what i want to be

I don’t know what I want to be when I grow up anymore. Maybe I never really had it figured out. That thought kind of scares me. Everyone always pointed to me as the person who had a definite career plan. The one thing I’ve always been gung-ho about is being a reporter. I wrote for my middle school and high school newspapers. I interned at newspapers during high school and college. And of course I worked as a reporter for several years post-college. But now I don’t.

word problems

Everything is better with friends.

I have a confession to make: I suck at word games. Yes, it is a sad but true fact. My word game skills are severely lacking, despite being a spelling bee champion, avid reader and former wordsmith. Scrabble is never a board game you will hear me suggest playing. The Upwords game I had as a child was enjoyed by all of my family members, except me. The knowledge of my poor word game skills should make me stay away from all of them, right? Wrong.

It’s feeding time

Public breastfeeding incidents have been in the news several times over the last few months with some sparking quite a bit of controversy. There was the professor who breastfed while teaching her class and received a reprimand. Beyonce fed Blue Ivy while out at lunch one day. Another story showcased military mothers breastfeeding in uniform. And who can forget the Time Magazine cover story featuring a 3-year-old being breastfed? Just the other day I read an article about three mothers who staged a “nurse-in” at their Delaware mall to spread awareness about a woman’s right to nurse in public. They were asked to leave by a state trooper and security guards.

this, that and the other

The other night I was perusing "Stuff Christians Like" by Jon Acuff and had a laugh fest for a good hour. It got me to thinking several question about this, that and the other regarding church and Christian life, such as:

the professional mourner

All these years I’ve been wasting my talents. I’ve officially found my niche in life – a professional mourner. You have the funeral, and I’ll bring the tears. To think I’ve missed out on this particular career path for so long.

Love, marriage and a baby carriage

Is there something in the water? Everyone seems to either be a) getting engaged, b) getting married or c) having a baby. I can't log on Facebook without seeing an announcement about a friend joining one of those categories. It's enough to drive a single girl crazy, and I am not liking that at all.

Can you testify?

It's a new year which means Writing Wednesday is back in full effect. I promise to do so much better than last year which featured numerous bouts of disappearing (blame it on my chronic sickness). One of my goals for this year is to be healthier. That should translate to writing regularly and not owing the Writing Wednesday Pot. Also I plan on writing an additional post at least a few times a month not on Writing Wednesday.

For 2013 I decided to take it back to the Old School for my New Year's Eve celebration. Instead of partying it up I went to Watch Night Service at church. A watch night service is a late-night Christian Church service held on New Year's Eve. Watch night service is especially important to the black community because many slaves were said to have gathered in churches on New Year's Eve,in 1862 to await the Emancipation Proclamation being enacted on Jan. 1, 1863.

The best birthday gift ever

An example of the journal

There's just something about a good gift that makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Now I do so enjoy giving them, but I also enjoy receiving good gifts. I love it when friends and family pick out something that really shows a thorough understanding of my likes. A few years ago a friend made me a bootleg copy of Roller Coaster Tycoon (we were in high school and broke). The other year my Secret Santa bought me a Clawdeen Wolf Doll. The birthday gift I received last year was my absolute favorite.

I can't be bothered Pt. 2

My generation does not know how to date anymore. Text messages have replaced meaningful conversations. I don't know who thought that was a good idea. It is the absolute worse concept ever, yet none of the young (and old) people of today seem to understand that.

I can't be bothered PT. 1

The older I get the more hellish I become toward the male species. I blame my cynical nature. At the end of the day I just can't be bothered with some of the things they say and do. Case and point this one gentleman I recently started chatting with.

christmas list - childhood version

"I don't want a lot for Christmas. There is just one thing I need..." Um speak for yourself Mariah Carey. I want a lot. Well my inner child wants a lot for Christmas. A few weeks ago I received the Target, Walmart and American Girl toy catalogs, and the 7-year-old inside of me squealed with glee. I immediately went to work at circling all the things I, uh a yonger version of me, would want. I'm happy to see toy catalogues are still filled with toys. Apparently the children still like them. Of course there were a few tablets thrown in the mix as well, but they were definitely kid-friendly. If I was a child today my Christmas list would look something like this:

Still the last to know

It's happening again. Someone in the family is in a serious condition and no one bothers to tell me until DAYS later. I've said it before, I'm always the last to know when it comes to family matters.

NaBloPoMoem

In honor of me completing this year's NaBloPoMo, I have written a poem.

loves of my reading life

Reading is my absolute favorite past time. Often I neglect performing necessary chores - such as washing my hair, cooking or cleaning - because I get lost in a good book. Many of the books I read are part of a series, and over the years I have developed "crushes" on several of the main characters. If only the men of the real world were like the ones in the books I read. I promise I would get my act together to be on their team. My book loves include:

bun head

This week I have been experimenting with wearing a bun every day. Every. Single. Day. Who knew there were so many different bun styles to wear? It's partially out of not wanting to wash my hair every week. I'm trying the every other week approach for the winter.Basically I wear it twisted week one and loose during week two. The buns have helped me stretch not washing my hair.

the faux beau

One of my male friends has this annoying habit of always asking about my love life. It was non-existent last week. It's non-existent this week. More than likely it will be non-existent next week. Maybe if I was beating guys off with a broom I could understand the perpetual interest in my love lack, or lack thereof. No, I'm perpetually dateless, and he knows this. So during one umpteenth time of him asking about me dating someone I decided to make a faux beau up.

the ghost writer

Recently I was asked by one of my dad's friends to edit a Lenten devotional featuring writers from within their church association. Devotionals were due to me Nov. 11. Guess which writer has yet to turn one in. Yes, my own dear old dad. I've been bugging him about his devotionals for more than a month but to no avail. His excuse is being too busy. Yeah right. Just because you pastor a church, serve as moderator for a church association and as a vice president for the state convention doesn't mean you're busy. Well maybe just a little.

baby it's cold outside

Sometimes I forget which season is the current one we're in at the moment. Blame it on Florida weather. The weather ranges from hot to really hot. Occasionally we try to throw in something else called less hot. When it's "less hot," natives know to dress in layers for it will indeed be "cold" in the morning, but by noon the temperature will rise to 75 degrees again. That wool coat will be overkill come lunchtime when you are sweating like a pig. At least that was the case last week.

family holiday traditions

I've always said once I have my own family we would start our own holiday traditions. My parents don't really listen to my suggestions for traditions.And trying to get the rest of my family to follow would nearly be impossible. So I need a familyof my own. Well marriage is pretty far away and children are definitely not on the horizon anytime soon, but I do have a family of sorts - my roommates.

