Checking In

Hello all, I know it's it's been a minute.

I don't know why after nearly four years of blogging my posts have become so sporadic.

But anyway I decided it was about time for me to check in.

Life these last few weeks has mostly revolved around work and my volunteer duties.

I think I've talked about it before but my apprenticeship ended in February after seven months, when it should have been six (I got an extra work due to the time I took off for volunteer board service).

My supervisors asked me to stay on as a freelancer and work as a fill-in web producer while two of my colleagues were on maternity leave.

Well one of my colleagues delivered a week and a half ago and the other is set to go in for a c-section tomorrow. Also we have a gay couple at work who adopted a baby boy last week. Talk about a baby factory.

It's great though that I'll be filling in for the ladies while they're out. I'll get more hours and have an opportunity to make money to save up to maybe get an apartment, have money for the journo conference later this summer, and possibly pursue graduate school.

Lately the idea of going to law school has been floating around in my head. Before I got the journalism bug I always said I wanted to be a lawyer. Growing up I idolized Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, in part because like me he's from Baltimore.

I jokingly still tell people that I'm still deciding what I'll be what I grow up. Truthfully, I'm grown up, but I'm also still deciding which path to take.

My Heart's in Texas

One of my aunts is dying of cancer. The doctor’s recently told her that there’s nothing more they can do for her, and they sent her home. God I’m tearing up just thinking about it.

I called her the other day and even though we don’t talk as much as we should, she knew exactly who was calling. "Hello my favorite nephew," she said. I wanted to say, "Aunt Bettye you’re not supposed to have favorites." But I didn’t. I didn’t say a word. I just smiled my knowing smile. Of course I'm the favorite, just kidding.

My Aunt Bettye is one of four aunts who aside from my mother and my late maternal grandmother have the most say in and most sway over my life. My mother has five sisters, and my "father" has six sisters.

My Aunt Bettye is special. If my mother ever had problems out of me, as rare as those were, it wasn't past her to call Aunt Bettye. A call from Aunt Bettye would make you sit down, shut up, and get southern ("yes ma'am", "no ma'am" came with a quickness).

My aunt said to me as she always does that I have made her proud. It means so much because when she says it she says it with all seriousness and sincerity.

She said her only wish is to live to see me graduate in May, and that God willing she'll do the same for my cousin, the only daughter she's ever known.

Before she let me go she asked me about my job interview last weekend. After I told her I didn’t want to pursue it, because it wasn’t what I wanted, she had a word of advice. "Just know that you’re going to have to do some things in your life that you don’t want to do."

It was as sobering as the sound of her voice, as serious as the tone of her voice, and said with as much sincerity as she could muster.

I knew then that real life was upon me.

Back at School

So I'm back at school.

We have two days of R.A training. As I said before I don't know what they are going to teach me that I don't already know.

After an afternoon of doing different reflection activities, we went out to dinner. We went to Towson Diner, which is apparently a staple for LoCo students, but I'd never been there. Go figure. My mother says I'm a contrarian and always say what I'm not going to do. She's right. But I never follow people. I didn't get to where I am by following other people, rather than leading my own path. I ended up having a cheese burger deluxe, which equalled a burger, fries, and cole slaw. It was all good.

Later we had to stop by a gathering of all the RA's with some booty doo karoke. Ummm pass.

So I went back to the dorm and I helped a friend move back in to the dorm. We made like three trips from her car to her dorm room. My homie had a lot of stuff. So we decided to take a ride in search of dessert. Instead of searching for a place we decided on one of her favorite spots Bill Bateman.

I interrupt this blog to announce I like this song, which was playing on the car ride to Bateman's.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6_Pwu9DFBM

Natasha Bedingfield's "Love Like This"

I concede, I'm probably late, but I don't listen to the radio. I'm too busy doing other stuff.

Back to the blog...

So she treated me to dessert at Bill Bateman's. Yeah it's the wing lace but it also has good wings. I don't remember what we shared but it involved a chocolate chip cookie baked in a skillet topped with ice cream, and fudge. Delish.

What wasn't delish. The stares I got from jump. As soon as I walked into the place stares and glares. Damn, can't be seen with a white woman? The hostess looked like she wanted to say something. Then there was a black couple sitting a table away, after staring for a minute they got over. Then enter a younger black couple and the woman at the table did not stop eyeing me. I was like damn, see something you like.

Yeah, I was a little bothered by it.

I love black love.

I finally got around to watching "Will You Marry Me" on Essence.com

It was coo my fave couple Davon and Nerisse, yes, I agreed with J's sugestion. My second favorite Demetrius and Chrissy. But I def liked Davon's proposal the best.

I'm all for black love but people need to get over their perceptions of what's legit or not.

First, I wasn't on a date. Second, if I were to date outside my race I don't think I should be looked at as a science experiment. Nor should I be shot "that look", which equals the look of scorn.

People irkin me already making me count down til I jet for San Antonio.

What's even better is that once I get back I have a day off. We're celebrating MLK Day on the 21st. It actually sucks because although I don't have class, I just realized I don't have class anyways. Monday's is one of the days for the internship and I'll probably have to go in, cause the news doesn't give the day off. There goes sleeping in!

Holla.