"you know who you remind me of?"

"that Chinese bitch from old school Soul Train"


one of MANY memorable quotes from Sunday night!






Sunday night, I attended a vanglorious Christmas party that re-united some of my favorite people in the whole world!! A Suncoast High School 99-2000 get together is always FOUR things:

young
flashy
fly
FUN!

I don't know anyone who hangs DEEP with their highschool crew... not the way we do! Our special mix include favorite exes, (some shared by two people in the crew), play-play enemies, homies from the neighborhood, aces from summer camps, churchmongers, BFFs from elementary school... at the end of the day, we are ONE BIG FAMILY! College grads doing big things in our respective fields. No-one is married yet but best believe we can't wait for that party! Here are some pics (of course):

sexy Taureans. One time for May babies

middle school connect

who can pose in front of a camera better than V and I?

pan hell connect

2000 chicks. we took this picture 7 years ago before I went to Hampton, Kitty went to FAM, DQ went to Howard and PJ went to Spelman!!!!!!!! I love HBCU products!!

99 guys AKA GDP

GDD

my Biggie!


p.s. looking at the pics, there are a good FIVE people missing from our core group!

the thing with teaching

you get to do silly things and its okay! The last day of school, I decided to have a Pajama Jam! I was checking my school mailbox and my principal started laughing! But even cuter than me were the kids!!

Y.on Jou

drew's group's 1st video.


.
the lead singer is also a model (ralph lau.ren shows and ads, be.yonce videos, just to name a few)
a nautical or maritime engineer
remember the showroom i started art basel out at? yeah, he also makes furniture

the dred? he's a psychologist.
the chick? opera trained vocalist, style editor for a miami newspaper
drew? math and physical sciences (bio, chems, physics, etc) genius


and all they want to do is make good haitian music. more power to the "more than meets the eye" group!

Yesterday

i love the Boyz II Men version of that song. I think it was the first I heard, off of the 'II' album, right?? yeah, can't stand the En Vogue version *grimacing*. I do like the original as well. Anyhoo

Yesterday, I got three presents out the way. Mom, Kali, and Sis down, Pops, Bro, and Jameil to go. I LOVE what I got for everyone so far :-) I might throw in something else for mom dukes since I'm getting her something she needs, and not what she asked for. We'll see how she likes getting what she needs; flipped the script on her!

Yesterday, Best Buy and the salon to get my eyebrows waxed, parents' house to chat with Pops about his iPod... *sigh* he won't hush about that thing he got. and its the first one; the size of a grown man's palm and as heavy as an old school dictionary. He wants Drew to put every single song he has on it for him. Seeing how my dad's collection is made of vinyl and NOT stored digitally, I can sympathize a bit. Maybe I'll get him a shuffle, or an iTunes card... thinking, thinking.

Yesterday, came home to go right back out for JR's college graduation! So happy for her!! She went to Alvin Ailey's school right out of highschool but missed her son (she had him when we were in 10th grade) too much. Came home, did the community collge thing, worked mostly, took care of her son. She went back to school and graduated with her B.S. in Organizational Management. I have no idea what that means (can she plan riots?) but I am sooooooooo happy for her!! Yay!!

After the very boring ceremony, we take pics and the sort, good times all around.


then we go to Smokey Bones where the sides are OFF THE CHAIN! The ribs were good, snacking on them now...
then we went home to get ready to go out and celebrate!! Yay! OMG, look at my hair!! I don't want to relax it anymore!!


We get to Ft. Liquordale and party on the Las Ola.s strip




good times. until...

these bitches wanted to start some mess.

