Summer of Saying Yes And... (or 6 Hotels in 7 Weeks)

Summer has sped on by me. It's already the middle of August. And in retrospect, I have managed to squeeze in quite a lot of hang-outage with quite a few of my favorite people.

WEST VIRGINIA
My first trip was to West Virginny with my mom and my aunt. THAT was an adventure in itself because my aunt don't get out much...and she can be a little uuuuh, grumpy and not very adventurous. She stepped out of her box a few times, but was also the reason I didn't get to visit the limoncello distillery (I know, that totally sounds awesome, right!?!?) However, while in West Virginia, we shopped and ate great food and just enjoyed not having any real place to be or any real time to get there. You know food is always a HUGE part of my travels and this time was not exception. We visited the Bavarian Inn, had GREAT German food (mmmmmm, SCHNITZEL!) and a great view of the mountains.

While talking to a gorgeous couple at the Bavarian Inn, we found out there was a crafts festival just up the road the next day. We had a ball & we also enjoyed crab cakes from The Anvil and they were pretty tasty! I fell in love with Forks of Cheat Wines, especially their Van Buren & Blueberry wine... in fact I think I will have a glass right now... brb... *zips of to the wine fridge, pours a generous glass of Van Buren, zips back & commences typing* Now, where was I? Oh yes, WV wines & such. Well yeah, it's good and... *sips* ok, let's move on SHALL WE!?!? We ate breakfast each morning at the hotel because the Hampton Inn-Martinsburg had free waffles... can't beat that with a bat. And on Saturday evening I had a yummy cantalope margarita at the Texas Steakhouse.

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!

On the way home we swung by the outlets to do some shopping for my nephew who is cooler than a polar bear's toenail, I tell you! All told, there were a few arguments but mostly good times!

What I learned: You can't travel with everyone and that's ok. But you also cannot and should not compromise the integrity of a great time because of one person or else you may miss out on something awesome like live music & limoncello!

HOME

Then I performed with the best church on the East Coast... The Community of Hope AME's Voices of Hope at the Safeway BBQ Battle. Most folks may not understand why this is a big deal, however... it's MAJOR because we are a church that is only 7 years old, but we were invited to sing GOSPEL on the same stage as legends of DC's own musical genre- GoGo! Y'alldonthearmedoe! I love my COH!! Beleeeeee dat!

NORTH EAST, MARYLAND

Next up, was the youth retreat at Sandy Cove. This was an amazing move of God because I learned so much while there. I had some internal conflict that I literally had to get down on my knees & pray about with tears streaming down my face. But once I did, I stood back & watched God work. There was a young lady whose mother initially did not want her to go on the retreat because she was acting up at home. A fellow youth leader and I encouraged her to let her go & all but promised it was for the best. Well, when I tell you that the young lady that came home was not the same young lady AT ALL... believe me! Due to the sensitive nature of the things that wenton at the retreat, I cannot go into much detail about this. But I had a room of 3 girls whom I ADORED and really enjoyed talking with them about college and life after HS! There was some conflict that some of our kids were being forced into, that they all successfully avoided. I was just so proud.

My chicas!

What I learned: Get out of God's way, some things aren't about you. And also, never underestimate the power of a good example. HALLELU!

HOME

That next weekend marked the last weekend for a member of our youth ministry. He was off to Cali for a one year program. We had a lovely brunch for him at Bar Code and ended it with a full on papparazzi style photo shoot outside the lounge.

Love you & miss you, Jeff!

I left there to go hang on the porch with my boo that moved to FL and only visits the area once every 2 years or something!

NEW YORK, NEW YORK

What can I say? New York is ALWAYS an adventure & this time was no exception! I traveled with the one & only MimiCuteLips & her cousin Ty. There was a party at the Doughnut Plant in Chelsea... Don't believe me, peep the receipt:

Michael said I'm fun! :-P

While having breakfast at our second fave breakfast spot just down the street (yes we had doughnuts AND breakfast... you mad??) we got a call that our room was ready. We checked into our room at the Four Points by Sheraton and didn't really think much of the room because we had stayed there previously. That was until we opened the window & saw.... 

