I’m crazy.  I do that very well by myself so either help me with my issue or connect me with someone who has a clue!  On the flip side when I get that nurse who goes out of her way to make sure the needle isn’t hurting me, or the customer service rep who actually helps me OR the cashier who doesn’t make me think I’m a  bother, then I’m good! 

I’m just now remembering that Monday was supposed to be Music Monday! I just bought 4 CD’s and I wanted to review them. Maybe I’ll do it Wed or Fri.  I think I’m the last person who still buys CD’s.  Everyone just download them or just buys the one song that they like.  Sometimes you miss some good stuff that they play on the radio when you just do the 1 song that is played in constant rotation on the radio.  In fact I am completely convinced people don’t know what good music is anymore.  Now I’m not about to get on a soapbox and say that only stuff from a certain era is good music like some people do for the 60’s and 70’s because people are always making good music, it’s just the powers that be keeping the good stuff out.  There was a really interesting discussion with my book club ladies.  We are all varied in age but the question of what is truly ‘old school’ came up.  For some it was music from the 70’s and 80’s.  For me it’s anything from age 10 – college which includes, DeBarge, New Edition, Guy, Heavy D, well ALL happy rap LOL.