Tuesday Beat: Celia Cruz - La Negra Tiene Tumbao / Contrapunto Musical

Total pick me up songs. I love her music. It makes me want to dance... even the slower songs. The void she left in the music industry is yet to filled because nobody can top her lyrics, beats and eccentricity. AZÚCAR!

Weekly Rundown

Iiiiiiiit's Friday! I get to see my niece [<--] in all her teething glory next Wednesday ... YAY! Can't wait.

• First up is the librarian. We had a really good conversation, so good in fact that I was 10 minutes late for work even though I got there 5 mins earlier than usual.
• Next up ... I made CERT! I passed and am now officially a green helmet wearing, card carrying member of Chicago CERT. Each year roughly 60 civilians [+ police, reserves, etc] have the honor of getting certified in the Chi. It took me 3 tries to get in but I did and I am as proud of my CERT helmet as most people are of their diplomas.
• Third... interviewing just got a little more interesting. I love going to interviews where they stress business casual because I am more relaxed. The questions are asked in a more creative manner and when was the last time that you discussed the virtues of dual 21" monitors during an interview or the joys of ice-skating or why walking along the lake front is more invigorating than walking along the side streets.
• Has anyone seen Ciara's video for Ride? Umm well take a moment and view it. My jaw landed somewhere between my keyboard and mouse. She makes me want to work out 5 days a week instead of 3 among other things.
• All in all a really good week compared to last.
• Have a good one folks!

My future family

I am not sure if it's a case of me beginning to hear my biological clock ticking or what, but I had a rather surreal experience on the train the other day. I was in my own lil world on the train heading into town when I suddenly got this visual in my mind.

I am standing in a kitchen leaning against an island / breakfast bar type of deal. I'm on the kitchen side and am watching two kids writing something. The elder of the two, a girl, can't have been more than 4. The younger kid is a boy. Anyway they suddenly jump off the bar stools and run across the room yelling "Mommy, mommy look!" Their mom is sitting at what looks like a dining table as they run up to her. She looks at the paper and hugs them both. While she hugs them she looks up at me and smiles and I feel content. I feel warmth and love emanating from her. It really is hard to explain the feeling that flows into and through me. That's my wife, the mother of our children. I know that I am utterly in love with this woman and she feels the same.

What really made me pause after this visual was that the floor plan of the house we were in, is the same plan that I designed for myself (I actually designed and furnished a 3 bdrm house on paper) and put into my book of possibilities.

[ image taken from http://www.blackqueerradical.com/stories/health-9.28.09-gaysadoptedkidsok.html]

Tuesday Beat: Lead Me Lord / Order My Steps

These songs speak to me spiritually in a way that I can't even begin to explain. I try to listen to them every morning so that I step into the day right.
Lead me Lord. I will go. You have called me. I will answer.


I want to walk worthy, my calling to fulfill. Please order my steps Lord.

Random Beat: Leonie Casannova - Little Feeling

Weekly Rundown

Le sigh. Talk about a roller coaster week.

• This week was a lot rougher than I expected. It had a bumpy start and Tuesday's round of interviews probably didn't help. I interviewed for 4.5 hours straight (written test, phone tests, IT tests, 6 different interviews) with a company that I really like but I was tired and hungry by hour 3. My body is used to eating every 3 hours so my blood sugar levels plummeted around the 3.5 hour mark. I did get a banana at hour 4 but my body had gone into mutiny. Try answering the CTO's [company founder too] questions on an empty stomach and let me know how it goes. I guess I did well enough as I am on to the next round.
• Wednesday I had to cut the work day short because my allergies got the better of me. My fingers were swollen, I was itching up a storm and I had the headache from hell.
• Thursday was an infinitely better day. I saw the librarian in the morning and I recommended a book to her. I then asked about the origins of her name and we got to talking about that as well her siblings. Progress. The weather was decent and I got 3+ miles of walking in. My goal is to be able to pull off walking 4 miles to the hour or the infamous 15 minute mile. I'm currently at 3.2 mph.
• Thursday also netted me a note from an ex that sent me into a minor tailspin. She was my first love and to be honest, I don't think I totally got over her.
• CERT class netted the following quote from one of my team members while we were practicing how to stop patients from grabbing onto stuff while you were carrying them to the treatment area from a scene: "Do not give them that wooden stake to hold. We might end up with some Twilight vampire shit on site." That he said it with a straight face made it that much funnier.
• Allergies and PMS make for a very bad combo. I am very testy when my allergies are bothering me and this was not the week for people to be starting shit wit me. Case in point the lady at Target who thought I was trying to rob her simply because I walked towards a store shelf which happened to be where her cart (purse was in it apparently) was parked in front of the item that I wanted to buy. I didn't even see the damn cart. Would I be stupid enough to attempt something like that with witnesses readily available? That totally fucked up the rest of my afternoon.