Character death

I'd like to think I don't typically get too attached to a book, movie or TV series character. The key word here is "Think." The reality is I get attached to characters easily. When Mufasa died in The Lion King my face was covered in tears. I still don't think I'll recover from Paul's death on Dollhouse. My lastest major blow was the death of Sirius Black in Harry Potter. Yes, I am tardy for the party, but the loss is still felt just as fresh as if I had read the books when they originally came out.

Being thankful

Things I'm thankful for this Thanksgiving:

1. Two awesome roommates
2. My circle of close friends
3. My family
4. Ozzy, who is NOT my cat
5. My job
6. My play family
7. God's grace and mercy
8. You my five followers
9.  My bestest friend
10. Thanksgiving leftovers!

pre-thanksgiving poem

With the help of my Play Cousin I wrote a special Pre-Thanksgiving poem. Share it with your family and friends next year.

The night before Thanksgiving.

Spoiler Alert

There is something about a good spoiler that just makes you want to read or watch whatever it's in regards too. Oh wait, am I the only person who likes spoilers? OK, my name is TONI and I like book and movie spoilers. Knowing the ending first makes it all worthwhile for me.

n-word too deep

Yours truly is a mentor to several young people. I try to keep an atmosphere that is accepting and allows them to be who they are. For the most part they are respectful when around me. If they should slip up and say a bad word, I don't wash their mouth out with soap. I do say, "Language," and they get the message to keep it clean. But the other day I had to put one in check (in a nice way of course) about her word choice. Instead of cussing, she used the dreaded N-Word.

when bridezillas attack

I have a confession. I am addicted to watching Bridezillas. I blame my roommate K. She is always watching it on Netflix, and being the nosy person that I am, I have to watch it too. The chicks are CRAZY. And not in a good way. These women are demanding, rude, inconsiderate and just plain evil. It sort of makes you dread every being a part of a wedding.

Play to win

I play to win.

There is one rule I live by when going to a shower event: play to win. Whatever game is thrown my way at a shower I play to win. It doesn't matter if it's a baby or bridal shower. Games can range from a bridal shower word search to baby shower bingo. There might even be 100 hundred other guests. Regardless of the situation there is one thing to keep in mind - I PLAY TO WIN!

the hair extravaganza

It's time for me to have a hair extravaganza. I say extravaganza because my hair process takes anywhere from two hours to two days to complete (it depends on how I am feeling). The extravaganza only occurs once every week (actually it's more like every other week), otherwise I would go broke from buying hair products (and never have time to do anything). From start to finish this is my hair extravaganza:

Coming soon: New American



For voters who've considered suicide when the election is too much.

 It looks like the South wants to rise again (because we all know how well that turned out the last time). There could be a “New America” in the future. The other day I was talking to my Play Cousin about the people that want to secede from the U.S. Residents across the nation have signed petitions requesting that their state – mainly Louisiana, Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia, Texas and yes even my Florida – be allowed to peacefully secede from the country because of the presidential election. PC and I can find foolishness to talk about even with the most serious of topics (much like Cee and I did during election night). We began to ponder many things if the people were allowed to secede.

children on strike

What's a living wage for a child these days?

Parents beware! Your children might go on strike if you don’t pay them enough for doing chores. Several weeks ago I read a Dear Abby column regarding allowance pay. The writer said she received $3 a week to do household chores such as taking out the garbage, washing dishes, vacuuming and setting the table every night. The child felt her pay was too little for all she did. She was tired of being her mother’s “slave” and declared herself on strike until the pay increased. At that point I had to put the paper down.

No Shave November

You won't catch me out in public with my hairy legs showing.

“Sometimes I shave my legs, and sometimes I don’t. Sometimes I comb my hair, and sometimes I won’t. Depend on how the wind blows I might even paint my toes. It really just depends on whatever feels good in my soul ...” Video by India.Arie

Dreamland inspiration

I wonder what he's dreaming about.

Within the past four days I’ve had several weird dreams. Unusually I might have one weird dream every quarter. To have four in just a week has got to be a record.  I once read that dreams mean something. Mine make no sense; however, they are fairly entertaining.


I shared a dream a year ago with some friends. One of them used it as a basis for a book (Roller Derby Vampire Girl) which he wants to get published. Another of my weird dreams would make a good TV or novel series in the fantasy realm. Maybe one of the dreams I had this week could be the basis of another artistic venture.

I’m too lazy to pen a book, script or play myself. Perhaps you, my four readers, might be inspired to create something. Below is a quick synopsis of what I remember from the weirdest dream. Just give me a shout out in the book, moving credits or show premiere (and a check would be nice too). If by chance you have an interpretation of my dream, please share it.

God save the small town

Growing up I lived in a major city, but after high school I started living in smaller and smaller places. These days I live in a small town. There are a lot of downsides to a small town, such as the lack of a dating pool, cultural diversity and just having something to do on the weekends. My current location is three times bigger than the last one so I will survive (just like Gloria Gaynor) However, living in a small town isn’t all bad. There are also many some a few advantages. People are generally friendlier, and everybody knows your name. It’s like Cheers all over the place. Traffic is practically nonexistent, and I can typically get from one end of town to the other in 15 minutes. That never happened in my hometown.

