It Could All Be So Simple....

How Do I KNOW?

2006-08-18T15:20:00.000-07:00

Excuse me while I think out loud...

How do you know if he is the one? I am in a relationship right now in which I THINK he is the one. But sometimes I wonder. How am I supposed to know if in 50 years he will still be the man for me? In the last couple years I have learned so many things about him - some I love, some I deal with, but overall he is a great man. We have a great time together. We watch movies, take walks on the beach, work out together, have family dinners together, vacation, have deep conversations, pray together, read in bed at night together, talk about our future. I can see myself looking into his face and saying 'I do.'
The more I think about I do, the more scared I get. I was in a loooong relationship before him that was disastrous. He was a complete self centered, narcissistic, manipulative jerk. He was fun, hilarious, and a great lover - but that was it. He messed up my world. After him, I thought I'd never trust or love again. For years after I finally wiped my hands clean of him, I dated a lot, but never opened up. Until I met my babe. He changed everything, he made love easy.
Now, I'm having second doubts. How can I know he will be faithful to me? After all, he is just a man! How can I really put so much trust into ONE person? I feel so vulnerable and naked, lately I've been bursting into tears just thinking about getting my heart broken - and for no real reason! What the hell is up? Thoughts?

PMS?

Peace

What I Learned from Shamu

2006-06-28T09:42:00.000-07:00

I found this incredibly funny and USEFUL story in the NY Times. It hit home with me INSTANTLY and if you have a boyfriend/girlfriend/husband or wife - I think it will hit home with you too!

I think I will stop by the store on my way home today to buy Scooby Snacks to toss at my man when he does something good! It's long, but well worth the read!

What Shamu Taught Me About a Happy Marriage
By AMY SUTHERLAND
Published: June 25, 2006

AS I wash dishes at the kitchen sink, my husband paces behind me, irritated. "Have you seen my keys?" he snarls, then huffs out a loud sigh and stomps from the room with our dog, Dixie, at his heels, anxious over her favorite human's upset.

In the past I would have been right behind Dixie. I would have turned off the faucet and joined the hunt while trying to soothe my husband with bromides like, "Don't worry, they'll turn up." But that only made him angrier, and a simple case of missing keys soon would become a full-blown angst-ridden drama starring the two of us and our poor nervous dog.
Now, I focus on the wet dish in my hands. I don't turn around. I don't say a word. I'm using a technique I learned from a dolphin trainer.
I love my husband. He's well read, adventurous and does a hysterical rendition of a northern Vermont accent that still cracks me up after 12 years of marriage.
But he also tends to be forgetful, and is often tardy and mercurial. He hovers around me in the kitchen asking if I read this or that piece in The New Yorker when I'm trying to concentrate on the simmering pans. He leaves wadded tissues in his wake. He suffers from serious bouts of spousal deafness but never fails to hear me when I mutter to myself on the other side of the house. "What did you say?" he'll shout.
These minor annoyances are not the stuff of separation and divorce, but in sum they began to dull my love for Scott. I wanted — needed — to nudge him a little closer to perfect, to make him into a mate who might annoy me a little less, who wouldn't keep me waiting at restaurants, a mate who would be easier to love.
So, like many wives before me, I ignored a library of advice books and set about improving him. By nagging, of course, which only made his behavior worse: he'd drive faster instead of slower; shave less frequently, not more; and leave his reeking bike garb on the bedroom floor longer than ever.
We went to a counselor to smooth the edges off our marriage. She didn't understand what we were doing there and complimented us repeatedly on how well we communicated. I gave up. I guessed she was right — our union was better than most — and resigned myself to stretches of slow-boil resentment and occasional sarcasm.
Then something magical happened. For a book I was writing about a school for exotic animal trainers, I started commuting from Maine to California, where I spent my days watching students do the seemingly impossible: teaching hyenas to pirouette on command, cougars to offer their paws for a nail clipping, and baboons to skateboard.
I listened, rapt, as professional trainers explained how they taught dolphins to flip and elephants to paint. Eventually it hit me that the same techniques might work on that stubborn but lovable species, the American husband.
The central lesson I learned from exotic animal trainers is that I should reward behavior I like and ignore behavior I don't. After all, you don't get a sea lion to balance a ball on the end of its nose by nagging. The same goes for the American husband.
Back in Maine, I began thanking Scott if he threw one dirty shirt into the hamper. If he threw in two, I'd kiss him. Meanwhile, I would step over any soiled clothes on the floor without one sharp word, though I did sometimes kick them under the bed. But as he basked in my appreciation, the piles became smaller.
I was using what trainers call "approximations," rewarding the small steps toward learning a whole new behavior. You can't expect a baboon to learn to flip on command in one session, just as you can't expect an American husband to begin regularly picking up his dirty socks by praising him once for picking up a single sock. With the baboon you first reward a hop, then a bigger hop, then an even bigger hop. With Scott the husband, I began to praise every small act every time: if he drove just a mile an hour slower, tossed one pair of shorts into the hamper, or was on time for anything.
I also began to analyze my husband the way a trainer considers an exotic animal. Enlightened trainers learn all they can about a species, from anatomy to social structure, to understand how it thinks, what it likes and dislikes, what comes easily to it and what doesn't. For example, an elephant is a herd animal, so it responds to hierarchy. It cannot jump, but can stand on its head. It is a vegetarian.

The exotic animal known as Scott is a loner, but an alpha male. So hierarchy matters, but being in a group doesn't so much. He has the balance of a gymnast, but moves slowly, especially when getting dressed. Skiing comes naturally, but being on time does not. He's an omnivore, and what a trainer would call food-driven.

