To my future...

As if watching my scale at home inch higher and higher wasn't enough, a trip to the doctor this week made it ever so clear that I desperately need to loose some pounds. Not that I have diabetes, high blood pressure or cholesterol....but it could sneak up on me if I don't make some drastic changes.

The doc recommended a site, Spark People, which is nearly identical to Weight Watchers with the exception that its absolutely free. Having done Weight Watchers online earlier this year, I realized that it was a great resource when I was consistent. Also, like Weight Watchers, Spark People has a version compatible for my Blackberry, making it easier to keep track on-the-go.

I've signed up and I can am already realizing the benefits of keeping track of what I'm eating and doing. Also beneficial is the fact that I was able to determine, at sign up, that I can be at my ideal weight by July of next year if I consistently loose a small amount of weigh each week.

So here's to me being lighter and healthier! :)

Plumbing

I've always known the importance of supporting Black-owned businesses. However, after reading an article in Black Enterprise magazine, I decided to refocus my efforts on supporting such businesses whenever necessary. It just so happened that I had a pressing issue that provided an excellent opportunity to apply my new found dedication. After taking a look at blackpages.com, I located a plumber in my area and quickly called to make an appointment.

I admit that I was thrown by the extremely casual manner in which the middle-aged woman answered the phone...but my real frustration was the screaming baby in the background. After taking my name and number, I was promised a call back within an hour. About 3 hours later, I decided to call back (people get busy and forget) at which time I got the owner, who eagerly agreed to send someone out the following morning.

Saturday morning, I get a call informing me that my plumbers are running behind schedule (no problem, I was still sleeping anyway). They arrived, did their business, and got payment...yet, I still had the same problem that I started with. After giving me some crap about the entire condo building being set up incorrectly and it being impossible for them to fix my issue without fixing the pipes in the walls :/ they left. About an hour later, I walk into the kitchen to find water dripping from under the cabinet on my hardwood floors (angry!). I immediately call them back and am told that it will be 2 hours before they can come back. Four hours later, one of the two persons shows up, claims to have fixed my leaking problem and refuses to leave a bucket under the sink (just in case it wasn't fixed) because he's convinced my problem is resolved.

I run out the house to a gathering with WS's family. Upon my return, I find water dripping from under the sink on my hardwood floors (angrier). I call the plumber back and am told that the owner will be out Sunday after he leaves church and from seeing his uncle in hospice. Sunday afternoon, the owner arrives with one of the original workers and goes into some other story about all of my pipes needing to be replaced. After an hour, they leave. Three hours later, two workers return and spend several hours replacing the pipes under the sink....yet my problem still exists. I'm told they will need to leave one pipe leaking with a bucket underneath and will return the following day to fix.

Before heading off to bed, I decide to check to ensure that all is in order only to find that a second pipe is also leaking and once again water is running onto my HARDWOOD FLOORS!!!!! The following day, I schedule Roto Rooter to come out and provide a second estimate. He suggests that the rodding wasn't done well enough but wants to charge $250 to do it. While he's still there, my "BLACK" plumbers show up, causing an awkward but necessary situation. Roto guy makes some suggestions and leaves my "BLACK" plumbers to work.

Frustrated and angry, I head off to Toastmasters, leaving WS instructions to call my dad before the plumbers leave. I arrive home to learn that they replaced a strainer basket, rodded again, and now the drain in working fine....at a tune of another $175 (they're still waiting on payment). Why? Well you know that pink stuff that they put around the pipes to seal them? Despite me leaving more than enough towels, they dripped it onto MY HARDWOOD FLOORS!!! And you guessed it...it won't come out!

I'm trying to remind myself that this is an isolated incident and that every Black business interaction will not be like this....however, I think I'm going to my white massage therapist this weekend.

Family Feud

1. Name something you use in the shower. Water
2. Name something a football player wears under his uniform: jock strap
3. Name something people hate to find on their windshield: bug
4. Name something a man might buy before a date: breath mints
5. What is another word for blemish? zit
6. Something you cook in the microwave: popcorn
7. Name a piece of furniture people need help moving? sofa
8. Name a reason a younger man might like an older woman. smoney
9. Name something a dog does that embarrasses its owner: barks
10. Name a kind of test you cannot study for: drug test
11. Name something a boy scout gets a badge for: saving a life
12. Name a phrase with the word home in it: homework
13. Name a sport where players lose teeth: football
14. Name something a teacher can do to ruin a student's day: pop quiz
15. What is a way you can tell someone has been crying: red eyes
16. Name a bird you wouldn't want to eat: pigeon
17. Name something a person wears even if it has a hole in it: Socks
18. Name something that gets smaller the more you use it: soap

