6/26/09

Forever...Michael Jackson (RIP)

No Words...simply put. He was THE GREATEST PERFORMER OF ALL TIME! REST NOW YOUNG MICHAEL.



We sang along.

We danced for hours, years.

We celebrated.

We competed.

We tried to frighten one another.

We moon walked, badly.

We made love.

We connected.

We laughed.

We pumped our fists.

We nodded our heads.

We fantasized.

We smiled.

We listened, loudly.

We two-stepped.

We grew up.

We played with friends.

We started our own families.

We cried.

…All while listening to the music of Michael Jackson. He was the brightest star of my youth, and his light faded out today. A flawed hero, yes. But that’s what made him human. He was also a dad. We were hard on MJ and we were good to him, our own flaws becoming apparent as we ponder his death, and watch random clips of his life.

The music lives on, and we all know the music speaks for itself. I raise my glass to a remarkable life.

6/24/09

Are You Serious?


So I was reading today that the cop involved in this incident received no jailtime!!! No jailtime? Are you serious?

While the man who stole Lance Armstrong's bike received three years in prison. You've GOT to be kidding me right?

6/19/09

Thank Goodness for the Blackberry


Thank Goodness this good friend is not crackberry addicted like me. I never leave home, the store, the car, a room without it. Count on my blackberry and we would still be looking for her. Great story!

Misplaced cell phone leads to woman in trunkSusquehanna Twp. victim, who was missing for nearly two days, says men broke into her home and abducted her in her car.
Thursday, June 18, 2009

Shortly after Dr. Robert Scott and his wife returned to their Susquehanna Twp. home Sunday night after getting Chinese food with their neighbor, Mary Wilkerson, he realized he didn't have his cell phone.

He later remembered leaving his Blackberry Curve in Wilkerson's light-blue 1992 Buick LeSabre.

That misplaced cell phone, along with a few unseasonably cool days, might have saved Wilkerson's life. Investigators tracked Scott's phone to the 1900 block of York Street in Harrisburg, where they also found Wilkerson -- missing since that Sunday night -- in the trunk of her LeSabre at about 7 p.m. Tuesday.

"She was scared to death," Scott, a retired clinical psychiatrist and Penn State University professor, told The Patriot-News after visiting Wilkerson at Harrisburg Hospital on Wednesday. "I was surprised with her mental state. She was cognitive, communicative. Not a lot of people could go through what she went through."

Scott said Wilkerson was treated for dehydration but was otherwise in good health.
Scott said Wilkerson, 57, who worked at the New Cumberland Army Depot before retiring a few years ago due to a disability, told him that several masked men broke into her Crooked Hill Road home.

They abducted her and demanded money, Scott said she told him. The next she remembers is being found by the U.S. Marshals, he said.

The case remained under investigation, and authorities did not have any suspects, Dauphin County District Attorney Edward M. Marsico Jr. said. Investigators were looking at Scott's cell phone to see if whoever abducted Wilkerson made any calls. They were also searching the LeSabre for clues.

Investigators did not yet whether anything was taken from Wilkerson, and it was not yet clear how long she was in the trunk. But she was fortunate that Monday and Tuesday were not extremely hot days. Monday's high reached 82 degrees and Tuesday temperatures peaked at 70, according to AccuWeather.

6/18/09

Go Hard


I'm a restless soul. What can I say? I'm a Capricorn. Sometimes I get so absorbed in a project or idea and I'm working on it like a maniac till like 3 or 4 in the morning - even if it's just laying in bed thinking about it, and other times, I don't give it a second thought. That's how I am with this blog. I blog in spurts, but I know I should do better (have you noticed? I've been trying!). I know that I have certain goals in life. I want to matter, but I hardly carve out enough time to just sit down and get to work. That must change. I haven't taken advantage of my opportunities. I'm in a silent funk right now. My frustration is getting the better of me. I know, cause I'm grinding my teeth no stop and saying to myself about 10 times a day "I'll be fine".

