One of the best medicines...

My day went really well today! It started with me waking up and just kind of laying there...resting a few more minutes, and then doing the same thing again. Then I got up, climbed down from my bed (loft bed) and into my room to start the day. And what a start it was...I was online for a minute, and then decided to finish off the Neverending Story II.

What a parade of cheesiness!

The first one, although I have seen it maybe twice and well over fifteen years ago, (I have a really good and VIVID memory, for the most part) was so much more in depth I think. This one kind expanded on it with resonant themes of courage and the preciousness of memories, but fell short overall with the "Dad" in the movie changing and being quite as available. It was more along the lines of a high budget after school special than a sequel to an 80's epic. So then I went on to work...that went well overall, but there was a little confusion at the beginning, because another co-worker was there and only one of us works on saturdays. I stayed, and it definitely helped with the day because while I was there, I put my phone on craigslist. So now I feel like the big man on campus again because all kinds of folk are calling me. So tomorrow I will make the decision on who I will let buy the phone or what I will trade it for. Right now, some of the offers include a Sprint Moto Q9C, Blackberry Pearl or Curve, Treo, or Rant. The Rant is offered with a PSP as well. So we shall see.

On a serious note, please keep a rapper by the name of R-Swift in your prayers. He and his wife just lost their baby son. May Christ keep them in mouning and sorrow as only He can. Joy comes in the morning...but sometimes the nighttime can last a while...

Work?

Have you ever had a day where you didn't technically "work," but the day seemed just as busy? Today was definitely one of those days. I went to an interview for a job with Pearson Education as a test scorer. An hour later, I had the job! Most definitely good news, as I will now be officially retiring my credit balances in a month and a half...just watch! So then, I was going back towards U.S. Expwy. 75, and I called my Mom to get an update on Arlean's project situation. She and her friends had been working on a project for class, but couldn't get the DVD to play on anything else, so they were looking for a cord. She gave me the update, and I said that I would check on a cord for them. So I was on my way to Microcenter. (think a Best Buy without the glitz) I searched for a half-day sub job. The only one that was available was in Richardson, which was fine, but was for an aide position, which was not. So my Mom said I could "work" for her for the day, delivering paperwork and picking up checks.

I went to a few places and picked up paperwork and one out of two checks. Hopefully I will be able to get the other one today. Then I came home to help Arlean get ready for her campout. It is always an adventure watching Arlean pack things for a campout. I suppose I lack insight, but I don't see why anything more than a sleeping bag and backpack is necessary for a weekend trip. So then I had to wait on picking up my student because my Dad had gone to the landromat. He had gone without telling me, which is fine overall, except for the fact that I told I needed to pick my student up. About another half hour later he came, and my first student did as well. We got down to business, continuing to review for the upcoming Science TAKS. Then about 45 minutes later, my second student came, and I tutored them simultaneously with the second student working on preparation for Math TAKS. We worked for like three hours, with me talking a brief pause to prove to them that I could cook. I made some pasta out of the bag, but had to improv because I didn't have any chicken bosom (breast! lol...) to cook with. So I used turkey slices and scallions. As for the taste? Well let's just say that now they KNOW! They left at around 11:20 and so now the time is official for slumber...! Talk to you all soon...time to take my place amongst the clouds...in dreamworld.

De-regulatory challenges...but still I rise

Apparently I lost a follower, so now I am down to a faithful two...steady on though! Today was a serious challenge, as I am seriously near my wits end with the Sprint corporation. Their latest lie is that they never offered an early cancellation for our phones. That just simply isn't the truth...

I will post on that more soon, but I don't want to slumber on a sour note. But this is not the last you will hear of this. The cell phone industry needs some dire regulations for consumers to be protected from fraudulent claims by the cell phone company. Think about it, if I work for a cell phone company, and promise you a new phone on a defective product, but never deliver on it, what current mechanism is in place to provide support for your claim of replacement of the product? Perhaps that would be a nice piece of legislation that would provide a change that all could believe in.

On a better note, I made more progress on my promotional materials, and I hope to be done with prototypes by the weekend. Additionally I also sent e-mails for distribution inquiries for my own shirts. Grind without ceasing...!

I am going to go pray now...

Shalom to all!

Band director for a day...!

Today was a good day. I am making more moves in getting the marketing materials ready, and I spoke with the great Dr. James again today. She was excited for me with the position, so that was an additional encouragement. I talked to my good friend today, Rakeeba, who just laid down some vocals for an intro to a website. She sent me the file, and when it finally came through, I listened to it and liked it! It will be cool to see how that progresses because she is a phenomenal telent!

I subbed for a band director today and that was cool. Then I went to the library, re-checked my materials then rode my bike home. Later on in the evening, I tutored my students for a few hours and then came on home. I am mondo tired but want to highly recommend two mixtapes that I have recently copped. One is the Jabee mixtape, which you can find on the Soulmana blog, www.soulmana.com and the other is the Believin' Stephen mixtape. You can just google both, and you can also find the Believin' Stephen 'Perseverance' mixtape on illspot.net

I really hope to discuss Attorney General Holder's comments about America and her bravery in regards to race relations, but for now I really must sleep.

Clouds in my head, clouds in my bed...

Good news!

Hello everyone!