40 One Word Answers

1. Where is your cell phone? - face
2. Your significant other? - William
3. Your hair? - medium
4. Your mother? - Vegas
5. Your father? - Arkansas
6. Your favorite thing? - food :)
7. Your dream last night? - none
8. Your favorite drink? - water
9. Your dream/goal? - entrepreneurship
10. The room are you in? - livingroom
11. Your hobby? - traveling
12. Your fear? - loneliness
13. Where do you want to be in 6 years? - independent
14. Where were you last night? - home
16. Muffins? - yuck
17. Wish list item? - Mercedes
18. Where you grew up? - Chicago
19. Last thing you did? - television
20. What are you wearing? - t-shirt
21. Your TV? - 40"
22. Your pets? - none
23. Friends? - select
24. Your life? - motivated
25. Your mood? - relaxed
26. Missing someone? - yes
27. Car? - Toyota
28. Something you’re not wearing? - glasses
29. Your favorite store? - Ebay
30. Your summer? - short
31. Like someone? - rarely
32. Your favorite color? - red
33. When is the last time you laughed? - today
34. Last time you cried? - days
35. Who will resend this? - none
36. Place you go to over and over? - Walmart
37. Person who emails you regularly? - Borders
38. Favorite place to eat? - Lawrence's
39. Why did you participate in this survey? - bored
40. What are you doing tonight? - relaxing

Michael Kors!!!!...If you can hear me, please help!

Earlier in the year, I walked in the Michael Kors store on Michigan Ave and saw this bag, the MICHAEL Michael Kors Redding Drawstring Satchel, Red. Although I immediately fell in love with it, the fact was, it just wasn't in my budget at the time. But I believed that I'd catch it when the price dropped and snatch it right up.

Unfortunately, that wasn't the case. The price did drop but now I can't find it anywhere...not even Ebay. I'm told that important people read blogs so I'm praying that Michael Kors is up late one night, googling his name and comes across this post. Immediately, he has compassion on a poor soul like mine and contacts me to arrange for me to get this bag.

Hey, I know its a stretch...but anything is possible. :)

Shoe Addiction

I have always prided myself in looking as feminine as possible. However, I never developed the knack for collecting shoes that most women develop at a very young age. I've often looked at the shoe collections of female (and sometimes male) family and friends and wondered how one person could possibly utilize so many pairs of shoes. For a large part of my adult life, I've been comfortable owning 5-7 pairs of shoes, mostly consistening of gym (or casual) shoes and a pair of black pumps.

Perhaps it was because I spent a large part of my young adult life on my feet, running from work to class to church, and concerned myself more with comfort than style. As I've began to settle into adult life and career, I have began to develop a healthy appreciation for nice shoes...grown women shoes! I find myself actually wanting to go to shoe stores and even the mall, "just to see what they have". That has never been something that I was ever into in my younger years. Personally, I found the shopping mall loud, crowded, and nauseating. An occassional trip was okay, but the every weekend "window shopping" was sickening to me.

I'm watching the price on this little number. As cute as they are (and the fact that I have a cute red bag to match), I'm not willing to pay the full price tag on them. Fingers crossed!

I ordered this pair online, .5 too big, hoping that they ran a little small like most Anne Klein's do. I wasn't so fortunate and to my frustration no other store has the size I need. I'm holding out hope that they store I purchased them from gets my size in.

I'm waiting for this number to arrive at my front door. I ordered last week and am really appreciating the ability to order shoes online. I've never had a problem with clothes or electronics but now that I see most places offer free shipping (both ways in case of returns), its given me more ammunition to pick up a cute little number like these.

The greatest thing about the shoes that I get, they typically are under $40. Yes, it means that I have to wait for clearance and pray that they still have my size but it makes me feel a lot less guilty about making the purchase knowing that I won't wear them too often. :)

MyCaption makes it easier to blog

Wow, it seems like forever since the last time I made a post on my blog, mostly because I usually have all of these really wonderful ideas and topics to discuss, but then when it comes time to sit down and try to type things out I usually lose interest or just feel too exhausted to do so. However, today I downloaded a nice little software called MyCaption from my BlackBerry and I'm hoping that now that since I have it I'll be able to make more posts to my blog.

The benefit of having this software is that I can simply talk and MyCaption will take care of typing out the entire post, and all I need to do is simply forward the information on to my blog.

There's been a lot going on lately more than I could possibly try to say in this post, but I'm hoping that I'll be able to catch up and keep better track of future events...and yes there are some very exciting things coming up!

Update (08/10/2009 @ 1:28):

Thanks for the post, MyCaption team! You've created a really great product and the accuracy is phenomenal.

God has a sense of humor...

A little bit ago, I got some potentially devasting news from a close friend. The first, and only, thing I could think to do was to ask God to not let it be the case. I felt like God was saying "it won't be" but my confidence in knowing His voice has been a little shakey lately. My next question is God, how do I know its You and not just me wanting it and trying to convince myself.

As clear as day, Luke 17:5 popped into my mind. Having no clue what it said, I made my way to Biblegateway.com where it read "And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith". All I could do was giggle. The He immediately reminded me of 1 John 5 where is says "And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him."

It is so awesome how even when we are not where we should be, God is still faithful in not only reminding us of His promises, but keeping them to the end. Unworthy and not deserving am I but yet He still loves me. Who could ask for more.