My Motivation Randoms...No Really How Tall is Kevin Hart?

FYI – I didn’t watch the BET aka EBT awards except the last 30 minutes and the after show until Law & Order: Criminal Intent came on.


Can we have a moment of silence for L&O Criminal Intent?...Thank you because last night they aired its Series finale. The final curtain went down. I was devastated. I am a true Law and Order fan and my heart was broken even though I knew this was its last season. Thanks for giving me closure unlike the original Law & Order, which didn’t get a chance to say bye to fans. Lawd, I think I am still in mourning.

I woke up this morning rested and feeling like a million bucks. Happy, happy. Yeah. I hope this feeling of euphoria lasts all week.

My weekend was low key and quite uneventful. I took naps on Saturday and Sunday, which wasn’t the best idea because I ended rushing to my second job both days.

We have a guy who solicits our customers for money on our drive thru. I cannot tell you the number of times we have ran him off and threatened to call the police. Scared one of our customers so bad she drove off without her order after paying for it. He had her shook. Um, he doesn’t scare me but no one wants to be harassed.

Here are some funnies about the awards:

My sister texted me throughout the show until I got home different aspects of the show. So you know that was funny.

My sister: Mary J opened, looks like she gaining that weight back. Anita Baker. That is all she said about Anita Baker. I saw the pictures I understand. Bless her heart.

My sister: Chris Brown won male artist. I loves him.

My sister: He Fat! Rick Ross. I laughed at that one I was like I hope he keeps his shirt closed. Too late. Geez.

My sister: Idris!!! OMG I love that man and his swag! I do too.

My sister: I got to go get Jill Scott’s album.

My sister: The Five Heartbeats!! I love Leon!

My sister: Who is Dirty Money? Ya’ll me and her went back and forth on who the hell they were during the holidays and I just refused to waste characters trying to explain the group’s concept. Geez!

My sister: Whoever is the beep guy is horrible! He missin all the cuss words, and bleepin out whole verses!

Then she does this doozie. My sister: OMG! Atlantic Star! My response was nobody but us older folks know them. Then she goes: My bad, Alexander O’Neal and Cherelle.

How the hell she confuse those two with Atlantic Starr? Really? Then she said he smiled and looked like yuck mouth. LOL!

My sister: Trey off key again. I like this Kelly Roland song, nice performance.

I saw the performance this morning and she kilt it! Yeah, I said kilt!

My sister: OMG. Ceelo doing the Patti tribute…can’t decide if this is a joke or not. LOL!

Then I get home when Drake, Lil Wayne, DJ Khaled and Rick Ross were on. My first response: WTF with the dayum bleeping?

Beyonce’s performance was just blah. And I told my sister folks gonna be wearing panties and a shirt and belt out in the clubs because of her now. Dayum! Ya’ll know I am telling the truth and it ain’t gonna be cute.

I also got to see BET’s try to correct the biggest mess up of the night with Chris Brown. A mess.

I don’t think I missed too much. I saw the House Huband clips and found them funny. I was a bit confused though. How tall is Kevin Hart? No really?

"4"

First of all, I am not a Stan for Beyoncé; I will be the first to tell you she needs to sit down and let somebody else have the spotlight for a minute. However, I give her credit for her work ethic and knowing that in show business there is no time for rest because you have to strike when you are hot. It only takes a second for you to become a footnote in celebrity history. Then we have to watch you being tortured on Celebrity Rehab, Fit Club and other such nonsense.


As a celebrity blogger lover, I have seen the conjecture on the possibilities of Beyoncé’s new album not garnering the success of her previous ones. Bloggers have gone so far to say that her record company is so worried they are trying to hurry and push another Destiny Child album, because they are that scared. I have heard her new management group isn’t handling the project properly, so of course that puts Jay-Z in for some blame should the album really and truly flop. I have even seen “4lop” on the blogs. Wow. It doesn’t take long for stuff to start to sour in the record business.

On June 23, 2011, her record company gave folks a free listen to the entire album on MSN and being me, I took the opportunity to take a listen. I am cheap folks I don’t buy CDs until the holidays and only after I have had a chance to hear a few tracks. I know, my Ipod nano (nope haven’t upgraded.) could easily garner more albums, but again folks I am cheap. I will not download illegally (legal background) so if I spend money it better be worth it.

