Thursday, December 27, 2018

2018: A Look Back

2018 has been..... a lot. All things considered, it's been a good year - one of the best since I moved to Jersey, I'd say - but damned if it didn't try me like a freak at a cut party LOL.

I spent the first part of it in a relationship with a dream that VERY suddenly felt like it had actually been one. And then deja vu - are we doing this again? No, sir. No, we are not. I laid pretty low for the rest of the year, then Fall blew another wind of "everything" my way. Turned out "everything" was literal and much more than I could handle. Feels weird to say that, Superwoman that I am, but the mark of a grown-but-still-growing woman is the knowledge that there's some shit I'm just not built for. But I'm humbly thankful for the epiphany that is this:


It's been real, sir. Now run along.

I almost went to jail - at work LOL. When I tell you it's the closest I've come to losing my whole entire shit up in my place of business, I exaggerate ZERO. Consummate professional that I am, I managed to avoid being led out of my office in cuffs, but I seriously considered tendering my resignation until my agitator tendered his a couple of days later. Maybe that was the universe's way of telling me to sit back and chill the fuck out, but still just for a minute. New digs remains priority ONE for 2019 and I have a whole host of celebratory moves to make once that happens. I. Can't. Wait.


My mama is still my mama. Oh, she took violation to PEAK level this year. I don't know if I've ever been as angry as I've been with her, as many times as I've been with her this year, but I can only blame myself for allowing her to guilt and manipulate me the way she did. I have somewhat figured out how to handle her now though - I simply remind her that she has two other kids.

My daughter sustained a season-ending injury before the season even opened and let me tell you, it was HARD. The surgery, the recovery - it's all been so draining, but holy Dora Milaje, Batman! This girl is a true warrior! She's been thugging it out like a six-figure contract is on the line so I have no doubt she'll make a full recovery and be back on the court, #killinem senior year.

Guess whose summer body finally showed up? *thumbs to self* THIS girl! Yes, yes, I finally committed to the healthier lifestyle I saw for myself for so many years but was too lazy to implement. I still have some goals to accomplish but three days a week in the gym have really turned things around - not just physically, but mentally. That kind of consistency was a real hurdle for me, initially, but overcoming that was huge for my mindset and once I got into the groove, it was just like clockwork. Now admittedly, I haven't been with any kind of consistency for the past month, and not at all for the past couple of weeks, but hey, I've been busy. Not to worry, I'll be right back at it after some much needed R&R.


So what's in store for Dig in 2019? Only time will tell, but one thing is certain: I plan to be an active participant, starting with my birthday, day one of the year. I never make a big deal of it because New Year's [Eve] is always such a zoo and I don't want no parts of that shit, but one thing I learned in 2018 is that I need to celebrate myself more. Many of the L's I've taken in general have been as a direct result of not appreciating ME enough. Things as simple as not buying myself a new winter coat because the one I have is perfectly fine are really telling. Yes, it is perfectly fine, but it's 9 years old, my nigga LOL. No bullshit, I cleaned out my closet yesterday and finally forced myself to throw out all the shit I never wear and probably won't, and that included a coat I've had since my son was born. Also in perfect condition, but my son is 20 years old, y'all. The fact that it was Nautica shoulda landed it in a donation bag LONG ago LOL. Luckily I had my daughter overseeing the project because that coat and a lot of other things survived the last 3 cleanings and she was not having it this time.

By the time we were done, my closet was damn near bare. I haven't been able to see the floor of my closet the entire 8 years I've lived in this house but all said and done, I got rid of probably 85% of my shoes (ugh! that hurt my heart...) and 50% of the remaining 15% are on borrowed time - I can only keep them for as long as it takes for me to replace them. My kids convinced me that I needed to let go of everything that was just taking up unnecessary space so that I could see what I was really working with and y'all, it wasn't much. I always felt like I had nothing to wear because I barely did! They also reminded me that it presented me with the opportunity to replenish my wardrobe with new, better stuff. It was such a revelation; that closet was a reflection of my life. The interesting thing is I had already picked up on that as far as the useless people and things in my life were concerned - you'll remember a post or two about me cleaning house earlier this year and late last year - but that was a classic example of treating the symptom and not the underlying disease. Self care is not just about maintenance, it's about prioritizing yourself. More importantly, self care has a direct correlation to self love. Color me fucked up eating that one!


