Poppin Bubbles

I am in the process of making some changes in my life, some very drastic changes... and I found this thing that I wrote years ago when I was going through a rough period...and I just felt like sharing it...instead of ripping it up and throwing it away with the rest of my 12 yrs that I am getting rid of now...

IF

If things had been different
Would you be my man?
If things were different
I'd be able to stand
The pain and the heartache that I am going through now
Life's unbending pathway oft times leaves us
with little gaps and spaces to wonder If? Sooo...

If I were the one to cry for help
would you be the one to answer
"I'm here without a doubt"
If I was your friend that's what I'd expect from you
But that just might not be your point of view.


If a movement wasn't necessary, would I be able to
Rid myself of the diseased elements in my life.
There are times I just sit and wonder, If
An abortion wouldn't have been the perfect cure
For the one whom I try not to forget
Maybe If I stopped wondering If, then
Things would be better, somehow...

We have to come to the end of a very busy and significant week in history and also to the end of yet another month, which only goes to show how fast this year has flown by. In two days time it will be the beginning of September, the change in Midwest temperatures, the start of the new school year, (and by the way does anyone know why the school year always starts in September and not at the beginning of the year?)

Anyway I was doing a client's hair and watching some of the political newshows on Sunday morning and we had a very interesting conversation with regards to this year's upcoming general election. And as my big crush of the 90's George Stephanopoulos was hosting I shared with her some of my concerns. My biggest concern thus far is the fact that this year does not even seem like an election year for me, in comparison with the last two general elections (I volunteered for both of them). The political fervor and interest in this year's elections appears to be next to nothing and when I think back to the "Vote or Die" campaign and "Election Protection Organization" days, I firmly believe that there is a significant sense of voter apathy right now (NB. this might only be relevant to us here in MI, but I call 'em like I see 'em). In 2004 we were so riled up and ready to vote, there were signs and placards everywhere, there was no way you could miss that there was an election taking place. This year however, I cannot sense or feel the urgency I felt then, and with what has transpired this week, there needs to be a change and quickly. We have 2 months and 5 days left to do so.

I was glued to C-Span everyday, in fact it's the channel I have on right now and I might be stuck there again next week, trying to gauge what the "elephants" are doing. After watching the "donkeys" all week I was inspired and hoped that others were too, but knowing my generation, they were more concerned with watching any one of the numerous reality TV shows that plague our networks(can't hate too much, during the writer's strike I guess there was nothing else to do but film these nonsensical things) rather than watching our reality truly unfold. "We the people" have finally nominated by majority vote an African American male for the candidacy of President of the United States of America, and I sit here and wonder how many of our parents made their children sit, watch and listen as that historic moment happened, no matter their age... Amidst all the music and revelry that was the Democratic National Party Convention, there were moments of greatness as delegates, elected officials and family members spoke. Notable mentions here would be Michelle Obama, Jesse Jackson Jr., and of course President William Jefferson Clinton, who we all know can 'speechify' himself sum'n awful. When President Elect Obama spoke on Thursday night, I had both televisions in my apt. blaring while I cooked, so that I would not miss a single word he had to say.

Eloquent as ever, Senator Obama accepted his party's nomination and laid out his plan for the next decade, a decade I am hoping that is one of unity and prosperity. However, some of his promises seemed a bit lofty to me, and a bit unrealistic, especially as we cannot truly assess how bad our situation really is until he gets into office, but who am I to question God's purpose for our lives in the future. I am hoping that people are willing to invest in his vision of hope and say "yes we can" and follow through with the appropriate actions to help them become a reality. What he proposes is not impossible, but it will take a lot of work and support from everyone concerned. The issues he has chosen to focus his administration on are those that affect the common people, and rightly so, we are the ones for the lack of a better way of saying it, are at the bottom of the feeding chain and are affected the most by lack of adequate health care coverage, rising fuels costs, social security and education.

The other event of note at the end of this week is Senator John McCain's choice of a running mate for Vice President, the governor for Alaska, Sarah Palin. Yes I am happy to see that a woman was chosen, but I must question the reasoning. Has his advisers told him that you need a minority in order to win this election and totally ignored job experience, is he planning to secure all those Hillary Clinton supporters who were still upset by the results in the primaries? A woman who was the mayor of a small town and the governor of one of the lesser populated states, with less than a full term in her current office has more experience than Senator Obama? His main contention with Senator Obama has been his lack of experience and then he goes and does this? WOW!!! It seems to me that his next speech should start off something like the words of his last will in testament, "I John McCain, being of sound mind and body do hereby state that I am trying to cuckold the nation and have no idea what I am doing and should no longer run for the office of president" A true WTF! moment for me when I heard his choice. I had even said to my client and a couple other friends, if Senator McCain chooses Gov. Mit Romney, the GOP can be assured that they will win MI. And if you have followed the last two elections MI always seems to have a very big part to play in determining the presidency along with OH and FL.