The Empire State Building and the Chrysler building just to the right of it! SUHWEET!

We traipsed through the city all weekend long stopping at The Counter in Times Square... where we did some ungodly things to our burgers. 

We got us some Big Gay Ice Cream in the West Village... no pictures of that because, well... we DOGGED IT! Might I suggest the APPLE Gobbler though... 

pic from http://biggayicecream.com/

And I saw Nev & Max from Catfish... I mean how cool is that? 

Damn, they fine! S'cuse my language!

Sunday night we stumble upon a SWEET deal to see Wendy Williams in the musical Chicago! 

You see that squiggle there? it's Wendy's autograph!  How did I get it you ask? She signed it when we went to the Wendy WIlliams Show the very next day! I luh me some WENDY!

AND she shook my hand, hunty!

After that we got some bueeeeeeenooooo Italian grub at Il Bastardo. 

We got to see some of NY's Finest spring into action!

And DO THAT they did!

 And met up with my cousins for some firemen ogling and a group pic!

wecute!

After that we packed up on the crowded Megabus where I eavesdropped on some nerd's phone conversation  about his awesome weekend of beer & folk music *eyeroll* & texted it to Mimi.... because I'm immature! :-P

What I learned: It's okay to just be free. No plans, no schedule, no hurry. When you go with the flow, good things flow back to you... cool things happen... And also, always BE fun... people notice that type of thing! lol

WASHINGTON, DC

I live here, so why is this included? Because I stayed in a hotel in my hometown and had a ball. Hotel Rouge was the PERFECT place for us! (Cuz see rouge is french for red & my sorority colors are crimson & cream.... get it??) 

You may or may not know (or care) that I am a member of an AMAZING organization DELTA SIGMA THETA SORORITY, IIIIINCORPORATED!  We were founded in 1913 & this year marked our 100 year Anniversary! There were Deltas all over DC & I was one of them! I was working my 9-5 and participating in the meetings & services.... I was in the 500+ voice choir that ministered throughout the weekend AND I hosted some of my chapter sorors. I can't tell you everything that went down but here are the pictures I can share:

I witnessed high-powered women HUMBLED by the honor of being a Delta! That, to me was incredible!

I also went to Bar Code AGAIN! and introduced some of my sorors to the yummy goodness that is Lauriol Plaza!

What I Learned: Delta Sigma Theta chose me for a reason and I am recommitted to doin it big for Delta! Also, I love my linesisters so much and we have all learned to accept, respect and appreciate so much more about one another over the 14 years in the sisterhood (omg I am OLD). 

JAMAICA

It's paradise, without a doubt! I fell in love all over again... the resort, the staff, the food.... I need to go there every year! I have stayed at the Iberostar Grand Hotel Rose Hall once before and could not believe it was a real place! It looks just like the pictures and lives up to my idea of luxury and hospitality. We had butlers! BUTLERS! Every day we had pineapples delivered to our room & every night, we had champagne & pineapples delivered to our room.... we would get up, eat breakfast, laze about in the pool, eat lunch, laze around on our deck, eat lunch again, laze around in the pool, take showers, go to dinner... go for a late night dip in the private pools... and have a lazy good time. I actually went IN the ocean... I NEVER do that... sand gets all over errythang ifyouknowwhatImean...I have no pictures other than these few because I was too busy livin it up to pose!

What I Learned: Vacation isn't always about going, seeing, doing... or having the perfect beach body (I'm currently shaped like a  beach BALL). It's about relaxing, completely and totally... no judgement, now worries! They have a saying there: There are no problems, only situations!

RICHMOND, VA

Does that say RICHMOND, who goes to RICHMOND? yes, yes it does!I went to Richmond to meet up with one of the coolest, most understanding friends a girl could have! It was just for the day, I was gone about 25 hours total. But in that 25 hours, we had great conversation, great food and great laughs. We remembered what it was we loved about one another and made a vow to try to see one another more often. I also think we learned something new about one another.And we learned that we are both pretty greedy! Look at this food!

