Rewind Time

Note: Leaving town today for a few days to ring in 2010 and to take care of a few matters. If the time and the inspiration hits me, you may get some new stuff. Until then, let me leave you with a rewind blog. I wrote this one on my former blog home, Yahoo 360. Shout out to my blog homie from the 360 days Original Glamazon! Enjoy this and to you and yours have a safe and blessed New Year. Don't drive drunk and do what you do if it is FUN and SAFE!!!

Sometimes church can be funny...

I like to observe things and people watch. Of course this can happen anywhere and anytime. Church is the one place where you can sit quietly and watch many things unfold but if these events unfold incorrectly, you have to fight like hell to not laugh out loud. For example:

We all aren't great singers and sometimes we get stuck next to someone who sings better or worse than us. There is one lady who sings very nice, I mean she sounds like she has been trained. But she sings so good, she sometimes drowns out the choir. I see folks in the choir looking real frustrated as they hear her voice go up a few octaves. I want to turn to her and really encourage her to don a robe and add to the already stellar, angelic singing occuring at the FRONT of the church. Of course the flip side to that is the person who sings so badly, they mess up your already bad singing and then you have a whole section sounding like Corky from Life Goes on.

As a young man learning the ways of how to dress properly (back in the day there was no "What Not to Wear, you either took someones advice on what to wear or you got clowned) I was taught that you do not wear striped shirts with a striped tie. And what do I see, a gentleman wearing a Fruit Stripe Gum shirt (Yeah, you remember Fruit Stripe Gum) and a striped tie. My eyes watered when I saw the combination and I quickly had to regain my composure as I was going to communion. Wow, that combination was louder than Joe Clair in a wind tunnel!

Why are some of these young mothers wearing revealing clothing to CHURCH?! There is this one young lady who wears jeans every Sunday and those jokers are low riders! So when she decided to dress up in a nice pantsuit, the pants were low riding! Geez, we are there to repent and here you are trying to sell us some crack! Get behind me Satan!!!!

I can say this, it seems I have been getting lucky with those sitting around me and their breath. Either that or these folks have been doing what they need to do....BRUSH THEIR TEETH! Remember, a brush at night needs to be reinforced in the morning, the cavity creeps are just that, they like to creep around your dry ass mouth at night! So when you wake in the morning, that green cloud around your head is from the war the just finished fighting in your mouth! So fight fire with fire, brush your breath with some toothpaste and wash it out with some Listerine! Because Listerine kills the germs that cause bad breath!

Who knew getting your weekly dose of Jesus could be so entertaining?

30 days to 2010: What I am feeling today.

Just as 2009 rolled in with much rejoicing and revelry, the year ends and time marches ever forward. I awoke today (late) got my stuff together and left for the job. My mind reflected on so many things, I thought about a friend who has just recently suffered a loss and the words "Time Marches On" just echoed in my head. As I child, I never knew what 2009 would look like. Hell, I don't think I had any concept of time. When does one develop that concept? I think growing up, the seasons was my way of telling time. There were certain things I looked forward to, going to football games with my dad ushered in fall as summer drew to a close, snow and blizzards are my fondest memories of winter, the chill of winter gave way to a certain smell and warmth in the air as spring came back around and of course summer and the heat while playing in the street and walking everywhere! The things one does when you are young! It's like heat didn't affect me at all as I ran up and down a basketball court in the middle of the day with no shirt! Now I hate walking outside to my car when it's over 100 degrees!! Life is a funny thing like that.

This past thanksgiving was one of the best I have had in a while. My cousins who I grew up with and I were under the same roof for the first time in years for thanksgiving. We laughed and joked like we had never stopped celebrating thanksgiving together. It makes me appreciate going home more because we don't know how much time we truly have. We all hope and for 4 score in 20 (that's from the bible...do the math..LOL!) and it is truly a blessing when someone can live that long or beyond. And as I reflect on that, I think more and more about my parents knowing that one day they will not be with me and my brother anymore. But I am so THANKFUL for them now and always because of the influence they have had on my life. I don't think I would be who I am today without them doing all that they have done. There is a new chapter in my life that is unfolding and I feel like I am ready for it all because my parents have been such good role models in so many ways from them encouraging me, letting me know when I get out of line (you know what happened there) and just being good people. It is a shame that so many of our youth don't have good role models. I guess I am infurated when I see kids acting out and all they need is some discipline instead of a parent who wants to be their friend and compromise with them. My parents believed in the belt and I got it when it was needed. These days, you so much as say belt and the child care services are kicking in your door. That is a shame and a sin, we are doing are children a great disservice.

Today I reflect on all of those whose shoulders I stand on. Those who endured on my behalf so I could succeed and be a mentor and trailblazer for my nieces, cousins and all those coming after me. I want to be the best at all I am and will be and for that desire I owe so many whom I have thanked and those whom I have never met. Regardless, I know I can never thank them enough.