Today has been a good day indeed. We made it to church during Sunday School where brother John Peter spoke on living out the righteousness made possible to us from God through Jesus Christ! It was such an encouragement to me because that is one of the main things I am trying to work on in my own faith walk. There was no 'space junk' this week, so after church we went to the 99 cent only store. This store is really awesome because they have so many deals there...they even sell food. I bought some essentials (remember we are still on the "no purchase anything besides essentials" month) and then we headed home. At the store, I bought sub bread because I wanted to make a sub sandwich like my Mom used to do for us when we were younger. So I needed cheese as well as mayonnaise and asked my Dad if we had any. He did, but I guessed I asked him too many times about it, doubting that we really had that at the house. When we got back, he went to work, going through drawers on the counters as well as in the fridge. It was hilarious, because the mayonnaise were packets he found in our miscellaneous drawers and then the cheese were obscure bits of cheese or packets that I could not even see if the refrigerator. All the while, he was semi-shouting, IS THIS CHEESE? ISN'T THIS MAYONNAISE...YOU CAN PUT MAYONNAISE WITH RANCH...YOU CAN IT PUT WITH BLUE CHEESE...and other random tidbits. I am going to miss random outbursts like that when I move to Miami.

So on to the good news, I am now the marketing representative for Metroplex Screen Printing. I will be drafting new promotional materials to send to various businesses to gain new business. This company is by far the best screen printing business I have done business with so if you want people with integrity, quality and results, Metroplex Screen Printing is definitely the company to go with. www.metroplexscreenprinting.com

I think I will be feeling political tomorrow, so look out for that. I just hope I have enough time to post, because with me, you already know it will be a mouthful!

And now a pictorial depiction of where my mind is about to travel...

Fresh beginnings...

So blogwise, I definitely stunk it up this week as I posted late, had other posts post to the next day and things like that. Just more reasons in my mind to keep me really looking forward to my Sprint contract terminating. (I still need to write on that whole debacle!) Yet the week saw some other really cool things, like me coming with some really good ideas, a great meeting that I just came back from, as well as the "Perseverance Mixtape" by Believin' Stephen. Finally another mixtape has cracked my top 10...and maybe my top 5. This CD has been a serious encouragement to me in my walk of faith this week and I look forward to it being a steady part of my musical diet.

I saw an interesting dialogue between Dr. Dyson and Pat Buchanan that I will comment on more tomorrow, but for now we all should rest peacefully, and that will be made easier with a soothing picture of a cloud.

Good things are happening...

This post will be short, but I had to share some more with you all. Today was a good day, although it started off on the hectic track, I slept somewhat late, and tardiness of my morning awakiness was exacerbated when my Mom couldn't find her keys for probably a good seven minutes. Things were going in a pretty quick motion and I would have been on time to work were it not for that. I wasn't though, and walked in one minute late to the classroom, ready for the day. Overall, I think the students' behavior are improving, but I need to keep my foot down for it has become apparent that so many students have an unfortunate 'entitle addiction.' One student decided to put his addiction on full display though as he decided to literally keep asking me could he go to the bathroom. Now I am so anti-petty it isn't even funny, plus I am convinced that I have a small bladder. So when it comes to the bathroom, I am not the one to prolong a trip to the john. On the other hand, when I tell you to "wait," I do mean more than five seconds later. So when he asked three to four additonal times about his going to the bathroom within two minutes after the second time when he had asked and I told him to "wait or you won't go during this period," I told him that he could not go to the bathroom. Well then he then decided that he would go on to the bathroom without permission! Upon his return, I sent him to the office and when he returned, there seemed to be a change in his demeanor. I just can never get to the point where someone half my age is going to run a classroom that I am in charge of! Regardless of who their parents are or what they do or don't at home, it will not work when I am in charge...

Gotta run to bed now, thanks for the space to "woosah" verbally...I must arise early on the 'morrow, and thus I bid you adieu.

Work and outrage...not over work though....

So I fell asleep kind of early, and I have just awakened at 3 this morning, but hopefully it will post for Wednesday. Today went well, I was with my kids at the intermediate school today and overall it went well. We worked on "area" worksheets, and then they had a "packet-o-fun" to do. The packet wasn't that much probably fun, as it was just more work in reality, but the title was nice. I had a good day today at work and sold another membership. The lady was so cool and she was interested in my Obama t-shirts, so that was cool. I have got to continue to work on a way to sell the rest of those t-shirts. I still have so many, LOL!

I am going to keep today's post really short, but I would be seriously remorse if I didn't bring to light a situation I became aware of yesterday. In a serious attempt, I will try to remain journalistically objective, but given my history it is somewhat hard for me. In Oklahoma, Isaac Onaolapo, was apparently the victime of police brutality. Check out the video of his account at www.soulmana.com, and PLEASE give serious thought to voicing your support of legislation for police officers being required to have a dash cam on their car. Although there is undeniable proof that racism is involved, it doesn't just stop with the minority population. Think of your sister or daughter being stopped late at night by an officer who followed the letter of their own law. Wouldn't you want them protected? I am headed back to bed, but thank you in advance for expanding your mind in regards to this situation as well your spirit...PRAY!


A cloud for your day...

I will figure it out!

So I really need to check my settings, because I started that last post on Monday...as in an hour ago. Nevertheless, because I finished on "Tuesday," it has posted as Tuesday. In the past, it has saved from where you started it. I will figure it out before midnight today.

This is officially Tuesday's post! I hope...