Breakfast Melt & Pork & Waffles from Station 2!

What I Learned: No matter how long you have known a person, you can always learn something new about them. And also a good friend will take your suggestions into consideration lol

Enjoy your life.... say yes MORE! Not to people asking you to do something FOR them... but to EXPERIENCES! I had my LIFE changed this summer in some ways that weren't even discussed here... I learned back in my days of improv to say: "YES, AND..." instead of "No, but..." Too many people want to decline opportunities & suggest things that make them feel more comfortable or just do nothing at all as life happens all around them. I am applying "YES, AND..." to my life. Accepting the opportunities life has to offer, that's the YES... adding more to it that's the AND...

I leave you with this:

It has nothing to do with this blog, but my nephew is just too stinkin CUTE to not get some shine!

Random Song of the Day: Sly & the Family Stone -(You Caught Me) Smilin

I have NO idea what he's saying... but this is the smoothest, happiest 3 minutes of Sly Stone you will ever hear. The horns make my heart swell... Don't be afraid to get caught smilin' today!

In Loving Memory

Recently, one of my customers passed away. I work in a customer service capacity for the government so I have regular customers that come to me about printing work. There are customers that are know-it-alls, there are customers that know NOTHING (even thought they have been working in their positions for years), and there are the customers that you don't mind going the extra mile for... She was one of those customers.

When we first herd she was sick, it was just a surgery. She came into the office weeks later not really looking herself. But her personality was still there. Like a sweet country aunt. Sometimes her paperwork was confused, she accepted that. Sometimes someone in her office was making a poor decision, she admitted that. always pleasant & always had a smile in her voice. Eventually she had started working from home more and more. but was still able to manage the workload with help from her co-workers. But eventually it took it's toll and now she has gone on to glory. And people all over the building are sad & sullen because of this loss.

It makes me want to know how people will react to my death. This is not a morbid or depressing thing. This is a what will my life say about me once I am no longer here to live it? Will people all over the building be sad? Will co-workers walk around somberly at my absence? Will people speak positive things about me & smile?

Or will they just say "mm"? Or cut their eyes at each other like "oh well, one less jackass in the bldg"? I can only hope that people remember me fondly and fondly as I remember her. And smile through the tears as they think about my smile.

Who Do You THINK You Are??

Are you pretty? Beautiful? Fabulous? Thick? Skinny? Chubby? Adorable?

How do YOU see you? How do YOU feel about YOU?

We all have our bad days.... your hair is a mess, your clothes are a lil wrinkled, you didn't get enough sleep last night. But those days should NOT last weeks or years or lifetimes. You gotta love you enough to SHOW that you are the baddest, meanest, fiercest thing on this PLANET EARTH regardless of what someone else might think.

No one WANTS to be lonrly... but in order to get beyond the loneliness you must first enjoy being alone. If YOU can't stand YOU how and why would you expect anyone else to? I said it before & I'll say it again:
Change your mind & change your life!

It's not that easy, but it IS that simple... Do you have an anthem? a theme song? some theme music? something that speaks to how YOU see you... something that makes you feel like the fabulousest thing on the road? I certainly do! My Anthem is Bad Mama Jama by Carl Carlton & my theme music is Westchester Lady by Bob James they both speak to my inner Maxine Rosewater (my 70s disco diva alterego).

Don't worry about what you DON'T have... there are folks who have less & yet are getting more out of life because they workin what they got! SO WORK THAT THANG! Your long sleeved shirts don't button no more??? toss on a tank top underneath & don't button the shirt... put on your gaudiest, chunkiest of necklaces and DARE someone to notice your backfat! Pants too small??? Zip em up as far as they will go, pin em together if you have to, throw on a cute long sweater &  an arm full of bracelets & SHAKE THE WORLD UP!