This one's for Mike

I think I am kind of in silent shock about Michael Jackson. In a way, I had forgotten about him. Within the last few years with all of the accusations and court cases, he had become a bit of an outcast of sorts and I started to wonder what had happened. How I asked myself as I look at his album covers on my iPod did all of what he had and was as an artist (meaning his look, style etc)change so dramatically. As I pulled into my apartment complex listening to Human Nature almost 24 hours before he died I said...I miss black Mike. Weird statement I know, but i said it jokingly. But then last week, sitting in a bar having been really busy at work I hadn't heard he was hospitalized. I don't think anyone but God knew what was to happen next but we now all know that he is gone.

The very next day I went to a cookout and all of the music that was played for a majority of the evening was Michael Jackson and just like everyone else, it took me back! I knew where I was when I fell in love with hip-hop, but Michael Jackson is timeless in so many ways. His style and music did change dramatically but one thing was certain, when MJ was involved you were going to get a show. The question was "how would he amaze me this time?" The most memorable MJ moment for me was his performance of Billie Jean on the Motown 25 special in 1983. Everyone you knew was watching and they were all watching to catch his performance. And if you remember it like I do, it was one for the ages. My biggest question is this: After all of this news coverage slows down and we do learn what was the final determination of his death, will we REALLY know the whole story? I would bet no simply to preserve his memory, legacy as well as to minimize additional pain that can be caused.

As my partner in crime Uniqpoet said: "God must be having a concert, he has James Brown, Isaac Hayes, Barry White and now Michael Jackson...he's jammin!!!!" Thanks Michael Jackson, RIP.

Spirit of Doo Doo

Authors Note: The title is EXACTLY what you think I am going to talk about. Proceed at your own risk.

I hate taking a crap at work. At my last job, I hated it so much I would go to another building so I could have some privacy and blow up a spot where no one knew me. Since we didn’t have faculty/staff bathrooms and had to use the same facilities as the students, I didn’t want my business to be public record with my students. There were a few times where I would time it, like I knew when students would (or should be) in classes or they were not on campus. Sounds silly I know but you are talking to a guy who at home, if it gets real good while I am in the confines of my home facility will get butt naked. So I take the comfort and privacy thing to a whole new level…at home! Don’t get it twisted, hell when using a public facility, you barely want your clothes to touch anything let alone you butt to a toilet papered seat! When it is 5pm and you live in a town as small as mine, the trip home to take care of business is not as daunting as compared to rush hour in D.C. If you hold it in D.C. and hit that rush hour traffic, you may want to consider adult diapers because you might not make it. However, when you are sitting at your desk at 8am squirming in your seat, stomach is bumpin’ and you feel like you are crowning…a trip home is NOT going to happen. So as much as I hate to do so, I take a deep breath and make the walk to the bathroom.

Healthcare facilities are the scariest, dare I say notoriously disgusting places to get your business done. I used to work for the Public Health Department and I am glad that the lab I worked in had multiple facilities. On top of all of that, I worked in a restricted lab which had its own bathroom used by only a few folks. So needless to say I can go bomb in peace. (Bombing for peace, that’s like f*cking for virginity! Saw it on a T-shirt, can’t take credit…LOL)

Continuing with the healthcare theme, now my place of employment is a hospital and indeed I think this place is worse. What makes it bad is that the restrooms near my office is in a patient care area and are frequented by resident physicians. That hospital food coupled with the stress of them trying not to kill someone makes for the potential to walk into a restroom that has been “pre-blown up”. So on top of the fact that the person in front of you doesn’t understand the concept of courtesy flushing and there is no spray to be found you have to sit in funk to create more funk. And who puts raw ass on a public toilet seat anymore? I walked into one of these restrooms to take a leak and at the back of the seat was a small “remnant” from the last user. I am so glad that was after lunch, I was feeling a little queasy after that find!

One other place I think is not a good place for this is a bar. I will be the first to admit; I have NOT, hope NOT, and will NOT handle business in a bar. To make it worse, I am talking about a bar in a college town. You went to college; you know what goes on in college town bathrooms! You know folks are smacking it, flipping it and rubbing it down in addition to “normal” bathroom activities. Is it possible to wear an outbreak suit while doing your business? Yes, it would have to be GREATLY modified but I think you will be much better off using one.

Yeah, I admit that was a hell of a way to make a comeback. (DID YOU MISS ME!! LOL!!) You know you love it and you know you have a story to tell! Spill it! Just make sure you clean up afterwards! LOL!

Are You Old School?

Who remembers that slogan a few years back when Classic Sports debuted on cable? I think that is a very applicable slogan in this day and age when so much is way different than one remembers. As of late, I have been spending a lot of time on YouTube since I can’t find a lot of old school music on iTunes. Talk about a walk down memory lane, some of those songs and videos took me BACK!!!

What qualifies you to be or what makes you old school? What does it mean to you to be old school?

Excuse me, can I redeem this after I kick your ass? Hummp Day Rewind

I had something...then I go to work and damn I cant find it! I am talking about my topics for blogging today. They will return soon enough and I have sometime tonight to sit down and give a nice blog that hopefully will not be about politics...but I always say that lately in light of the election and the results. As I always say...stay tuned! So in my ongoing effort to catalog my old blogs, here is a hummp day rewind for you! It is a short one, I had a thought about something and voila!!! Enjoy!