But it's okay, message received. I hope my ladies out there received it too. It can be so easy to put ourselves second to other people or things that by the time we finally check that list again, we're the last thing on it. So if you don't do anything else in 2019, take care of YOU. I don't do resolutions any more but if there's anyone out there still looking for one, you're welcome.




Wednesday, December 19, 2018

ALIGN


This is SOOOO important in order to truly live your best life.

Monday, November 12, 2018

Legendary Loss





Marvel Comics legend Stan Lee has passed away at the age of 95, but the Marvel Universe lives on.....

Thank you, Stan.

#RIP

Friday, October 19, 2018

Marbles - Pt 2


Two weeks later, all is well. There's still a random sock on the floor in the corner, a couple of empty water bottles under the bed, and I still can't find my headphones but by and large, the clutter around me has become much more manageable. Sometimes you just have to stop.... and BREATHE.


Tuesday, October 2, 2018

Marbles




It’s been a stressful few weeks. Mentally and emotionally, I am all but completely drained.

My baby had knee surgery a week and a half ago and has had a really rough go of it since. Thankfully, she’s on the mend now but it’s been a real struggle getting her there.

My job has very quickly become “where I work” which some won’t understand but suffice it to say, I need to get out of this place. I obviously missed a few memos – DROVES of people have left in the past few months, including all my reasons for staying as long as I have – but I’m present and accounted for now.

Are you watching Insecure? You may need to, to understand me when I say the finale was ripped from the headlines of my life.

Throw in a bag of marbles [read: other random shit not fit for mention] and stir. Sigh – where am I even going with this?

……..LOADING………

Not really sure. But maybe it’s self help – cause nobody can check on their strong friend who doesn’t wanna talk about it….. Or who couldn’t talk about it if she wanted to because your world is falling apart. Again.

I just know that when things become a blur, there’s a need to stop and take inventory. Sometimes it’s just not enough to say “I got a lot going on.” Sometimes I need to lay it all out; spread it across the bed, take a couple steps back, and LOOK at it.

So this is me, looking……

TBC


Tuesday, August 21, 2018

R.I.Please Stop It

I hate social media death announcements. First of all, I'll never understand how people lose somebody close to them and the first thing they wanna do is run to social media and tell everybody. Bitch, we barely know YOU, who the fuck is Pop-Pop? LOL Most of us feel uncomfortable even reacting to a stat like that so we just scroll on by. I know I do, anyway. If I ain't know the person or have a sense of your relationship with the person prior, I ain't going nowhere near it. Cause too many of yall just being melodramatic for attention. You won't use me for no sympathy points.

And then you got those ones with the nerve to be hollerin about you can't believe this has happened. I'm confused. You chronicled the whole 17 weeks Pop-Pop was in the hospital, fucken DYING. Going live, even LOL. Like.... wasn't that the purpose of all that? To prepare us for your impending fucken meltdown, because this nigga DYING? So how are you blindsided when he actually does? And not for nothing, Pop-Pop was 300 years old. No matter how the fuck he died, he was not taken suddenly by any means LOL

Oh and please don't get me started on the phony homies, speaking of melodrama. Hood star gets killed over the weekend and now everybody was so close to him. Everybody was his cousin. Everybody so hurt. He was everybody's Baby. Show me one post since you joined Facebook that had anything to do with this person. Show me one picture they're in, a tag - anything. No, take your time, I'll wait.

Everybody wanna be associated so bad with the legacy. Why? He's DEAD. He was clearly not the one you want to be associated with. What is wrong with people???




Friday, June 22, 2018

Alllll The Time

Me, allllll the time:



I came in here to finish a post that I started 2 WEEKS AGO, and yeah..... I don't care about that anymore .....so ....... please enjoy the music while I find something else to care about LOL.

Friday, April 27, 2018

My Thing is This.......