So today, (Tuesday) went well. I woke up kind of early again...but this time I found a different tune. This morning, I was a Michael and Janet Jackson mode, and it seems I got the best of both worlds with the song, "This can't be good." The song is one of the smoothest Michael Jackson songs that I have ever heard. There is a Janet Jackson version which is equally impressive because Janet is actually SINGING on the song. Her voice is decent I think, but so often she just seems to be singing, so it was cool to actually hear her singing. After the euphoric audio experience, I topped it off with a song I had heard on Holy Culture Radio, but hadn't heard since. I knew that one of favorite singers, JR, sang the hook, and it talked about the relief of resting in Jesus. Well the song was actually called "Relief," so I also played that quite a few times this morning. You'd think after good music like that, especially "Relief," that my day would be just dandy, right? But alas...

The day started off in an interesting fashion. There was nothing really dramatic, just kids who didn't listen for the first several periods. The name calling, and flat out disrespect began to really wear on my nerves. It would be one thing if the substitute was rude and callous, but come on guys, it's me! The first two periods averaged probably about ten names on the board, so yes, I suppose the first part of the day was an adventure. The names on the board was crazy because of the number of times I give second chances to students. Now some might view this as me being a pushover, but I choose to look at it as an extension of grace as well as trying to model the parenting style of my Mother in particular. She has always been the Queen of second chances, but with us, we were actually grateful for those second chances and didn't waste them. I can't quite say the same for many of my students. Nevertheless, I will stay on the battlefield...providing discipline, compassion, and instruction to one hardhead at a time!

My second job at the gym went pretty well also. Nothing much happened, but I did get to look some valuable information on working towards my next degree. I believe it will be a Master's in Health Care Administration. Only time and a multitude of dollars and studying will tell. Well I think I am going to try and catch up on some sleep, perhaps I will listen to the Sounds of Blackness as I slumber...

P.S. For those who have not checked them out, please do so, they were one of the first groups I listened to, and I wore that CD out!

Here is another cloud installment...

Presidents. work, and applying for work

I think we will be back on track now...this post is for Monday!

I planned to get a great deal done today since I was not going to be going to work. I somewhat accomplished that. I woke up super early, kind of just laid there and then climbed down the ladder of my bed to my computer to start applying for more jobs. It was so ironic though, for as I was filling out an application and I was filling out the part about my current job, my current job called me, at 7:30 in the AM! It was all good though, it kind of made me laugh. I don't mind calls at weird hours, you never know when someone may really need you. A little while later though, I was ready to go back to bed and I did. I think I slept for like two or three hours. Then I got back up and started cleaning up the living room, as tax time has made the area busy to say the least. My students had said they wanted to be tutored, so I continued cleaning but also tried to contact them. Initially, I didn't reach them so I left voicemails. Then I called my Grandma Franciel, and we caught up on what is happening down in Miami. Apparently, she didn't know definitively that I was coming to live there, but now she does! Her Cadillac has died, so now she is in the hunt for a new car. I believe she is done with luxury vehicles, and now wants to focus on storage ability, so we have suggested the Dodge Caravan Stow n' Go, which allows storage in the panels of the car. We had a really good conversation and it was a boost to my day. Then I got back on the computer and altered my real estate settings to Miami instead of Baltimore. (I really need to sell some shirts now!) My students arrived soon after, and we went to the backyard to clean up more.

The backyard is really getting there. We moved more bricks and I revved up the lawnmower to do some mowing which really helped to make things look better. The other day when my students and I were stacking bricks in the backyard, I thought in my head how cool it was to build a miniature seat/throne out of bricks, and I think I am actually going to do it. It is pretty cool to actually think about doing outside of work instead of just wondering, how long until I go inside? Although I have always been willing to help with outside work, my brother Jahmicah has always been more inclined to outdoor projects. I doubt I will ever pass him, but at least it is a start. I don't really even want to pass him, but I do want to get to a point of proficiency. After the backyard, I briefly went back to the job search and applied for a position at the Miami Jewish Homes and Hospital of Douglas Gardens. I hope to hear back from them soon.

Work at the gym, went well. I sold a membership! It had been awhile so that was good news. Before I went to work though, I went to the library to turn in the movies I had checked out. "Legacy" was one, and the other was the original "Manchurain Candidate." I loved both, but original was certainly darker. What I found especially cool in the movie was some of the imagination used. For example, in one scene where Raymond Shaw is commanded to shoot a comrade he does so, and instead of showing the actual shot take place, the film creatively just shows a patch of blood staining the wall from the shot. I thought effects like this were very forward for the time. Plus, I am a really big Angela Lansbury fan, and it was kind of crazy to see her in such a domineering light. So I turned that again and checked out "Mothman Prophecies" and "The Neverending Story II." I really wanted the first Neverending Story, but will have to settle on the second one for now. I don't think I have ever seen the second. You know what they say about sequels...hopefully this one won't be true, but I have a feeling...

This is my second installment of my cloud pictures...

A better Sunday...mash up mash up!

So apparently my saturday post posted on sunday...and my sunday post had saved for today. I am going to finish the sunday one and do Monday's today also...

This Sunday I woke up determined to do better than last weeks setbacks of tardiness and almost missing all of church. The determination paid off, as I was closer to being on time for Sunday school. Maybe next week I will make it to the beginning of service! The service went well, but before that, Arlean and I saw what looked like a meteor shooting through the sky. It felt like we were watching a movie in front of our eyes. Apparently though, it was space junk from the satellites colliding. From what I hear, it did not land but just burned up. That was probably one of the strangest happenings in my life...thus far.

