is it really...

4:45p? The days just seem to fly by ESPECIALLY with a weekend around the corner. So far so good with the schedule, life during the workdays has become more productive than not so I won't coplain BUT as for the afterwork stuff... that's another story.

So on Wednesday night I went out with my girlfriends. Since it's been a million and one years since we've all gotten together, dressed up, dressed up and headed out we decided to go hard and hit up three venues- a pre-draft party at the Manhattan Porche delearship, a friend's party in the LES and D-Nice's bday party at Plumm (better known as the old Nells). All I can say is- being the sober friend sucks.

While it was wonderful to catch up with old faces, chit-chat with new boys and be out with the girls, that whole "natural high" and "just a ginger ale for me, please" business only lasts for so long. And certainly not long enough to numb the pain in my feet or mask the increasing body odor factor (of the folks around us NOT my friends) as the night progressed. By about 2am, yours truly was DONE. But of course, I still had a friend dancing on top of the table so I couldn't exactly just get up and leave. Sigh.

When I finally dragged my tired behind into the cab home, I could barely feel anything below my knees. Mind this is despite the fact that I'd changed into the emergency flip-flops. You know it's bad when you get out the cab and the corner boys jump up to open door b/c they pity you, not cause you're fly. Two days later and I'm still not okay... And the summer is just beginning. Pray for me ya'll.

my heart yearns...

for a washer and dryer. Like seriously, my definition of 'happily-ever-after' is a top of the line washer and dryer inside my apartment. Forget the husband, baby and white picket fence (watching all the bad ass kids cut up in the supermarkets cured me of all that)... I'm talking, can't sleep at four in the morning? Go ahead and throw that single pair of jeans in the machine so that even if I'm grumpy, I'll still look sexy.

I HATE the laundry room in the basement of my building. Although I only wash the floor mats and dog towels, it's still too much time out of my life lost in that dank, stinky rat hole. Every time I'm down there, I start creating all these horror story scenarios in my head about getting slashed, killed, and beheaded by some recently released psychopath. I can see it now-the trifling super will find my head spinning in the industrial size dryer when he finally shows up to lock the room at 9.30p. Yes, I have an active imagination dammit. But if it goes down, don't say I never told you.

you thought young buck sucked...

Ok, this is a horrible, horrible thing to admit but since we're amongst friends I'll just say it. The video of Shaq's freestyle rhyme breaking on lame ass Kobe Bryant is HILARIOUS!!!!

OMG, Shaq looks like a drunken mess (I hope he's drunk and not just a mess), bragging about stuff no one cares about, calling himself BIG Shaq and crying and complaining about getting kicked off the Lakers what, a hundred years ago? But wait on it...the icing on the cake, taunting Kobe like a child on a playground? "Kobe, tell me how my ass taste?" Fifty bucks says that's the new quote of the summer- Take notes Lil' Wayne.

I'm sorry but I must share:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kh8dn0CFKP0&feature=related

trying to get my life together...

I love working for myself. I really do. The whole random napping when I want, picking my own projects, rushing out to a last minute sample sale, lunch dates whenever I feel like it, freedom of being my own boss is not lost on me. How-some-ever, there are some negatives: the non-existent 401K, hustling like your rent money depends on it (cause it really does), lack of consistent socialization (talking to Drama only counts half the time), the living room doubling as my office, etc have definitely kept me up a night or two. But the biggest downside of being self-employed is that it really requires a ton of discipline and self-motivation. And for the record, I have very little to none of either. Which is not a good thing.

I swear, despite the fact that I religiously wake up at 8.30am every morning. I never seem to accomplish half of the items on my to-do-list. Sigh. And I must admit, it's extremely depressing. Hence the weekly therapy session (read: co-pay bill).

But rather than stay in a funk (as Elsa like to call my signature fussy mood swings), I've decided to be proactive. Remember the new life mantra: I am positive, optimistic and open to all my blessings.