In case you've been under a rock somewhere for the past couple of days, here's what I'm talking about:

https://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/bill-cosby-scandal/bill-cosby-found-guilty-sexual-assault-retrial-n869121

Everybody and their mama is on social media talking about this conviction. Commentary runs the gambit from "Good, he deserves to go to jail" to "The Illuminati sacrificed Bill in exchange for Meek Mill" (which I'm not even gonna dignify) to "They always coming for our powerful and influential black men." I have scrolled through threads and threads of debates on this issue, today alone, and while there are valid points to be made on all fronts, here's the thing: powerful and influential black men can be predators too. And NONE of them should get a pass. Don't be mad Bill Cosby has to pay the piper, be mad [it appears] the others didn't. THAT'S the miscarriage of justice here.

Not a damn thing going on nowhere else in the world has the slightest bearing on the fact that Bill Cosby is a sexual predator. This man had 7 prescriptions for Quaaludes (who gets 7 prescriptions for Quaalaudes?????) which he got WITH THE INTENT of giving them to young women he wanted to have sex with. And it's not up for debate - he ADMITTED to that. Even those women took the pills of their own free will, he's still a creep because he also admitted to having sex with teenagers, as well as paying off [alleged] victims. He should go to jail. Odds are he won't, due to his age and health, but he absolutely deserved to be convicted for his actions.

Say it with me - HIS. ACTIONS.

All this talk about Matt Lauer and fucken Trump and Harvey Weinstein - FUCK. THEM. Yes, them and many other people have [seemingly] gotten away with assaulting and being grossly inappropriate with women (and men) and that is FUCKED UP. But regardless of what anybody else did or didn't do, it doesn't mitigate the fact that Bill Cosby did what he did.. But you think he should get a pass too, huh? If your answer is yes, you really need to question your fucken value system. No sexual predator should be getting a pass. Not even the ones in your family..... *sips tea*......yeah. Don't act.

And racism? Meh. I don't NOT see what you're saying, but ......you're kinda BEING the smoke and mirrors. Comparison is the devil. You are what you are regardless of what anybody else is. Wipe all those other men and incidents off the board and does it not become clear that this man did a bad thing and should be punished for it? Isn't it only when you hold him up against "all those other men and incidents" that there is ANY gray area? Because there hasn't been the same degree of consequences in those other cases? Completely irrelevant to THIS one. This is also not some smear campaign that "so conveniently popped up right when he was tryna buy NBC." **eye roll** Stop regurgitating what you hear other people saying. Bill Cosby wanted to buy NBC wayyyy back in 1992, he wasn't in the process of trying to buy it when this all came out. Do your research and have a seat.

Again, the miscarriage of justice is not Bill Cosby being held accountable for HIS ACTIONS. The miscarriage is that so many others have not. Don't get it confused.

Don't get me wrong; in no way do I dismiss the great things Bill Cosby has done or the inspiration he has been. But EVERYBODY is capable of doing shit you'd never expect from them. Great people can do fucked up shit and sometimes assholes pet puppies. Stop it with the conspiracy theories. Some shit just is what it is.

Tuesday, April 10, 2018

Kanyeing

Nahhhhh, nahhhhh, nah, nah
Wait til I get my money right......
Nahhhhh, nahhhhh, nah, nah
Then you can't tell me nothing, right?

Yall know I've been tryna get my life together and shit for like the last...... when did I start this blog? LOL Anyway, I've been making progress, year over year, and I'm feeling pretty great about those strides, though the mission continues. So next on the list, as of a couple years ago, was to try and salvage the wreckage that was my credit. Admittedly, credit was never even on my radar until I saw how much of grownup life was impacted by it, and even then, it still was never atop my list of priorities. I've always managed to get what I needed - call me resourceful. But then I moved to NYC. Okay, so technically I live in New Jersey but tell that to my rent LOL

Anyway, life here will wear you the fuck out if you don't have your finances in order. I don't care how much money you're making, you HAVE to be fiscally healthy to stay here, especially if you're solely responsible for the bills and God forbid you have mouths to feed. Ever wonder why everybody you know who lives here has a roommate? Bing! Well there you have it.