After church, Arlean and I headed back towards home with a few stops along the way. I stopped by the Williams' home to drop off a t-shirt, but alas no one was home. I had a HUGE crush on Jennifer Williams in high school, so it would have been funny and cool to see her and her sister, but perhaps another time. Then we stopped by the Elkhalid household, and it is just an absolute treat anytime we see them. They are hands down one of my favorite families on the planet. It was also a literal treat as well as Mrs. Elkhalid treated us to some cupcakes.

After that, I went to get some paper work for my Mom, and while driving saw my old boss, Mrs. Jaclynn. I love it when random things like that happen. I then returned home and went next door to give my neighbor's Josh and Katy my most recent business cards. They are certainly on the favorite list too, and I could and do spend hours just talking with them. For Josh and I, our favorite thing to talk about is politics. To be honest, I am still somewhat unsure of my political affiliation, but one things I do know is that if more Republicans (and Democrats for that matter) were like him, then the world would TRULY be a better place. I have a definite affinity for people who think (even if we don't necessarily agree) and aren't content to be spoonfed their stance on issues through a filtered lens, Josh is that guy. So we talked for a good while and their kids showed me their Mary and Jesus figurines. They were pretty cool!

I then went to pick up Arlean from her Girl Scout meeting. The rest of the night, I pretty much chilled out. I decided though that I would begin to start to share one of favorite things with you all. Anyone who has known me pretty well or who might possibly stalk me on facebook, knows that one of my new favorite things to do is take pictures of clouds. I don't know what it is about them, but they just brighten up my day literally and I believe help me to look beyond the temporal in a way. It is hard to explain, but I am just grateful for these magnificent signature of handiwork by the Bishop of my soul. I will try to share one daily. Enjoy!

Forgetfulness, The Dump, & heart shaped pizzas...

Helloooo everybodddyyyy!!!! Can anyone guess where that line is from? Today has been a good day. It started off somewhat rushed as I woke up super early for no particular reason. It was five something in the morning, so I started cleaning up, or straightening up my room. I am not sure if it will ever be completely clean, at least here at my parents house. It is much smaller than my apartment in D.C., so I do not have as much room as I need for my bookshelves. Someday it will happen, but for now it will have to just stay 'straightened up.' After straigtening up, it was time to go to work, but I needed to send my Cousin Kevin a t-shirt, so I went to the post office to send it, but in my rush, I forgot the actual shirt right on the couch at home. It sure does not pay to rush! So I went on to work, put in my four hours, and then came on home. At home, my youngest sister wanted to go help a friend decorate her boyfriend's truck. So I took her over there...more than an hour later, the surprise was complete. The whole thing was somewhat silly to me, but I am not a young woman, so I see things quite differently. Why would you need help decorating a truck? Can't you do it yourself? Girls this age seem to want to do things in pairs though, so I guess that is as close to understanding as I will come.

I then decided to rest, so I laid in my bed and began calling friends and family to express the day's greetings. Among the highlights were my call to Sis, (Queshia Bradley) to whom I sung the eighties' song 'Too shy' by Kajagoogoo. She loves eighties music and I sang that chorus full out! It was great. Another was me calling Melly Mel, (Melanie Holes...she is in the bottom right hand corner of this picture) and we got to catch up on the happenings in both of my lives. She had me in stitches!!! Mel is so funny and it was awesome to catch up to her. Our crew from Howard will hopefully get to reunite this May when I go back to The Mecca to celebrate my Grandma Franciel's jubilee from Howard University. After getting some more rest, I then went to meet my Mom at The Dump, a giant furniture store in Irving near the DFW airport. My Mom planned to get a mattress, but that whole adventure didn't quite work out as my Mom didn't want to buy a memory foam mattress without first consulting with my Dad, who had sent me in his stead. Additionally, before she made that decision, we found out about forty minutes into trying out mattresses, that there were no king mattresses in stock. Would have been nice to know at the beginning! So we left without a mattress and Christine did not get her commission!

I then rushed on to Papa Murphy's to get one of their heart pizzas. I saw that I would be cutting it close, so I called my Dad and had him try to look up the number from off of a coupon on the refrigerator, and just as he was about to give it to me, my phone cut off! All I could do was continue driving, so I did, and I just made it. As it was late into the evening, I received quite a deal on three pizzas. It made my night! Then I went home and cooked the pizzas, except I forgot to modify the time enough, and one of the pizzas was slightly charred. It didn't bother me that much, but I knew that no one else would eat it, so I went to work on that section of the pie. When my Mom came home, she complimented me on what a great job I did on the pizza as she lifted up a slice, the slice was eye level and she said that we saw that I apparently had missed a burnt piece. It was hilarious! The rest of the pizza was really good though, and my Mom bought us Valentine's chocolate cake with ice cream.

The day was certainly full, and so I am off to bed!

P.S. The line was from Super Grover on Sesame Street.

Movies...