Once I started thinking this way, I couldn't stop. At the school in California, I'd be scribbling notes on how to walk an emu or have a wolf accept you as a pack member, but I'd be thinking, "I can't wait to try this on Scott."
On a field trip with the students, I listened to a professional trainer describe how he had taught African crested cranes to stop landing on his head and shoulders. He did this by training the leggy birds to land on mats on the ground. This, he explained, is what is called an "incompatible behavior," a simple but brilliant concept.
Rather than teach the cranes to stop landing on him, the trainer taught the birds something else, a behavior that would make the undesirable behavior impossible. The birds couldn't alight on the mats and his head simultaneously.
At home, I came up with incompatible behaviors for Scott to keep him from crowding me while I cooked. To lure him away from the stove, I piled up parsley for him to chop or cheese for him to grate at the other end of the kitchen island. Or I'd set out a bowl of chips and salsa across the room. Soon I'd done it: no more Scott hovering around me while I cooked.
I followed the students to SeaWorld San Diego, where a dolphin trainer introduced me to least reinforcing syndrome (L. R. S.). When a dolphin does something wrong, the trainer doesn't respond in any way. He stands still for a few beats, careful not to look at the dolphin, and then returns to work. The idea is that any response, positive or negative, fuels a behavior. If a behavior provokes no response, it typically dies away.
In the margins of my notes I wrote, "Try on Scott!"
It was only a matter of time before he was again tearing around the house searching for his keys, at which point I said nothing and kept at what I was doing. It took a lot of discipline to maintain my calm, but results were immediate and stunning. His temper fell far shy of its usual pitch and then waned like a fast-moving storm. I felt as if I should throw him a mackerel.
Now he's at it again; I hear him banging a closet door shut, rustling through papers on a chest in the front hall and thumping upstairs. At the sink, I hold steady. Then, sure enough, all goes quiet. A moment later, he walks into the kitchen, keys in hand, and says calmly, "Found them."
Without turning, I call out, "Great, see you later."
Off he goes with our much-calmed pup.
After two years of exotic animal training, my marriage is far smoother, my husband much easier to love. I used to take his faults personally; his dirty clothes on the floor were an affront, a symbol of how he didn't care enough about me. But thinking of my husband as an exotic species gave me the distance I needed to consider our differences more objectively.
I adopted the trainers' motto: "It's never the animal's fault." When my training attempts failed, I didn't blame Scott. Rather, I brainstormed new strategies, thought up more incompatible behaviors and used smaller approximations. I dissected my own behavior, considered how my actions might inadvertently fuel his. I also accepted that some behaviors were too entrenched, too instinctive to train away. You can't stop a badger from digging, and you can't stop my husband from losing his wallet and keys.
PROFESSIONALS talk of animals that understand training so well they eventually use it back on the trainer. My animal did the same. When the training techniques worked so beautifully, I couldn't resist telling my husband what I was up to. He wasn't offended, just amused. As I explained the techniques and terminology, he soaked it up. Far more than I realized.
Last fall, firmly in middle age, I learned that I needed braces. They were not only humiliating, but also excruciating. For weeks my gums, teeth, jaw and sinuses throbbed. I complained frequently and loudly. Scott assured me that I would become used to all the metal in my mouth. I did not.
One morning, as I launched into yet another tirade about how uncomfortable I was, Scott just looked at me blankly. He didn't say a word or acknowledge my rant in any way, not even with a nod.
I quickly ran out of steam and started to walk away. Then I realized what was happening, and I turned and asked, "Are you giving me an L. R. S.?" Silence. "You are, aren't you?"
He finally smiled, but his L. R. S. has already done the trick. He'd begun to train me, the American wife.

IRRITATION x 100

2006-06-26T14:24:00.000-07:00

Damn I'm irritated! How can the man I love just piss me off so damn bad sometimes?!? I feel like I wanna just grab his face and twist his little head off sometimes!!! Little shit he does just drives me insane! Somebody help me! I'm not saying he's not a good man - he is - the BEST man I've ever known, he just gets on my damn nerves sometimes.

Yes, sometimes I go shopping & put money on my credit card when I don't have the cash (even when I'm trying to get rid of debt). I am NOT trying to hear about it 3 months later! I NEED a new pretty pair of shoes every once in a while!

Yes, sometimes I don't want to go to the gym after work - even when I ask you to help me & motivate me to go. NO MEANS NO. Especially today. I'm T.I.R.E.D.

Yes, sometimes I tell you about yourself - EVEN IF I do the same shit too. We are not talking about ME right now... we are talking about YOU. If I say stop rolling your eyes at me - because it irritates the life out of me - I am NOT trying to hear you telling me that I do the same to you. It is beside the point.

Yes, sometimes I eat like a cow. I have an appetizer, a full meal then I order dessert. I also know that I complain about my ass and tummy being of equal size. That is for ME to be concerned about... not for you. Please don't interrupt my creme brulee bite. I'm NOT trying to hear it.

Please, oh please don't call me at work to talk shit. You KNOW I can't get loud at work - you KNOW that! And it's just not right! All that bottled up emotion & tension could just explode one day right here at work - then you'd have twice the bills to pay 'cause I'd get fired. Wait for me to get home to pick a fight so I can react properly!

Anyway, thank you for listening. I almost went nuts there. My period ends in 2 days. Maybe I'll feel better then. :)

Peace

Creeping Out of Blog Limbo for Ms. Spears!

2006-06-16T11:11:00.000-07:00

OK... I found something so ridiculously stupid, retarded, baffling... whatever... that I had to crawl out of my blogging sabbatical.
Please read this DUMB shit that Brittany Spears said in her interview with Matt Lauer yesterday. She's explaining why she wants to give birth to her next child in Namibia. Is this heffa FOR REAL???? Why would they even put this junk on TV? She is seriously brain dead.

Mr. Lauer asked Ms. Spears why she had chosen Namibia for the birth of her child.

"Kevin has always been a fan of African-American culture," she replied. "I'm sure he'll feel at home there, rapping with all the natives. Besides, there's lots of quiet unpaved roads where Sean Preston and I can go driving."

Ms. Spears also said that Namibia reminds her of California "because it's on the ocean and there's lots of sand. So if Sean Preston fell off his swing and landed on his head, there's less chance he would be hurt and we'd have those snoops from child welfare up our butts all the time."

Finally, said Ms. Spears, "I heard that Namibia has laws that let celebrities say whether or not journalists are allowed in the country. That's so important, even more important than getting the same villa that Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt had."

"Rapping with all the natives"? Is she for real?? This heffa is ridiculous!

Peace!

So Sick

2006-04-04T07:33:00.000-07:00

I'm sick. Feelin like doo doo today & yesterday. I have an all day meeting today so I had to come in to work. Will post tomorrow!

On the upside - I just may be landing my DREAM job! I applied over a year ago, and as the months rolled by, I sorta gave up. FRIDAY I received a call from them and it looks like things are moving along! I need lots of prayers, good energy, chants - or whatever your pleasure!!!

Have a great day!