Back in the day, when CDs were much higher I would purchase and listen to the entire album in my car going and coming for weeks. I would know which songs I loved the most, but I knew every song on an artist’s album, nowadays we can just download what we want and I really wished it was like before because then you really got your money’s worth and if it was a quality album it could stay on the charts for a long time. Now, folks like one or two songs and then the artist is in the studio in less than a year trying to put together another album before they become sour.

Now back to the reason for this post. I enjoyed listening to Beyoncé’s new album. I know the first two songs aren’t resonating as hard for folks like her songs from her previous albums did, which had folks tripping from the very first song released was played. At least for some people, because the last two albums didn’t play like that to me because to me they were too similar in sound, at least the singles did initially. Really. In my opinion. I didn’t even get the last album, so shoot me. Now for 4, I am going to purchase it because to me it doesn’t sound like the previous albums. The sound seems more mature and each song is different. Of course, my favorites are Starting Over, I Care and Rather Die but my absolute favorites are Love on Top and Countdown. I would buy the album for just those two songs right there. End of Time and Run the World sound almost alike, not bad but too close in sound. I work out to Run the World, but I don’t think it made the same impact as Single Ladies did, and for the record I didn’t love that song. What? I told you I wasn’t a Stan for her.

4 may or may not be the commercial success of Beyoncé’s previous albums, but the sound is more mature, it isn’t like her previous albums and frankly change is needed in the music industry because it has been failing for a long time. Whether this album will help pull the industry up, fails to be seen but at least I will have an album with quality songs to listen to.

Creative Cooking…

Peppermint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

I wasn’t really bored, but I really was craving some peppermint chocolate chip ice cream. I mean I really just wanted to taste some but you know how hard it is to find exactly what you are looking for, so I decided to make my own.

I own a Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker and I keep the freezer bowl in the freeze. Always. And I haven’t made ice cream in about two years. So after book club and before I went to bed I made some. And it was delicious. Nope didn’t eat the whole container. Had my taste and got rid of the rest. My taste buds were satiated.

Peppermint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

2 cups of fat-free Milk (You can use whole, 2% or whatever.)
1 cup of Heavy Whipping Cream
1 tsp of Vanilla extract
1 tsp of Peppermint extract
½ cup of Sugar
½ cup of Mini Chocolate Chips

In a mixing bowl combine your milk, cream and sugar and whisk until the sugar is dissolved, then add your vanilla and peppermint extract.

Following the directions of your ice cream maker and in my case I poured the ingredients into my freezer bowl and turned my machine on. Once the ice cream has thicken you can add your chocolate chips and churn for a few minutes more. Then you can place in a good freezer container and put in the freezer for harder ice cream. I prefer my ice cream hard. Although it tasted good after it was first made, it was better in my opinion after it had harden.

Verdict: Definitely would make again. Great flavor. Even though I used fat-free milk, the heavy cream helped to insure the consistency and flavor weren’t extracted from the recipe. Yummy! You can use this recipe as a base if you take out the Peppermint extract and chips and add whatever other flavors you may like. It’s summer and everyone deserves to eat just a little ice cream.

Yep, it is good and yes this is a tiny bowl!

"The only lasting truth is change."  Octavia Butler



Um, you may have noticed I have updated the title of the blog. I felt like it was time because I really don’t talk about my hair often enough to keep it as the main focus. As stated, I will mention my Sisterlocks, because I know newbies are always looking for reference materials about them. Plus, I want folks to know that it truly has been a journey and right now in my life I am over my hair. I take care of it and maintain it, but there isn’t much else to say about it. My hair does its thing and I am content with it right now and who knows what will happen in the future.


My blog is really focusing on other aspects of my life. Like my Randoms where I ramble about things I see and note as well as things I find interesting in my own life. Like my endless boredom recipes and other hobbies, such as reading. Although I do write a lot, I don’t put much of that writing on here because of its personal nature and this blog not being anonymous and all. I will say that my other blog has a small following now which trips me out, but as long as I don’t know them I can keep being open over there. So I hope you will continue to stay tune…

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Why did Chris Bosh cry like a baby after losing to the Mavericks?

I am preparing for the end to all things Law & Order. SVU is on its last leg and CI is doing its final episodes and I am having a hard time watching without tearing up. Geez, Law & Order has been in my life longer than any man has been. A love affair ending… Makes me sad.

Folks are talking about taking off on my second job to watch the BET Awards. Why?

Someone needs to do an intervention for Soulja Boy, I tried to watch the video of Conceited and frankly I just gave up.