So apparently I have stumbled upon a major revelation inadvertently, time travel indeed does not work. The stunt I attempted with changing the time zones to insert the post several hours earlier "yesterday" in another time zone did not work. Even stranger though, is the fact that I did not apparently miss a blog post this week. I suppose I will just chalk it up to providence and maybe me not being quite as tired as I thought one night and keep it moving. In REAL TIME, I woke up at 5:30 this morning for no particular reason, but since I was up, I decided to be productive. So I popped in the movie "Legacy" into my computer. This movie was truly moving. Documentaries are my favorite, but this one is heading to the top of the list. I love following the lives of others, and consider myself intentional about being involved in the lives of others. Not so I can simply say that I am, but because people really interest me period. Not just Christians. Not just black folk. PEOPLE! Period....and I think it shows. It has not been through any great effort of mine, but through a gift that Christ has blessed me with and also modeled for me mainly through my Mom! Back to the movie though, this film was gripping as I followed the lives of the Collins' family through their trials and tribulations in a Chicago housing project.

So school went well overall today, but I found out that a young man at Wylie High School lost his life in the school parking lot as a result of a motorcycle accident. Please pray for Nicholas Davis' family that they might be comforted during this extremely trying time.

I then went to work this evening at the gym for the first time this week. I will get a few more hours tomorrow so that will certainly help. Gotta keep the dollars circulating.

One interesting tidbit that I wanted to share to further illustrate how far we have to go still as people overall was an incident that happened yesterday. It was somewhat minor in that they weren't anywhere near the scale of ignorance as that of the PG police, but they still acted out of turn. My students were on their way to my house and on my street when they were pulled over by the police. When the officer asked him to produce his license, he complied and everything checked out. She said she stopped them because they were 'suspicious' and then bid them on their way, but it sat very wrong with me. Now what is suspicious about two clean cut black teens that are on their way to tutoring? Might it be the fact they happened to be in the "old" part of town and weren't one of the six black families that live in our subdivision. The whole thing seemed suspicious to me, yet I am glad my students got a taste of what they need to be vigilant of. Whether in Chicago, Wylie, New York City, or Plano, there will be many police officers who do not operate according to policy and will stop you without reasonable cause. I say this from personal as well as family experience. The greatest weapon against such injustice is patience as well as keeping a level head, even in the midst of ignorance and fear.

Keep marching to Zion...

Time travel

I hope I just "time traveled" somewhat without the expensive machine. I just got up and it is actually five eleven Friday morning so I adjusted the time settings to Antigua time. Antigua...I sure wish I was on an island right now! Not for any particular reason, but just to be on an island. It is an early time to be up, but if feels like I can get more done right now. Today, (as in Thursday) was a good day as I taught the fifth grade recorder class. I believe they learned some important lessons about respect and decorum as I explained to them about gifts and how when someone shares a solo with you, they are sharing that gift. They had to learn that though, as some of the students were talking while others were performing. When that happened though, they had to give a personal apology to the performer. After a while, I think they got the picture. I did not ride my bike to school today, so I asked a teacher if I could get a ride. It was ironic though that I asked for a ride so it would not take a long time to get home, but today it ended up taking longer! It was not without good reason though, she had to correspond with parents in regards to some truly unruly students, and that is putting it lightly.

My students came over today for tutoring and they also helped me out in the backyard, stacking bricks. I think by the end of this month, the patio should be looking pretty nice. Well, it's off to bed now! Nighty night...and don't I have forgotten to tell you all about the Valentine's Day story!

I am going to do it!

Today was a long yet brief day. Long because I have a super easy assignment the rest of this week, (hey, substituting should not be HARD...challenging? Yes, but not hard) but was so tired I almost fell asleep a few times. This was not helped by the fact that I had the best banana cake ever! Thank you Mrs. Kirby...WOW! Later in the evening, I had a bit of a fright when I was about to leave the house, I got a call from the owners at the gym where I work seeing if I was supposed to have been there tonight. Thankfully, I was not. That really would not have been a good look. Well I hope to have a more extensive post tomorrow. I got to share through a series of facebook notes an experience from freshman year that I have to got to tel you all before Valentine's Day.


One other thing, I have something else to put on my to-do list before I move to Miami...a skit! Coach Chacon, Coach Doherty and Mrs. Heath are beyond funny. Think of "The Office" in real life...you just kind of have to experience it...and you soon will. I am ending tonight by listening to this eighties song called "Too shy" by a band called Kajagoogoo. Song=cool Some of the lyrics when you listen closely=creepy I also found out that this band wrote, or at least performed the theme song to the Neverending story. I loved that movie, but thought the Princess had her head shaved...turns out the ponytail was just hidden in the back. "Bastian, call out my name!" I found out today that she actually said "Sebastian" as in the Little Mermaid crab...too bad my hearing isn't as good as my memory.

Concert...

Now that the tornado watch is over, I want to blog about the happenings of today. My sister's Symphonic Band performed beautiful pieces and as soon as I figure out how to set up recorded video, you all will see it. I might have to break down this weekend and buy an additional sound card for this computer. On the Mac side, it is like a 50/50 split trying to get it to play consistently and I think I need a new sound card so GarageBand will work. I really need that to work, so I can start seeing how to make some beats! My students came today to OUR house...definitely a big step in the Dawes' household, and the first of many to come. We hope to see you here soon...

Oh, and be on the lookout for a HUGE interview with an amazing artist...more details soon! And for those who haven't seen it, youtube two things for me. 'Macgruber' and the Mac video. The first will cause you to burn serious calories while laughing your Mullet off! The second, if you are quasi-nerdy and really into art like me, will leave you speechless...

And all that jazz!