Peace

The Pile

2006-03-31T08:34:00.000-08:00

OK, so enough of the mushy crap about my man - let's get back to the real. My man is a freakin pack rat. Straight up. At his bachelor apartment before we moved into our new apartment together, he had boxes and boxes and boxes of crap piled up everywhere. What the hell was all that shit? Late twenties, and already accruing mountains of crap? I vowed to get rid of a lot of this junk one way or another. Nobody wants to look at stacks of Home Depot cardboard boxes, they're ugly and not decorative. I told him that when we moved in together he'd have to throw away the crap, and he could store whatever he wanted in my mom's garage.
After secretly ditching a lot of his junk while helping him pack up to move into our new place, he had about 13 boxes of stuff left, which included clothes, frames, house stuff etc... so I thought we we did pretty good! I figured most of that stuff could be unpacked and put into its place.
WRONG. After 3 months of cohabitating bliss (haha, yeah RIGHT - nobody told me how different shit is actually LIVING together!) there will still about 8-9 boxes, a fan, and 2 lamps still piled in the living room! I tried everything to get those damn boxes out, work parties, sex bribes, elaborate dinners, and all I got in return was "I don't have time," and "I'll work on it tomorrow," and "there's nowhere to put it," and finally "you just want me to throw all my stuff away, first it was my couch, then my desk, my clothes, and now all my stuff." Boo freakin hoo. How is it that I got all my shit put away into their correct places? Do I look like Hoodini to you? Did my boxes magically disappear? NO, I put in my work - I FOUND places for my shit, threw away the crap that I never looked at and put the rest in my mom's garage! What's so hard about that?
Anyway, after nagging my ass into oblivion, he FINALLY did it (pouting the whole time). Christmas was coming, and that pile of shit was sitting on the exact spot that my beloved Christmas tree would stand. Box by box, slowly was opened and rooted through (this took about 9 days total, and my living room looked like a cyclone hit it in the process) and finally there were three. (See picture above) He moved them to the corner of the living room by the desk (also the first thing you see when you walk in the front door) in a neat little pile. When I walked into the house for the first time, I was stunned that he actually "finished" but (damn I'm a bitch) was also thinkin "couldn't he have found a better place to put those damn boxes instead of in the living room for the world to see?" But, I kept my mouth shut, he worked really hard and I wasn't going to complain. Now, three months later, I think it's time for these 3 boxes to go! (By the way, I looked inside to see what was in the damn boxes - AND IT IS NOTHING BUT OFFICE SUPPLIES! Three whole boxes of pens, tape, file folders, desk trays, book ends, dry erase markers and other shit! WHO needs 3 WHOLE boxes of office supplies?)

Help me! How do I get these damn boxes out of my house!??

Be Peace

P.S. Here is the plant that took the place of his stinky plant. Isn't it pretty? :)

My New Bike

2006-03-29T07:56:00.000-08:00

I got a new bike. I'm going to ride my ass all over town - to the beach, to the park, around the block, to the corner store when I need some milk real quick... I'm gonna... YEAH RIGHT!!

I have a problem. I need help. I hate to exercise. I want to, but dammit, I just can't get motivated. THE GYM IS BORING. Straight up. Anyone who disagrees is a damn lie. Nobody wants to sweat to the oldies with a bunch of old horny ass men and skinny ass old ladies tryin' to look 25 again in their Juicy sweat suits. Nobody actually likes to be on the damn treadmill or elliptical for 45 minutes - WAKE UP! You aren't going anywhere!! I want to see some scenery, trees, animals, crazy people, something!

Now don't get me wrong, I have tried. With me it's always something new... When I moved into my new apartment complex, one of the big draws was it had 2 really nice gyms - they have flat screen TV's, great equipment, and are like 50 steps from my house. I went once. Then, I promised my boyfriend, that if he got me an ipod for Christmas that I would go to the gym more - you know - maybe if I had a little bit of Sean Paul moanin' in my ear, it would motivate me to get my stair climb on. I went twice. Now, I'm on this bike kick. I live in the Marina, really close to Venice Beach - there are lots of nice trails to ride and I think it would be fun riding along the beach. We'll see how it goes. It's finally sunny today, so maybe after work. Why does food have to be so good, and exercise so bad??

What do you do to keep it tight?

Rally for Peace

Big Up to all the Latino Folks Out There in L.A!

2006-03-27T13:25:00.000-08:00

As I look out my 52nd floor window in my Downtown L.A. office, I can see hundreds of Latino demonstrators walking on to the 110 N on-ramp. Traffic is officially stopped and there are helicopters gathering to record the goings-on. I can see someone at the front of the demonstration waving a large Mexican flag - this is awesome.

If you don't already know, the Unites States is attempting to pass a bill that would make it a felony to be in the country without proper papers, and a federal crime to aid undocumented immigrants. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? A felony? As if our jails weren't crowded enough!

Maybe nobody has noticed that these migrant workers are doing jobs that most Americans refuse to do with pay that most of us couldn't survive on. I understand the arguments on both sides, I'm not trying to stimulate a debate - but one thing I know is true - California has not seen any notable demonstrations or civil rights activism in a long time. It's about time people stand up and fight for what they believe in.

March on, march peacefully.

Ashes and Snow & American Gun

2006-03-27T08:59:00.000-08:00

Happy (?) Monday everyone! I had a very relaxing and enjoyable weekend. Saturday, I went to see a new movie called American Gun, co-written and directed by a young L.A. native, (in his late 20's) Aric Avelino. This movie was GREAT! Unfortunately, the distribution company didn't spend too much time on advertising and marketing so not as many people will be able to see this movie that should because they will never find out about it! The movie stars Forest Whitaker, Donald Sutherland, Marcia Gay Harden and many other actors that you will recognize. It is comprised of 3 stories of how guns affect and influence the daily lives of Americans. The movie was inspired by the Columbine shootings, Aric thought that the media was focused on the wrong things and decided to take a deeper look into the lives of those who were deeply affected.
One of the three stories follows the mother and brother of the shooter in a Columbine-like shooting. It brings to life what none of us could ever fathom - having a child who could carelessly and effortlessly murder dozens of children. It is amazing to see Aric's take on this, it was chilling and very emotional.
Another story was about an inner city high school. Forest Whitaker is the principal and is drowned in work as he works thanklessly to keep the school safe for its students. This story follows this principal and his failing efforts as a husband and father as he is entrenched in trying to save a sinking ship of a school that he works for. It also follows a young student of the school who works nights and helps take care of his siblings at home. He is forced to carry a gun to and from school to protect himself which is a reality for many young inner city youth.
The third story follows a girl who moves to Virginia to go to college and works in her grandfathers gun shop. Her decision to perhaps purchase a gun is fueled by witnessing her friend be nearly raped at a college party.
The interesting aspect of this film is that it shows 3 different cities and different races of people and how guns affect their daily lives. It is a sad, heart-felt, funny, emotional and thought provoking movie that I hope everyone has a chance to see.
Co writer and director Aric Avelino says:
"It's really just about understanding the people that live next to you and understanding the people that live three states away from you. I think a lot of people go to see films that are directly about them. And in our film, we ask people to look at characters that might be similar to them and we bring them together. And it's always been said by both Ted (the Producer) and I that it's our hope that a white woman in Oregon can associate with this black kid in inner-city Chicago, and a black kid in the inner-city Chicago can associate with the white gun shop owner, and it all happens as a result of the stories they are weaving. So, it's that texture I think that makes up this country, and it's that failure to understand that has plagued us."