No matter what happens in November, I hope we all make an effort to be a part of the change in whatever way we can...

Well it's been a minute since I have had a chance to sit and write, I knew this blog thing was going to work out better than my journal for me, 'cause the level of guilt I feel when I have missed a couple (ok so its more than just a couple) days is not the same. It is not that I have not had some stuff come up that I feel passionately about, it is just that I have not had a moment of quiet to write and just let my thoughts flow, in their natural state... I was going to write about the state of the City and the incinerator issue, but then I thought who cares... and then Spirit Airlines (for anyone who knows me, they know I love flying off some where for a quick trip) decided they were going to come up with a new way to make more money off of us travellers and I wanted to vent about it, but then I forgot about it, when something else took up my thoughts...And then I was on one of my addictions, facebook and a certain person who I was talking to at one point put up a blog full of BS, ok so why am I holding back, forget the acronym, bull shit... and then I was soo mad that I knew I needed to calm down before I decided to write anything. So this blog is dedicated to all three.




Firstly, let me say this, despite what everyone may think I Love Detroit. I feel as if I became the adult that I think that I am, here in this renaissance city. I have always loved history, and Detroit is one of those cities that is so full of stories, told and untold. In the past decade that I have lived here, there have been so many positive changes that have made me come to appreciate it more and more. The re-development of the city is one of those things that has made me proud to be a transplanted Detroiter. However, despite the fact that we have made great strides, we are shooting ourselves in the foot by not keeping up with other major urban cities by incorporating a comprehensive and citywide recycling program, as well as a solution to the problem of housing the largest incinerator this side of the western hemisphere. Now I can say that I was not one who really was an activist growing up or one who was marching against environmental issues... but when you open your eyes and remove the shades you can see what not being good stewards has brought upon us, just look at the way mother nature has been rebelling recently. There has been a surge in the number of hurricanes, earthquakes, fires, storms, tornadoes, and other natural disasters in the past couple years. And I have a funny feeling she is not finished with us yet...





Well back to the issue at hand-One day last week, I woke up to the sweet stink scent of the sore thumb of the citizens of Detroit, the incinerator. Living less than two miles from the incinerator, at different times of the day, varying on the temperatures, I am greeted with a scent soo pungent that your only recourse is to seek refuge inside your home (with the windows closed of course). This incinerator has fumes that you can sometimes smell all the way to the New Center Area, where the Governor's SE MI office just happens to be located. For all the good that the incinerator does by getting rid of the waste matter, not only for the city but also several of the other suburbs, and providing steam energy for alot of the downtown area, it is also harmful for us the residents who live close enough to be affected by it. The contract is up for renewal and our local goernment cannot seem to come to a decision on what should be done. NB- none of them live in close vicinity likeI do or else the answer would be very simple, shut it down.





Now as to Spirit Airlines, that low cost air carrier that I happen to frequent whenever I am trying to escape the city and its lovely scents, has recently decided to carry over more of the rising costs in airline fuel to us passengers by charging us to pick our seats in advance. When I first saw this new tactic I had to LOL, why? Because I being the very savvy traveller that I am was the very person they were targeting. I hate sitting in the middle on any airplane, I happen to prefer sitting by the window, so that I can cover my head and go to sleep in peace. I seem to never have a problem falling asleep on the plane. Anyway, I would always go online purchase my tickets and with the very next click of tohe mouse I would pre-select my seats. I usually get a window seat close to the front, never mind the fact that I may be the last person to board the plane, it means however that I am one of the first persons to exit the plane, and that's what matters the most... especially if you are trying to make it to the nearest restroom before a line ensues. Well it seems like it has all come to an end, if I am going to be sitting at a window on future spirit flights, I will have to pay an additional fee of $15 or just leave it all in the hands of the airplane gods who randomly choose seats for passengers. This practice is also becoming more widespread with other airlines, so passengers beware, they are really trying to get your money.



Lastly, like we would say in our very urban vernacular, I have to put someone on blast for a hot second...Now for fear of libel I will not name names, but a certain young man who I met on facebook(that ever so popular social networking site that I am addicted to), but knew in passing when I attended college, had the nerve to try and pull the okey doke on me. Now, we had recently started conversing on a personal level and I admit I had started to really like this guy. Now when I start dating a person, I feel like there should be full disclosure, so I asked the pertinent questions as it relates to their current relationship status. For example, question #1 Do you have a current girlfriend or are you dating anyone? Are you seeing anyone? Do you have a homie lover friend? A sexual partner, etc, etc. Ok, so I went through my list of question and this person answered in the negative to all of the above and some more. So qw commenced with the getting to know each other part and got to the stage where we were really liking each other. I went out of town on one of my various trips and came back only to find out that this same person had announced on facebook that they were now in a relationship and surprise surprise that person was not me. I had a conversation via email with this person who told me that their current relationship just"inevitably progressed to that point recently" verbatim. In my mind another load of bull shit from someone who purports to be one of the last good guys out there. Not!!! Never mind they were trying to be in a relationship with me... Well I want to share with you a little post from this person's blog, for someone who said and did something else and basically lied to me, this person felt the need to post this:

"I have always been the type to wear my heart on my sleeve; Easily displaying what I think, feel, say and do. I've had alot on my mind lately in terms of the people I'm associating myself with. It seems like the closer I get to be with some people, the further others seem to drift away. The word "friend" is thrown around loosely. People seem to have a casual attitude about who their boys or girls are. I understand that women hang with their girlfriends and fellas hang with their boys and/or girls, and that's all good. But be careful who you call "friend". To me, friendship is about: Honesty, trust, communication and companionship, which is the foundation of a relationship. Friends are those people that talk with you, confide with you in times of need; helping to keep each other's spirits up. That meaning of friendship is sometimes coincided or confused with "Associate". An associate is someone that you know, and occasionally converse and hang out with. The respect is there, but there's no mental, and emotional/spiritual bond that the "friendship" should include. An associate has a more casual, or non-chalant approach. There's a difference there that people fail to realize; The associates are the ones who come a dime a dozen, real friends are blessings from God.

I want to eliminate those who've shown themselves to be "fairweathered friends": Those who say one thing and do another, or here one minute and gone the next. I don't want to further waste my time being affected by stress/frustration, envy or just overall negativity. "B-Real" is not just a nickname for myself, but its also what I expect from those I know and love. I want to know that you're there for/with me and you want me around, or are we just wasting each others time. I know what I'm about, I know when I see something good and I won't settle for anything less. God has many ways to make His presence known, to make us realize/prioritize what and who we need within our lives. People need to put more consideration to their words and actions. Remember- The attention, respect and love you show shall be given in return. If you're considered a real friend of mine; I love you too and God Bless you.Let me know what you guys think of this Note."

Further evidence that NAS-N***as Ain't Sh*t!!! Need I say more, hope you have enjoyed my latest rant...

So, I just felt like I had to share this with the world... I am in the process of trying to lose some weight, in time for my sister's wedding in just over a month, so I have been going to the gym early in the morning (I can't sleep anyway, so might as well get up and make good use of the time). So I went to the gym this morning and got on the treadmill, put my mp3 player on and the fan on myself. I had just started getting into my stride when the only other lone occupant of the gym, came over and got on the other treadmill right next to me and moved the fan so that he could get some of the breeze. He then turns and asks me, "Do you still feel it?" The breeze from the fan i.e. And of course I said yeah, however minute the amount of air was, I just didn't feel the need to bitch about the fact that he hadn't asked prior to moving the fan in the first place.



For privacy sake we will just call him D, D then uses this opportunity to start a conversation with me, and then asks me how I was doing. I answered him quickly and tried to get back to my workout, cause usually I prefer to work out in solitude and my music. He then says to me, "Yeah I noticed how flexible you are..." Flexible??? HMMMM? I wasn't quite sure how to take this comment, but I went ahead and figured that he was giving me some type of workout/sports junkie compliment and not meaning it in a derogatory manner. I said to him, "Oh yeah, really? Well I guess, if you say so..." and then he says, "Yeah really, you know I saw you the other day and you looked real flexible, I thought you might have done gymnastics." Gymnastics??? Have you seen my very overweight behind lately? That would be the day. Well I responded by saying, "Yes I used to be very flexible, I ran track all through high school and I did the long jump and the high jump and javelin." (Yes, my lazy butt used to do all that stuff, Oh what a shame!) "I am trying to get back in shape and that's why I am here." Well we had small talk for another five minutes and then proceeded with our respective workouts.





Now I have been going to this gym for a while and have seen this guy, D, over the years and he never really spoke before, so I was more than a little surprised when he spoke this morning. And it got me to wondering where did he get the notion from that I was very flexible... most recently when I have seen him at the gym I have not been doing any stretches etc. that would show my flexibility in the first place, so I was racking my brain trying to figure what prompted his comment. Could it be that I was being observed all along and was just now being approached.... hmmmm? It figures, instead of the show, "Kids Say the Darnedest Things", they should have had a show called, "Men Say & Do the Darnedest Things"... I took the encouraging words he had to share and went about my day and tried to see how flexible I really was when I started doing my stretches. Believe you me, I was nowhere able to do all the things that I used to do in my old workouts, but I could see how he would/could say that about me.