GET. YOUR. LIFE. If you find it hard... get out a pad of sticky notes... write some affirmations down and put them all over your mirror... your house.. your car... your office... They can be words, phrases, bible verses... anything to remind you to be beautiful inside and out... manifest it in all you do. how you walk. how you talk. how you eat. how you post on FB, Twitter, instagram. (not that thirsty mess either... that's a whole other ball of wax!)

Grab yourself by the collar... get in your own face... SHAKE YOURSELF... and say "GET YOUR ISH TOGETHER! YOU TOO FLY FOR THIS!"

Then put on some fly clothes, put a smile on ya face, style ya hair, fix ya face up a lil somethin, turn on your theme music... go forth and BE fly! THE FLYEST EVER! FLYER THAN A 747!

BOOM! BANG! POW!

Mid-FEBRUARY Already! I MUST be Dreaming!

The months have been FLYING by for me. I have performed in a step show, survived an anxiety-filled Christmas, had a birthday, and celebrated my beau's birthday all while singing in the choir, participating in an ACTIVE youth ministry & being a full-time grad student. Life has been going on & on & on & on...

This can be a good thing. But it becomes a bad thing when the highs seem stratospherically high & the lows are subterraneanly low! Self-care is imperative! I realize this & sometimes have no time for it at the length it "need be"...

I am in school to become  a licensed professional counselor. "What do that mean, Bri?" It means I need a good therapist! Behind every good therapist, is a good therapist! My life is changing and I really don't understand it all. What I DO understand is I need a better understanding of myself, my motives, my situations, my emotions, my wants & NEEDS. I think I know at least 1 thing I need: A BREAK!

But from what? friends? family? work? school? the ministry? my surroundings? my own thoughts? my reality?

I have an imagination that rivals some of the greatest in the entertainment industry, I promise. So, in my head, I have seen and done a lot of people, places, and things... Wait I didn't mean it like that, or did I? Just kidding... not really.

I have seen my future in a million ways and each way has been more awesome than the one before it. But imagination can be misleading because there are a lot of things that have to go on in the present to enable those dreams to come true in the future. Many times, we are not in control of these things and THIS makes me nervous. This nervousness turns to anxiety & if I am not careful, that anxiety may turn into PANIC! Then, the men in the white jackets need to be called... if I don't take that little white pill. I'm not rambling here. There really is a little white pill that you can take when you are anxious that turns your anxiety down SO LOW, you run out of G.A.S. (give a sh*t- pardon my francais!).

So back to the control issue... I cannot control other people. I may be able to persuade them, but I cannot control them. (And I hate manipulators so that is out of the question.) So I have to trust that those people will do right by me. But what is right? Especially since so much of my future is swirling around getting mixed and mashed up in my head. Even my dreams at night seem real, no matter how strange, I still wake up thinking they are plausible. I mean who wouldn't be ok with having a robot version of themselves filling in for them at work while you take a trip to the moon on a Virgin Galactic rocket with your sisterwives & brotherhusbands?? I mean REALLY! TO THE MOOOON, BABY!

picture from http://www.virgingalactic.com/assets/img/overview/spaceships/banner.jpg



So what am I talking about here? A clear head, a sober mind, a focused vision and a word from the Lord. Oh yeah and a VACATION... not to the MOON... but maybe to the Bahamas... or SOMETHING! and DEFINITELY not on a cruise, cuz apparently those don't end well these days! EEK!

Y'all enjoy what is left of your February and try to stay out of "TROUBLE" tomorrow... ifyaknowatImean!

The Mediocrity of Holiday Weeks (A Food Post [Actually it's a Rant])

Gobble Gobble & what not!

I am heading to my grandmother's house in VA on Thursday. WOW it's Thanksgiving ALREADY!??!

While I am looking forward to being with family & sharing thanks & MOST importantly eating GOOD on Thursday... I would LIKE to eat good today, tomorrow & Wednesday. But that doesn't seem to be in the cards around these parts.