So today was a day full of happenings. There were no sub jobs this morning, so I was preparing to work around the house and get stuff done as well as take back the truck, but you know about plans that are made in the Dawes' household...(at least here in Tx.) it never seems to quite happen that way. My Mom needed some help getting out and then wanted to keep the truck one more day so she could buy a mattress from The Dump. For those who don't know, The Dump is a closeout store of name brands that have been reduced drastically. Even with the reduction, the prices are a pretty penny, but the time has come for my parents to have a new bed. I think it has been a good ten years. Alas, today would not be the day though, as I found out to my chargrin, that The Dump was only open on the weekends! So the truck would not be used for that...ok, that was cool with me. It would have been a challenge anyway to make it happen before the store closed. The time comes for me to go to work though, and I cannot find the key! (Key losing has been Achilles' heel for me, and I really bothered when it happens) I am searching all over the house...trying to recall the last few hours and making sure the couch didn't swallow it up. My recollection did not help nor did the couch swallow it, so I made my way to Birmingham on what else, my trusty bike! I arrived there and went to the fourth grade classroom. All I can say is that is what an adventurous day...it was all good, but I noticed a few things overall which I found disconcerting. I seriously will expound on it further, but for now I will say that it certainly takes some people much longer to get used to diversity than others.

Speaking of which, did you all read or hear about the Miley Cyrus situation? This is not and will never be a gossip column, but there are things that happen in pop culture, academia, and world events that I certainly will comment on as I feel fit. Apparently she was at a house party with boyfriend and they took a picture with other "friends," one of them an Asian, and they thought it would be cool to make slanted eyes in the picture. That did not go over too well with the Asian community, and they demanded an apology. She did so, but in Hollywood fashion. Here was the first apology.

"Ive also been told there are some people upset about some pictures taken of me with friends making goofy faces! Well, Im sorry if those people looked at those pics and took them wrong and out of context!

In NO way was I making fun of any ethnicity! I was simply making a goofy face. When did that become newsworthy? It seems someone is trying to make something out of nothing to me. If that would of been anyone else, it would of been overlooked! I definitely feel like the press is trying to make me out as the new 'BAD GIRL'!"

I feel like now that Britney is back on top of her game again, they need someone to pick on! Lucky me! haha Anyway, I just wanted to let you guys know what is on my heart. You guys know me and have been by my side every step of the way!

You guys know my heart and know the most important things to me are my friends, family, fans, and GOD! In NO WAY do I want to disappoint any of you! But, when I have made mistakes in the past, I feel like Ive owned up to them and apologized.

Anyway, I really wish everyone would stop focusing on my personal life and get back to focusing on what I love! Music and Acting! Hopefully, I will be touring again this fall! Yayy! =] It will be a nice change to be back out on the road again!"

After she or someone in her camp realized that the first one was a poor attempt at making amends, she released this second one.

"I want to thank all of my fans for their support not only this week, but always! I really wanted to stress how sorry I am if the photo of me with my friends offended anyone. I have learned a valuable lesson from this and know that sometimes my actions can be unintentionally hurtful. I know everything is a part of GOD's ultimate plan, and mistakes happen so that eventually I will become the woman he aspires me to be. Peace and love, Miles"

I write about this again not because I am about gossip, which is more often than not a waste of time. Regardless of your stardom or lack thereof, there should be a certain amount of awareness that should guide your actions. It is tough being under a microscope, but whether the lens are on or off it is essential to always go beyond self. Hopefully this will truly serve as a lesson, but the ironic thing is that she is a Disney star, a giant piece of a company that has come a long way from the racism evident in 'Dumbo.' So it is just surprising that something even remotely close to actions like this would come into her head and seem acceptable. I ran across word of a similar situation at a school I was subbing at here in Wylie where middle school age students were saying that everyone should only speak ENGLISH! Then another student said the Chinese might be cool learn, but then started saying "Ching Chang Chong!" We really need to step it up as torchbearers for the next generation in educating them not only as to what is acceptable, but as to the greatness of many other cultures full of people who don't look like your average face in a textbook, but who had advanced civilizations while others were still literally living in caves.

On the move...

We were really on the move today! First, my Dad and I went to church. Actually, my Dad waited on me for far too long while I attempted to finish this application for a teaching program. I made us late, and really should have listened to him, because the application didn't even fully submit. Bottom line, my priorities were misguided and I should have put church first. The part that I did catch from church went well, and I was able to share a testimony with the congregation. After church, we went to go and take my computer back to the guy from whom I bought it. I think have taken it back a few times too many, yet he is not charging me so as long as the continues, we will be fine. My godbrother had asked to come with my Dad while his Mom had to work during the evening. I think he is at the age where if you don't grant his every wish nor adhere to his every suggestion, then something is seriously wrong...YOU! Needless to say, I don't play
those rules so he and I did not see eye to eye. After church, we went to the Sprint store to replace my Instinct that did not work with what else? Another InSTINK! I got it replaced, but will still be drafting a letter to the FCC to complain about the corporate debacle that is the Sprint corporation. From there, we went on to Marshall's we were exchanging dress pants for me that did not fit...(WAY TOO BIG...lol, yeah right!) While just browsing the shoe section though, I found some size 15 Reebok hexalite shoes for....drumroll please....pa da da da da da da da da da...

$20!!!! (I will post pictures soon...)

Bargains have and always be a big deal to me. Prices have never excited me unless they are clearance...so this was the find of the day.