“No dream comes true until you wake up and go to work.” -Anonymous

dammit! I can't wake up! Filled with vexation.

"You Let Go and I Will Too"


Almost everyone can identify with this saying. "You let go and I will too".

If not, I'm sure you at least know someone who can.

It speaks of a relationship situation where, no matter how much mental, emotional and physical damage is taking place, it could never compare to the pain that would come from the relationship being officially over, permanent heartbreak declared.

A feeling which, in your heart, you've come too far and gone through entirely too much to simply give up and walk away. Deep inside you accept the fact that you're along for the entire ride.

All the way to the end, regardless of whatever The End brings.

You want this person with all your heart. No matter how painful the obvious has become, each and every single time the bell rings you answer the call.

Standing there, ready to go.

You've tried to be with someone else, but they simply will not do.

People often ask what kind of hold does (insert name) have on you, where you continue to love that fool with everything - your heart, mind, body and soul.

It's kinda sick, arriving at the point where people wonder if you are under a spell. They insist that someone had to have placed something in your food.

Some blood, urine, something.

The truth of the matter is - you are madly in love. And well, sometimes love is sick. Although the relationship has begun to take its toll, you refuse to throw in the towel. Sadly, you've now accepted pain as pleasure. The only way for you to truly let go of this person would be if they let go too.

News Bits That Caught My Eye

Lots in the news lately that's for sure. Besides Iran, Iraq, Recession, Healthcare, Gas on the rise there have been some other "interesting" tidbits that have caught my eye lately. Some things I just couldn't help but check out and share my thoughts on. What do you think?

1. Usher and Tameka -
I hate to say a marriage was doomed from the start but seriously...it was. When you got the whole world betting against you...literally...isn't it just a matter of time? Poor Usher was PLEADING for us to except his wife. He was pulling down fan sites, sueing left and right, giving interviews, canceling wedding dates, firing his mother etc. It really wasn't "if they would divorce" but more like "when". Sad. Two beautiful little boys will probably be caught up in drama for the next few years, not to mention her other three children. Tameka on the other hand gets a FAT check for popping out two Raymond babies in the two year marriage.

2. Man accused of impersonating his dead mother for 6 years.
This fool actually collected over $117,000 in benefits from social security and real estate investments. He dressed up every Tuesday to go down to the social security office and collect her check. He faces up to 25 years in prison. I'm just still in shock. Everytime I curse I think about what my grandmother may be thinking in her resting place. What must this mother be thinking of her son dressing up in her clothes and pretending to be her. "Psycho" at it's best. "Norman Bates" is looking at 25 years.

3. Obama turns Ninja! He's even smooth killing a fly. I still can't believe I heard a news anchor say he shouldn't have killed the fly but shooed him out of the room. COME ON PEOPLE! Do you know how I stomp, swap, splat flies an chance I get!


4. Lastly, hate all you want, but it's up for discussion.
Donte Stallworth kills SOMEONE while drinking and driving and gets 30 days in jail and his license revoked for life, probation and pays the family an undisclosed amount. Is there a price on human life. Mike Vick on the other hand...hhhmmmm well, need a say more? (you know the story). hhhmmmmmm. People in power loves their dogs...that's for damn sure.

6/17/09

Maxwell - Bad Habits

Maxwell is back...and sick as ever! Damn Maxwell...why you wanna hurt 'em like that?

Mama There Goes That Man...Part 2

Took me a few days but you know I was gonna give it to you!
Don't hate the player...HATE THE GAME

6/16/09

High School vs. AAU



All of these coaches make good points. It's so hard and so much pressure on these kids though. I feel bad for the high school coaches however it sometimes feels as if the AAU Club coaches go make the extra effort to get to "know" their players. By get to know I mean, read their faces, their emotions, know what moves them and what drives them to win and get the most out of each one. Because these coaches are squished into a passenger van or SUV with their players on road trips, staying in a cheap hotel and eating at McDonalds with them they get to KNOW their players. That is why at the end of this segment you heard the player say that his club coach is the one he picks to help him out with his future.