Just look at what they are wearing. You can tell they aren't bout nothin'; some hoodrats who come to the club to dance like they're at the strip club. Whatever the case, we club hop and eventually come back to where we started. This time, the fly bitches that are we get on stage and dance. Low by Flo Rida, Sexyback, Salt Shaker and Back Dat Ass Up, we work it by ourselves. Here come stank and stanker on the stage. Poppin, droppin, twerkin, jerkin all up on eachother. I didn't know black chicks danced on eachother. wait, they don't. These chics wanted some of the attention we were getting. A guy threw a dollar bill at the big one cause she grabbed her ankles and did something with her body... no-one made a move for it so we stepped on it. Here come BB (big bitch), snatching it up like her life depended on it. We genuinely laughed it off like, "aww man, that would've been a burger!" We get off the stage cause we don't want people to think we're one big group, even though you really can't make that mistake... its still all good. Enter Beyonce'. She wasn't there but "Get Me Bodied" came on so we make our way back to the stage. BB got all crunk for some weird reason, saying JR bumped into her. Ummm, JR is a dancer and VERY in control of her body and the amount of space it takes up. We looked at BB like she was crazy cause we saw that JR clearly didn't bump into her. She's barking at JR and JR is like, "What? I didn't touch you!" Here comes Crunk Kitty with key in hand asking, "What's the problem?" BB said she wants an apology from JR for bumping her and Kitty says, "You ain't getting shit. Do something about it" Mind you, the whole time, BB is facing JR and not looking at Kitty who's steady in her ear, "Do something. You know she's not telling you nothing right, do something, I dare you" I say nothing. I take off my earrings and wait for contact. Not a talker, I don't stunt chicks who get loud cause they are usually all talk, case in point, BB. She's hollerin at JR while Kitty and I are just WISHING she touches her. I'm not a fighter.

Let me re-phrase.

I'm not an instigater.

I will push the shit out a bitch who looks too close (or drunk) or mush her in her face. The last time I pushed someone, she got all in my face and all I said was, "i'm not stunting you. Move, I'm not stunting you, i'm not stunting you. Why are you still here? Either do something or move cause i'm not stunting you" No yelling, no finger wagging or neck rolling. Kitty talks right back, all in your face and will hit a bitch (if chick touches her first). They call her the "Heavyweight" in the band cause she boxed a bitch who bumped her. whatever the case, BB's all talking out the side of her neck so Kitty and JR start singing "Get Me Bodied" and are KILLIN it! I'm still standing there, not able to get back in the groove. I'm actually more upset at the bouncers who were just standing there waitng for something to jump off. When Kitty and BB were neck rolling, I did a quick glance to see who's around and we were thisclose to the door/the bouncer... nothing moving. bet.

them hootchies start talking about peoples shoes and Kitty wore off in her ass. "BITCH, you over there with hi- top Filas in the club! Don't nobody wear Filas! You are NOT in atlanta where that's okay!" Chick in white gets all loud, "you talking to me?!?!?" "HELL YEAH I'M TALKING TO YOU! IF YOU TAKE THEM UGLY ASS SHADES OFF IN THE DAMN CLUB, YOU'D SEE I LOOKED YOU DEAD IN YOUR FACE AND SAID THAT SHIT...over here riding on what people got on looking like that..."

needless to say, we got off the stage and exited the club. Kitty and I crunk. JR was sullen and Kel (santa pic chick) was like whatever. she left the stage when BB started mess. "I don't fight for no-one. I love you guys but naw"
My thing is, a lil moral support? You don't have to throw blows but come on... you didn't have to high-tail it. episode of "Girlfriends" when Toni ran from a fight the others got into is what comes to mind...

alright y'all. Must go watch "This Week with George Stehphanodakacidilpolos" my new obsession

The Color of Water

i read that book a couple of weeks ago and now I'm scarred. Scarred and scared.

I'm at the point where I want to know what's going on with Drew's family. Point is the wrong word... more like crossroads. I can keep on going the route we've been going; me not knowing who from what and honestly being happy (for the most part)

OR

I can find out something I'm better off not knowing about.

do i want to know why i haven't met his fam? do i want to know that his people have disowned him for dating a gentile? do i want to let my imagination keep getting the best of me?

or

do i want to be blissfully unaware? (for the most part)


see, these questions come up every once in a while. i'm chillin real hard and then it hits me, "i still don't know his mom!"