It is only playing at select theaters and is slowly moving it's way across the country. Check it out!

Secondly, I was fortunate to see an exhibit called Ashes and Snow this weekend in Santa Monica. It is a moving exhibit which is housed in an amazing temporary structure. The photographs are beautiful and totally real. None of them have been digitally remade or photochopped. The website has many of the photos that are displayed (click the basic experience link to see the photos clearer).

The bad part about the exhibit is that is costs $15 to see. I think that is a bit much and because of the high cost, many people will not be able to afford to go and see the beautiful artwork in person. I was really looking forward to buying a poster to frame and put in my house. Can you believe that posters were selling for $50 and $85!!!?? Are you kidding me!? I think that it's unfortunate that capitalism has even corrupted such a beautiful and expressive thing as art!

Have a great day!

Think Peace

What did you do this weekend?

I'm Guilty as Charged!

2006-03-24T07:46:00.000-08:00

HAPPY FRIDAY!! YAY!! Finally, I have been waiting all week for the weekend!

So, when my man came home last night, he came and gave me some love, farted around the house a bit, ate some leftovers, then went to the balcony to chill out for a while. I was minding my own business watching "American Inventor" when I hear:

Him: Baaaaaaaaabe!
Me: What!!??
Him: Why you tryin to murder my plant?? (See post a few days ago about the stinky plant for more details)
Me: (thinking to myself) BUSTED!!!!
Me: (out loud) What are you talking about?! You took it outside because it smelled like a decaying cow's ass!
Him: It's dying because it's not supposed to have direct sunlight... you're tryin to kill my plant... (sad face)
Me: (In my head) I thought that shit looked dead when we put it out there, what the hell is he talkin about?
Me: (out loud) What the hell are you talking about, do you wanna bring the nasty thing in? Go ahead, but blame yourself if you come home one day and I'm passed out on the floor dead from stank-itis inhalation!
Him: Whatever, you just don't like my plant...
Me: (thinking to myself) You're damn skippy!!! And that shit is STAYING out there, where it BELONGS!! :)

I must admit readers, that I was so happy when that plant caught the root rotting virus that made it smell like all hell broke loose. I was glad that it got it's spot on the entertainment center taken by my new beautiful orchid. I can admit to you that I hoped it would die outside without water and bathed in sunlight within a week. I can admit that (to you).

Now, to my boyfriend, the man I love. There are some other things I have done too. Things that I would probably do again should the opportunity present itself. I am here to confess.

I have:

1. Thrown several shirts and holey pairs of socks away while doing your laundry. You shouldn't be caught dead in these things, and I certainly don't want to be in public with you when you wear them.

2. I have fast forwarded or skipped a few chapters ahead on your favorite DVD when I caught you dozing off several times. I'm sorry, I was tired too and I'm sick of The X-Men.

3. I often use nonfat or lowfat products when I'm cooking your favorite foods. I know you are diabolically opposed to lowfat and nonfat products because "they taste like crap" but up until now, you have never noticed, and I will continue to do so until I am caught.

4. I have lied when confronted about going on large shopping sprees. I tell you I bought so much stuff because I had a gift certificate. The truth is, that I didn't - but if I didn't have those shoes, 2 pairs of jeans, 4 tops and oh-so-cute jacket, I surely would have died. I'm sorry (although you weren't complaining when you smacked my ass in those cute ass jeans!)

5. When you made that curry chicken for me when we first started dating because you knew how much I loved Thai curry, I actually scraped some of it into the trash can off of my plate when you went to the bathroom. When you told me you had mixed in low fat milk into the marinade (you can buy it at Trader Joes) instead of coconut milk, I instantly realized why it tasted like dung. Although I faithfully swallowed it down and said it tasted like a dream, I really hated it. I'm sorry, but thank you so much for taking the time to cook for me, I love you.

6. When we were packing up your house to move into our new spot, I threw away so many old, dusty things that you would probably have a heart attack if you found out. However, we have lived together for about 6 months now and you haven't noticed one missing thing, so I guess it was for the best.

7. Sometimes, when I'm in bed going to sleep, and you are in the living room doing work or watching TV, I say my stomach hurts, just so you'll come in and lay with me. Sorry.

I'm sure there's many more, but these are little white lies, they are used to protect you and get me what I want sometimes. So sorry, I know it's wrong and that's why I have confessed. (I just hope you never find this blog!!) :)
Am I wrong ya'll?

Have you told any little lies to your mate? What were they?

Have a Peace Weekend!

"A smooth lie is better than a distorted truth." - from 'Moon Over Morocco'

There's no Place Like Home (Skid Row)

2006-03-23T08:31:00.000-08:00

Photo of Skid Row in Los Angeles

I hardly ever watch the news anymore, it's just too depressing. On the L.A. news, there is nothing but car chases, kidnappings, police brutality, serial rapists etc. On the national news all I see is Bush, war, hunger and chaos. Who the hell wants to come home from a long day and watch that shit??Last night, while I was making some beer battered coconut shrimp (I had been craving it all day for some reason.. This is NOT a normal occurrence!) my boyfriend (the notorious kitchen sink filler) was watching the news. A story comes on about how local hospitals are dropping off patients with nowhere to go on Downtown's Skid Row. Now, if you haven't been to Skid Row... believe me, you don't want to. It is a street lined with card board box huts, old sleeping bags & flea infested blankets, urine stained sidewalks and some of society's most forgotten and most invisible people. It is a crying, sad shame that people have to live like this.