When will television returned to well written scripted shows? I am over all the reality shows i.e. Basketball Whores Wives, 16 & Dumb Pregnant, Mob Wives, Kate and her kids, 19 and counting more and more kids, and on and on. I do like the Little Couple, Extreme Couponing and Toddler’s and Tiara’s. What?

However, I was so hyped to see my beloved Memphis Beat and HawthoRNe on Tuesday night. Loves them both. Closer and Roselli and Isles are on in July…Now that is television.

Speaking of television why is the cable company going up on their prices for services? Really?

I realized my family trip is cheating me out of a true vacation. 4 days is not nearly enough, but you can bet I am going to get a week’s vacation.

Speaking of family trip can someone tell my sister to stop asking me for an itinerary and packing list? I cannot plan an itinerary when we don’t have but three days and two of them half days for activities. Really all she wants to know is where we are eating. Anyone know of a restaurant we must try in Myrtle Beach?

Hunny Bunny says she needs a swimsuit. She is one little one who doesn’t care what you think about her is a swimsuit. I just want to know how she will get to the water without touching the sand. Just asking…

We had a customer on my second job come in and threaten to blow a cashier’s brains out over a free cup of water. Even I don’t say anything to him because I know he is touched and I am known for letting the less than desirables know they are not welcome in our store. Aunt Marie didn’t raise no fool!

Speaking of customers there are a few when I see them getting out of their cars I walk away from the counter or go to the back. Why you may ask? Because they do the most. Adding extra stuff, complicated orders, ordering their own concoction of stuff, trying to get shyte for free, been to the store a hundred million times and still take hours minutes to place an order.

Speaking of customers, I know you love little baby Billy. In fact, he is the cutest 6 month old one ever did see, in your eyes, but when you put your sweet adorable baby on the counter it is rude. Why you may ask? One’s bottom, azz, derriere should not be on the counter where others may be in contact or worse food will be passed across. I know you don’t think anything is wrong with it, but think of it like this: You as an adult sit your azz on the counter and see how many folks want their bags of food or food tray to be passed across that same counter.

Oh and to the lovely customer who changed her baby diaper in the booth and left the diaper for my workers to clean up, please never return. Please and thank you! This really did happen.

Will it ever rain again?

:::get closer to your screen::: I enjoyed watching Lil Wayne’s Unplugged. That is all.

I really want to be an extreme couponer. Seriously. Really.

I will be in Jamaica in 2012. Write it. Speak it. It shall happen.

I think I should tweet the family vacation under an anonymous name. Maybe not. I don’t tweet.

Sure Thang by Miguel is a catchy tune, but the artist is different.

My good friend loved Silver Sparrow by Tayari Jones, but didn’t like the ending. I told her it was as it should be. I guess if you have a relationship with your father affects your response to the ending? Maybe not. Um, I just talked to my sister and she is mad after finishing it at 3 am this morning. Uh, oh! Ya’ll better run out and get this book if you haven’t.

Ya’ll feel sorry for Hefner? I betcha Holly at home just a laughing.

I didn’t see Oprah’s final show. Maybe someone will let me see it on their DVR. If not, oh well.

I am having a busy weekend ahead. So everyone have a great rest of the week and make the most of your weekend!

 

Let this beautiful bloom inspire you to stop and smell the roses too!

Creative Cooking...Yet Again!

Over the weekend, during some of my down time, seriously I was just bored and needed some blog fodder that was appropriate for this blog; I decided to make Carrot Cupcakes with White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting.



I couldn’t have been too bored because I didn’t fix these until 10 pm Saturday night. Sue me, I took a long nap Saturday and was wide awake prior to finally crashing after 1 am. Plus, I had to work that evening.  Anyway, I didn’t have to purchase much from the store because I had everything but Orange extract, walnuts, pineapples, white chocolate and heavy cream. For the exact ingredients, Google White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting Carrot Cake Cupcakes and find the one from Allrecipes.


I consider myself an organized cook so I chopped up my carrots and set them aside. Then mixed up the flour mixture (flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and ground ginger) and using my mixer I mixed the sugars, oil, eggs, and vanilla. Then I added the carrots and pineapples. Then I slowly added the flour mixture until evenly moist and finally folded in my walnuts. Then I put them in my lined muffin pan. And for my stove it took 30 minutes for the cupcakes to cook. So while they were cooking, I made my frosting.