Granted, every situation is different but, a close family friend of ours, the people who got us acclimated once we moved from Boston (the Silver.steins) told my mom to tell me to be careful of the Jewish mom and her boy. Jewish women, more than dads, don't play about their family; who comes in and out of it. A mutal friend of Drew and I has a Jewish father and a Haitian mother and she was telling me her Jewish grandparents were livid, furious, ashamed of and at their son... until they saw their grandaughter (that would be her). Now they can't get enough of her OR her son, their great who is totally black (Pops is from Camer.oon).


there are so many things running around my head right now... i'm a family person and I know that he is... or was one too. it almost saddens me that he's not the family person he used to be and it might be cause of me. i may be taking it personally, but how can i not?

facebook challenged

giant sign outside it gal


me in awe of giant sign


somebody's too cool to smile in the it gal...

Art Basel 2007

that's where I was last night. look it up, then come back and read my post. I would hyperlink it, but i'm on a Mac. Apple thinks they're so cool...

so Drew and I started our night at Ralph's showroom (Cassagnol Designs). Ralph makes bomb furniture out of metal in the Design District of Miami. More recently, he's added awesome clothing by Haitian brothers and neat wood furniture by another haitian craftsman. Ralph had a cooler with beer and wine. Don't mind if I do...
.

Drew and I walked some blocks to where the art galleries were. And where there's art, there's liq.

Seeing how Campari was one of the sponsors, there were Campari carts all over. Don't mind if I do...


this was one of Drew and I's fave pieces, Melting Inuit. Being the teacher that I am, it didn't make sense because there is no left to right directionality that you have to know when you learn to read... still cute though.


there was this bomb modern art gallery that made a lot of fun of Apple products. Drew didn't think it was too funny. I thought it was huh-larious (as I type on my macbook while listening to my itouch). Here's a picture of a picture titled Barefoot Sneaker.


We walked into a furniture gallery that was so awesome! I want a dining table made out of humongous driftwood! Everything in there was shades of cream and brown! There were these sepia toned photos of palm trees that I need to have one day and lamps that were made of hollowed out branches. Coolness. Oh yeah, seeing how Moet was another sponsor, don't mind if I do...

There was this giant gallery that was soooooo L.A. Drew and I stood out cause we were just wearing Express and Polo. Oh no, you had to have skater shoes, leg warmers, rainbow colored hair, a messenger bag, striped tights, whatever is so ugly, its cool. It looked like L.A. Ink in Miami. We sat in a giant comic strip that didn't make much sense... one panel said, "yeah he's a cripple, but at least he got his braces off." oh.kaaay...?


There were many more exhibits including a live farm one, complete with pigs and chickens. Not in Miami! Too glamorous for that! Not when it comes to Art Basel, anything goes. let me tell you about the pieces we saw and didn't like.


a video of a man lying naked. the camera was in between his legs and all you saw was him lying there. all limp and shit.

a compilation of a murder scene. yes, this lady lived next door to a man who killed his wife. she had about 12 11x20s of the day. the slain wife slumped over in her chair, the man who turned the gun on himself, the policewoman who was in charge, the artist's daughter who was hiding under her bed when she heard the gunshots... yeah, not a fan of heads blown off.

a carwash roller. rolling.

two slide projectors in large metal cages showing random ass colors on perpendicular walls.

pantyhose dolls. take your average nylons and stuff them with plastic bags and make dolls.

I can't even remember HALF of the ish we saw in the name of art. I liked MOST of the photos that I saw like this one called Urban Roots. It showed a flower growing from a crack in the road. So beautiful and soft against the grainy, gravely asphalt. I want it for the White Room i'm going to have one day.