2002 was the first time I remember having any semblance of what my credit score was. I was leaving my long-term relationship and moving into a complex that required a minimum 630 score, I believe. Granted, I still didn't know my actual score, but I got in so I figure it was at least a 630. I'll tell you one thing; it damn sure wasn't no 630 by the time I moved outta there LOL. This was really my first "on my own" experience and I was a full credit disaster. I couldn't balance a checkbook to save my life so my bank account was in the negative EVERY. SINGLE. MONTH. The credit cards I did have were always maxed out and I even had 2 vehicles repossessed because I couldn't keep up with the payments. It was 4 years of robbing Peter to pay Paul and it only got slightly better after my next move. I BARELY got into my next place - they actually told me my credit score wasn't good enough - but I mean..... what's the point of this sparkling personality if not to finesse a thing or two? LOL

Enter 4 more years of floating payments and all I really learned was that car payments and credit cards were both the devil. I probably shouldn't say "all I really learned" because ridding myself of both those things was the best thing I could have ever done for myself at that time. But my credit was still shitty. By the time I relocated, God was surely not the only one judging me but my landlord took a chance on me anyway. See "sparkling personality" LOL I knew I couldn't continue on that path though. I needed to start taking some steps toward cleaning my credit up. I'm about to sound like a commercial but real talk, credit karma made it super easy for me to learn how credit actually works, to see what was actually on my report, and also to view my credit scores. I did everything I could to remove what shouldn't be there, pay what was legitimately owed and even got a couple credit cards because I mean #reallife and plus borrowing power - when used responsibly - can really positively impact your numbers. When I first got the app, my shit was categorized as "poor" so I NEEDED a positive impact. I spent most of the last 2 years in "fair" condition but it wasn't changing much, and definitely not often, so eventually I stopped checking it. But I was still doing the work - paying my bills on time, keeping my card balances low, watching my spending.... I became a whole new woman!

It had been a while since I last checked the app but both my credit cards increased my credit limit recently so I logged in to check my score. Ok. "Good." Cool.

Wait.... GOOD? It took a minute to register but then it hit me. Yooooooooo! A bitch got good credit! LMAOOOOOOOOO!

Was you sayin' something?
Uh uh, you can't tell me NOTHING!

Come THROUGH 2018! LOL

Sunday, March 25, 2018

Thursday, March 22, 2018

#FFT

"We're all the hero in our own story without even realizing we're the bad guy in someone else's."

- Everything Sucks, Netflix

Thursday, March 15, 2018

NOT


I needed something today I didn't even realize I needed until I got it from the only place it could have come. The very best of our friends insist on being so, even if it means CREATING a world for you because they know it's what you need. There's something so intimate about that, especially between a man and a woman who are not. Granted, it wouldn't take much on either end, but there's just something about NOT that's worth protecting...........

Thursday, March 1, 2018

Friday, February 2, 2018

Get Some

When you win a trip to London and can't expedite your passport in time to go.


It's okay though, I'm actually not upset about it. It may sound strange but I kinda hate the idea of England. Nothing about that place makes me wanna see it. The food prospects alone are enough for me to question why the place even exists, like..... why?

But winning the trip at all is a testament to how amazing my 2018 has been so far. Who wins a fucken trip to London? Seriously. I probably COULD have gotten the expedite in time - the flight woulda just been exponentially higher - but because I opted to just let someone else to go, I wound up with a much better consolation deal: Row D at The Lion King, here on Broadway! I'll take that, thank you very much!

Also seeing Hamilton next month - SUPER excited about that!

Just did my taxes and a bitch didn't owe for the first time in like six years! *fist bumps the universe*

Somewhere in Midtown at this very moment, there's a bat being engraved with my name for having just had the biggest revenue month in the almost 3 years I've been with my company. This will be the second time I'm inducted into the $50K Club, and currently only the second person to do so. Can you say KILLIN' IT?!! And yes - YES, I am tooting my own horn, gotdammit, I work HARD and all these kids wanna damn do is eat LOL.

So pardon my absence of late, I'm out here living my best life, #Bae in tow (you better come on through, 2018! LOL), while I can because we never know how long ANY run - good or bad - is gonna last. I'm tryna milk this cow DRY, you hear me? And there's enough to go around, y'all better get out here and get you summa this 2018! Shoo........