The cat and the maiden

The cat in his favorite spot - the maiden's bed.

Once upon a time there was a beautiful maiden named Antonia who lived in a magical City filled with Lakes. For many moons Antonia lived alone with just a betta fish, Ralphie, but no friends in the city to really call her own. One day she met another fair maiden, K, who offered the promise of friendship (and cheaper lodging). Antonia packed her belongings and immediately moved in. And soon her days were filled with roommates – and cats.

Lunchtime change

Just a bunch of twists hanging freely.

Some mornings I can’t decide on how I want to wear my hair. I get up about 40 minutes before work (I literally work five minutes from my house). Once I’ve showered, gotten dressed and so forth, I usually have about 10 minutes to spare on my hair. In such a short amount of time I might not have a clear hair vision for the day.

Oh, am I late?

The start of it all.

Usually I’m late for whatever is the biggest TV show, film or book craze. I completely missed watching Lost. I didn’t see Batman Begins or the Dark Knight until the Dark Knight Rises came out. And The Hunger Games series is at the bottom of my reading priority list. I’m not anti being in the mainstream. You know how some people avoid the latest trend because everyone is on the bandwagon. I just don’t have the time to devote to everything as soon as it comes out. Eventually I want to get around to watching or reading whatever. Granted it might be several years later.

Final election thoughts

An interesting exchange happened between an 8-year-old girl and me today.  While sitting next to me (and working my nerves) during a luncheon, she asked who I voted for.

"That's a personal issue, and I don't share how I voted," I said.

"It better not be Obama," she said. "He's a liar. Did you  vote for him?"

"Like I said, it's personal, and I'm not sharing."

the end is near

I hope everyone exercised their right to vote today.

At long last election day is here. I feel like both parties have been campaigning for four years. Right now I am so happy this day has arrived. Once that last vote is tallied I might just do a dance of joy. There have just been so much negatvitiy with this election. Of course that probably is the case with every one. Can't we all just run without having to bring each other down? I won't bore you with an analysis on this year's election season, mainly because I'm just not that deep into politics to accurately give one. Seriousness is not an area I handle too well. So today's post will instead provide a list of some of my favorite election/political
/president/whatever movies. While you're waiting to hear the election results, pass the time watching one (or all) of them.

X marks the spot

Who can still write like this?

Apparently writing in cursive is starting to be a lost art. Do the children even know what cursive is anymore? The other day one of my students was signing a form, and I had to say, "What is that?" when I saw her signature. It wasn't like a doctor's signature, which is usually unreadable. Instead it looked like a first grader's attempt at writing in cursive. My best friend, who is a teacher, says students aren't taught penmanship anymore. Then what are they teaching the children? Testing?

Praise and Worship Mix

My worship is for real.

Some days I like to have random praise sessions. One day it might be at midnight on a Thursday. On another day it’s at 5 p.m. on a Wednesday. The days and times vary but the songs usually are the same. I never know when a desire for a praise break might hit. When it does, I simply answer the call and start playing my praise and worship mix. I enjoy a good sermon at church, but at home it's just the music and me. Like a good sermon, the words of a song can speak to my heart and move me to tears from hearing about how good God is to me even when I don’t deserve it. Therefore I present to you my praise and worship mix. Play any of these songs when you want an intimate time praising and thanking the Lord.

A fair account

Yay for the fair!

The fair is in town this week! That can only mean one thing, or three – corn dogs, funnel cake and frozen lemonade galore. Last year was the first time I actually had the opportunity to simply enjoy the fair. During my reporting days I always had to cover it. Every day was spent at the fair writing about some angle. Then I switched jobs and participated in the fair fun. A couple of friends and I hit up the rides until our hearts were content. This was of course followed by a feast of fair food. I felt like a kid again enjoying all the fun.

Direct approach

Subtlety is not a concept I comprehend. While most women can instantly recognize when a guy is flirting with or even interested in them, I sadly don’t notice. Usually a friend has to point it out to me, or it’s not until months later that I realize he likes me a little more than just a friend.  It would save me a lot of confusion if guys could just be a little more direct. Don’t beat around the bush because I won’t get it. For instance a male acquaintance recently revealed I rejected his request for a date. Me? Reject a date? I haven’t been on a date in several years. I promise if someone asked me out I would accept (in most cases).

NaBloPoMo - Guess who's back?

Visit www.nablopomo.com!

Welcome to the start of another National Blog Posting Month. Yours truly will be writing something new each day for the entire month of November. Think of this as a special treat for my followers, (all four of you if you're still there).

 This is my second year participating in NaBloPoMo. It was challenging of course the first time around. Imagine having to figure out a new topic to write about every day.  There’s not that much to talk about on a daily basis in the LC. The struggle was real in trying to avoid Writer’s Block throughout the month

The Return ... Again

To the four people who read my blog, I am sooooo sorry for my lack of posting. I took a sabbatical in June but started posting again in October. The only problem is I posted on Facebook and forgot to post on my blog. I'm forgetful like that. I promise to make it up to you my faithful readers during NaBloPoMo. That's right! You get 30 days of me posting yet again. Shout out to Cee for introducing me to NaBloPoMo (and Writing Wednesday as well as everything else cool in my life). I'll be gone 'til November.

hair and there again

This June marks seven years of being natural. Yay! I was natural before it was such a widespread movement. Most of the popular natural hair blogs, Youtube videos and even product lines were hardly on the radar. Initially most of my natural hair journey was trial and error. Now I have vast pieces of knowledge at my fingertips. Every day I'm learning more and more about what and what not to use in my hair, cool ways to style it and so forth. My Writing Wednesday posts for June will be dedicated to natural hair in honor of my seven years.

bon appetite

I like to eat. There’s just no better way to put it. I like dinner. I like lunch. I like breakfast. Basically I like every meal (though I am not into snacking). Sadly my love for eating does not help my waistline. Gone are the days when I was carless and walked everywhere. That helped keep my much smaller. My brother says we should eat to live, not live to eat. I’m working on it. But there is just so much good food out there. Will I get the opportunity to taste it all? I just don’t know. But please believe I am trying.