I already mentioned the sepia palms... pretty much anything that was an actual photo, I liked. Not too keen on modern art. Its so faux deep. Like Mondrian squares. WTF is that about? Is that art? Jackson's Pollock's fall looks like paint splatter. Art before Pop Art (begining of time- 1950's) is all me.

Speaking of art, thinking about going back school to get a B.A. in art history. got a B.S in my chosen profession, why not gain more knowledge in my chosen obsession?

Buenos Dias!

let me tell you about Orlando OUTSIDE of Disney World: straight haitians and hispanics! There must be like, 10 channels for the aforementioned cultures! and the radio stations? Of course they have your urban stations but I ended up on college radio (U. Central Fl). Saturday Jazz. *sigh* I miss college radio. I was a 90.5 QUEEN back the the FAMU days and WHOV was my ish at HU. My homies from 28B, specifically Whiz had that bomb "Lessons in Jazz". a former 28Ber actually sent me a recording of one of the shows, so happy :-)


So Pops, Mom Dukes and I went to the party. Like my god-sis' wedding last year, it was a beautiful reunion for our neighborhood that has moved all-over. People came from Atlanta, Mississippi, Cali, etc.


Before I forget, my mom and the Guest of Honor requested Soldja Boy.






*inhale deeply*





yeah.





the only part my mom knew was the "YOOOOOOOULLLLL". GOH? Knew the whole thing. I did tell you it was her 50th Birthday party right? My dog wore a gold lame' halter with some gold peep toe pumps... halfway thru, she changed into the red number that a conservative flapper girl would wear.... I'M TRYING TO BE LIKE HER WHEN I GROW UP!!

The "kids" of our neighborhood -the oldest being 33 and the youngest being 21- had a blast doing "old school" dances (Roger Rabbit, Kid & Play, Cabbage Patch) while our parents got down to "Walk it Out". Yeah, good times :-)

*i wish i was on PC, that way I could hyperlink the pic of the extended family that was our neighborhood*

Oh well! Here are pics from the night!

Mom and Pops

the Fathers of the Neighborhood

Guest of Honor and Daughter (FAMU Alumna)

GOH about to Soldja Boy in her RED dress

Me and my FAMU Alumna Godsis

salt and pepa '08

so back in the early FAMU days, Kitty and I would road trip to the A. When a city like ATL is only four hours away, you'd be remiss to miss a classic... or six flags... or the warehouse... or random ass weekends. she had a cousin who lived out west, douglassville or something? All i know is that he went to doug high and it took FOR-EVER to get into the city. That's why for the longest time, i hated Atlanta. Nobody actually lived IN ATLANTA! Everyone lived in the "greater atlanta area" whatever the case, everytime we went (like 3 times a semester!), the minute we see the atlanta skyline; the minute we see that gold dome of the capital building, the minute we see that round ass hotel that is HEAVEN on Earth (the Westin)... we put on a beat and start freestyling.












I kid you not, we would throw some southernplayalisticadillacfunkymusic, some 85, even some throwback fat rabbit and go to work. We'd talk about georgia peaches, how we gon climb on top of the capitol and steal the gold, what we're going to do in the Westin, which bitch we'd hit with a bottle, *sigh* good times.

Several years later, I now bring you:

i can see it now
hot tracks and our gansta rhymes
hip hop dalmatians

Siblings* newpic

It took me forever to figure out what I was thankful for. i think brothers and sisters are the closest within a family unit.


no they aren't. whatever the case, i'm thankful (THIS year) for my sibs.


us with our baby cuz


my pops and 1/4 of his siblings. one.fourth.


Mini Me and I with the babe

oh, ya girl got her hair braided.

finally, the pics are here

Mom and I before we leave the hotel


Mom and I at the reception. Like Instyle's "Look Good At Any Age: Gemstones" i'm 20's, she's 50's


Me and baby cuz from England


checking in to the hotel on Saturday afternoon

pre-reception and cake

the USB cord was found!