Anyway, up comes security camera footage showing a car driving up Skid Row, slowing to a halt, the passenger door opens, an old lady with a hospital gown on gets out and the car pulls off. This lady (who turns out to be 65 years old) commences to walk aimlessly up and down the street, walking in circles, pacing back and forth. I couldn't help but cry as I felt the confusion and fear radiating from her old, weak body. After about 30 minutes of pacing, an employee from a nearby homeless shelter took her gently by the arm and lead her inside.

I couldn't believe that a hospital, a place dedicated to saving and healing people, would do something like this. So, I did a bit of research and this is what I found:
(From ABC News web site)
"Three hospitals acknowledge putting discharged homeless patients into taxicabs and sending them to the downtown skid row area, the Los Angeles Times reported. Representatives of Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center, Kaiser Permanente West Los Angeles and Martin Luther King Jr./Drew Medical Center said they were helping patients because skid row offers them their best chance of getting services and shelter. Patients are sent to skid row only if they are healthy enough, the representatives said."

Another article continues -
"As part of the probe, investigators for the city attorney's office have been digging through records at the Union Rescue Mission and other skid row service providers to examine the circumstances in which patients discharged from hospitals are being left there. Andy Bales, the head of the mission, said Wednesday that he had given investigators admission logs and a videotape showing an ambulance dropping off a man at the facility who was in a stretcher and appeared to be having convulsions."

YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!!! Are these people out of their minds?? I am seriously pissed off and dumbfounded that these idiots would actually have a policy of doing such a hideous thing!! And really, of ALL the places in L.A. County, why the hell do they drop these poor people off in the nastiest of nasty places? I don't give a SHIT if there is a "Rescue Mission" there, there are hundreds of other shelters in the County that are in far less dangerous areas.

My question is, if California is so damn low on money that they have to drop hospital patients off in hell, why the HELL has our governor been documented spending $222,577 on a speech coach, $69,000 for campaign jackets and t-shirts, $2.5 million on travel (mostly jets), housing and meals, $66,000 rent for the Hyatt Penthouse in Sacramento, $300,000 threat assessment and security, $14.7 million on dozens of consultants, $37,293 commemorative pens, $9,384 valet parking and millions on his re-election campaign? HOW THE HELL DOES THIS MAKE ANY KIND OF SENSE? Can't they see that people are starving? People are alone. People are desperate. People are freezing. People are suffering. People have nowhere to go.

I am sick.

Have hope for Peace.

To Bitch Slap or Not to Bitch Slap?

2006-03-22T08:57:00.000-08:00

Disclaimer: The following entry is a rant and nothing more than a rant, a woman needs to do this every once in a while in order to keep her sanity and not bitch slap her man to knock some sense into him. (P.S. I got this pic off Google - this is not my baby! lol)

Alright ya'll, I LOVE my man and all but...

PLEASE tell me why he refuses to stop leaving dirty dishes in a sink full of water and leaving them there to fester for DAYS! Why why WHY!? Now, I know this may not seem like a big deal to you, but it is to me. I'm the type that rinses off the dishes and puts them directly into the dishwasher as soon as they hit the sink. To me, there's nothing nastier than dishes with all kinds of food and grime stuck to them chillin for everyone to see and smell. When he first started to do this when we moved in together, I would see the sink full of water & dishes right away, drain it and put them in the dishwasher (mind you it makes me gag to stick my arm into a sink of cold water, festering dirty dishes and floaters, so this is hard for me). He made me feel like I was OCD or something because I couldn't wait for him to wash them. So, I stepped off to see how long they would sit there. The first time it was 2 days, the next time, 3 days, the record - FIVE DAYS! That is just crossing the damn line.

Now think about it, when the sink is full of dishes and water, where am I supposed to dump the rest of the juice that's in my cup? How am I supposed to put leftovers in the garbage disposal? How can I even wash my hands? There is NO reason why he can't just stick them in the dish washer (or let me do it) or just WASH THE DAMN DISHES. I know he's trying to help, but really, filling the sink with water aint doing shit for me!! This honestly has been the source of arguments! He HATES when I bring it up but he KEEPS doing it! Does my man have a screw loose??

Anyway, honey if you are reading this, I love you more than my heart will allow me to express. God answered my prayers so thoroughly and accurately when he revealed you to me. Thank you for loving me.

Also, thank you for making the bed every morning before you go to work, thanks for taking out the trash (even though sometimes you push it down so many times to avoid taking it out that you can't even get the damn bag out of the can), thank you for letting me watch American Idol and The L Word on the big TV even when your favorite shows are on too, thank you for rubbing my feet that one time, thank you for doing all the grocery shopping, thank you for holding me all night long even if it makes you sweaty, thanks for going on double dates with my friends when I know you'd rather be doing something else, thanks for coming to my family dinners, thanks for sharing your dreams with me. I love you.

Does your mate have an annoying habit that you can't stand?
What are your favorite things about him/her??

Be Peace

One moment of patience may ward off great disaster, one moment of impatience may ruin a whole life.
Chinese Proverb

It's 11:00: Do You Know Where Your man Is?

2006-03-21T07:35:00.000-08:00

Good morning Ladies and Gentlemen!

It's a lovely day in L.A., it's finally warming up a little and I'm looking forward to the WEEKEND (I know it's only Tuesday, but I'm trying to lay in bed for at least half the day Saturday, and that sounds SO GOOD)!

Anyway, on my ride to work this morning, I heard on the radio that Madonna has her husband, Guy Ritchie on a curfew! This man has to be home by 11:00 pm every night... or else! She says that he is a married man with children and he needs to be home by that time every night.

Now, when I first heard this I was thinking 'What a punk! How is he gonna let her do him like that?' Then I came to my senses - this is Madonna - shit! What she says GOES! No, but really... she probably had to do it because her man was acting up. I doubt that when they started dating she said "If you wanna get with me, you gotta be home by 11." The man was probably shaking his ass at clubs and coming home at 3 or 4 am while the nanny was at home taking care of the kids!

When asked if I would give my man a curfew... well... I'll give you guys a chance to put in your 2 cents, then I'll give you my opinion!

Would you give your significant other a curfew???

Have a GREAT day!

Radiate Peace

Do You Trust Your Government?

2006-03-20T09:13:00.000-08:00

While listening to an L.A. radio station this morning, the DJ's posed the question: "Do you trust your government?" My immediate thought was HELL NO! Here are just a few reasons why.