Yummy!

for want of a cast

I have a confession. Growing up I always wanted a cast on my arm and underarm crutches. Don't laugh. Those two things were the epitome of cool in my opinion as a child. The ugly green-eyed monster would rear its head every time I saw someone who was lucky enough to get them. "Why couldn't it be me?" I wondered. I was, and still am, very clumsy. Yet I managed to never really hurt myself (until adulthood). I thought I would be the happiest girl in the world with a cast or crutches. Both just had so much fun to offer in my mind.

in theaters this summer

Summer time is swiftly approaching, and no one is more excited than me. T’is the season of the blockbuster. Movies choices just tend to be much better during the summer to me. Normally I’m not that big on going to the movies. I used to never have any time. These days I only work a four day week during the summer. I’ve got time to spare. And what better way to do so than in a nice air conditioned movie theater. With the upcoming summer schedule I can’t help but want to see quite a few movies. On any give Friday matinee you might catch me at the following movies:

Appreciation week

OK boys and girls, let’s all play the imagination game. Everyone close your eyes and prepare for a few mental images. First imagine a world without teachers. Ignorance is the norm as students walk around with empty minds. Next imagine a world with no nurses. Patients have no one to provide constant day-to-day care or an understanding of their ailment. Finally imagine a world without police officers. Citizens have to survive in an unsafe environment where lawlessness reigns supreme. Did anyone like those situations described? Absolutely not!

The month of May is filled with appreciation for several groups of important people. May 6-12 marks Teacher Appreciation and Nurse Appreciation Week, followed by National Police Week May 13-19. In honor of these three groups of wonderful workers here are stories of a few of my favorite individuals.

a summer kind of love

Lately the weather has done its share of letting me know it's getting close to that special time of year again – summertime! With the arrival of this new season comes vacations, reunions and summer lovin’ – that oh so magical thing the kids sing about in “Grease.” Summer is all about the love, whether you’re single and free to mingle or happily together with someone. No one wants to be left out the fun and “uh-oh those summer nights.” My grandma thinks it’s high time I got a male friend. She wants to see me married. So I figured now is the perfect time to jump on the summer lovin' bandwagon. But it’s going to take some help from all my family and friends. I have prepared a special announcement for all to share: Attention single males between the ages of 27-37! Toni is now accepting applications for a summertime beau. Inquire within.

Do your part everyone and spread the word. All are welcome to apply. Just make sure they fit my three mandatory requirements. The other week I shared mine with my grandma, and she approved. I’d like to think I’m a simple girl for the most part. I’ll gladly work with a brother to an extent. Sure I have my massive list of pre-qualifications. But I don’t cross (that many) people off just because they put down something other than my preferred response. However, I believe everyone is entitled to their top three deal breakers. So for me, any summertime beau applicant must: love the Lord; have straight, white teeth; and be able to conjugate verbs.

Each day I am working to strengthen my relationship with God. I can’t get sidetracked by someone who thinks my relationship is unimportant. Besides, I once dated a guy who thought he was coming back as a cat. That didn’t last long. I thought his religious beliefs were stupid. Of all the things to come back as, he wanted to be a cat. I would at least want to come back as someone rich and fabulous.

the bad week

I wish I was only having a bad day.

Every now and then we all have a bad day. From sunup to sundown nothing seems to go right. Usually you can take solace in the fact that everything will be better tomorrow (you can bet your bottom dollar). But what happens when it’s a longer period of time, like a week? I’m having a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad week. Not an hour. Not a day. A whole week.

Smarter than a fourth grader

Math has never been my forte. It especially went downhill after I stopped taking piano lessons in high school (playing a musical instrument enhances your math skills).  I’ve always been more of a words kind of girl. Long as I know the basics – addition, subtraction, multiplication and division – I’m just fine. And if nothing else I can figure out elementary school math. Or so I thought.

Rita made this design. I had to figure out how it looks rotated 90 degrees and then flipped. Who cares Rita?

Reunion Buddies Wanted

Sorry that my Writing Wednesday posts were on hiatus for so long. I was sick, on spring break and a tad bit lazy. Now I’m back. I owe the WW pot at least $100. No more breaks are planned for the future.

Coming soon to a writer near you...

Where has the time gone? It seems like just yesterday I was a goofy high school freshman. Now I’m a goofy adult. Several weeks ago I was telling my friend, Ebonita, how 2012 marks five years since we’ve graduated from college. It made me think of another approaching milestone– our 10 year high school graduation anniversary in 2013. At first I was all excited because that means a class reunion is coming. Then I realized I need a reunion buddy. Reunions are no fun without one.

The old young person

As I type these words I am so sleepy.


Am I really only 27? Some days I feel at least 67. It’s not necessarily because of aches and pains. But some of my habits and interests make me feel that way. The little things keep pointing more and more to the fact that I’m getting older.

The first sign was how I go to bed so early. There was a time I could stay up until the sun was out for several nights in a row. But now I’m pushing it if I’m up beyond 11 p.m. Just today the need for sleep hit me at 9:30 p.m. I couldn’t wait to see my bed.

52 Weeks of Memories: Week 4.2-9

I promise I’ve been getting up, getting out and doing something each week. I just haven’t written about what I’m doing in two months. Here’s a brief recap

 4.2 I participated in a postage party for my former work BFF. She’s getting married this summer. It will be my first “white wedding.” Several of the cards I addressed were to my former co-workers.

The pre-screening

Forgot to post this last week.