And as of this morning-drum roll, please- I've created a new and improved workday schedule!!! Yes sir, my day will be broken down into planned out hour and half long segments from the moment I open my eyes until the point where I unplug the phone (gotta deter myself from stay up late and talking on the phone like I'm in high school). I promise, this time, I'm sticking to it... well, at least for the next two weeks. Why 2 weeks? Because allegedly that's how long it takes for a habit to form. And from there it should be smooth sailing. Or so I think.

Oh and, if you have any suggestions on ways to improve my time management skills, now is the time to chime in, thanks!

jilly from philly was really cool...

I wrote a story on Jill Scott for Metro newspaper. It ran today but since I have yet to leave my house, I doubt I'll obtain get a hard copy. Oh well.

Gotta admit, I didn't have any expectations when I got the assignment (except the check). But I'm pleased to say, I really liked Ms. Scott. As I told my girl Lisa, it's nice to know that whenever we manage to get famous we'll be able to remain good people as well. Ha!

Check me out:

http://ny.metro.us/metro/entertainment/article/After_the_divorce_Jill_Scotts_personal_bliss/12700.html

I know this is all late but am I the only one who thinks Lil' Wayne is marginally talented and extremely annoying? So his album sold a million in the first week- what else was there for people to buy and let's not forget, southerners are always very loyal to their artists. Initially, I was jsut going to keep my opinion to myself- that whole positive, optimistic and open to my blessings philosopohy thing I'm trying. But when I hear critics predicting that this may go down as one of the greatest rap albums of all times... Oh hell-to-the-naw! That drug addicted fool can barely conjugate a verb and like my favorite morning show host, Miss Jones so eloquently said, it ain't nothing but a bunch nursery school rhymes. I am so sick of hip-hop.

we made it...

Today is officially the first day of summer! Can I get a THANK YOU LORD from the choir? Even if the temperature still doesn't reflect it- no, 75 degrees is not hot- I am thrilled beyond words. According to my horoscope, things are supossed to be looking up for at least the next week. I'm hoping that will include at least a fifteen to twenty degree rise in the temperature. That way, I can a)show off the results of all this freaking excercising I've been doing all winter and b) justify all the money I've spent on cute summer dresses. Cause lord knows, we love to blow the budget ona cute dress.

Yesterday morning, I went to my little cousins's graduation from middle school. Words cannot express how disorienting the experience was to me. Last time I checked, these little boys were wearing diapers and getting their butts beat on a regular basis. Now they're wearing suits and talking about 'oh that's my ex-girlfriend'. Your ex-girlfriend? It was just too much. I am so not mentally prepared to have kids and let them grow up... ever.

i need a time out...

What is about a dreary summer Monday that makes everyone look so cranky? As my boy Anthony described it, like the 5-year old that you're about to preemptively shove a bottle in his/ her mouth to avoid the crying? Perhaps its the nagging thought that today could've been sunny and beautiful but instead, its overcast, moist and not even all that warm. Had this been the fall or winter, at least we would have expected and accepted the whatever NYC weather. But in the month of June? On behalf of all the aggy Monday morning subway riders, I demand warm summer breezes and shiny happy people every step of the way!

On the upside, Christian Louboutin, Catherine Malandrino and Calypso all had sales this past weekend. And while I still may not have been able to afford to buy a thing in any of the three stores, it made me feel encouraged to know that at least they do actually have sales. 'Cause nothing says frugal consumer more than getting the $900 pumps I've been fantasizing about for months at a mere $450. And despite what my mother says, I do try to be economically intelligent about my spending. Ha!

feels like a kick in the neck...

There is nothing more depressing than going to the mailbox and finding nothing inside but a single bill. It's like, I just walked away from the elevator in the opposite direction of my apartment for this mess? Geez.
Don't people write letters anymore? Can somebody please send me a pretty card or something? It's like the only peple that bother to send me anything are the ones I owe money. Boo.

two left feet...

My homie Charlise celebrated her 24th birthday last night by inviting a bunch of folks out to learn how to salsa. I'm not going to tell you how ironic it is that both my parents are Panamanian and I don't know how to speak Spanish OR salsa. Needless to say, I was very excited to go.