I thought my students were coming over, but they ended up having to re-schedule for another day. Rest could not come quick enough as I quickly showered, brushed my teeth and greeted my pillow, eager to take on the adventures of the week.

Almost there...

Today was a long yet awesome day. Long because we tackled the clean up green up project in our backyard, but great because I had an awesome ministry opportunity. The clean up green up took literally all day as my Dad and I started off by ourselves gathering rotten wood, clothes that had gotten wet outside. Overall, we made three trips today with a full cab on the inside full of give away things on the inside of the truck. (And yes, if you saw me today, it was a RENTAL!) During the last part of the afternoon, I went and picked my student up from his house, we went back to mine and he helped me out and worked hard the entire time. We got quite a bit done in a short amount of time, so we are literally just a few steps away from being where we need to be. All that is really left is organizing the wood in the very back of the backyard and then tackling the patio and it will definitely look like a new backyard. I don't quite think I can describe the happiness that I am feeling as I see things truly coming together for the good. God is certainly moving in our hearts in ways that we previously had just thought would not happen.

So on to the purple elephant in the room....POLITICS! Although overall I am excited about this historic time, I am disappointed in several things that are happening right now particularly. The vetting process for the most recent nominees seems to be nothing short of a farce. With the technology available in the world, I do not believe for a second that the records regarding tax improprieties were inaccessible. Providing my President the benefit of the doubt, even within the time frame that the vetting process should have taken place, once potential roadblocks became evident, the appropriate action of the nominee's withdrawal should have taken place.

Well that is all I have for now, I am going to take on the day and I encourage you to do the same!
Pictures will come soon...

Productive...and present time!

Today has been a good day. I have been somewhat tired, but the day has nevertheless been productive. It started off with there being no substitute assignments to take, so I got busy in making a reservation for a truck for our family this weekend. The conclusion of the first 'clean up, green up' of the year ends tomorrow. Our goal for tomorrow is to finish the entire backyard. It is getting there, we just need to knock the rest out and organize the rest. I have found it almost scientific personally the the freedom that I feel in my life period when my surroundings are organized. I think better, dream more, and have a clarity in my Spirit that provides a new level of strength on the daily. So it is very important to me that we get this done today.

In a way, I view it as a final gift to my parents for the time being, for when I move to Miami, I will not be able to do things like this on a regular basis. Additionally, it is just an extension of the basic concept of enjoying the things you have been blessed with. We have been blessed with a huge backyard that is actually the biggest in the subdivision, yet we are not able to enjoy hardly any of it due to the volume of ‘stuff’ that is back there. That has bothered me to no end, because until I was like eight or nine we didn’t even have a fence because our backyard was that organized and clean! And although it is true that things change over time, some things should stay the same if not improve even greater. If I can say one thing to you this week, it is this: you own things, things don’t own you! Never let your possessions possess you instead, possess them.

 

I hope to have pictures of the before and after…and while it might not go over well with my siblings or parents for that matter, I believe it is time to help people more by displaying God’s power in our own lives. Just because one might struggle with a particular issue does not make them lesser than another, yet if that area of darkness can be brought into light, then more can be strengthened and encouraged in the mercy, power, and goodness of Christ. There is NOTHING that is too difficult for Him, and the beauty of it is that He acts on our behalf not exclusively through His power, but on equal account of His love. Nevertheless, He expects us to put our faith into action, and that is exactly what I am going to do today. I will catch up you all later. Until then, make your love satellite!

P.S. Is anyone familiar with putting a slideshow on a blog? If so, let me know please!

Flickr

This is a test post from , a fancy photo sharing thing.

Promotion...love of music...t-shirts..etc.

Good evening everyone! I just got back from my friend, Roddy's house. He is my friend, but he is more so one of my brother's best friends and has been since like junior high. I had been promising Jahmicah (my brother) that I would pick up his James Taylor and Sade cd's that he left over there a while ago. Well that promise turned into an extended adventure and I finally got over there to pick up the music and also drop off a shirt to my new friend Jayce who ordered a
Weapons of Mass Construction" shirt, so that was encouraging. I also saw my buddy Brian as well as the newest roommate Chris, who is a cool guy. The other highlight of my night was getting back in touch with my good friend Charles, one of the most hilarious and intellectual people I know...good times.

As I type this, I am listening to the Art of Noise: The Seduction of Claude Debussy. This is one of the coolest cd's that I have ever heard. The artistry and ambient sounds take you on an aural landscape that elevates the mood and relaxes the mind. Maybe one of these days, as I become more proficient in the realm of producing, I could form a tribute band and name it Art of Praise. Who knows?

Anyways, today was a good day, I substituted at the high school and was privileged to see one of the scholastic loves of my life, Mrs. Cindy Anderson. She was one of greatest teachers I ever had and was quite an encouragement in helping me to become a better writer. When I got home I caught up on some much needed rest then had an early dinner. My Dad cooked dinner at literaly seven o' clock this morning. Strange indeed, but it turned out GREAT! He is such a good cook.

My Mom is doing really well with the no spending challenge, and I am sincerely encouraged by that. It is almost as if I feel windows of opportunity starting to open more as we seek to honor God more by being more intentional of what we do and do not spend our resources on.

I am about to go to bed, but I wanted to let everyone know about a really cool event that is happening on Monday February 9th, 2009 at the Rita & Truett Smith library. Please come out and support...