Normally, the food in the cafeteria in my building is pretty good... passable.... not a place for a hot date or anything, but it'll get you through the day with no regrets (if you know what I mean). They make baked chicken that is GREAT though. I don't know what they put on it or in it, but it's good stuff. I went up there today to gitmesummmm & lo & behold they had fried chicken, bbq chicken & jerk chicken. I didn't ask them for all that! So there go my plans of baked chicken & fried okra- the latter of which I didn't even look for because there was no baked chicken! I go over to the grill & they have one lil container of fries that I am almost certain had been sitting for a while and/or coughed on because the fries usually go QUICK! I saw that the dude was going to drop more fries so at first I was going to wait and maybe grab a burger & fries. Then I saw some lady touching all the bacon cheeseburgers. Sure they were wrapped, but the IDEA of some lady pawing my food before my very eyes & passing it up as if it wasn't good enough for HER- a food toucher- but it was ok for me, turned me all the way off. I wasn't in the mood for anything from the food stations where the food is cooked fresh. CORRECTION, I wasn't in the mood to wait at any of the food stations. And eating off the salad bar after 11:30 is a SURE way to catch foot & mouth disease or Swine flu!

I left the cafeteria & went to the by the pound place near my office. WHYDIDIDOTHAT!??! Everything in there was picked over. The turkey looked like vultures ate it. What was left of the bulgogi looked like it had been previously eaten. They had scooped the whole middle out of the mac & cheese. All the fruit looked sad & pale. By this time, I didn't even CARE if they had my fave sammige as the daily special because I had basically lost my appetite for ANYTHING they were serving.

from http://noshtalgia.blogspot.com/2007/11/may-i-please-have-your-turkey-carcass.html

Clearly these places were trying to use up all the food they had on hand between now & Wednesday because they essentially will be closed or on TRICKLE for 4 days. But why must I be the one to suffer!?!? huh? WHY ME!??! huh?  I realize this happens every year around this time, butI'msayin... I am irritable today & I want what I want. No place was able to give me that... & because of this, I am disappointed. I'm leaving early so I can eat a decent lunch & take a nap... cuz CLEARLY I am cranky & sleepy!

Steel Mag-NO-lias

I'm no dissenter!
I WANTED the Lifetime remake of Steel Magnolias to be GRRRRRREAT!
I mean look at this promo pic!

But as my sister stated, I should have known it was going to be poorly cast because Lifetime has Lindsay Blohan playing Lizzie T!

I love Queen Latifah, she's m'girl.... but she was no M'Lynn. And what episode of In Living Color did they drag her husband out of the background of??? Seriously, who WAS that dude? He was on my nerves! Like he got acting lessons from JJ Evans or something.

You know who would've made a GREAT M'Lynn? Phylicia Ayers Allen Rashad! But noooooo, she was cast as Clairee & barely there like I needed her to be. I mean she's Claire huxtable for goodness sake! She is THE ULTIMATE BLACK MOMMA! (sorry Flawduh Evans.)

I was OK with Truvy & Shelby & Anelle (was she SUPPOSED to be from New Yawk in this adaptation?). And goodness knows Alfre Woodard was just as Ouiser as Ouiser could get! But that Jackson? No indeed. I believed him more as a gangster on Sons of Anarchy (oh yes, I am all about the SAMCRO!) than he was a doting husband-to-be. I mean DUDE, where's your 'stache??? Seriously, that nude upper lip made me uneasy and queasy... canttrussit!

But I tell you what though... Lance Gross & that fine as wine Dr. Jay made that graveside scene worth watching two times, two tiiiiimes! Why didn't lance have a bigger role and that full facial hair the whole movie? And why wasn't Dr. Jay in every scene? He didn't have to speak, he could just be there in the background looking all Dr. Jay-ey. It certainly would have made the movie MUCH more pleasant to view!

I had a watch party with the girls for THIS!?!? We could've been watching Snapped & talking about boys & periods! or watching the original & not feeling all mehhhh. Like I said before, I don't automatically poo-poo a "Black movie" like some folks do & write it off immediately as foolishness or whatever other negative attributes people attach to them immediately. There are great black actors & films starring Black people(NOT ALEX CROSS!) but this was not one of them- no matter how badly I wanted it to be.

