good eats, good company, good times

Last night, I spent the evening with my girls at a swanky restaurant in DC called Oya. To say that I had a good time would be an understatement! I loved the atmosphere upon entering the establishment and everyone looked young, fresh, and put together in their attire. The crowd was a mixture of couples and groups of friends out for an easy-going evening (it was raining all day).

The reason that we decided to be patrons of Oya is because of Restaurant Week that took place in DC the past several days. There was a special to purchase a 3 course meal for $35. Bargainistas like us couldn't pass up a great deal like that! I must say that I was pleasantly pleased with my choices. For an appetizer, I got chicken skewers...entree', Asian salmon....dessert, strawberry sorbet. While the portions were small, it didn't matter to me because I sampled everyone's food :-) At the end of the evening, I was content but not stuffed.

Because I am a "people watcher", I observed a double date taking place at a table near us. One of the couples seemed to be familiar with one another, while the other couple appeared to have been set up. The double date stuck out to me because one of the ladies was almost a foot taller than her date. To strengthen the height differential, she was a really thin girl. Unfortunately she was acting like she didn't want to be there. Seeing her mannerisms, I now vow to become more aware of how I act on future dates. I don't want to seem snobbish as she appeared.

Back at our table, us girls discussed career plans (CPA, MBA classes, etc.), Valentine's Day, and of course...B-O-Y-S!! Surprisingly, they weren't on the receiving end of freshly, sharpened verbal daggers. However, can't promise the same results the next time we're together ;-)

Jungle Fever…is it a Disease??

I’ve been reading Hill Harper’s book entitled The Conversation which centers on the current state of Black relationships. It should go without saying that with each new chapter, my mind goes in a whirl spin of my personal thoughts regarding the content. One chapter in particular has prompted me to put my thoughts on paper about interracial dating.

I want to give a preface on how I have evolved in my way of thinking about this phenomenon that was thrust into America’s social culture via the movie Jungle Fever. At a young age, I was a firsthand witness to this type of love because my maternal uncle married a white woman. To dispel some myths about the kind of people they are, my uncle met her while they were both serving in the Army during the 80’s. He is a tall, dark, and very handsome man while she is a beautiful woman of average height (5’6”), proportionate in shape, dirty blonde hair, and blue-green eyes. So basically their physical traits are not your stereotypical busted black man with an even more torn down white woman. During my pre-adolescent years, I was fortunate enough to be around them (and their daughter) to witness what kind of relationship they had without the interjections of grown folk. What I took away from having been around them was the appreciation for the ebb and flow of their relationship. It worked for them and didn’t bother me at all. In fact, I consider her my favorite aunt hands down (despite the fact that they are now divorced).

If you fast forward to my teen years, it was during this time period that I began to really understand the depth of people’s discomfort with a black man-white woman relationship (notably black women). I have to admit that I let those ideals affect my own conclusion about the idea of interracial relationships. I adopted a new way of thinking about seeing a black man desert his “own kind” to be with a lily white girl.

Sitting here in current day, in my mid-twenties, I can now say that I have my own way of thinking in terms of jungle fever. Personally, I am in no way interested in dating outside of my race (hence my entry on Jury Duty) and it’s because o f superficial reasons or a thought process imposed on me by others. Simply put, I am a person who has strong convictions and what some may characterize as conspiracy theories as to how this world operates. That being said, some of the things I may say, joke about, or believe would not be conducive to an interracial relationship. It may not be pretty but it is a truth that I understand and would need my lifelong partner to “identify” with me on some of those levels.

To tie this entry in a nice politically-correct bow, I would like to mention a conversation that I had with a male friend last night. He posed the question, “With all of the obvious disadvantages of being a black man, what is the advantage of being a black man?” I told him that while it is a bit twisted, the advantage of being a black man is the envy that other races have of you. It is in my humble opinion that black men exude strength that spills over into every aspect of their being; others recognize this and do not want the potential that resides within to be fully realized. This strength combined with my spirit is what I want to pass down to my future children. Undeniably, offspring with an inner core such as that would be a formidable force.

"Let's Talk About PEP"

So, I tuned into what will probably be crowned my all-time favorite reality shows EVER last night. The premise of the show follows four single ladies: Sandy "Pepa" denton, Joumana Kidd (former wife of NBA baller Jason Kidd), Jacque Reed (former BET correspondent), and an around-the-way woman by the name of Kittie and all of their dating adventures.

The shenanigans that went down definitely belong in the history book for wildest first date encounters: toe-licking, strip club attending, baby-making discussion, and a hair burning situation. To think, all of this came forth in just the first episode. Needless to say, I am now officially hooked on this show about the conditions surrounding a single woman's dating life.

This show has me thinking that I can re-create it for my own life with my single girlfriends. Instead of stressing about my singlehood, I can at the very least make it worthwhile and generate some stories of my own worth repeating.

Please stay tuned as I blaze the trail in 2010...

Jury Duty, it ain't THAT bad...

So today, I had to report to jury duty in order to perform my "civic duty". Hey, don't judge me, that's what my summons said. Anyhow, upon my late arrival, I sat in the rear of the lounge and scoped out who was in attendance. A couple of guys caught my eye and I was thinking "Hmmm, this might be a good place to try and pick someone up!" Well, what I didn't count on was what actually occurred.

When lunchtime arrived, I decided to go to the cafeteria located in the lobby of the building. As I was twirling around, looking at my various lunch options, a middle-aged gentlemen of the caucasian persuasion began "warning" me about the selections. He said that the first time a person eats the food, it's good but after that it's downhill. He then proceeded to tell me which choices were better than others. I politely chuckled at his warning and thanked him for his advice on the lunch options. I was thinking, "Oh, that was real nice of him", and gathered the food that I wanted and headed to checkout. Lo and behold, he "appeared" behind me in the line and continued with the small talk. It was here that he asked my name and what I did for a living. I told him and he responded to that as well. After I'd finish paying for my meal, he wished me a good lunch.