Sometimes I wonder if there is a sign on my head that says “Losers welcome!” Most men who’ve approached me in the past and present weren’t worth two rusty nickels. But I sometimes didn’t realize that until after they got my number. I try to give people the benefit of the doubt, but no one tells you upfront they are a waste of time. After some soul searching, I have decided to take charge of my future. From henceforth any guys asking for my number will have to go through a pre-screening questionnaire. It will help me determine just who is worth my time. I just can’t be bothered with everybody. Too many wrong answers will automatically dismiss someone. The questions are:

The Italian Mask Caper

'Tis Leap Day and only fitting and proper I present something you shall probably not see again from me for another four years - a fictional post. Once upon a time, several friends and I talked about what would hypothetically happen if we went on an adventure to Italy to replace a broken mask. I was supposed to write a short story about that conversation a long time ago, but I didn't because I'm lazy. Plus fiction writing is HARD. My play cousin and fake beau make it seem so easy. I have about 500 hundred novels in my head but none of the patience to actually write one. So I started part of the tale. It's nowhere near finished and not that great. I am a woman of many talents, but fiction writing is not my forte. Yet I am determined to finish it. Maybe by next Leap Day. Non-fiction chronicles will resume next week.

Love, Peace and Soul

Apparently I didn't post Feb. 1 on my blog. Here it is as it appeared on Facebook.

The Death Angel has struck again. First he took Etta James from us. This time he has taken the icon of soul himself, Don Cornelius. Who’s next Lord? ‘Tis a sad day of mourning in the land of all that is rhythm. My mother called to tell me the news earlier today. I had to take a moment to blast my old school music and dance on down a Soul Train line of one in his memory. It’s no fun having a Soul Train line with one person for the record. But this was for Don.

Two for one

Sorry I didn’t post last week for Writing Wednesday. I fell asleep after reading “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.” Here are two posts for the price of one to make up for my absence.

In honor of Whitney

When I heard the news about Whitney Houston’s passing it hurt my heart. This was worse than when Michael Jackson died, and I loved his music. Sure I didn’t know her personally, but Nippy was like the crazy favorite aunt of my head. You wanted her to get her life together because you loved her. For the record I blame Bobby Brown! My friends and I say we’re going to make a tribute video to Whitney during our next road trip. I believe it will be a YouTube sensation (meaning all of us and about three other people will watch it). A Whitney tribute won’t be complete without these songs:

my favorite things ii

Several years ago for the July 29, 2009 Writing Wednesday I posted a few of my favorite things. If Oprah can do it, so can I. Unfortunately, I’m not at the point in my life where I can give my favorite things out to everyone. Stay tuned. It will happen one day. Until then, here’s a list of what I’m digging right now.


Leonid McGill series by Walter Mosley. I thought nothing could compare to the Easy Rawlins series which features “Devil in a Blue Dress” and 10 other books. Then I read “The Long Fall.” There are a total of four books in this series so far, and I plan on reading each one. I still love me some Easy Rawlins, but I hear Mosley is done with the series. That’s fine with me. I’m team Leonid now.

52 weeks of Memories: Weeks 1.2., 2.2. and 3.2

I haven’t written about my memories in a few weeks, but that doesn’t mean they were non-existent. The start of January means my dry run on this challenge is over. Now it’s time to really play the game and make some memories.

It was all about experiencing a new restaurant Week 1.2. My play cousin suggested the LCR lunch crew and I have lunch at this fairly new restaurant called Ray’s. They had corn nuggets. Sweet. Delicious. Corn nuggets. I was instantly a fan. Ray’s kind of reminds us of our former favorite lunch spot McAlister’s. Sadly the local store closed. Ray’s however is a nice substitute. I was getting tired of Moe’s and Yum’s, our other two regular spots. We ate lunch at Ray’s on a Wednesday and again on Friday. I plan on taking my shero, the chief of police, to lunch sometime soon. I’m suggesting we go to Ray’s.

the apple remedy

Apples are the best remedy.

We’ve all heard the old saying “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” It wasn’t until recently I learned how true it is. A pain in the behind medical condition, literally and figuratively, forced me to see the doctor last week. I was told to come to the appointment fasting because blood work might be required. Bright and early Friday I made my way to the doctor who checked my symptoms and made a diagnosis. Unfortunately I also got a shot in my hip. Thankfully I was given an oral prescription for the rest of the antibiotic (at least until Monday when I have to get another shot).

The ultimate blocker

Blocker– block·er, noun, /ˈbläkər/ blockers, plural

Dictionary.com definition: A person or thing that blocks, in particular.
Urbandictionary.com definition: The person who blocks the progress of any “play” when a man is trying to talk to and flirt with a woman.

For years I have unjustly declared my father the ultimate blocker. Everyone wants to date the son of a preacher man, but such is not the case for the daughter. Numerous guys, real or imagined, were too afraid to pursue me because my father is a pastor (or maybe because they didn’t even know I was interested). Well there’s a new ultimate blocker in town and her name is MOMMY!

52 weeks of memories: week 8

I concluded my dry run of 52 weeks of memories with a New Year’s Eve party/bday celebration at la casa in Lake City. The evening began with dinner at Red Lobsters, granted about an hour later than planned. I left my parents’ house about three hours behind schedule. We love some cheddar bay biscuits in my crew. We laughed and joked and got to know one another. Oh yeah and we ate a lot of seafood.

what i've learned

In just two days I will be celebrating another birthday. Yay for me! Thirty is right around the corner, but I still have a couple of years before reaching that milestone. Esquire Magazine features interviews with celebrities about what they’ve learned. In similar fashion I present to you, in no particular order, the 27 things I’ve learned since being born.

52 Weeks of Memories: Week 6 & 7

It’s been a very memorable week 6 and 7 on my quest to 52 memories. Because I’m sick and dying (the death angel is after December folks) this will be a brief post.