Did you know that our "war" in Iraq is costing us approximately $200,000,000 a day??? Did you know that some projections say that nearly 200,000 Hurricane Katrina victims may remain homeless for at least 3-5 years? Did you know that FEMA is telling thousands of Katrina victims to return their $2,000 emergency relief checks? Does this sound as crazy to you as it does to me? What the hell is going on with our government?

Based on census data, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Alabama are, respectively, the first, second, and eighth poorest states in the nation. And of the 5.8 million individuals in these states who lived in the areas struck hardest by the hurricane, more than one million lived in poverty prior to the hurricane’s onset. Many of the storm’s victims have little or no resources on which to rely in these difficult times.

How the HELL does FEMA expect these people to give back $2000 NOW? Damn, I have a full time job and I would have a hard time scraping up two grand to give to the government!

It is absolutely mind boggling that these fools would even THINK to force people to "give back" what they don't have! These people have lost mothers, fathers, children, best friends, their homes, their jobs, EVERYTHING! What kind of world are we living in?

Did you know that seven months later, thousands of people are STILL living in tents (after being evacuated from hotels that the government will no longer pay for) when there are thousands of EMPTY mobile homes that are sitting around waiting to be assigned to families? The homes cost a whopping $431 million and are sitting in pastures, fully furnished and with nobody inhabiting them. Read full story here.

I personally am sick. Why the hell are we called a democracy when we really have no say in what goes on with the government and how they spend our hard earned tax dollars?

Hell NO I don't trust our government.

Do you trust our government? Do you know anyone who has suffered at the hands of Hurricane Katrina and the lack of help from our government in its aftermath?

Pray for Peace.

It is the duty of the patriot to protect their country from its government.
Thomas Paine

A Love story: A Boy and His Plant

2006-03-16T08:53:00.000-08:00

What is this you may ask?? It's the plant that I can't get rid of! It's one of the only things left from my boyfriend's bachelor apartment. Long gone is the faded brown sectional sofa that "would be perfect for 10 of my boys to sit on while we watch football," and his 15 year old mattress that has probably seen more ass than a donkey in a Conga Line. So sorry we had to get rid of the dilapidated entertainment center thats "wood finishing" was peeling off the sides and finally your 200 pound, 15 year old desk with the dust bunnies in the drawers was just "too big to fit in our new place." So sorry honey!

I'm sorry your stuff was old and gross. I'm sorry none of it matched anything. I'm sorry that we couldn't keep anything but your clothes, some tupperware, a side table, a few pans and 2 plants (now there is only one left, I will get to that later).

Readers, I DO actually feel bad that we HAD to get rid of almost everything, but we had to start fresh! I'm a girl - a girly girl. I like my stuff to match and be clean. I knew that in time, he would adjust and understand, and he did!

HOWEVER, there were 2 plants that just couldn't go. He has had them for years and they both look sad and pathetic. For some odd reason they won't die completely, but continue to show signs of life, sprouting a new leaf every month or so.

Last week, however, as he and I walk in the front door, we take a few steps in and smell something awful, here's how it went down:

Him: Damn, did you step in some doo doo? (why does it gotta be ME that steps in the doo doo??)
Me: Lemme check... NO! It was you!!
Him: (Looking at his sneaks) NO, it wasn't me!!
Me: Didn't I ask you to take out the trash yesterday?
Him: I DID!
Me: What the HELL is that!?!? (gagging)
[We both commence to sniffing around the house trying to find the source of the stench]
Him: Did something spill on the carpet?
Me: Did something crawl under the couch and die?
Me: EW! EW!! I FOUND IT!!! It's your stankin' ass PLANT!! EW!!!
Him: No it's not!! Lemme smell!
[He buries his nose in the pot]
Him: EW!!! What the F*%k???
Me: (Thinking to myself) YES!!! Finally! This fugly plant shall be moved to the balcony!!!
Me: (talking out load) I'm sorry honey, do you think we should move it outside? Maybe it was just overwatered and got moldy...
Him: (with a sad face) Yeah, I'll put it out there.

Poor guy, I actually do feel sorry for him. I think I will take extra special care of one of the only bachelor things he has left. Although it is mangled and ugly I will watch after it and love it.

(Do you like the pot I painted for it??)

Does your man (or woman) have stuff that they HAVE to keep that you can't stand??? What's the one thing YOU wouldn't get rid of??

Spread Peace

Love is like a baby: it needs to be treated tenderly.
African (Congo) Proverb

You Gotta Be Kidding Me

2006-03-15T14:34:00.000-08:00

(Not only was this idiot NOT in the bottom 3 but...)

'American Idol 5' Finalist Kevin Covais Dumped Girlfriend to Land Votes -

By Steve Rogers, 03/14/2006

Demonstrating that even American Idol's youngest competitors will apparently do whatever they can to land additional votes from home viewers, 16-year-old American Idol 5 finalist Kevin Covais reportedly broke up with his 15-year-old girlfriend in an attempt make himself more appealing to the program's young female viewers.

He's my best friend still," Victoria Fairclough, Kevin's former high school sweetheart, told AOL's TMZ.com website in an interview published Monday afternoon. "We'll remain friends." Despite the break up, Victoria says the pair still talk several times each day.

According to Victoria's comments to TMZ.com, the pair broke up after agreeing that Kevin would "gain more popularity if his fans knew he was single."

Presumably consistent with the break up plan, Victoria told the website that she isn't sure if the pair will ever get back together. Although she won't be eligible to tryout and prove it to American Idol viewers for another two years, Victoria also told TMZ.com that she actually considers herself to be a better singer than Kevin. Before he tried out for , Victoria beat Kevin when they went both competed in two local talent competitions. "He was upset that I won," she said about her victory in their Island Trees High School's "I.T. Idol" competition. "But he was still happy for me. He was proud of me."

Is he for real???

Peace!

Crispy Meat Burritos - I'm Officially a Heffer!

2006-03-15T13:48:00.000-08:00

OK, I don't know if you have heard of a place called Taco Time - it's a cheesy fast food Mexican "restaurant" that has these deep fried burritos that look like gigantic taquitos. Anyway, I was craving them for lunch today (I generally eat pretty healthy) and it was so damn good. However, when I looked down at my tray, I noticed a pool of grease that had dripped out of my "burrito." Now, I'm not an idiot, I know this shit isn't healthy - but a pool of grease? Come on! Anyway I ate 2 "Crisp Meat Burritos" and "stuffed fries" (by the way, their "Mexican Fries" are tater tots.. WTF? Since when are tater tots Mexican?). Anyway, according to their nutritional information page, I am a fat cow.