Cupcake batter mixed together.  See the carrots and walnuts?

Over a double boiler, I melted 2 oz of white chocolate and let it cool. Then I mixed my butter, 1/3rd less fat cream cheese, vanilla extract, orange extract and white chocolate. I slowly added about 3 cups of confectioners’ sugar. Ya’ll know I can’t follow a recipe to the letter, 4 cups of powdered sugar was doing to damn much and it would have been overly sweet. I think I used approximately 2 ¾ cups of sugar and that was plenty.

White chocolate, melted.

Cream cheese, butter, white chocolate and confectioner's sugar. Frosting.

Once the cupcakes were toothpick tested done, I placed them on a cooling rack. Once I thought there were cooled accordingly I piped my frosting on each cupcake. I wanted to put some shaved chocolate on the cupcakes, but hell I was tired by this time and just wanted to taste these bad boys.

Cooling Carrot Cake cupcake. Looks yummy!

Verdict: Best damn cupcakes I have ever made and that is saying a lot. Okay not much since I have only made two types previously. The carrot cake was moist and I have not tasted a carrot cake that moist in a very long time. The flavor was awesome. The icing was delicious, absolutely amazing. My kids on my second job asked if I had put meth or some other drug in them because they were so good. They started asking me do I bake. Um, I didn’t want them to get any ideas, hell no was my response. I didn’t bring any back home. My bestie brought her son over Sunday and they tried them and she was begging me to make her some if she buys the ingredients. I’d just make them because seriously, I don’t bake for anything but making folks smile. And these cupcakes made several people smile. This is a very simple recipe, although there is a bit of prep, it is definitely worth it. The guy doesn’t eat sweets, but next time he is going to have to taste them. So run out and get your ingredients and make them by sticking to the recipe and you should be successful.

Finished product!  My sister says my icing is getting better.

My piping is getting better too!

Look at this delicious moistness. 

Perfection!

Just a little closer look!



First Friday Randoms...

A small bouquet of my flowers cut on 6/2/11

I only woke up tired this morning, so why does it feel like I woke up on the wrong side of the bed?


I am starting to despise going to my coffee shop on Friday mornings. There is a barbershop open now and he opens early on Friday so all the parking is gone with all these overly accessorized cars ie oversized rims, chrome fixtures and such and today a customer from the coffee shop had to park in front of the building making it hard to park in the one parking space left. Ugh!

I get to work and low and behold the elevators are not working according to the security guard. I was like I am supposed to walk up 4 flights of stairs with both my hands full? I looked at her incredulously and I was thisclose to taking my azz back home with the quickness. I had to take the freight elevator to the 2nd floor then walk to the other freight elevator on the same floor, which is like walking through a maze, since our building use to be a hospital. Then one of the attorneys came in and said he rode the supposedly broken elevator and said, “Sometimes you have to take chances in life.” Like he had said something really profound and I was like if I had done that the elevator would have plummeted.

On Tuesday night I get home and first thing I notice was my trash can was not out front like it should be. Of course, me being anal, I obsessed about it until I went to bed. Got up Wednesday I check around the house for the missing garbage can to no avail, so I called the sanitation department for assistance. First they didn’t know if they had taken the can or not, but if they did it was because it was damaged. It wasn’t severely damaged when I put it out front Monday night. So they promised me a can by that evening or first thing Thursday. It’s Friday and I still do not have a garbage can. So I called them this morning after the elevator mess and parking war games and they were like they were behind because of the four day week blah, blah, blah. I said succinctly, “I have garbage in my house that needs to get out of my house today.” He says to me, “You didn’t put the bags out yesterday?” I breathed in an out for 10 seconds and responded, “You know you all will not pick up a bag on the curb for anyone, plus I wasn’t going to be cleaning up garbage strewn all over the lawn by the stray dogs.” He goes on to say they will ‘sometimes’ make an exception. Dayum lie! He tells me he will have a garbage can at my house in 30 minutes. You know I am going home early to see right?

Here is my sister’s response to my antics this morning, “All this for a d*mn garbage can?? You need to go home, get back in bed and try again next week! Lol”

Do you know how hard it is to conserve garbage? Seriously.

100, 101 and 103 are the projected temperatures for Sat, Sun and Mon. When will fall be here? I may not make it through the summer.

I need new shoes. Today. Why? I will feel better with a new pair of shiny shoes.