They should've renamed it Steel Buttercups, because it definitely built me up just to let me doooooown.

Your Friday Playlist

So yesterday my girl J and I played a little IM game that she heard about from Bomani Jones. It was pretty simple. One person named a song & artist & the other person named a song & artist that the first person's song reminded them of. Well, if you know anything about me... you know it got a little ummm.... INTERESTING!

J: It Should've Been You - Gwen Guthrie

Me: Watching You- Slave

J: There'll Never Be- Switch

Me (after trying NOT to say Throw Some D's on It & digging deeeeep down in the music): Got to Give it Up- Marvin Gaye

J: Don't Stop Til You Get Enough- Michael Jackson

Me: Can't Get Enough of Your Love- Barry White

J: Soul Makossa- Manu Dibango

Me: Everybody Have Fun Tonight- Wang Chung

J: Let's Dance- David Bowie

Me: She Blinded Me With Science

J: One Thing Leads to Another- The Fixx

Me: If You Love Somebody Set Them Free- Sting

J: Every Little Thing- The Police

Me: You Make My Dreams Come True- Hall & Oates

J: Shattered Dreams- Johnny Hates Jazz

Me: Human- The Human League

and this is where the game ended...
Listen to each song, in order... all the way through... And you'll see how we got from Gwen Guthrie to The Human League... or not!

HAPPY FRIDAY!

It's Alright

Today, I feel like May Boatwright the emotional sister in "The Secret Life of Bees". I have been walking around with my face like this:

Alllll morning... seriously.

I feel very deeply for this world & our future. I can't help it. But what am I going to do about it? SOMETHING! I spoke to my mom this morning & she reminded me that FEELING this way means there is a calling on my life that I cannot ignore. Instead of using these things to depress me I need to use them as motivation. I am determined to do so.

Gospel music is great & ministers to me, but sometimes a well-worded R&B song can give you that good old, everyday joe perspective. Enter Ledisi:

This life can make me so confused but it's alright
Living day by day I feel so used. That ain't right
I just wanna run and hide
But I don't have the time to cry and it's alright

I have things on the horizon that I have the tools to tackle. And I have to get to it & through it. There's no other option but for forward movement. If I'm crying, I'm not trying. (Ijust made that up, but I like it!) As cathartic as tears can be, they are all for nothing if you don't DO something. So, I'm doing it. (repeats it over & over to myself to defeat the evil Fear Dragon that is trying to devour my confidence, hope AND motivation... he so greedyyyyyy!)

I always say things about people that complain & don't do. I am going to do. I have no choice, I can't keep crying. That doesn't bring about results. Please don't worry about me ending it all like May (if that was even your concern), I just have to press on & on & on.

I know that as long as I am persuing that which God has for me to do...

Everything is everything... it's ALRIGHT!

picture of Ledisi is from: http://www.neosoulville.com/

To Whom Much is Given...

I know I haven't been writing in a while. And that is because every now & then I like to enjoy life without having to tell the world about it. So now that that is out of the way, let's get down to business...

Word on the street is Chris Brown's entourage got into a fight with Drake's entourage in the midst of an industry party in NYC. I tried not to think about it after I read an article on it from TMZ earlier today. But as I got sucked into reading another update by TMZ, I REALLY got bothered. I was so bothered, I took to the Twitta: "Anyone that still supports any of the bucket headed, poor excuses for men involved in that celebrity club fight... *sigh*" Someone replied that our 20s weren't our best and lesson learned. I couldn't help but to think who learned what lesson? Certainly not C. Breezy, who has been in trouble for his temper and penchant for putting his hands on folk in the past and in a VERY public way.  But lesson notwithstanding, these people are millionaires and/or people who have been blessed with an ability that few others have. They are at a party surrounded by fans & other famous people. So WHY are you fighting? I have gotten into a confrontation or 2 in the club in my 20s but NEVER a full out brawl and NEVER anything I initiated. Even at that age, I realized I had too much to lose. And I didn't have anything but a red leather couch, champagne-colored '99 Corolla and a craptastic job at a "news" outlet.  