Now that my boys are in high school I see the difference between high school coaches and club coaches. I have the additional experience of having their coach also be their father which brings another link into the picture. Coach Dad knows EVERY ONE of the players on his team. He knows how to tell if "Jimmy" is tired, if "John" can give more. He knows that "Bobby" is having a hard time at home lately, that Shawn needs to hear some encouragement to get him going and that the ball should always be in "Paul's" hand at the end of the game because he's going to make that shot or draw the foul. He knows how to call a time out and look his team in the face and say "dig dammit or I'm calling the season and I'm done with with crap". He wants it as much as they want it.

High School coaches often simply just don't have enough invested in their players. They haven't paid for the player who's parents couldn't afford it. They haven't fed 5of the kids in the SUV with them. They haven't picked up 4 of the kids for practice or talked with them 30 minutes after practice while waiting for their parents to get there. They haven't listened to the conversations going on in the back seat. They haven't had an event outside of basketball to watch the kids personalities. Something as small as sitting by the hotel pool while the boys swim and watching how they interact with each other makes a world of difference. Instead, they get the kid often after he's left the house at 7:00am, done a long day at school, had a bag of chips and soda before practice, flunked his math test and doesn't really feel like running lines because his teammate missed his freethrows. The coach has to play "everybody" on the team. He doesn't understand why Seth feels his minutes are being wasted on the "scrub" behind him who is getting minutes because he comes to practice everyday and who just got beat by his man the last three trips up the court. Lastly, the club kid is unconfident in his coach because not only is he usually a highschool teacher who doesn't get on their level but he's given the kids no reason to believe they can relate to him. Highschool coaches tend to do two things. They either feel the AAU player has a big head already so they do not reward them when they do well or kiss their butt so much that the kid doesn't respect him. You'd be amazed just how far "nice pass or good job buddy" go. These remarks can't just be for the bench players. Let's be honest though. Highschool teachers HAVE to be held to a certain standard though. They more often have to deal with the student-athlete. A club coach is in a position to be a little more personal with the player's family. You actually pay your money to this coach to get the best. Can a highschool coach really grab your kid up by the neck and say "get your ass out there and ball". Not really...a club coach can do it and have a replacement for your kid by next week should he decide not to oblige.

On another coach there is the highschool coach who wants to prove so much that the player ain't sh**, that it becomes a personal vendetta to break the kid down to show them and everyone else who will pay attention that "he ain't sh**", instead of doing what an AAU coach tends to do which is say "get out there and get in his chest and lock your man down, I know you can do it". I believe that we all know a "bad" club coach when we see one. It's reflected in his players. As an observer of both sides I've been to a million AAU tournaments and highschool games. This is an on-going battle that will continue for years. As a parent I can only hope that both my sons' AAU coach and highschool coach has the best interest in my son. To make him better, be a role model to him and use his love of the game to help him along the road of being a successful man. This does not mean that basketball will be his life but when he looks back on these years in high school I want him to enjoy these years, make lifelong friends and know that the time has not been wasted but made him grow as good human being. Vince Lombardi said "Winning isn't the everything, it's the only thing" however I hope he meant in the game of life. It's the most important part.

Mama There Goes that Man

Tupac made me fall in love with Hip Hop...Happy Birthday Pac. Gone but Not Forgotten.

All Men Are Dogs

I hear so many woman walking around saying there are no good men out there, all men are dogs or I can't find a good man. They are all either confused, gay or married - which may be the case sometimes but there is an abundance of good men walking around this earth. They are all over the place but they are not going to walk into your life if you are not ready to receive all that a good man brings. So if you are not in a place in your life where you are ready to receive the things a good man brings it's just not going to happen.

Woman have so many lists. We have so much stuff that we want. He gotta be this and that and making this much money and drive this kind of car. Honestly, when you look at yourself what is it that you bring to the table? You want a man that is physically fit and looks good but you are out of shape and don't take care of yourself or your body. You want a man that is financially stable, takes you out and wines and dines you but you are broke. You ain't got no money and your credit is jacked. You are working a dead end job.