Crisp Meat Burrito - 552 Calories, 30 grams of fat (I ate 2)

Medium Stuffed Fries - 640 Calories, 44 grams of fat

That is a whopping 1744 calories and 104 grams of fat in one sitting! That is downright nasty!

Good thing I had a diet Coke! :)

What did you have for lunch today?

Love, Peace & Crispy Meat Burrito Grease!

The right time to dine is: for the rich man, when he is hungry; and for the poor, when he has something to eat. - Mexican Proverb

Crazy in L.A.

2006-03-15T08:52:00.000-08:00

Alright - I have HAD IT! The level of rudeness of L.A. folks has been topping the charts lately! I must say that in the last few years the level of kindness of Angelinos has been declining rapidly. Long gone are the days of friendly hellos and people letting you merge into "their" lane in peace. Adios to holding the door open for the old lady who is 3 feet behind you - WELCOME road rage, blank stares and the middle finger! New York gets such a bad rap for its "rude" and "In a hurry" inhabitants, but in my 2 years living there, I NEVER came across rude people like I have here in L.A. In NY, people smiled and held doors open, men actually waited for women to enter the elevator before they did, people actually approached you and asked you if you needed directions if you were standing on the corner looking lost (like I was for the first 2 months). People MAY live a hurried life style there, but people are NOT rude like they are here now. So many people are FOR SELF and it's really sad.

In the last month I have witnessed 2 of the most appauling road ragers I have ever come in contact with. One of the times was just 2 weeks ago - I was driving up PCH, and there was mildly heavy traffic. I was minding my business, listening to my new Ne-Yo album (which I LOVE, by the way) and the silver Honda Accord in the lane to my right starts slowly merging into my lane - heading RIGHT for my front right door! He was not even paying attention as he was text messaging on his cell phone, so I LIGHTLY gave the friendly double-horn-tap to warn him that I was there - he quickly looked up, swerved back into his lane and proceeded to LOSE HIS MIND! I swear to you, this man went freakin' insane!! He is giving me the look of death into his rear view and screaming obscenities that I am embarrassed to repeat (and I'm not embarrassed of much) - he continues on by slamming on his breaks to be even with my front windows and SPITS ON MY CAR, all the while, pounding on his steering wheel - I think I saw a vein pop on his forehead! At this point, I must admit - I am scared shitless - what the hell is this sucka gonna do next??? I said a quick prayer and continued on, trying to slow down, hoping that he would just move on. Well, he didn't, he continues at my speed yelling and screaming and flipping me off.

At this point, I am so damn confused because I have NO CLUE what I did to encourage such a crazy ass response. I swear - I gave a light double tap on the horn and THATS IT! Had he been a little farther ahead of me when trying to merge, I swear, I would have gladly slowed down & let him in my lane - I'm one of the nice L.A. drivers left - but the man was like 4 inches from hitting my car, there was no time for that!

Anyway - karma worked QUICKLY for him!! After an eternity (like 4 minutes) of this craziness, I see lights flashing in my rear view - my automatic response was DAMN! Until I realized that it wasn't for me!! This jerk off got PULLED OVER!! Yeah! I did the happy dance in my car til I got home, but it still bothers me that there are people out there like this. When I got home, I imagined what his life was like - was he married? Did he have kids? If so, does he hurt them? Was this just a bad day for him, or was he always like that? I said a prayer for him, and have every day since.

Are you a road rager? Have you ever been a victim?
What is the kindness-factor in your city?

Peace out! Have a great day!!

Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one getting burned.
- Buddha

Black.White - My Tivo Sabatoged Me!

2006-03-13T10:20:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone! I'm just a little pissy because my Tivo messed up while recording Black.White on Saturday. It cut it off like 10 minutes before it ended! Did anyone see what happened when the white (that changed into black) girl went to the second slam poetry group? Also, am I the only one that wants to strangle Bruno? Could they have found a more ignorant, self-righteous white man to be included on this show? It's a damn shame... I hope he can relax and open his mind a little so he will actually learn something.
Thanks Cube for coming up with such a great show idea! I'm anxious to see what's going to happen in the next few episodes.

This is WEIRD!! Who knew makeup was so advanced?

Do you watch this show? Do you think it will change the way some people view race relations in America??

Only the wisest and the stupidest of men never change. - Confucius

Preschool Corruption

2006-03-13T07:45:00.000-08:00

OK, I know I could be biased, but I think that this is one of the cutest kids in the world!! This is my little godson, he just turned 4 a couple of weeks ago, he and his mom (one of my closest friends), live in Arizona, so it's a big treat when we get to visit each other. I thought I'd introduce him to you now, since he ALWAYS does some crazy mess that makes me laugh - I think it will be good blogging material in the future.
Here he is on his 4th birthday at Chuck-E-Cheese out here in L.A. While all the other kids were laughing, clapping & dancing at the show, this is what he was doing:

Straight up covering his ears and acting like a little party pooper. He was COOL on Chuckie, all he wanted to do was eat cake and play video games.

I guess he's been getting in trouble at pre-school lately. Thursday he got a bad report from the teacher when his mom came to pick him up. Apparently the teacher told him to be quiet because he was talking too much and he said "My mommy told me I didn't have to!!" WTF? Where did that come from, he is usually a very well behaved kid? Another night, he wanted a snack and his mom told him no because it was late & time to go to bed. He says "My Auntie Peace said I could have a snack!!" WTF? Where do kids get this stuff from?? Another recent thing I can remember is, after his first couple days of preschool, his mom called me so I could say hi to him and ask him about his day. He gets on the phone and proceeds to sing "I wike big butts and I cannot wie, woop woop!" WTF again? I'm convinced that preschool corrupts!!

His latest surprise was recently, his mom was listening to "Truth Is" by Fantasia, when the song was almost over, she pressed next on the CD player - she said Marcel dang near had a heart attack and said "Moooooom! The song wasn't over yet!" She said, "Yes it was, there was only like 3 seconds left!" He replies, "No mom, pleeeease put 'The Birthday Song' on again!" (The Birthday song? Where did THAT come from?) Anyway, she starts it over again and to her shock he starts singing the song almost word for word! "Ran to an ol friend yestaday, caught me a supwise an a called my name, he was a familal face, a chapa in my paaaaaaaaaaaas!" (For actual lyrics, click here). He knew the whole thing right down to the last "I gotta be honest" all the runs and all! Isn't it crazy how fast kids pick things up? It was funny as hell, but reminded me how careful we need to be around our kids, they are watching our every move and are constantly learning and absorbing their environment.