So how is it people with SOMETHING more obvious to lose are coming to blows amongst a throng of people? The Bible (don't tune me out YET) says to whom much is given much is required. While my couch, car & job may not have been a big deal to Drake & nem, I valued what I had. So what is required of these talented & successful guys wrecking in the club? What do they require of themselves? What has to happen before they learn their lesson? How many episodes of Unsung do these younguns need to watch? How far into your 20s can you act a fool before you have to stop using that as an excuse/reason? (Juelz is going to be 30 next year) 

By the way, overall, my 20's were pretty good times! Kinda my best years up to that point. I just really would like these stars to require a bit more of themselves. And the people that consume their product should too. Before people go getting all huffy, I supported C. Breezy up until this. Now? notsomuch. But I'm just the girl on the red couch! *shrug*

Now Usually I Don't DO This... Think Like A Man

I didn't read the book. I don't watch Oprah. I don't listen to the Steve Harvey Morning Show. I find Terrence J BEYOND corny. And I have NEVER rooted for Gabrielle Union. Get allllllll that in ya spirit.... I'll give you a few seconds....

10

9

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5

4

3

2

1

NOW, with all that said. I liked Think Like a Man! Pick ya jaws up! I was pretty sure that all the punchlines had been ruined by the commercials, but it hadn't. I was afraid that the characters in the movie were going to be stereotypical like Pyler Terry, but they weren't. I was fairly certain I was going to roll my eyes & suck my teeth & sigh loudly, and I DID, but it wasn't for very long. It kept my attention, it got me a lil emotionally invested & MOST of it was familiar (not the same as predictable).

I don't want to go into detail or spoil anything, but let me make some points.

Who Cares About Women's Healthcare- A Personal Testimony

picture from: www.ppaction.org/

Right around the time of my last blog, I had one of two medical procedures that I had been waiting to have for about 2 years. Due to the crappiness that is MDIPA, I had been suffering regularly and missing work often because they decided that my issue was JUST pain. Someone at a desk somewhere- who had never met or spoken with me and who after denying my surgical procedure the FIRST of SEVERAL times WOULDN'T speak to me- decided that my issue was JUST pain.

Luckily, both my primary care physician AND my specialist were both CARING professionals. They came up with an "in the meantime" plan of action while still fighting my former "healthcare insurance". My specialist was convinced that MDIPA had "something against me" as they were very adamant in not covering the procedure. Instead, they suggested he give me a drug  that would essentially morph me into a 50 year old woman. The side effects would have robbed me of my youth & my beauty, it seems. That may seem vain, but the medication would have only been temporary and may not have made my issue better. I had to really sit with this for a while. By the time I had decided to go with it, the healthcare company had stopped covering the medication and would no longer allow my doctor to administer it.

My specialist came up with a third idea, which kinda reeked havoc on me emotionally and physically, but I had to trade off one issue that was making me sick often for some others that made me sick SOMETIMES. I powered through it for a few months & finally made it back around to OPEN SEASON! That lovely time of year when employees can change their healthcare provider. I sat down on the FIRST day of Open Season and went through all of the plans, using 2 separate online tools and finally settled on one. Then, my countdown began- 2 months to go. I called my specialist and made an appointment for the new year & informed them I had switched insurance as of January 1. By the beginning of February, I was scheduled for both procedures.

As the outpatient surgery drew close, I began to get nervous not just because I was going under the knife; but also because the last time I was scheduled for this procedure, MDIPA denied me the DAY before the procedure. I was so paranoid this would happen again, I called the doctor's office AND the hospital.

Finally in mid-February, I had my second procedure. Two weeks later, I went to my specialist and he hugged me and said "Thank God we were able to help you!" He told me that I was tough & that I was progressing well. As I was going through this, I realized there were several women I know that had been through this same procedure. I found strength in that.