Week 6 I volunteered at Dignity U Wear in Jacksonville on Saturday. The organization sends out clothing donations to the less fortunate through groups across the nation. Volunteers help sort inventory for the organization. While there I met a new friend. In my opinion it’s much harder to make new friends, especially if you’re a female, after college. And not everyone really knows how to take me. I’m so fully of energy, but I can be a little off-putting with my overly bubbliness. All that is a post for another day. Nonetheless, I connected with this other girl while volunteering. She’s new to Jacksonville and only been here about four months. I was wondering if we would exchange numbers, and we did. Hopefully we get to hang before I leave.

Sounds of the Season: Part II

I love hearing Christmas hymns at church. You can never sing them enough in my opinion. The annual Christmas program usually features quite a few. Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without some great hymns and gospel songs. Here are my favorites.

52 weeks of memories: Week 5

Let it snow! At least artificially. Each year Lake City hosts an annual event called Snow Day. It features 30 tons of artificial snow so children can experience the cold sensation. There are snow slides, snow piles, bounce houses, food, entertainment, pictures with Santa and more. In the past I’ve had to cover Snow Day for the paper. I got to actually participate in this year’s event on Saturday. My roommate’s church was in charge of volunteers, and I joined in the fun.

Avoid the Holiday Hustle

It will be 10 times worse Christmas Eve.

Being sick is a constant state of being for me. Usually I have some of everything to treat my latest ailment. Such was not the case Monday, and I found myself at Walmart putting together a get-better kit. There were so many people in the store holiday shopping, I thought I would never leave. You could barely move from aisle to aisle, and lines were endless. I only had a few items and waited a good 30 minutes. The whole process made my head hurt. Then it started to hurt even more when I realized I hadn’t even started my Christmas shopping yet. In a few days, I too will be in the mix of the holiday hustle. Just imagine how worse it will be. The mad dash to get those last few Christmas gifts will create utter chaos. I was inspired by the scene and my last minute gift buying to write a new book, “For Christmas shoppers who’ve considered homicide when the super store isn’t enough!” Using the book as a guide you can learn how to miss all the holiday madness. Here’s a sneak peak at some of the chapters:

52 Weeks of Memories: Week 4

Singing competitions are always memorable to me. Unfortunately they bring out my inner Simon Cowell. I always loved Simon on American Idol. Sure he was harsh with his comments, but most times Simon was on point. He was honest with his criticism. I wish he went to Columbia’s Top Talent Friday night. He would have flipped the table and walked away.
I joined my roommate and her pastor’s two daughters for the evening as we got to see the top talent at Columbia High School. I believe the children are the future, but it’s not looking bright if most of them want to be singers. I already told my roommate I was going to boo any bad singers. And boo I did via text message to her. I may be crazy, but I’m not THAT crazy. I’m not booing those children out loud so their families can jump me.

NaBloPoMo - The End

I can’t believe it’s over. Surprisingly participating in the official National Blog Posting Month was a lot easier than I thought it would be. Perhaps it’s because I have a brand spanking new job which allows me to get off work at a decent hour. Or I could chalk it up to the fact I participated in a dry run during March and knew what to expect. Whatever the reason, I am glad I successfully posted every day.


Ideas were one thing I never lacked during this challenge. I made a list of potential post ideas. I think I followed two – the intro post Nov. 1 and now this one. Too much happens in life to just plan what to write about. I try to go with the flow when inspiration hits.

Sounds of the season part I

Even snowmen sing Christmas songs.

Now that Thanksgiving is over, let the Christmas music begin. My second favorite holiday of the year is Christmas. There are so many fabulous songs which call to my soul. All I want to do is sing. Here are some of my favorite songs of the holidays.

a random call

sometimes i sleep with my phone right next to me. it's probably not the smartest thing to do since I move around in my sleep. i never really thought it was a problem until last night. somehow while sleeping i removed the keypad lock and the phone called one of my homegirls.

typically when i randomly dial someone unware its either my brother or play sister. needless to say it honed in on someone else.  she texted me a few minutes later thinking something was the matter but i assured her it was a mistake. then she called but since i was mid text i didn't answer. wrong mistake to make with this friend.

52 Weeks of Memories: Week 3

this week my memorable event was going to the movies with my little cousins. i have a plethora of little cousins in my family, but only one really likes me. honestly, she's the only one i like anyway. that's not to say she's a perfect little angel. but i can tolerate her much, much more than the rest. she is too grown for her own good, but she has consistenly liked me, and only me, since she was a baby. that counts for a lot in my book.

most of my little cousins aren't too used to me. i was either away in college when they were born or we just don't mesh. well it's their loss. now i only have to worry about spoiling one. when the princess and the frog came out i wanted to see it with someone. what better person to bring than a child? so i called her mom asking if we could hang and since then, every year we've gone to see a movie around the holidays.

a house divided

Go GATORS!

i am a university of florida gator. my parents and brother are not. they rep the florida state university seminoles. did i mention there is a bitter rivalry between the schools? neither of my parents went to fsu; yet they rep the noles like an alumni. my parents always liked former fsu coach bobby bowden. said he was a humble coach they despised former uf coach steve spurrier. it was only natural they become noles. as a result my brother and i were noles fans. fsu was one one of my college choices until i learned they didn't have a journalism program. florida has the best in the state. so off to gatorland i went.

fatted calf

just stick a fork in me because i am done. i. feel. stuffed. not full, but miserably stuff. this is why i must starve myself until thanksgiving. sure there are other holidays throughout the year that feature a massive feast, but none are quite like thanksgiving.

every year the same thing happens. i eat until i can't eat any more. then i end up feeling miserable. must as i am right now. no matter what i just can't stop. all thah food in front of me is just too much temptation.

the hostess

she's a hostess with the mostess

tired can not even describe how i feel right now. i have been up since 5 a.m.in preparation for thanksgiving. it is now nearly midnight.

my parents thought they were the ones hosting this year's small gathering. puhleeze. i am the hostess with the mostess which means everything just had to be done in a particular fashion. guests must be entertained every minute of their time here. there has to be a variety of appetizers. food has to be cooked to perfection. the list could go on and on with my demands when hosting.