Unfortunately, the group of us got so caught up talking about nothing, fake salsa dancing with one another and eating slices of the delicious strawberry shortcake bday cake her boyfriend bought, that we missed our lesson. SIGH. So now I'm on the only mission to figure out how to sals dance before the next family BBQ. If you know how and feel like teaching, holler at the kid.

the orangutan thinks she's hot...

So I basically got off of the plane from Miami and jumped on another to Los Angeles. I spent last weekend hanging out with my girl Carla under the guise of attending my very dear friend Roz's retirement party and attending a work related meeting.

The main reason I like hanging out with Mz. Talley is that she is so damn fun (hence, why spending a day at the San Diego Zoo was at the top of our to-do list). I swear that girl wakes up with a freaking smile on her face. Which says a lot considering homegirl gets up at like 5.30am to excercise before going to work. Whenever I'm with her, it's all good. And that is totally in line with my new and improved outlook on life- positive, optimistic and open to my blessings. No more negativity, I'm on a mission to only attract great things into my life.

SO if you happen to know any great SINGLE men, now is the probably the time to make that introduction happen... I'm just saying.

dreams do come true...

And can we all take a moment and collectively respect Michelle Obama's gangsta for the bangin' purple dress with the sexy black patent leather belt touched off with a string of pearls?!? Um, somebody saw the Sex In The City movie... WORK MICHELLE.

This man is the truth. Check out his speech:
http://www.nationalpost.com/news/global-video/index.html?video=1105097
or
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/03/us/politics/03text-obama.html

everybody's crying over peanuts...

I read a recent article in the New York Times, that exposed how even the uber wealthy are starting to feel the strain of this recession that isn't really happening according to the Bush Administration. Apparently, the wealthy are selling off rarely worn jewelry to high end hock shops, down grading from the Gulfstream to Lear jets and even going so far as to declare brunette the new blonde (because the cost of getting a decent highlight is too much). But the struggle for them is two-fold. Because when you're shall we say, financially challenged to begin with, no one really turns a head if you become poorer. When you're at the top, the tumble is a little more humiliating. Apparently, the anxiety of keeping the summer house when you are barely making the private school tuition payments is driving the Jones to drink.

While there is really only so much sympathy I can have for folks that can essentially buy and sell my life; I will admit feeling a little sad when one guy admitted feeling like his wife would probably divorce him when she found out that not only were they broke but his borrowing to keep up the lifestyle had put them in severe debt. However, for the most part, I'm relieved that the knife is cutting clean across the board. Everybody's lifestyle is taking a hit right now. Fingers crossed, the same hand they're using to tighten those belts will pull the correct lever when it comes time for the presidential election.

Check out the article:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/01/fashion/01rich.html?em&ex=1212638400&en=6d3334714c971621&ei=5087%0A

sometimes the perks are worthwhile...

Um, so I just got off a flight this morning, which is not news (more about the awesome trip below). BUT the fact that the seat cushion in the seat next to me was missing, is. I'm just unclear, are we going to have start paying extra for the seat cushions too? I swear the act of flying has become such a damn ordeal! And it affects everybody: passengers are disgruntled are the rising costs of everything ($5 water anyone?), the stewardesses are rude (on the way down, the stewardess got into a nasty argument with the girl sitting beside me because the young lady questioned the way she was collecting the trash. Next thing you know, 'ole girl is threatening to tell the pilot that the passenger was getting smart. Huh? Like we were in kindergarten or something... bananas) and the security is just as ignorant as always. Sigh. But never have I seen the whole missing seat cushion trick. Air Tran, you gotta love it.
So the good new is: on the total last minute opportunity, I flew to Miami this past weekend for a work event and business dinner (ps, the former Versace Mansion is a fantastical example of how to live when money is not an option). And can I just say, radiant sunshine makes me a better person. As much as I love New York City and all the amazing people in it, I am sosososo much happier and productive when the weather is above you know, 55 degrees in the fourth week of May.
Just the physical act of being in Miami with it's blue skies, warm breezes and lightweight clothing made me feel like talking to strangers... wait, I do that already. But you know what I mean. No mean mugging down in the dirty subway. I could genuinely smile at folks.
I don't know, but the way I felt this weekend... this whole struggling to make it happen in the Big Apple might really be coming to an end for the kid.