Right around this time, the attack on Women's Healthcare was emerging. A bunch of self-righteous dirty old men telling women what was they had to do for/to/with their reproductive system. The idiocy of it all is that birth control isn't JUST about controlling birth. It helps women in many other ways, including me. *Deep dramatic sigh* It helped to keep my illnessES from worsening and it helped with some of the pain I had been dealing with regularly. I HATE to think how things would have turned out if my crappy health insurance didn't cover my medication & how much it would have cost me. I never really told anyone other than a few people EVERYTHING that was going on or how severely I was affected. I don't think many people could truly understand, but I know for a fact these blow-hard geezers with their shameful private lives have NO business interfering with women's healthcare just to appear to be a certain type of person in the public eye. Convincing the less-informed to vote against their own best interests. Introducing bills through agricultural committees in their state legislature to attempt to stealthily attack their own daughters' and granddaughters' health & reproduction.

Birth control saved me. That and God's grace have brought me through an ordeal that could have affected me for the rest of my life. As I sit here with tears in my eyes, like a punk, I am so grateful to God for what has transpired in my life in the past 2 months. Caring healthcare providers changed me for the better. Don't let uncaring politicians change your life for the worse.

I encourage all women to pay attention to their bodies and their local politics & to VOTE! Don't let these uterine terrorists destroy you from the inside!

Ok I may be being a little dramatic, but seriously, tell these crazy old men to get their FAKE beliefs out of your private parts!

Picture from: http://www.fmnewschicago.com

HUG LIFE!!!

Yesterday, the blogs were astir with "news" of Rihanna's knuckle tatt that says "THUG LIFE" and Smiley Walrus' pics drinking a HUGE alcoholic beverage & pretending to lick her boyfriend's birthday cake which was shaped like a male member. We discussed both of these things among my email crew & some people boiled it down to the children being the breadwinners & thereby having no REAL parental guidance.

While I absolutely agree with that, I also think it comes down to human contact. Why is Rihanna acting so aggressive & angry? Why is Smiley Walrus taking pics doing wild & inappropriate things? They need more hugs! Such a simple concept. When is the last time YOU hugged someone?

I don't mean that Christian side hug.

from: http://sarcasticbite.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Side-Hug.jpg

Or the awkward, not really touching, back pat.

from: http://cobblog.cord.edu/wp-content/uploads/DSCN6411.jpg

I mean a full-on, nonsexual, heartfelt hug!

from: http://www.recover-from-grief.com/images/comforting.jpg

The kind of hug that fills whatever void you are feeling inside. The kind of hugs that brings tears to your eyes even when you don't know WHY you are crying. The kind of hug that you get just because!

I said yesterday that I want to get "HUG LIFE" tattooed on the insides of my arms (one word per arm) so when I spread my arms akimbo I can tell people to: "Bring it in!" Getting a hug when you sell a million records, or sign a new endorsement deal, or get a huge royalties check (is there a such thing? lol) is not the same as getting a hug when you are standing at the stove, or walking out of the living room, or watching the morning news. Sometimes when you are having what seems to be the worst day ever, a hug makes EVERYTHING alright!

Too often, these days, fame & money win out over common sense & self-respect. Like I have said before MONEY over ERRYTHANG! is the motto for too many people. One of my mottoes is: HUGS over ERRYTHANG! (Another one is: Bacon Makes Everything Better! but that's neither here nor there.) Hug more. HUG more. Hug MORE. HUG MORE. Famous people need real hugs too. Not from people they pay to tell them yes, or people that obsess over them night and day and finally get a chance to meet them, or people that they make money for but from people that TRULY have their best interest at heart. Or someone who truly knows & understands the power of human contact.

Have you hugged someone today?? No? Make sure you do!

Has anyone hugged YOU today?? No? BRING IT IN!

YES I really took the time to DRAW you a hug! Now, take dat take dat!