I am still in my feelings as it relates to Silver Sparrow by Tayari Jones. I really should move on.

Some people like to see me go from 0 to 100 in anger. It is not pretty.

My male kids on my second job either act like they are going to hug me or they actually tell me they love me. You may think it is cute, but um, if you didn’t know any better you would think I was in a relationship with them. I do not rob cradles. No I do not hug any of them, in fact, the look of mortification appears and they usually fall back. And with the love you thing, I am ugh!

Monday is a holiday but with the 103 temp, I’ll be in the house all day.

My sunflowers are on their last days. I am glad because watering them is a pain in this heat. RIP – mint. My mint literally died because of the heat. My rosemary never grew. Oh well.

My grocery bill last week was $72 but with coupons, rewards and discounts it was $20.00 less. Yes! Winning!

My workout mojo has been lacking all week. Maybe next week will be better. Time to incorporate weights more now because I think my muscles are tired.

I really need to go to Wally World this weekend, but I just can’t deal with the people.

I had an author tell me her book was returned unclaimed she sent my book club. I told her if you send anything certified I will never get it because the post office isn’t convenient. It is open when I am at work and on Saturday, if I am not in that area for errands it ain’t happening. Pssst…I only go to the P. O. Box once a month. What?

I have no plans for the weekend except the normal errands, work and rest. It is going to be too hot for any exertion of any kind.

Um, I went home on my lunch break and discovered this:

So now my sister can rest. Okay, okay now I can rest.

I think my youngest niece is going to retire me. She is in a play this weekend and she knows everyone’s lines including her own and since she is so dramatical like her aunt and her mama it is only right that she become an actress/rocker. Oh, she started a rock band in her aftercare and she is in need of a real guitar now.

Lil Carson is still hanging in there, but it has been a struggle but we all know prayers works.

The heat outside actually makes me want to get in a pool, but those who know me know that will not happen. I got germ issues…and other mental issues but I don’t think we need to go into those little problems right now.

If I feel inclined bored, I will make some carrot cake cupcakes with a white chocolate cream cheese frosting.

I retightened my hair this week, but now I am looking for more up do styles. Seriously, this hair is hot. And I mean steamy as in my head sweats.

No family antics to report right now for the family trip, yet.

Can someone go to work for me this weekend?  I am tired.  Plus, it is hot.

Have a great weekend! And yes I am off on Monday, and no I don’t quite know what the holiday is and as easy as it is for me to figure out, I want. Everyone needs a day of just plain relaxation.

This morning at 7 am

This is at noon today.  The red minature hybrid smells heavenly.

Silver Sparrow by Tayari Jones  (Possible Spoilers)

Love this story and our book club discussion is going to be very interesting!

One of the things I like about Tayari Jones’ writing is the voices she gives her characters and how authentic they seem. In all three of her novels, I can picture her reading in those voices and making the story truly come alive. FYI – I met Tayari when she was promoting Leaving Atlanta and she was at local independent bookstore here in Montgomery. To this day, the one thing I remember is the animated voice she gave to her characters from that novel; she is one author who does a great reading.



This story is broken into two parts Dana and Chaurisse. The opening line was poignant because it propelled you towards a story we may have already seen play out or know someone who has been in similar circumstances. I don’t want to give away too much of the story but know it deals with bigamy, infidelity, self-worth, legitimacy and other deeply rooted issues. Dana’s character gave me a real insight into how a child, who must be kept a secret, deals with the choices her parents made and its effect on her emotionally. I felt for Dana’s character on several levels, but mostly the feeling of wanting the security in knowing her father loved her unconditionally. Chaurisse’s character was also strong because she had to face some unpleasant truths about the life as she knows it, I loved that she was angry and defiant and I could empathize with what she was dealing with.

When I finished this story, I was in tears and very angry with James. Somewhere between the last pages and remembering my own life the dislike of my own father trickled within me and I understood so clearly how much Dana hurt, because I do not understand the inability of a man to not acknowledge his child. How does a real man sleep at night or teach his son’s to be a man if he has never “manned up”?


The characters grew up during the same timeframe as I did so of course I could identify with the music, television and clothing of the time. Jones had me relieving my school years with the authenticity. The story moved in an exacting pace and built up to its climax, which I wasn’t quite sure how it would go, but I knew a revelation would come and Jones did it right. Silver Sparrow is well-written, with lyrical moments and poignant truths and no unrealistic fairytale ending.


Rating:  4.5