I think we all should write our congressman and senators to create and pass a bill where as a United States citizen in addition to all of the rights inherent in citizenship, we should also be given ONE Get out of Jail Free Card. The card has stipulations, the most primary or important one being that this card cannot get you out of anything that is premeditated, it has to be a spur of the moment type thing...like when your boss finally pushes you to the edge and you just cannot deal and you just decide to go upside their head just to prove a point that you are not to be f*cked with and they were wrong for ever pushing your buttons in the first place. I mean the card works great in Monopoly, maybe it could work in real life?

Life is happening...as if we needed a reminder!

I find the transition points of life to be the same in many respects in the lives of those around me. As I think back, I remember how High School was. You had your crew that you were tight with and all of the misadventures that you had. I take the term misadventure and draw it out a bit more to say I thank God I am still alive to tell some of those stories and to say...Dont be stupid! When I left HS, I kept up with my crew and other good friends while making a whole new gang of friends. Although I didnt live on campus, I had some great times and I think who I surrounded myself with made all of the difference. When I graduated, I started to see the changes in my friend connections. Around 22-24 we all went our own way, moving on to new jobs, adventures, marriages, family etc. That was very hard to deal with, knowing that folks you were mad cool with and were always there were just now there in spirit. What remained were memories and the places you went brought back the fun and the misadventures. Grad school brought a new set of cool peeps, but not the closeness that I was used to because grad school is so fleeting. You blink and it is over, time to move to your next challenge, achieve that next goal. At that time, I could see the changes in family as well as in friend ties. I lost a friend and a couple of family members in a short period of time while I saw those grad school ties severed as we all went our merry way. As these peaks and valleys come to us, we deal with them in our own way. At first, it was hard for me to say goodbye to my friends in my 20s, it is never any easier in my 30s but I realize over time that it is a part of "life is happening" and it is happening every day. Being here in the A.C., I have made some good ties but now as another cycle occurs, some of those ties are unraveling. Many go their way, others make changes to their lives. Sometimes I feel like in the midst of so much change, I am standing still. I know the plans I have for me and I have to yield to God's plan but I often have the weird feeling that life is passing me by in some respects. Maybe I am paranoid and maybe I should take the cue to go forward and kick ass like I have never kicked ass to get to where I need to be next not forgetting that I am where I am for a reason and until I accomplish what needs to be done at this level, the next cannot be fully realized.

Things just arent like they used to be...

With all that has gone on in my life in the last few years, I take the following saying very much to heart: "Do not regret growing old, many are denied the priviledge." I thank God everyday for another day, although I will admit that some days I am not as appreciative as I should be, mainly because I am focused on things that dont amount to a hill of beans. If we stop to reflect, there are some folks going through some real...and I mean REAL stuff that makes out complaints seem minute. Although I relish what I have and not take too much for granted, getting older does "hurt" a bit. I now have a bit of a gut, I need fiber in my diet and my hair looks better when it is cut very close to hide the obvious bald spot. Hell, I havent had waves in my hair since about 1989! I remember being a big, yet kind of trim guy...I was an athlete in high school and in college I played intramurals and worked out. Since that time getting out in the "real" world of work, sitting at a desk or lab bench has taken a bit of a toll on the kid. I keep saying to myself "I want my track body back" as I walk towards the freezer and scoop out some Vanilla Sandwich ice cream into a bowl. Yeah, it bad (BTW, that ice cream is awesome!) but I know what I need to do. Time is the enemy of all things, living and not. We know that we are on earth for a predestined time and every second, that time gets shorter. What do we have to do? We have to begin to appreciate and use every moment to our best ability...to treat our bodies well, to laugh with a friend, to hug your mom, dad, brother, niece, nephew, sister, to work towards a goal, to work not out of necessity but to work because it is what you truly want to do (and yes that is HARD to do). I have got some work to do on me and I started last night by pulling out my MCAT review book and making one last attempt to try to get into med school. I think that I have made peace with the possibility that I may not achieve that goal but instead I have to, if necessary direct my energy towards finding that job that I skip to everyday because I love it so much. And so it begins, a new journey to another place in my life while there is still ample strength in my body and mind knowing that time is drawing up. I look forward to all that is in front of me and not dwelling on what I leave behind.

Just another day in the A.C.

Just created this blog spot page and I have about 5+ minutes on my lunch break remaining until it is back to the grind until 5 (or somewhere afterwards). I wanted to start this out by saying most of what I envision here may or may not be earth shattering. I think I need to start blogging again to get out of my head alot of good ideas, bad ideas, interesting converations etc. I am very much a people person and I think deeply about alot of things (living alone lends alot to that). Of course, thinking deeply gives you perspective (hopefully) and clarity (we pray) on the issue (s) that are at hand. I find myself now at yet another crossroad in life with a temporarily "misplaced" life compass. Dont get me wrong, things are good I just know they could be better in so many ways. For now, I have to be content with the steady improvement in job performance, pay, living condition and relationships that I have with family, friends and significant other. As the title states, it is just another day in the A.C. (Albemarle County, Virginia) and I am your host for as my blog url states: Nuclear Extroversion. Stay tuned...