Got My Wheels Spinnin'

When I was young, my friends and I liked to hang out at the roller skating rink...especially during our teenage years. The skating rink was the SPOT.

We had two that we'd frequent. World On Wheels in L.A., and Skate Depot in Cerritos. Both are now closed.

But the past time of roller skating is alive and well. My 22 year old daughter goes weekly. Unfortunately, the closet spot is in Orange County. So...that's where EVERYBODY goes now.

Last night I sent her a text to see what she was up to and she told me that she was out skating with friends. I told her to be safe (as I always do...just 'cause that's what us Moms do) and went to sleep.

Well I woke up this morning to find out that there was a shooting at the skating rink where she was. Everyone was searched over a three hour period as the police looked for the shooter (which they never found.)

Thankfully, my daughter and her friend were safe. But it made me wonder about a few things.

When did we come such a VIOLENT society?

When I was younger, my friends and I hung out "without incident." The worst that would EVER happen was a possible FIST fight. But all this gun violence??? When did that start?

I sometimes wonder if the best years for being young ENDED when I was young.

I think about my 18 year old son now and how UNSAFE it is for him to even walk down the street as a young male Black.

To the police, he's a threat.
To other young men his age, he's a threat.
As his MOTHER, I know that he's not a threat to EITHER.

He is a law-abiding citizen with a good head on his shoulders...but you'd have to actually KNOW him to KNOW that. The Police and random young men my son's age, DON'T know him. So for that reason, I must keep him CONSTANTLY covered in PRAYER.

Texting my daughter, instinctively telling her to be safe, and then seeing how close she was to danger also made me even more aware of the fact that we just never know when our communication with someone will be the last.

Thankfully, that wasn't the LAST communication for us. But for those friends and families of the victims in Orlando last month...it was. Or for the friends and family who've been victims of mass shootings...for them, it was. And for those who've texted loved ones as they're leaving work at the end of the day, "On my way home. Love you."...yet ended up in a fatal car accident. For those folks, that was their LAST communication. There are so many other examples that I could list.

Bottom line is this, we just never know. And that's all the more reason to LOVE each other while we can...because we simply don't know how long we will have them, or they us.

So on this "30 Days of THANKFULNESS: Day 23" - I am THANKFUL that God has allowed me another day to tell my kiddos that I love them.

Now it's YOUR turn. Let the DIALOGUE begin: When was the last time you went roller skating?

While you think about that, here's a song for ya!


Talk to me!

Til next time...

Bon Appétit!

Today for the first time in TWO months, I enjoyed my 45 minute lunch break in the comfort of my very own car. Oh how I've missed that. I love taking my lunch to the car, turning the radio on to a "talk-radio" station, and relishing 45 minutes of "ME time."

Before heading out to my car today, I "prepared" my lunch. That consisted of adding HOT water to my shrimp flavored "Instant Lunch"...known by another brand as "Cup Noodles." Do you know -- at this VERY moment, as I am writing this post, I just learned something new. I always thought these noodles in a cup were called "Cup O' Noodles", or may even "Cup of Noodles." I had no idea that they were called "Instant Lunch" or "Cup Noodles" (without the O' or of in the middle.) The things you learn...I tell ya!

Anyhoo...I digress.

So I added HOT water to my "Instant Lunch" and headed out to the car.

Now as I mentioned earlier, my lunch was shrimp flavored. As I was eating and waiting for bites of shrimp, I began to wonder just how many of these microscopic freeze-dried shrimp-like pieces (like the one pictured) does the maker LEGALLY have to include in each cup in order for it to be labeled as "shrimp" flavored.

In my ENTIRE cup, I counted THREE "barely there" bites of shrimp. Three very well may be the max that are required. We'll see tomorrow when I have another one. And then again the day after that.

Yes, I know that these noodles aren't the healthiest of choices as they are tremendously high in sodium. However, my finances are EXTREMELY tight right now, and will continue to be until I get my next paycheck. So until then, lunch will be noodles. Hey...if it's good enough for college kids, it's good enough for me.

And that leads me to "30 Days of THANKFULNESS: Day 22" - I am THANKFUL for food to eat even when my money is abysmally low.

Noodles may not be"fine dining" or even "average dining," but they are food in my belly -- keeping me from going hungry, so I will thank God for those noodles just as I would thank Him for a meal consisting of the largest king crab legs around. Oh how I love me some king crab legs...actually, ANY kind of crab legs for that matter. Maybe tomorrow I will imagine that my noodles are king crab flavored instead of what they actually are.

With that said, Let the DIALOGUE begin: Do you have a favorite "go-to" meal when your money gets low?