You want a man that is spirtually grounded and has a relationship with God but when is the last time you prayed? None of these things add up. You have to look at yourself and define yourself. What are you doing to attract this? If you are sitting around talking about what you don't want, what he can't do, what you don't want him to have. All the things you don't like about men...well guess what? That's probably what's going on with you. Think about it. If you want love and happiness you have to start with yourself. You have to start to fall madly in love with yourself in order to receive the love you want. When the Queen is ready the King will appear. So get yourself together and define what you want. Align your life with what brings you happiness. If you want a good man GET IT TOGETHER. If you got a good man KEEP IT TOGETHER. Alright? Think about it.

Glad somebody said it...cause I feel it!

LMAO!!!! SKINNY JEANS ARE MADE FOR SKINNY PEOPLE....PREACCCCCCCHHHHH!!!!

6/11/09

My Guilty Pleasures

So last night I wasn't thinking of the many awkward things in my life that I so enjoy. As I've been told more than once I'm a "wierdo" but hey...love me or leave me alone. I thought I'd share some of my guilty pleasures today. Do you share any?

1. Getting my eyebrows tweezed by my sister.
It's a little of the painful pleasure. I hate that just when I'm getting relaxed and starting to fall asleep she says, "done". She is so good at it too and gets everything that the salon usually misses.

2. Workout Pain.
Workout pain is that pain you get when you really worked a muscle that maybe hasn't been worked in a minute. Sometimes I wait a few days to rework my calves just because I love that little pain the next day after a calve workout. Each time you take a step you KNOW you worked out hard yesterday. Also the pecks are good for this too. I did some dips last week and I can still feel it a little today. Okay, okay, I know I'm a little sick and twisted but at least I didn't say "anal pain" right? LMBO!!!

3. Lifetime Movies.
I think I've said this again but I love lifetime movies. I especially love the ones I've seen over and over. My favorites are "Fifteen and Pregnant, The Truth About Jane, Bastard Out of Carolina, The Betty Broderick Story and ANYTHING with Patty Duke. I watch the one about her son getting killed my his wife and her boyfriend and Patty Duke fighting for custody of her granddaughter everytime it comes on. I've also watched the movie about the Cadets who kill a girl in highschool and then go on to the airforce academy everytime it comes on. My family walks in the room and always say "how many times are you gonna watch this".

4. Gossip Magazines and Websites.
I refuse to buy an Enquirer or Globe but I always check out the headlines while in line at the grocery store. If I wasn't so embarrassed to pick it up I might actually buy it. I check Bossip.com and Tmz.com daily though. Just being nosey!

5. Lindor Truffles.
If you haven't had the bag of red Lindor truffles refrigerated, you are MISSING OUT ON LIFE! They are SOOO GOOD!


6. Michael Bisping.
This is the Brit MMA fighter who is currently the coach of the British team on the Ultimate Fighter. Can I say YUMMY! So I said it dammit!

7. 2am informercials.
So I'll admit it. I get caught up in the informercials but only at 2am when my insomnia kicks in. The magic bullet is my current favorite but I also love singing with Dick Clark, Motown favorites, Hip Hop Abs and the Food Saver.

8. Porky's (yes the movie)

I've loved this movie since I was a young teen. It's garbage, a cult favorite and takes a sick sense of humor but when it comes on I watch it. Love it!

6/10/09

My Theory

Okay, so my theory is that there are MORE muppet commercials to be seen because it's OBVIOUS my boo don't miss 5 freethrows in one game. That's just not like him. Vanessa giving him too much nookie (well somebody is), or he just decided to prolong the series a bit longer. My prediction remains the same. LAKERS IN 6!





6/9/09

Celebrate Success


If you wish to be successful, help others to be successful. If you wish to help others to be successful, be successful yourself.

Success does not occur in a vacuum. Success is most reliably created in a successful environment.