This incident however, reminded me of another situation where a guy I once knew waited many years before he made a move/made a comment to me about his true feelings. I was in high school and I had a friend who had a friend who used to be very nice to me. He was significantly older and was always looking out for Soapy. In the very small island that I grew up on, you were cool if you had a friend with a car, especially one who was older and male. He would pick me up from school to go get lunch, if he saw myself and my friends on the road walking he would always pick us up and drop us off wherever we needed to go. Now this behavior continued for years, he even helped me when I pulled off the surprise of the century and hosted my adoptive parents' 30th wedding anniversary party. It took him the rest of that year before he called me drunk on Christmas night to tell me that he was in love with me and he was sorry to see me move away and that he had been in love with me the whole time we had known each other. This was right around the time that I had decided to make the move to da D for school and spread my wings. Needless to say, our relationship was never the same after that and I have not spoken to him in about a dozen summers. I know however that if ever the need arose he would be right there looking out for me.



But back to the topic at hand... Do you ever wonder sometimes why people say the things they say. and do the things they do? This has always baffled, sometimes it can be very inappropriate, other times it can be very insightful, and other times you can have a WTF!! moment. Which brings me to something else that has been weighing on my mind and should have its own entire blog of its own, in fact I will save it for later, but why do men say things when they know they don't mean it... or just open their mouths and put their size 13 feet into it all the way back to the oesophagus. It is amazing to me, it makes me wonder whether or not they actually think about what it is they are going to say before they actually say it. Nope. I don't think they actually do, but I'll let you help me figure it out... stay tuned for the next title from Soapy's "soapbox", hehe lol, "soapbox" you get it... yes I know I make corny jokes... and today as always take care of you...

Well, it is a brand new day and I have popped another bubble, in other words, the good Lord in his infinite wisdom has seen it fit to grant me another day of life... I woke up at three a.m. and after having only probably three hours of sleep, I forced myself to get back in the bed (okay so I was too lazy to make it back to the bed, I made it to the couch) and sleep for an additional two hours. Which I might add has done me the world of good. Those two, extra hours of sleep has allowed me to not be my usual non-smiling, I hate the mornings , being the non "morning person" that I am. Don't get me wrong I can get up early in the morning if the need arises, but if given the option to laze in the bed till midmorning, trust that that will be the option chosen.

I am typically not a "morning person". Even saying it now, makes me wonder why and who ever coined the term, "morning person" and what does it really mean? I am sure everyone is thankful, or at least grateful for the opportunity to have another day, another day to complete what they have not finished from the day before, another day to dream and hope for the future, another day to just be. So why are you not a "morning person"? The morning brings fresh hope, a new perspective, endless possibilities and the funny thing is we don't think about the fact that a new morning is something we are not guaranteed to have. A morning person as I understand it, is someone who is all cheery and happy when they have awoken in the morning, someone who enjoys what the morning has to offer, whether it be an early morning cup of java or even maybe ahuge breakfast, an early morning trip to the gym or a brisk walk. Someone who is excited for this new day to start. I happen to like the early morning trip to the gym or brisk walk myself , but who am I kidding that has more to do with my quest to lose weight more than it has anything to do with me being a "morning person". If I had it my way all my gym clothes for my morning work out would say, "I'd rather be sleeping", and it would soooo be the truth. But sleeping hasn't been coming easy, hence the reason I am up at ungodly hours filling these pages with the musings of a somewhat crazy and jaded SBF.


But, today is Friday, the end of the work week for most, for the rest of us who must make every day count, not so lucky. I find myself at the festival office at 6 a.m., waiting to start my shift, volunteerism is very big on my list of things to do, and for the past five years I have volunteered for this festival and enjoy seeing the art, the performances and tasting the food offerings of the vendors. But when you enjoy whatever it is you are doing it never really seems like work, does it? So no matter what, I still say, "TGIF"...

So I recently hosted a Sex And The City soiree' with one of my dearest friends, Wendi. It was a swanky affair and everyone who attended had a great time. (For all you facebookers there is an album, but only viewable by my friends.) Anyway, the party was a huge success, largely in part because we planned it very carefully and strategically. I mean this was months of going back and forth, with actual SATC party meetings and pre-tastings etc.

The idea originally came to me one day as I was watching probably E-TV or some other channel and they announced the movie release date-May 30th. As soon as I heard it my party planning gears in my head started turning and rolling out ideas. Initially I had only planned a small affair for some close personal friends, at a hotel suite and then going to view the movie after sipping on some cocktails and some eats, possibly playing the trivia game (which I just happen to own). Now I loved the series and got hooked on it by my best friend, who requested copies of the series for her Christmas and birthday gifts. We would sit and watch entire seasons with bowls of popcorn and/or other snacks and drinks, and lose ourselves in the lives of Carrie, Samantha, Miranda and Charlotte. We often thought that we personified elements of each of the character's personalities. (I'll let you guess who I had the most in common with of the four). LOL

Ok, so back to the party, Wendi thought my party was a good idea and decided she would like to join in on the fun, so we decided we would invite six friends each and we would have the party at a hotel suite, but then that soon changed. After having attended a group travel planners meeting, and meeting Kristin Old from Great Lakes Outlet Mall's executive office, I found out I had won a prize in the raffle drawing, ooh sweet! So we decided that could be or hotel and then we could go shopping the next day. A friend of Wendi's offered up the use of her clubhouse, which was across the street from the mall. So we took her up on the offer. The first evite went out in April and by then the guest list had grown, and more ideas had surfaced. And in the course of several out of town trips, I was able to procure items for our gift bags which each attendee received upon leaving the party on the way to the movie.