When I was little, we'd have fried bologna sandwiches with that slit cut in the bologna so it wouldn't bubble up. May not have been much, but I was never hungry as a child, and I won't be as an adult. Even when the noodles run out, there's plenty of rice in my cupboard. For that too, I will be thankful.

Now talk to me!

Til next time...

Happy EFFING Fourth of July!!!

The time is now 9:56 pm and I am sooo done with these *&^% ILLEGAL "fireworks" in my neighborhood.

I just don't get it.

Any other day of the year, the Sheriff are SPEEDING down the street to get to God knows where. Up and down the street they ZOOM...ALL NIGHT LONG. But tonight...NOTHING.

I mean, there is ILLEGAL activity going on all over my neighborhood with these EXPLOSIVES, and NOTHING is being done to stop any of it.

One thing I know for sure...this madness better stop at 10:00pm or I am going to be hotter than fish grease. I've gotta get up in the morning and go to work. I'll be *&^%ed if this racket is gonna keep ME up all night. To quote the late Whitney Houston,"Hell to the nah!"

Now Let the DIALOGUE begin: Was your Fourth of July peaceful and quiet...or did it sound like you were in the middle of a COMBAT ZONE as it did for me?

Talk to me!

Til next time...

ME Time

Ah...Fourth of July. Hotdogs. Hamburgers. Parks. Beaches. Friends. Family. Fireworks.

For most folks, those are all the things that make up a great Fourth of July. For me, what makes Fourth of July BEST is a DAY OFF OF FROM WORK. A much needed, long awaited DAY OFF. Paid time off is simply something that we don't get enough of in this country. So when I get a "Company Holiday" OFF...I gladly take it, and relish every single solitary second.

I will especially enjoy TODAY because when I go to work tomorrow I have already been assigned to cover someone else's desk. THAT my friends, is the quickest way to have a relaxing three-day-weekend roll right off.

So for these next 20 some hours that belong solely to me, I will do as much as I can doing what I love.

I will write, and sing, and write and write some more.

I'll probably throw some cleaning in there somewhere (not 'cause I love it, but because SOMEBODY'S gotta do it.)

And then I'll write again.

Also gonna carve out some time to get my resume out to a few places. Somewhere out there is my ideal CAREER. The one I was CREATED for. One that does NOT have me sitting in a cubicle listening to the clickety-clack of everyone frantically typing away on their keyboards in an office that is more quite than the library. Some days I just stop, listen, and almost want to cry...knowing that God must SURELY have more for me than THIS.

Somewhere out there, is an employer who is looking for someone with a PASSION and PURPOSE for helping the homeless (especially homeless YOUTH). No...I don't have any "professional" experience in that area. No...I don't have a college degree in that area. But I have the HEART for it...and PLENTY of professional experience that I have gained from my corporate positions. If you ask me...I've got the winning combination. One day, my future employer will realize that too and I will FINALLY be able to make a POSITIVE impact on the lives of others.

So yeah...this DAY OFF is already JAM PACKED. Filled with things that mean something to me. Filled with things that will one day, some day, get me to where I want to be, and that leads me to what I am THANKFUL for today.

On this, "30 Days of THANKFULNESS: Day 21" - I am simply THANKFUL for a DAY OFF...away from "the cubicle."

For the rest of y'all, headin' to picnics, "cookouts", and what not..."throw a shrimp on the barbie" for me ('cause you know I don't eat beef, chicken, goat, lamb, pork, or turkey)...and have a FANTASTIC Fourth of July!!!!

Now, Let the DIALOGUE begin: What's you favorite "song for the summer?" Here's one of mine. Be sure to turn it up!



Then talk to me!

Til next time...

Spontaneous Sunday

Earlier today, my plan was to go visit a new church, and then head back home. Simple enough, right?

Well...I made my way to the church, enjoyed the service, and when it was over, I checked my phone.

I saw that I had a "missed call" and a text from the same person. Before I headed home I gave my friend call.

She said she figured that I was in church (my friends know me well) and was hoping that I'd call when I got out. She wanted to invite me to a Los Angeles Sparks game.

I hemmed and hawwed for a moment because my original plan was to just go home.

She told me that another friend was already at her place and that they had discussed who to invite. Mine was the ONLY name that came up. Oh, the pressure. Well at that point, how could I say no?

So I told her I'd be on my way.

Got to her house, we all jumped in her car and headed to the Staples Center.

All I can say is..."Oh what a time we had!"

I hadn't been to a Sparks game in YEARS. One thing that I really enjoyed was the fact that it was "family friendly," as in...families can actually AFFORD to go...and they do.