JAZZ=The original American art form!

Progress!

Today was a good day! It started off somewhat ho-hum as I did not have a substitute assignment. So I was going to stay home and get some more stuff done. Well my Mom had other ideas as she thought it would be a good idea for me to drive her to work. I did, and we arrived in decent time, but on the way there, she suggested that I go by this dealership in Mesquite, Trophy Nissan. They have a current promotion where you can purchase a pre-owned vehicle and get the other one for a dollar. So I walked around the lot, talked with the salesman and left....in the same car I came in. I wasn't going to come fifty yards within making anything even close to a decision with that so I really just got some info for my parents.

Time is running out before midnight so I am going to speed it up. This month we are taking place in a challenge that my Mom read about in Reader's Digest. The challenge is to not spend ANY money during that month besides essentials like fresh fruit and vegetables, milk, and toilet paper. So far it is going really well, although my Dad kind of messed up today with buying Little Caesar's pizza. (Maybe he wasn't fully aware of the current challenge!)

My students are making awesome progress on their preparation for the TAKS test. Today we successfully completed 2.5 objectives....we are on a roll! Teaching others is the best feeling.

I want to make the deadline for this blog, but I have to post about one more thing...when you all get a chance type in, "Mac video" there is this breathtaking video done to a song "Again and again" by a group called the Birds and the Bees...amazing! Thirty seconds left...gotta post!

So much for my plans!

So I had my night all planned out, or so I thought. After substituting at a school here in Wylie, (which went well except for one young girl who wanted to test me!) I went to the library, where I gladly turned in my overdue books and paid the fine. I then rode my bike back home, where I made a turkey melt sandwich along with some nachos. (Maybe the olives in the nachos counted as veggies tonight?) I was about to multi-task like I did last night; giving the full blog update and watching a DVD simultaneously, but life had other plans. After the nachos, I talked to my Mom, who had had a very interesting day of her own. She asked me would I go with her to turn in some notes to an office, I said sure, and even offered to take them myself. We ended up going together though, and got to the office while someone else was leaving, so we did not have to call for a code. After turning that in, we went to Office Depot to see about her new laptop which wasn't working properly...

To truncate a long story, they said that they could not fix the laptop tonight but ended up thanks to my Mom's persistence. A similar situation ensued at the Kroger in Plano, where the cashier tried to get a little too feisty over us receiving rain checks for the Mega Savings vegetable deal. They ended up giving us rain checks. When it comes to someone not being true to their word, my Mom is the #1 person to have around. Thankfully this has started to rub off on me.

Unfortunately, tonights adventures left me like fifteen minutes to post tonight, and I don't want it to show up for tomorrow's post. I will continue the updates tomorrow. I have some really cool stuff to share. Until then...good night!

Getting there...

Ok, so I don't think I will get to do the full recap of the day due to the fact that I need to be up early. But it will ok in a sense, because perhaps for a while I will have something significant to say everyday, (I already feel I do) because I will not have finished my the full spectrum of my thoughts from the day before. Before I get to yesterday's happenings though, let me quickly cover Saturday's happenings. My friend, Raquiyba, came into town to visit me for a day trip and we havd a great time. We went to the African-American museum in Dallas, and I brought my newest t-shirt designs with me. At first, I thought the museum was closed because I did not see any cars in the parking lot, but I tried the door, and alas, it opened.

Long story short, including an adventure with my infamous "directions," or lack thereof, but I have to really give props where props are due. Ra-ra (Raquiyba) was awesome! It is refreshing to be witha friend who does not get bent out of shape at your mistakes and just knows how to go with the flow. Not that you seek to perpetuate those same mistakes, but that you seek to do better as a result of being encouraged to do better without being criticized. In a nutshell, it is a good feeling to be around a person like that.

Quick interjection, I am watching the Wedding Singer right now....multitasking is great! Ok, the movie just finished, and that was great!

Ok, so back to yesterday...wait, I think I forgot...Give me a second...ok, maybe a minute...
......................

I still don't quite remember, but I remember some other things from the day. After church, I went to help a brother from church. I was there for a few hours, and saw in those few hours that I really need to work on my patience more. I did not make my lack of patience known, but it was difficult working on different things like the fence, when you could be branching off to something else and basically splitting the work in half! Are you all ever like that? Yeah, I didn't think so.

So tomorrow, I think I will try and give a full update of today and maybe even talk a bit of politics. Until then, I will get some rest for my legs from the day's multitude of activities.

Back to the drawing board...or is it motherboard?

I don't know if this qualifies as lazy, (I don't think so) but I am going to give my real recap for today tomorrow. "Why?" you may ask. Well, my Mac/PC which at first seemed "super dee duper" (insert Barney doing a leap in the air here) is not feeling that way right now. Safari keeps "quitting unexpectedly," and now I am starting to expect it. So instead of not getting enough rest tonight for the day's adventures and work tomorrow, I will instead brush my bicuspids, think about covering my hair with a scarf, proceed to not do so, and go to bed with the hope of arising early to plan for the rest of the day. I will give a preview it does involve the following: fences, hammers, Super Bowl, beans, Reader's Digest, fiscal responsibility and dating questions. Those were truly in no particular order. Now where is that toothbrush?

Quick shout out to my brother and sister Rory and Queshia, I love ya'll! 

http://thekrimsonking.com and http://1q1b.blogspot.com

Check out their blogs and encourage them to go daily!