We worked around the colors of pink and orange and were able to get invites, gift bags, boxes and tissue paper with those colors, drink tags, coasters, mint boxes crystal light on the go packs, flavored lubricants, fridge magnets, candy etc, etc. All of which was done very cost effectively... I am the queen of clearance and can find a bargain somewhere. Wendi was in charge of the drinks and decorations and of course I was in charge of the food, music, prizes and the game and shoe competition. Now trust me we went back and forth soo many times, we thought our friendship would not survive this party, it has and everything went well. I have even entered our party in a contest, to win a screening... so stay tuned.

What this has taught me about myself however, is that I can really do this event planning thing well and might want to invest in learning as much as I can about the business and possibly having my own event planning firm some day. I get the knack for entertaining from both of the women who shaped my life while I was growing up, my biological mother who was excellent at cooking, decorating, and entertaining and then of course my adopted mother who never let us go to our friends places for parties or other events, but was more comfortable of the idea of me and my cousin entertaining our friends at our house. So I think that's why I have always felt comfortable having everyone come over and party at my place. Well I will be having maybe a couple more parties throughout the summer, there is of course, the Detroit/Windsor Fireworks (lucky for me, it is visible from my back porch) on June 23, 2008, and of course there is Dally in the Alley, the first Saturday after Labor Day. So of course you will hear about those too, until then and always take care of you...

So, I have not had a moment to blog in a while, thanks to my very hectic travel schedule, but I am planning to be back on the ball from now on... But it is just like my diary/journal I never keep up with either.

Ok, so now that Sen. Barack Obama has finally won the delegates needed to secure the DNC's Presidential nomination, the question burning on everyone's mind is, "Who is he going to pick as his running mate?" A good question at that, but no simple answer... In a historic move we finally have an African American nominee, but can we even go one better and have another minority- a woman for VP. Is this country ready for it? I shudder to think... personally I think it is the right time and as Obama's campaign has always said it is time for a change.

In a world where other first and third world countries have had women leaders, like Margaret Thatcher, Benazir Bhutto and Indira Ghandi, a female VP is something that should be considered inevitable here in the US. Now do I think Mrs. Clinton has a lot to offer, yes I do. All of her supporters would be happy for her to serve in the White House, I am sure. But, do I think that she would be the first choice for Presidential Candidate Barack Obama, hell naw. With all the mudslinging that has been taking place since this campaign has been going on, I would not blame him. I am sure there could have been some dignified way to compete, but history has shown that is usually not the case when it comes to politics.

I am of the opinion that the party however, is going to strongly suggest to Presidential Candidate Barack Obama that he choose Mrs. Clinton as his running mate...Would this be good for the party yes it would... and I have been saying for the past year or so that them running together would be the best thing and ensure a win for the Democrats. Now after having sit back on the sidelines for the most of the campaign and kept somewhat mum on the subject, I think it is time for me to speak my piece.

I am however very fearful for Presidential Candidate Obama(yes I like saying it, if you haven't realized that yet), I am of the mind that he is at risk of being assassinated, like JFK. I shouldn't be putting it out in the universe, but I am genuinely concerned for his welfare... and hope that people can let him do what is qualified to do-rule this country.

Well with that off my chest, see you on the next go round...

I have chosen to let my creative side step out a little bit more this year and wanted to share a piece that I had somewhat penned a couple years ago and fine tuned recently. Let me know what you think...


"Six Pack Loving"

Mr. Oh So Fine too good to speak
With your milk chocolate complexion
and perfect white teeth, psst
why don't you lift up that shirt...
and let me have a peek.
A peek at what? you say
That fine chiseled, complex network
of your abdominal muscles
that culminate in what is commonly known
as your "six pack".

That level of definition I know
takes alot of work, and your
dedication to its craft, ooh a
joy to behold, a joy to be held
by you with that magnificent
body of smooth ripples touching my skin
There is nothing quite like
some of your "six pack" loving.

You inspire me to go to the gym
and do the same, not quite yet,
but what I enjoy the most, are the thoughts
you generate, oh what a shame!
Those shameful thoughts that
shamelessly happen to cross my
mind and are very readable on my face,
a response that I cannot
control or even want to, should I?