Thankful thoughts

Thanksgiving is tomorrow and I can hardly wait. The kitchen is filled with smells of sweet potato pie, collard greens and much, much more. This time last year I was still in Lake City and not coming home until Thanksgiving evening. Talk about missing all the Thanksgiving fun. Such is not the case this time around. I came home to Jacksonville Tuesday night. Jesus is real, God is good and I am so thankful. Every year I like to make a list of things I am thankful for, be they big, little, random or slightly ridiculous. This year I’m thankful for:

Let Thanksgiving Shine

It’s the most wonderful time of the year. And no, I’m not talking about the approaching Christmas season. My favorite holiday, Thanksgiving, is coming! Thanksgiving combines several great elements, food, family and more food. Don’t get me wrong, I love Sweet Baby Jesus and Christmas, but the holiday has become too stressful and commercialized. I have too many people on the gifts list. I’m going to suggest that we all only buy one family member a gift and let everyone know we’re donating gifts to those less fortunate. But I digress.

the saga of a snorer

Hello, my name is Toni and I snore. Quite loudly at that. OK Acceptance is the first step. Now I must find a way to end this problem. I didn’t want to believe that I snored. I thought people were mistaken when they mentioned it. But several people have told me on separate occasions that I snored. Hearing the same thing from three valid sources means it must be the truth. That could be the difference between me getting married or not. Who wants to marry the chick that snores? Reason no. 243 for me being a cat lady: I snore.

52 Weeks of Memories: Week 2

Baby showers are always memorable.

It was busy Friday and Saturday for me this weekend. In my quest to “Get up, get out and do something,” and create 52 weeks of memories, I packed in a couple of activities.
Memory 2.1 featured a baby shower for a cousin on my mother’s side Friday. She’s in her 40s and just sent her last child to college. Someone must have forgotten to remind her it runs in the family to have children later in life. That’s what happens when you have multiple date nights with the hubby. This is why I always warn my parents when they go off gallivanting. There better be no more babies coming along.

the poet in me

I was inspired to write a post today based on nothing but randomness. Why? Well why not? Sometimes you just want to get your poetry on. Plus, I wrote a massive post yesterday. It was perhaps the most serious I have ever been. I needed something to lighten the mood. So I present to you "Poetry is hard."

Ties that bind

This tie was shot with an arrow.

The day my grandmother died I buried any association with her siblings and their children. I wish they would realize it. Recently her niece, Sota, sent me a friend request on Facebook. I should have known this day was coming. Several months ago she visited my parents. I made myself scare. Sota supposedly wants to get closer to me, but there is no love here. It went away several years ago.

Top news

Clearly it must be the end times because so much crazy stuff is happening in the world today. I spend a good portion of my time keeping up with the latest news. I might not work at a newspaper anymore but please believe I’m still a newshound. Unless you’ve been living under a rock you’ve heard about The Penn State Scandal, Occupy Wall Street; all that is Herman Cain and Kim Khardasian’s short lived marriage. Here are my thoughts on these big major news events:

Where are my ZZZs

I just want to sleep.

Has anyone seen the Sandman? You know the guy that supposedly brings dreams. He’s been avoiding my house lately. It was cool that first night. I wasn’t even too annoyed with night two. But after three nights of no sleep, I am concerned.

Protocol confusion

Dating protocol – What is it? Is a manual nearby? At 26 years old I still don’t know a thing about dating protocol. This is partially why I don’t date. When I think about all the ends and outs or dos and don’ts, I get annoyed. I just can’t be bothered. Who has time to determine who calls whom first, or what is the appropriate waiting time to call someone after getting their number? I refuse to look needy after getting someone’s number. But I always don’t want to have him forget about me if I take too long to call. As a matter of fact who is supposed to ask for the number first?

Adoption is an option Part 1

You too can explore adoption as an option.

Is it bad that I visit the Adopt Florida website on a regular basis? It’s been a habit ever since I decided I want to adopt a child or two. There has never been a question of if I will have children but when I will have them. I complain about how children act, but more than anything else in the world I want to be a mother. My future goals include being PTSA president and baking cupcakes for my children’s kindergarten classes or having snacks for them and their friends after school. There is nothing wrong with my reproductive organs as far as I know. I’ve been told on more than one occasion that I have “child-bearing hips.” And bear some children I shall. But also in the mix I want to adopt.

natural trendsetter

I’ve had an obsession with my hair ever since I went completely natural in July 2005. I can hardly believe it’s been six years since that fateful night. While taking out kinky twist extensions, I decided to cut off my relaxed hair down to the new growth. I realized something that night – I cannot cut hair.

All by myself

Hopefully I don't look this sad while alone.

My experience of going to Trivia Night alone on Wednesday got me thinking (which can sometimes be dangerous). How often do I avoid doing something because I don’t want to go alone? Actually not that often. I’ve always been a “the more the merrier” type of girl. In college I was quite co-dependent. I had a group of friends and we literally did everything together. It wasn’t until the SPLIT (long story short we moved in together, had a big falling out and now I don’t speak to anyone in the group) I finally ended my co-dependency. I gained some new friends, but my activities didn’t have to be the same as theirs. In a way this was helping me prepare for when I moved to Georgia and had no friends.

The sick chronicles

All good things must come to an end. For me that means my health. Of course I’m sick again. What else is new? Just the other day I was boasting to some that I haven’t been sick since I started my new job. Knock on wood. Or perhaps it’s too late for that now? I should have paid attention to the signs. Wednesday my nose was runny but I didn’t think too much about it. Then at some point Wednesday night while drinking water my throat started feeling funny. Just before bed my head began to feel congested. I popped two Benadryl pills and hoped for better results in the morning. No such luck. I was full fledge sick on Thursday.

52 Weeks of Memories: Week I

What's more memorable than trivia?