One person's achievement does not prevent or detract from anyone else's opportunity to achieve. Quite to the contrary, every achievement creates more possibilities for all to achieve.


There's no reason to feel guilty for having achieved more, and there's no reason to feel envious for having less. Instead, be inspired by every achievement you see, and be inspiring in your own creative efforts.


Envision, create and achieve in your unique way. Encourage and celebrate the work of others who seek to do the same.


Success is not built on envy or resentment or punishment or guilt. Success is built upon success, so let the building begin.

--Ralph Marston

Isn't that Interesting - Part 2

So my life has continued to be far from a reality show with the usual carpools, work schedules, summer schools, house cleanings, meetings, practices, food preparations etc etc etc. - well until last night where we had another big coach/dad - vs. coaches kids - blow out.

This one was different though. Quite different in so many ways. I saw the boys were upset when they came in but no dad raging behind them insight so I pulled them out to the garage and asked what happened at practice. They went into the long details of feeling like their dad was picking on them more than other players etc etc etc.

Twin A was the most offended even though it "sounded" as if Twin B got the bulk of beef from coach dad. Twin B was actually pretty quiet but Twin A was fired up.

Twin A: see I was shooting and I was dribbling and I shot a 3 and I said "WET"...

Mom: You said "WET", ummm during practice? (WET means "splash" basically - three pointer in your eye/some ghetto mess that I can't stand)

Twin A: I always say that

Mom: during practice??? That's kind of rude don't you think?

Twin A: Mom it's just something I say

Mom: hhmmm, okay and?

Twin A: Then dad is saying, pass the ball to someone else, stop dribbling so much, NEXT GET OFF THE COURT. So then I steal the ball from a player and dad says foul, but I didn't foul, I stole the ball and if that same player would have stolen it from me he would have been like "good play Jim-boy" but to me he's like "foul" and I can never do anything right.

Twin B: Yeah, we can never do anything right me and "Twin A" are the scapegoats.

Mom: so have you talked to him about this outside of practice.

Twin A: I'm mad, I"m not talking about it anymore.

So then coach/dad comes outside to the garage and listens for a while before he gets angry and begins to spout back a little and I see him begin to "grow" and the kids begin to "shrink". Finally I butt in a bit but not in time. Twin A says "then I quit" I'm not playing basketball anymore. Coach/dad says that may have worked a few months ago son when I wasn't were I am now and my angry used to take over but now I know you are just angry and you'll regret saying I quit this weekend while your teammates are playing and you are sitting on the bench watching so I'm not letting you quit. Besides, I know you are not a quitter.

He went on to tell them how much he loves them and how hard it is to be a coach's kid but also that they both received a technical in a previous tournament and if they couldn't take some "rousing" in practice from him, the person who loved them, they couldn't take it from someone who hated them and wanted to see them lose. I thought to myself "wow - he is changing". Then he went on to relate some things to the bible about them being better people and even apologized to them for being a bad sportsman as a basketball player in years past and trying to correct that as a coach now. It went on a bit longer and I saw all three of them soften a bit as the conversation continued.

I was so happy when I saw them all get up and hug and have dinner with no further issues. Well at least for the night

6/5/09

Friday Fill - In


Click here to participate in Friday - Fill - Ins

And...here we go!

1. Phone home.

2. My favorite thing for dinner lately has been Grilled Chicken and Brown Rice.

3. I'm not a dog lover cause I hate bark! bark! bark!

4. A nice long walk at the beach would be beautiful.

5. I love some good news.

6. When all is said and done, I will rule the world!

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to CHILI'S, tomorrow my plans include straight relaxin after I make some dollars and and Sunday, I want to get some good word!

6/4/09

Don't Hate the Player - Hate the Game / My Prediction



KOBE IN SIX!!!! yes - I know it takes the whole team...but it's still Kobe's team. I told you from the start. All Championship Roads lead to KOBE. -Make no mistake- I do not believe it's the Kobe show as Ariza with a bad game is a loss and Gasol is going to tire Howard on defense so badly that he won't have much for left for offense. If Odom shows up it's a wrap and Derrick need not shoot...just pass! The bench runs too deep, no discussion is needed. Kobe was asked if he needed No. 4 without Shaq to validate him. I love his answer. "Do you think Shaq would have won 3 without me?"...