Your virile touch sends me into a state,
a state that can only be sated by a
generous dose of your six pack loving...
And although we might sit and chill and
shoot the breeze over a six pack about
this and that, and your "six pack"
but its really your "six pack" loving that I'm craving.

So instead of going to a couple of events, birthday parties and the BLSA banquet, after a very long day at work (mind you I don't usually go in on Fridays), I chose to stay home and spend some quality time with my godson and my goddaughter, who I love dearly and treat as the kids I probably will never have... My godchildren are very precocious and like their, aunt have their opinions about the things that are going on around them...

So I cooked some curry chicken and channa and alloo with roti (that was for your benefit Ms. HILA) and we had some sweet potato pie for dessert with butter pecan ice cream,(sooo in violation of my claorie counting diet), anyway I digress, we sat down to play a very loud and boisterous game of monopoly. After playing for about 15-20 mins. my godson had landed on the just visiting part on the jail spot on the board and then said on his next turn, "See ya later Kwame Kilpatrick, I was just visiting!'. LMAO Needless to say I was on the floor with tears in my eyes, then he landed on the chance spot and got the card, 'go to jail, go directly to jail...', he then says to me and his sister, 'Oh no I can't be like Kwame Kilpatrick here is my $50, I need to get out of jail fast'. LOL Hilarious! For anyone who has heard about and is aware of the details surrounding the scandal that the Mayor of Detroit is in... you can understand the hilarity of the situation.

We as adults, nurturers, caregivers, leaders etc, have a responsibility to teach our young ones. They are watching and observing everything that we do and we need to pay close attention to what example we are leaving with our kids. They understand a whole lot more than we give them credit for, especially the things that they are exposed to in the media. My godson is only ten and he understood the details and being the jokester that he is felt the need to poke fun, even when he was stealing money from the monopoly bank.

I don't have to go out every night to have fun and a few laughs, nope I sure don't, I can spend quality time with a couple of smart kids and have a great time!!

It is the first day of spring and it was a beautiful sunny day, but nevertheless still too cold for me to really enjoy it like I should. Easter is right around the corner and I still won't be able to go outside without a jacket/coat, why you say, cause it is supposed to snow tomorrow and the day after that... Go figure, I live in in MI and have done so for the past decade, so I should know better. We have been know to have snow all the way up until June sometimes.

Ok so I lost my zeal to finish this post and had to go to sleep... snuggling under the covers with an over sized stuffed monkey would make you want to go to sleep too, right? Anyway so I have been doing some research on this whole "green" movement for a friend and it would stand to reason that we are all to blame for this shift in weather patterns, hence the reason snow every other day or so it seems. When I think of spring, I think of sunny days with cool brisk breezes and flowers blooming all over, the birds chirping, the leaves finally being back on the trees, cotton candy, Easter treats, chocolate bunnies etc. Now I have seen some of it, but I need more. Is that me being greedy or is it just time for me to stop being SAD( Seasonal Affective Disorder) Yes folks from time to time I do self-diagnose, and in my case usually I am right. Having grown up in a land of sea, sun and fun, the dreary Michigan winters can be quite trying. The endless cloudy, gray days, where you are hard pressed to get out of the bed to brush your teeth much less eat and get to work on time... entirely too much, I usually have to ponder for a while first, hit the snooze button a couple times and then I can sense the urgency to get up.


Don't get me wrong there are some things that I do really like about the winter weather. And by far one of the best things is the coats and jackets that keep us all so warm and cozy, and make us look so trendy and fashion forward. For those of you who know me well, you can attest to the fact that I love to shop. It is an experience like no other (sigh)... I am what you would call a bargain hunter, a cost effective sista with caviar and champagne taste on some welfare cheese and saltines budget...I make it work and i think I do look awfully nice at times. My favorite purchase this season was a new walking/car length coat, in a grey, yellow and almost pale olive green hounds tooth. I love it and could not find my size here in MI, so what did I do? Looked for it in NYC and eureka! I found it. The state of Euphoria I was in, boy oh boy... Had not planned on finding it so as to accommodate my carry on luggage on the way back I had to wear my new coat, but it worked out just lovely, until I got on the plane i.e. and was told that my carry on luggage was still to big to fit in the overhead compartment...LOL c'est la vie, especially when you have found a good bargain...

So even though I may bitch and moan about the snow and the weather, I have to smile inwardly, cause all this stuff just gives me another excuse to wear my new coat...

OK, so first let me apologize for the unusually long header/title for this post, it just seemed to be the most appropriate. And secondly it really does not have anything to do with the Sex Text Scandal currently heating up the sound waves here in D-Town, but don't be surprised if it gets mentioned at some point. At this point I shall have to put a small disclaimer in right here,this post is not meant to hurt or harm anyone in particular in any which way or form, if you find that the text mentions people, places and events that might seem relevant to a situation or yourself, please don't let it consume you... It's not about you (or your crew), it's just my observations...

