Hello from Texas

So I am blogging tonight from a place called Tyler, Texas. If you have never heard of Tyler that is fine, because I hadn't either before I came here.
I am in the city for my niece's birthday. She is turning one. I am super excited because thus far I have gotten to meet an aunt I'd never met before and two of my half sisters that I'd never met either. Stay posted for images, have a good night.

04 | MINUTE MAN | Would You Date A Virgin?

So I am guessing you probably already know how much this offended me.

Pretty much, these guys wanted nothing to do with a female virgin because

she is "crazy" or "something is wrong with her" if she still has her virginity

past 30. Yikes, I hope all men don't think this way.

V-Day Yay..SIKE!

I fell asleep early as to not be awake when Valentine's Day hit. But it was like my body knew that the day of the damned was upon us and woke me up at like 11pm feeling lonely and sad. I don't think it was even 11:30 before I was looking up pictures of Dreads on Facebook and wishing Sickles would text me. The only good thing about this day: the second season of House of Cards on Netflix. Come and be gone with haste V-Day. Tomorrow, if I get through today, half-priced V-Day candy at CVS.

Jumping Ship

Of late I have been having conversations with women my age from all walks of life, and it seems that they have all just left or been kicked out of serious relationships. And they all say the same thing: "Like, I thought I was going to marry him." Something about being 29 makes you want to jump ship on things that are or were important to you or people feel like you have to bounce off their ship, leaving you to make new life plans. I think it's because you wake up and finally realize that old is really just a sneeze away. We were only 18 like ten minutes ago, being excused for our craziness and lack of knowledge. Now, at 29, it's like class is over and everyone is demanding to know serious things about your goals, things you may not know. And all of a sudden you don't have the time everyone talked about and ish is serious and around the corner. So you are either satisfied with the route you are going in, or you are in a frenzy to find out what your path is. In order to do this your may dump someone, get dumped, get a new job, whatever. I don't mind getting older, but I can't stand this urgency to jump into the unknown and hope that it leads to something tangible. In like 10 years I will be 40. I can't imagine being in the same space then that I am now. God, yikes.

Scary Ride Home

The other day I went grocery shopping and decided not to wait on a cab back. I opted to get a ride from one of the old guys that gives people rides home that hang out in the grocery store parking lot. I know, this doesn't sound so smart. But a lot of people utilize these guys.
Any way, my driver was this sweet old guy on oxygen that drove unusually slow. I enjoyed talking to him about the weather and such, but then he asked me if I had a husband or a boyfriend. I said no, and that is when the conversation went south.
He pretty much asked me what I do for sex and started talking hella, hella crazy. Like, crazy, using words and phrases like "jack off" and "pussy." Sadly, I had to get loud with him because he acted like he wasn't going to unlock the door to let me out. And yes, he had automatic locks. It was like a scene out of Law and Order: SVU!
Let's add this guy's name to the long list of people I haven't shot because I don't have a gun.
I told my mom about this and she informed me that sometimes women use these men for rides because they can't afford a cab and instead give them sexual favors.
YUCK! I guess he thought I was one of those women, and he thought wrong!

New Orleans Ya'll: Wrap Up

The N.O. has community gardens now, I'm down!

Streetcar fresh!

Lunch at Daisy Dukes: sirloin, gumbo, friend green tomatoes, and a biscuit. 

Relle and Kiki.

On Campus!

At the club. 

Smooth N' Shinge Go Pro Gro Launch Weekend begins!

Swag Bag!

 

 Breakfast.

Me and celeb stylist Larry Sims.

Go Pro Gro products.

Larry explaining the products.

Getting my hair did. 

On the way to dinner.

Last dinner of the weekend. 

The new homie Amy!

 

I had so much fun in New Orleans. I visited for the Smooth N' Shine Go Pro Gro Launch Weekend, but arrived a few days early to make a vaykay out of it. The highlights: I got to see my college friends and visit my revamped campus, met some cool journalists, hung out with celeb stylist Larry Sims, learned a lot about the new Go Pro Gro products, and made new friends...and ate so good!

What My Trip to New Orleans Taught Me

So a week ago I went to New Orleans to visit friends and for an event sponsored by Smooth 'n Shine. I went to school in New Orleans, and it's one of my favorite places ever. However, I hadn't been there pretty much since I graduated. Below are the things that my revisit to New Orleans taught/ reminded me.

1. Stay Focused: I have some friends that stayed in the city that have lost focus a little and gotten caught up in crazy. No crazy.
2. I'm Awesome: Sometimes the people in my life can make me feel like I'm stupid or not good enough. Visiting my college campus reminded me that I am the ish, so much the ish that I don't have time for foolishness.
3. Cocktail Free: There was a time when I could drink, but that time has passed. Like, really passed. I can sip on wine, but that is about it. No. Hard. Drinks.
4. I'm Out of Shape!: In college, I didn't have a car, so I walked everywhere. However, walking New Orleans during my visit made me feel like I was going to die! Cab please!
5. I'm a NATURAL People Person: I thrive around people. I am funny around people. I am the life of the party around people. Sadly, some people in my life have worked my nerves to the point that I want nothing to do with people. I can't allow that.
6. I'm Old: Again, there was a time that I could stay out LATE. Once, I stayed on Bourbon Street from like 8pm to 8am. That can not and would not happen today! I need to be tucked in my midnight at the latest.

Code Name: The Percolator

So I recently went to New Orleans and my friend Relle took me to this club called Vaso. It was pretty dead, but we went there, I suspect, because her girlfriend was the bartender. But that is neither here nor there. One of the only other people there was a man that called himself The Percolator. He had a lot of energy, but in between dancing, he told me his life story. Apparently, in his 20s, he was rich. He was a DJ and a promoter. However, his pesky meth habit broke him in more ways than one. He is 36 now, and got clean by sitting for days at the New Orleans River Walk, cold turkey. There was a bluegrass band there and he asked me to dance, as seen above. Very energetic and a little annoying, but a seemingly sweet guy.

Moments after this picture was taken, he left the club with a couple of other patrons, apparently to engage in a drug deal...that went wrong. The other patrons beat him almost unrecognizable and stole is wallet. Sigh, those New Orleans nights.

 

Parental Advisory

So I guess my sister has a boyfriend. I found this out because she posted a million pictures, similar to this, on her Facebook page. She is 15, she needs a boyfriend like a hole in the head but whatever. What is it with these 90s babies and their desire to share EVERYTHING with the world? TMI, OMG, SMH, yuck!

DIY: Winter Body Butter for Dry Skin w/ HeyFranHey (+playlist)

So Shameless Maya and HeyFranHey did a video on how to make your own

Shea Butter. This is the last thing I needed. I know that they made it for the

winter, but I will be making body butter from now through the summer, my elbows

will thank me.