Anyway, that's all for now, I hope you had a GREAT weekend! (For all you L.A. folks, can you believe how cold it is?? I went to visit a friend in Fontana this weekend and it started SNOWING while I was there! What a trip!

Have a great day!!!

What are some funny things you have heard kids say?

Peace Out!

"It takes a whole village to raise a child." - African (Yoruba) Proverb

Am I Missing Something Here???

2006-03-10T07:37:00.000-08:00

Alright ya'll...
I just don't get it - WHY do some women stay in relationships with trifling men? So, I have this friend, lets call her "Shit For Brains" (SFB for short), she is beautiful, intelligent, friendly, sociable, loyal, makes good money - the works. Anyway about 2 years ago she met this guy, let's call him "Dumb Ass" (DA for short) at a club (shouldn't this have been warning sign #1?). He was tall, dark and handsome (to her at least, but hey, different strokes for different folks), funny and said he just moved here from out of state. They exchanged numbers and three weeks later - he was LIVING WITH HER! WTF?? Now, his story is because he JUST moved, he hadn't found a job yet, and his car was being "shipped." Fast forward 2, 6, 8, 12, 15, 22 MONTHS LATER and he still aint got a job and STILL doesn't have a car! Was the car lost in transit or something? Does he have a stash of cash hidden somewhere? How does a 27 year old man survive that long without a car or a job? The answers are - on LIES, a naive woman and his momma.
His initial story to SFB was that he played for the NBA and was injured and living off NBA retirement money (lie #1, we found out later that he never attended college or stepped food on an NBA court). Does DA have any brains? Doesn't he know there's a very popular and accessible tool call Google?? The dude I was dating at the time actually played basketball for the college DA claimed to have played for - he started asking him all these questions at a BBQ we had and DA was straight up embarrassed because he didn't even know the coach's name! (By the way, you need to play in the league for 5 years before you get retirement - and he claimed to have graduated from a 4 year university - which means when she met him in 2003, he would have had to be AT LEAST 27 years old at the time to make this work - he had only just turned 25).
At that moment, I would have dumped the loser out of sheer embarrassment. But NO, she made some BS excuse and continued on. The next BIG thing was that when she paid her rent (she pays ALL of it, he helps with NO bills) the check bounced. She goes online to check her account and finds that 2 checks for $400 each have been cashed by no other than her boyfriend DA!! OH HELL NO!!!! He made up some dumb ass story about how he DID ask her if he could write a check to himself and she must have forgot - and the reason that he wrote 2 is that he thought the first one didn't go through! So let me ask you now folks - Do you think she left him?? Answer: Hell no!! SFB was mad for a hot minute then kept on!
Next incident: One day, SFB is checking her email and gets a new message from a friend. In it, is a link to a profile on match.com - she opens it up - AND THERE IS HER MAN - cheesin for a profile picture! OH HELL NO!! His profile reads something like this "Single professional basketball player, college educated, momma's boy, lives in Westwood, looking for love.." or some BS like that! In the profile pics, it has a picture of him leaning against SFB's car - with a caption that reads "Me and my Baby." (She has a newer Range Rover). She proceeded to make a profile and have back and forth conversations with him without him suspecting a thing. He said he had been single for a long time because he didn't like the groupies that he attracts being in the NBA... When she finally confronted him he of course, denied everything, then went on to admit that he was just playing around and would never cheat on her. OMG - on the real - I thought that THIS was the icing on the cake that would send her foot up his ass for SURE! There are so many more things that have happened from his "former" girlfriends calling her HOUSE, to finding numbers in his pants pockets, to money missing from her purse, to charges he made without her permission on her credit card (Namely the match.com sign up fees and clothing), I could go on and on...
About 2 months after the match.com incident, she comes up pregnant and she recently had his baby. He FINALLY got a part time minimum wage job (she said if he didn't get a job then he couldn't drive her car anymore) and he STILL isn't helping with the bills. He refuses to help with the baby (including watching him while she works - he sits at home all day and plays X Box while the baby goes to a sitter) and does absolutely nothing for her. She sounds miserable every time we talk, but she won't really talk about the situation anymore (plus, I'm sick of hearing about it!) When I ask her why she lets him continue to sponge off her, her answer is simple - "He loves me and I love him, he is trying harder and I think he is working toward being a better man."
Although this situation is extreme, I know plenty of woman who have tricked off their integrity for a man and have stayed in horrible relationships - WHY DO WOMEN DO THIS?
Questions:
Have you ever been in a relationship like this? Do you know anyone else who has?
If so, how did you/they get out? Or why do you/they stay?
Why do you think women subject themselves to this?

Until next time,
Love, Peace & Hair Grease!

"Love is like war; easy to begin but very hard to stop."
H. L. Mencken

Breaking Out of My Lurking Shell

2006-03-09T07:30:00.000-08:00

Whats crackin blogland?? Thank you to Koolbreeze for punking me into starting this blog!! I love reading your stories and thanks for jump starting my knitting hobby!! (Damn that makes me sound like an old lady!)

I'd like to start by giving shouts out to all those bloggers that I've been following, you guys are AWESOME! Thank you for sharing your lives and your humor with me.

Donovan - Inciting Riots daily - yours was the FIRST blog I ever read. I read your archives until my eyes crossed!

Spicy Pants - You are freakin hilarious and you keep me in the entertainment loop - thanks mofo!

Jamie - Your stories hit home for me everytime, thanks for representing what a real woman should be!

James - Jamie's other half, your intelligence & wit shine through in every post. The cat poem is still my favorite - one of the funniest things I've EVER read!

Crunk and Disorderly - You are FUNNY AS HELL and you keep me updated on all the 411!

and finally..

Tam - I am a new addition to your blog fanbase. You are so creative and inspiring. Thank you!!

Anyway, that's all she wrote for today. Tomorrow (or maybe later tonight if I have time) I'll write a real post - I have something on my mind that I'd LOVE to get your opinions on! (Women who date deadbeats).

Until then... don't forget to sweep your own doorstep, and pass the love on! PEACE!!!!

The pure unadultered love of one can nullify the hatred of millions.
Mohandas Gandhi