Over the years I have had some very interesting dating experiences, and from time to time as I work through "poppin some bubbles" in my life, you are going to hear about some of them, but for right now we will just concentrate on the present post at hand. 'To Text or Not to Text...', found its place in cyberspace thanks to a very clear reminder that I got yesterday when I received a text and my phone promptly alerted me that I had used up 87% of my allowed text storage. Well this particular text that I received came from someone who I am not so sure I even need/want to/deserves a response. I have not been out on a date in more than a year, so correct me if I am wrong, but don't people still call and ask each other out? Well I was still under that impression about a month ago, until a certain young man invited me out via text... Ding ding ding! That should have been the light bulb right there, going off in my head with the loud noise of an alarm. Anyway, I accept this invitation to go out and then the conversation started about what we were going to do and where we were going to go (all via text), so I was told whatever you decide is fine.

Being the cost effective sista that I am, I found something that I thought might be fun to do and not cost too much. A movie at the DIA, "Honeydripper" with Danny Glover, an excellent movie I might add, and refreshments in the cafe, and then later on to the Erotic Art show and possibly dinner at Berts. Now this was all decided upon two days before the date, at least the first part, which the person said was cool. So now the day of the date arrived and I had not spoken to my date, so I decided to call to confirm, there was no answer, so of course unlike most, I left a message, a very detailed one at that, with all the particulars for the evening. I even did one better, I attempted to use the preferred method of communication 'text' to see if I would get a response... Alas, no luck and it soon became apparent that I was being stood up. Needless to say, I still had a great time at the movie, art show and late night dinner, minus my date, thanks to a couple of married friends who decided they would be my dates...

But the tale does not end there, for we must get to the most recent text message... So, two weeks after being stood up, this person sends me the standard text line that every guy seems to have pre-saved, "What's up? What are you doing tonight?" I was immediately incensed, after standing me up, not returning my phone call, and basically ignoring me for two weeks, this person, decided that they would contact me, via text no less, to make plans for that very night. At the time I was doing some paperwork with a friend, she saw the incredulous look on my face and after explaining the situation to her, she asked "are you going to respond to that?" The answer is yes folks, I did respond...however, I did let that person know in an ever so nice way how I felt about them standing me up and the situation in general, via text of course... claims were made, "oh you never called, I didn't get any msgs. from you, etc, etc..." Surprise, surprise, we have not made it out on a date yet, but didn't I get a text last night, "What's up? What are you up to?" (A slight variation of the standard text line) Amazing, men are amazing, is this a blindspot that they are just not trying to acknowledge as they cruise along dating? Ok dudes, let me break it down for you, texting me shows me how little you think of me, so I am not going to take you seriously if your preferred method of communication is text messaging... it reeks of laziness, (sloth is one of the seven deadly sins) and further proves my hypothesis for my thesis paper that, "the whole video gaming industry has a significant role to play in the diminishing of effective communicative skills among the male population between the ages of 7 thru 45" You might say that texting has absolutely nothing to do with video games, but lets think for a moment, picture in your mind if you will a person who is texting and a person who is playing a video game on whichever gaming system... hmmm? See the similarity, there are non verbal communications taking place here, and lets not forget the uttered expletives when you have just made a mistake or lost a game. Who are they talking to? Themselves? What's the response? I seriously think that the lack of communication skills required for gaming has affected the ability of men to effectively communicate, much less to communicate with someone they are attempting to date.I think that it is in poor taste to try to date someone and only communicate via text. Part of what attracts one person to another is the voice, the tone, the timbre, the accent. At least for me that plays an important part in determining if I want to date person. Barry White was sexy to me, let's see had he been alive today, I wouldn't want him to text me, no Barry, I would need you to call me...

I would love to say that this most recent incident was my first experience, but sadly to say within the last three years I have found this to be very commonplace and I am sure this is not going to be the last... Well I gotta go now, but wait... lol you are not going to believe this, I just got another text...until next time, take care of you!

So much like my journalling, I have been remiss in posting to my blog, but somehow the level of guilt is not the same when I don't blog... anyhoo, like the title says it has been some very long days of late and very short nights. Attempting to get alot of work done and succeeding at failing so well. It is no wonder that I have had and currently still have the same headache for the past two days... As much as I would like to get drugged up and go sleep it off, it didn't seem to work yesterday so why even bother, I doubt it will work now.