My goal is to “Get up, get out and do something” and create 52 weeks of memories for my New Year’s theme. Week one gets a nice gold star.

Wednesday I went to a weekly trivia night at a local bar restaurant. The hostess had invited me several weeks ago, and I decided to finally go. I’ve never been to a trivia night in a restaurant setting and didn’t really know what to expect. Apparently you’re supposed to have a team. Yours truly had no friends, or at least none who could attend. Poor little old me. The hostess asked if I wanted to be placed with a team, but I didn’t want to interrupt someone else’s group dynamics. Yes, even I can be shy. So I formed a one woman team, Solo Dolo Star.

Treat yourself

One of my favorite shows right now is “Parks and Recreation.” Amid the wacky interactions between the characters are little life lessons in each episode. At least that’s what I thought after seeing the episode “Pawnee Rangers.”

A subplot for the episode detailed how two characters, Tom Haverford and Donna Meagle, have an annual “Treat Yourself” day. The day is filled with much needed pampering and shopping. Items bought can be something frivolous because as they both pointed out, “Treat yourself.” For this year’s day they brought along a friend, Ben Wyatt. He was confused about the “Treat Yourself” philosophy. He didn’t enjoy the spa treatment and initially only bought a big pack of socks.

Good reads

I'm a regular book worm.

The library is one of my favorite places in the world. It has books, glorious books, all over the place. Usually I pick up three to four books on every visit. Mystery is my favorite genre, but I have been known to check out a few other categories. Sometimes I head to the library armed with a list of particular books I want. Other times I pick up what catches my fancy while browsing the shelves. Here's what I got on my latest trip:

post new year's theme

Allow me to present something that is long overdue: my new year’s theme. Think of it as a slogan of sorts. Usually I wait until the end of the year to unveil my theme. What better way to start the New Year off? For me, a theme helps provide a definition for the New Year. It sets the standards to make the New Year the best one possible. Instead of setting resolutions, which I never keep, I can use a theme as my guide for the year.

A new identity

Identity is more than just one area.

In the past people have often greeted me by saying, “Hey Ms. Reporter” or “What’s up Ms. Media” and so on. Being a reporter was not only my job description, but also my identity. At least it was until about a month ago. I took a position with a local college in the area. It encompasses a variety of my skills cultivated in the journalism industry.

Rocking to the Radio

It was cleaning day for me this Saturday. My room was in desperate need of a thorough cleaning. I could no longer put it off. To help the time go by, I tuned into the radio. Music always seems to make everything more fun. My station of choice is 107.3 Jamz based in Greenville, S.C. I loved listening to that station while living in Georgia because of the awesome mix of today's R&B and old school. The jams kept flowing during my cleanup time. Here's a glimpse at what I heard:

What’s your species?

The cheetah hunts the gazelle. Not the other way around.

I am a gazelle – at least in my mind when it comes to dating and relating. Sometimes I wish more men would realize they’re a cheetah in the equation, particularly the ones interested in me. It would make things so much easier in the dating process. I’ve never been one to chase after a man. I fully believe he should be the pursuer in the relationship: the unequivocal cheetah to my gazelle.

All I want for the holidays

Halloween just ended a few days ago, and Thanksgiving isn’t even here yet. I’ve already started compiling my Christmas/Birthday list. I don’t bother trying to specify which is for what day since the two are so close together. My parents have received a holiday list from me since I was old enough to write. There is no reason for the tradition to end just because I’m in my late 20s. My lists never ask for anything too extravagant. I am a woman of simple tastes. All I want for Christmas /Birthday this year is:

Bye Bye Birdie

Mama Bird is not happy to see her baby leave.

A child-free home is a source of depression for some parents. Such was not the case for several featured in an Associated Press article entitled, “Empty nest? Not all parents are sad about it.” The writer interviewed several parents who were ecstatic their children were leaving home. They shared plans of traveling overseas, starting new projects and just enjoying life without children. I’m surprised I didn’t see my parents’ names in the article.

NaBloPoMo: the return

It’s officially National Blog Posting Month, and yours truly is joining the fun. The project was inspired by National Novel Writing Month, where writers complete a novel from start to finish in a month. NaBloPoMo features bloggers posting something different every single day. The task is much easier than it sounds. I know from firsthand experience.

Gone 'Til November

My poor sick computer.

I’m taking a semi-break from posting, not writing, until November. My
dearly beloved laptop, Sheba, is in her final days. The doctor said
she’s only got one or two good starts left in her. Her hard drive and
disc drive are gone. Last week she wouldn’t even start up. Imagine my
horror. There are some other minor problems as well. Unfortunately,
the cost to repair her is almost as much as buying a brand new
computer.
Woe is me for I didn’t plan on buying a new laptop for another month.
And despite this sad state of affairs, I’m sticking to that plan. My
budget says no major purchases until Oct. 26. One day I’ll have an
unlimited budget and be able to drop a dime without a care. That day
is not today.
This leaves me without a reliable computer to write on. I hate using
library computers because there always seems to be a high demand. No
one wants to wait on me to write a post. And I definitely can’t write
and post at work. Not unless you want the laid off chronicles because
they fired me for personal computer use on company time. Perhaps if we
all chant, “Come back little Sheba,” she’ll make it through. Join with
me now. Just kidding (unless you want to do it).
If anyone has a good laptop suggestion, let me know. I hate Macs for
the record. They bring back bad memories of my educational technology
class in college. I don’t even know why I took that class. It had
something to do with a computer proficiency requirement for my major.
As a result I took modern problems with computers, navigate the
Internet and that stupid class. But I digress.
Perhaps Sheba will last until the next Writing Wednesday (and you
thought I just wrote on Wednesdays for kicks and giggles). I will
definitely post something. And the same holds for every Wednesday
after that, but no guarantees.
I promise to make it up in November for National Blog Posting Month.
That’s right, 30 consecutive days of me posting...again. Remember that dry run.