You'd have to search pretty hard to find a FAMILY...especially one with an income similar to MINE, at a LAKER game. Nope. It costs a pretty penny, and then some, for even ONE person to go to a Laker game...let alone a WHOLE FAMILY.

So yeah, I enjoyed that aspect of the Sparks game.

And I greatly enjoyed the fact that the Sparks WON! That always makes attending the game just a wee bit sweeter.

So yeah...that was my "Spontaneous Sunday" adventure. I'm glad I went.

And on this "30 Days of THANKFULNESS: Day 20" - I am THANKFUL for the fact that I am the type of person who folks actually ENJOY being around. I know that I enjoy MY company...I'm glad that OTHERS do too!

Now Let the DIALOGUE begin: When was the last time you attended a professional ball game...be it baseball, basketball, football, soccer, tennis...or even hockey?

Talk to me!

Til next time...

It's Gettin' Hot In Here...

So after two months and two days of being without my car, I finally got it back yesterday (Thank You Jesus!)

The guy who repaired it did a good job. New hood, new bumper, new front headlight. Looks great.

Even with the latest repairs, my "Kenya" still needs a lot of work. She drives very sluggishly, and the air conditioning doesn't work. I need to get both checked out, but as always...there's just no money. So...I make do until.

Today I went to AutoZone to get some of that stuff in a can that's supposed to flush the A/C system (or something like that.) The little can thingy cost me $59.04 with tax, which I thought was pretty pricey, but hey...it's summertime and I need A/C in my car, so...I paid it.

Of course, since I know absolutely NOTHING about cars, I asked the guy in the store how to use the stuff. He explained and then I just asked, "Is there someone here who can show me?"

Thankfully, he said he would.

So we headed out to my car, he hooked up the "can thingy," told me to start my car and turn the air on FULL BLAST. I did, and nothing blew but HOT air. At that point he told me that there's "something else" going on with my A/C and that I'll need to have it checked out elsewhere.

Great...I just spent $59.04 on that "stuff." Now what?

Again...he very graciously offered to give me a refund.

He also gave me some numbers of places I can call to see about getting the A/C checked. Of course...none of those places will look at it this weekend, so I will have to wait, and keep riding with the windows down until some time next week. Thank goodness I wear my hair "natural" so a little bit of wind won't hurt it.

One thing's for sure. I seem to have more money going OUT (or at least NEEDING to go OUT) than I have coming in. There's just never enough for everything.

Here's a list of what I need:

* A/C fixed in my car
** New refrigerator
*** New clothes (so that I don't have to keep rotating the same five outfits every week)
**** New furniture (it's so old, it's embarrassing...which is why i NEVER have guests over...EVER)
***** New TV (My current on (and the ONLY one we have is TEN years old at LEAST. And it only displays about 60% of what's being output. It cuts off part of the picture on both the left and right side, so I only see what's directly in the middle. As an example...a HERSHEY'S commercial came on one day and all that I could see was the SHE in the middle. The HER and Y'S were cut off.)

So yeah...those are just a few things that I need but they ALL have to wait. When you live paycheck to "almost paycheck" as I do, a WHOLE LOTTA stuff simply WAITS.

Even with all those NEEDS, I still manage to keep a smile on my face. Folks who see me outside of The Dialogue Den have NO IDEA about my life and all that's going on in it. Quite honestly, there's whole lot going on in my life that I don't even write about here. I just don't think people are ready...nor do they care.

If you see me in passing, or at an event and ask me how I'm doing, my knee jerk reaction will always be "Fine," even when I'm not.

Most times the smile is genuine. Many times it's not. That's just where I am right now.

If I had my way, I'd start that Go Fund Me campaign that I wrote about a couple weeks ago. But I'd only do it if I knew that folks were going to contribute and not judge or criticize me for what I need the money for. Knowing that the money would go toward HELPING ME get to a better place mentally, and financially should be enough. But I know the world doesn't work that way.

So...I shall continue to wear my smile and know that "this too shall pass."

Through it all...God's got me.

On this "30 Days of THANKFULNESS: Day 19" - I am THANKFUL for God, who walks along this tough journey of life with me.

Now Let the DIALOGUE begin: Do you know of any INEXPENSIVELY priced auto shops in the Los Angeles that can fix my car's A/C? INEXPENSIVELY priced are the operative words.

Talk to me!

Til next time...

On The Road Again

Today's post is another quick one.

Bottom line...on this "30 Days of THANKFULNESS: Day 18 - I am THANKFUL for FINALLY having my car back after being without it for the past 2 MONTHS and 2 DAYS!

I think that's enough right there.

How 'bout you?

Let the DIALOGUE begin: Since having your own car, what's the longest amount of time you've ever had to be without it, if ever.

Talk to me!

Til next time...