Sex scandals seem to be the order of the day in the media now, both locally and on a national level. Now I can't seem to fathom why some reasonably intelligent males who propose to do so much good for their constituents, could be so addled brain to think that they could get away with what they did. The former Gov. S (for Sex) pitzer, (yes unlike some others he has stepped down), is independently wealthy and should survive this, but on a local level I am not so sure what is going to happen. Is it like Jay Z says, "It's the power of the P-U-S-S-Y, that's why every N***a in the world dress fly..." ? Help me here people? This type of scandal has seemed to plague our elected officials through the decades and one can't seem to learn from the other. The old adage says, "What goes up, must come down," and What goes on in the Dark, will come to Light" With the dawn of the technological age, I am not sure why anyone thinks they are safe anymore from scrutiny... even us as private citizens.

Now I have always maintained that K2 was either too dumb or too drunk on power to be thinking straight. When you know you are not liked by many, why would you do or say anything in print or over the airwaves that might be construed as suspect... It amazes me in this day and age where there are so many pick up and go phones (the commercial is catchy-"Ay, Oh let's go"), cricket, metro PCS, etc., etc... Why is it then that K2 could not support his habit/drug of choice, privately. Corporations who give their employees phones, have codes of conduct for cell phone usage in their policy manuals and have always maintained that it is their property. The corporation here is the city and so it stands to reason that the phone belongs to us all. Why not buy a phone, a dedicated line so that you could conduct your personal affairs on that level and not on the backs of the taxpayers? But whoever has it out for K2 (the conspiracy theory he has intimated) sure has a good poker face, cause it has been six years in the making...Now on to the former, Gov. S (for Sex) pitzer, a man who planned on cracking down publicly on the same people he was funding, it is interesting how he was caught. Now this is what I heard on the news, (anyone who knows me, knows I am addicted to the news), anyway, it was reported that his banks noticed that he was transferring funds alot from different accounts and moving stuff around and making payments and suspected him of taking bribes, so they alerted the IR service people. Is that really their job? I am just curious? who's paying the fees here?

Anyway, the good book says, "He who is without sin let him cast the first stone..." I am by no means a saint (I was born on All Saints Day, Novemebr 1st, so I tend to think so myself), if you did it, you did it, admit it and move on, but what I cannot fathom/understand is the denial and the grandstanding. Accusers usually don't accuse w/o proof (of insurance)that they won't get into trouble). Do I empathize/sympathize with their wives? Nope, not really, I cannot relate to the situation for one, and secondly they both knew what they were dealing with and chose their own path, to "stand by their man" so to speak...It takes strength to do what they are doing, don't know if I could be the one... Must be some long days and short nights for them too...

Contrary to what is the norm, I am trying to wind down from a very busy weekend, I find myself in need of a nap. It's Monday, and unlike everyone else I am not busy at work, but I am busy, I have so much work to catch up with it isn't funny. I had a plan for how my weekend was going to go, and needless to say it didn't quite work out that way, for various reasons. The most of which included me being in a kitchen, cooking for everyone else other than myself...but nevertheless, I found some time to attend services and that was refreshing and interesting... Usually we wind down on the weekend, not so for me this weekend, and here it is that I am trying to wind down on Monday morning, oh shame!

It's one of those lazy, rainy days too! Ooh boy no wonder I feel like just crawling back into the bed, pulling the covers over my head and going back to sleep... that's what I like to do to wind down, to the point where it has become addictive. Sleep is my drug, I feel like I can never get enough... And for someone who only gets it in spurts, any sleep is something you treasure. What do you do to wind down? Bath, Candles, glass of wine???

OK ! So this is the first time I have ventured into the world of blogging and I am still a bit skeptical about putting myself out there (or I guess out here) like this, but here goes... It is the first day of March 2008, a significant year for that matter, why? Cause yesterday was the 29th of February, its a 'Leap' Year! Taking the 'Leap' of faith this year was, Ms. Lauri Ann Gibson, by launching her singing career, who is the inspiration for the whole idea that Soapy Bubbles needs her own blog, by the way... Now don't get me wrong, I happen to love Lauri Ann myself, that sista can dance her tooshie/ass off, but I was mortified when I first saw her music video some weeks ago and had to call Yassi to vent, I was like WTF! Is this stuff for real? Now don't get me wrong the choreography was da bomb, but the music and the lip synching were awful. It took me back some and as much as I love to give people their props, this was a flop... I love you Lauri Ann, but unlike the other dancer chick who connected herself with a certain record mogul (SJC), this first song is not cutting it. You had the right recipe for succcess but I have no idea what went wrong, and trust me it did somewhere along the line... Like I have been saying since 11:59 pm on 12.31.07, "It's going to be great, in '08!", and greatness will follow you too Lauri Ann, just keep on doing your thang, dancing i.e.

Anyway, I need to continue with the rest of my day and making my lists of things to do and budgeting, yes it is the first of the month, bills must be paid, so keep reading and feel free to comment or just hit me up to say hi or whatever... and remember to always take care of you, (I had to learn how to do that last year, but that's another blog altogether).
Laters!

SB