Finally Shaq tweeted today that he wants "Kobe to get No. 4"...of course he does. Nothing would bother him more than to see Van Gundy and Howard get it without him. BRING IT ON MAGIC...LAKERS IN 6 BABY!!!

6/2/09

That's so Interesting...

So I've had some realizations in my life...some revelations, some thoughts, some brainwork, speculations etc etc etc. and I've realized that I really want to be more of a thinking person than a speaking person. I'd love to simply think it in my mind instead of feeling the need to have it read on my face. If you know me then you know exactly what I mean. The emotion is ALWAYS on my face no matter how much I try to hide it.

I'm saying this because I went through the day and saw so many strange things that just made me say "what the hell?". I really want to be able to say "That's so interesting" and simply leave it at that.

In no particular order:

I drove past a woman who was walking next to her daughter who was riding a bike. The woman was keeping the girl near her by holding her long ponytail? WTF!!!! I'm like, "come on mom that is an accident waiting to happen."

During my daily stops at the gym there is always something comical there in the last few days I've found myself laughing hysterically or pissed off mad at some of what I witnessed. Most annoying would be the guy who walks around in jeans and a polo working out...ummm can you say "crotch rot". If you bought the gym membership buy some $10 workout shorts at Walmart. I've also been quite annoyed lately but the number of men who insist on working out with the "girl size" dumbbells. Really, why can't I get a set of 17.5's or even 15's at 7:30 in the evening. I look over to find these two guys hard at work pumping away for 30 minutes doing arm curls at *itch weight. To piss them off I finally decided to do 3 sets of 8 on the 20s (yes the same exercise they were doing and right next to them). Another peeve is people who insist on resting for 5 minutes in between each rep...uuuhhh, can I get on there while you knit your sweater?

Finally, just a little racism for the masses. I decided the boys would attend summer school at a public school instead of at their private school, which saves me about $600 this summer and they still get the same credit. I knew the school was predominantly "ethnic" but I had no idea. I drove up this morning to what looked like that scene out of "Lean on Me". I never seen so many black and mexican kids all behind one gate. Yes I said GATE they all looked like they were in prison. Yes, I said it dammit. And yes, if you said it and you aren't black I'd probably have a bit of a stank-a-tude. Truth is truth though. I almost turned around. 6 weeks of this??? hmmm. I told the boys "study hard and remember who you are and what you are" as they departed. If they weren't twins I wouldn't have dropped my baby off but I figure they were together. I promptly called my friend and said "aaawww hell no, I done dropped off my babies in the hood". She said, "stop being scared of your own people...they need a change of scenary". hhhmmm we'll see.

And here lies the problem...waisted energy - upset about things that really don't concern me. I really want to not care about the "small stuff". However, it's just not my nature. Can one CHANGE their nature? In the next few weeks I'm going to attempt it with a simply phrase. "Hmmmm, that's so interesting" and nothing further.

Music - JE

6/1/09

Some of My favorite Movie Scenes














Happy Birthday CJ


A picture is worth a thousand words! I asked my baby what he wanted last week for his birthday and imagine my surprise when he said he wanted an Easy Bake Oven. Yes...an Easy Bake Oven and a Snowcone Machine were at the top of his list!

Recently he had spent the night at a friend's house and his sister had an oven. CJ fell in love and has been in the kitchen with me each night and has also requested cooking classes. Wow! I love that he has his own thing!


So Saturday was filled with a house full of kids, a bounce house waterslide, gifts and a transformer pinata. The transformer cupcakes even worked out quite nice. By evening the kids had gone home, CJ - The Rockstar had a date with the movie "UP" and the rest of us crashed out by 9:30!


Happy Birthday My Sweetie Little Boy!