Fast forward to the end of his lunch: He dumps his tray, and walks in my direction. At first I thought it was coincidence but I was pretty sure his office wasn't near my table. He said that it was nice meeting me AGAIN and handed me his business card. At this point, it's pretty obvious that he was trying to "Holla"!

I gotta say, this was FAR from what I'd expected to happen today but I think it needed to go down the way it did. Recently, I've been feeling like I couldn't pull anyone in (and I'm talking about the boogers all the way up to the fine men) under my spell. Well, I feel a rejuvenation of sorts with what happened today :-) Every now and then we need an external influence to remind us of how spectacular we can be when attracting those of the opposite sex.

What is the real gift...the past or present?

Today is one of those days where I'm trying to determine whether I was more content with my life in my adolescent years or as it currently plays out. It's always easier to want what you don't have or once had, but why is it so difficult for an individual to live in the now and embrace what life currently offers? I can definitely appreciate the experiences that I've had thus far; they've contributed to the strong, intelligent, and loving woman that I am today. I would be less than forthcoming if I didn't admit that I wouldn't mind going back in time to re-live high school. While it is true that there are some events I'd like to leave, as a whole, it would be great to give it another shot-especially knowing the things that I know now.

At the core of my being, I am a nostalgic person and when I'm in this mood, it certainly stirs up the "shoulda, coulda, woulda's". Most people who know me personally, are aware that I don't live my life regretting anything that I've done in my past. However, as I mentioned in the first paragraph, I'd like to know how different life would be if given the chance to do things over again, with the knowledge of my 20-something year old mind.

Although a part of my brain will always have this longing for living in the past, I do know that where I exist is truly a gift. It is the only opportunity that we have in shaping and molding our futures.

~Take a stroll down memory lane every now and then, but don't set up shop because you will be your only neighbor.

How I Feel Tonight...

The video footage is a bit dated but that doesn't take away from the emotions evoked by this song!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82A1N_JUf7M

Never Shall Forget!!!

Tracks I Yearn for...

Don't have much to say today outside of the fact that I would like to acquire songs by Goapele (Milk and Honey) & Marvin Sapp (The Best in Me) via Zune for my personal collection.

~Take comfort in knowing that a new day presents a new way of doing things better than you've ever done before.~

"World Tour" by Wale (Club Ibiza - 11/11/09)

Wale greets me with a handshake in the front row and comments on my knowing the song :-)

Feelin good, Feelin GREAT!!!

Far too often, I don't heed this piece of advice - "Stop telling God how big your storm is, instead, tell the storm how big your God is!" Well today will be centered around positivity and not contain the "Woe is Me" component. I am blessed in so many ways and I am reminded of this via my health, finances, and position in life. I am comforted in the fact that my Maker has allowed me to continue to live my life as one of His children, in spite of my disobedient ways.

"He saw the Best in me!"

Ledisi doing what she does...

I was already a fan of this song...but Ledisi showed OUT in her performance on Monique - without a doubt!

Enjoy

Couples, couples, and MORE couples???

I finally got out of the house today and did my bi-weekly ritual...hair appointment. I tried a new style (spiked hair) but it didn't come out the way I wanted. Regardless, I feel more beautiful because a professional handled it...go figure!

I finally made it to one of my former co-worker and her husband's house today for some grilled food. The place is really nice and I'm happy that they managed to get married AND purchase a new home together (first time homebuyers) all in the second part of '09! That being said, I was excited to finally see where they resided; however, I wasn't prepared for being the only single woman in the midst of things. I won't lie, it kills me that I currently don't have anyone special to call my own. It's been this way since August '08 and it doesn't get any better as each day goes on.

I am motivated by the fact that these young couples (total being 3) all have African roots (one lady was from London). This gives me hope that my African prince will show up...of course, only after I continue to work hard at improving myself :-)

A Typical Saturday

Posting for 1/2/10

Today wasn't SUPPOSED to by a typical Saturday. Instead, I was supposed to hang out with the girls at the spa and have a nice dinner. One of them was missing in action, so needless to say the outing did not happen. Since I am a worrier, I hope that everything is okay with her.

Other than that, another set of my friends got together at a game room. I opted not to go because my thinking was, if I wasn't going to the spa, I wasn't going anywhere, lol. I don't regret my decision because the wind was whipping something terrible outside today.

~Relish in the "alone" moments, for there are few of those in a lifetime.

Princesses, Frogs, and other things...

Posting for 1/1/10

So today was the first day of the rest of this year. I realized that I had abandoned my writing and will attempt to provide entries for each day of my life. Mainly for therapeutic purposes and to sort out the random thoughts that usually stay lodged in the corners of my brain.

Most of my day was spent hanging out at home on my day off from work. During the evening, a good friend of mine and I went to the movies to see The Princess and the Frog. It may have been a bit "childish" but I can be a sucker for a good Disney movie. Initially, I wanted to see it because it was Disney's first little, black princess. To my surprise, the most important message that was conveyed was to work hard at achieving your goals, but never lose sight of sharing yourself with loved ones.

I thought the storyline was a great way to project this gem to little girls. The stereotypical have a "prince ride in on a white horse" and you will live "happily ever after" is no longer relevant in today's world.

Although, I was already aware that being a careerwoman does not mean you don't need love, it was a great way to refresh and rejuvenate my thinking for the New Year.

CHEERS to this wonderful year to be had by all!!!