I am soo f'n stressed right now. Tomorrow will be a better day. Tomorrow will be a better day. Tomorrow will be a better day. Fuck it, I'll deal with whatever tomorrow brings.

[image taken from http://www.ultimaterollercoaster.com/themeparks/new06/patriot/img/wof_patriot_cork.jpg]

Tuesday Beat: Alicia Keys - How It Feels To Fly / If I Ain't Got You

Working out

Have you seen Adina Howard's video for Nasty Grind? Its an old song that I happened upon while YouTubing her old school videos yesterday. The abs on that woman ... AMEN!

For motivation, I have a poster above my door of the Miami Heat Dancers. It's a 4 page spread. Having met them in person, I can say with certainty that not all those bodies were Photoshopped to chiseled perfection. Those women put in the time at the gym. I also have a poster of a friend who is a fitness model. The woman is dedicated to keeping a healthy, toned body and it shows.

Today I was flexing in front of the mirror after working out [my inner teen insisted on it]and saw the beginnings of the cuts that one gets below the love handles. They are barely discernible but I was grinning like I'd just hit the jackpot. 6AM workouts are the shit.

The other day I got a kick out of seeing that my weight is now what it was on my passport 10 years ago. I've completed a sine curve.

My 27th birthday in images

Happy 27th Birthday to me... yay. Thanks for all the good wishes. This past year has been a blessed one and I look forward to continuing to do big things in the year ahead with the Lord as my guide. Below are some images from the day - click to enlarge.
Pic 1 is of a Caribbean band that was playing in the park by my house. Pic 3 is of a ladybug that landed on me while I was out walking by the lake. Pic 4 is an underpass that is decorated in Native American art. Pic 5 - 11 were taken from the Cultural Center. I like art what can I say. Pic 12 if the view from a lab on campus. Pic 13 is of church. Had to get my praise on at the First UMC today.
Final pic is of my birthday feast. I hit up Steak n Shake and had a double cheese with everything on top. The thing was stacked. You get a free shake on your birthday. I haven't had ice-cream since last summer and fries I haven't seen since January. Its back to disciplined eating again but I sure enjoyed the meal. Incidentally the only other thing that is off the eating list is cake [and all its cousins]. I am off alcohol for another 30 days so there were no adult beverages harmed during celebration of this day.

Weekly Rundown

Hey Good people.

• Weeks been pretty decent, save for the weather. I get the feeling God said to Noah "Verily I say unto you, it shall never rain for 40days and 40 nights again. I do reserve the right, however, to make it rain for 39 days and snow on the 40th." That about sums up the past week in weather.
• I swung by the library yesterday and as always I had a delightful conversation with the librarian. I am still working up to inviting her to catch coffee sometime.
• I have been enjoying my CERT class a lot. We were chatting amongst our selves the other day and were joking about the incentives for signing up. #1 is the green helmet that you get, #2 is the chance to play with fire extinguishers, #3 who doesn't want to know why gas smells the way it does.
• Yesterday's class takeaway - "It depends" is an acceptable answer to just about anything. If you find yourself with a green tag attached to you during medical triage might as well make yourself useful and volunteer for you are only ahead of those with black tags and they have already gone to meet their maker.
• I love my job. Where else would I be paid to play a game (dice and playing cards anyone?) and make notes on how we can modify it for our test exercises.
• My niece continues to grow and amaze me. They do grow up soo fast.
• Today is my last day as a 26 year old. I am panicking ever so slightly. Upside to turning 27 is my body looks better now than it did at 21.

Addend: I was asked what workout I am using. I am using the Commando Cardio - beginner freebie. Its all bodyweight, no equipment needed. By stage 3 of 5 I am huffing and sweating up a mess. My arms are singing and I don't ever want to do another squat or jumping jack or push up or body v-up in my life. I want to be done and NOW! I highly recommend doing it first thing in the morning because it is very easy to talk yourself out of doing it after work.

Tuesday Beat: Alicia Keys - Tell You Something / Like You'll Never See Me Again

Thanks to Evolving for reminding me about this song.

Weekly Rundown

A Happy Easter to you all!

Not much happened this week so t'will be a short post.

• I am taking CERT classes and hope to complete certification in a little over 3 weeks. This is purely for my personal edification. I am checking items off my list of goals in life.
• There is no librarian edition this week as I had to work at the other campus in the morning and therefore couldn't go to the library.
• I was watching Brown Sugar yesterday and I realized something. This is probably one of my favorite movies of all time. That Sanaa Lathan is in it doesn't hurt one bit. Love & Basketball is in my top 3 after all.
• Tomorrow the sun rises and Lent officially ends. YAY! Pity I have no one to break the sexual fast with because I have the potential to pull an energizer bunny edition of breaking the fast.
• In a week I turn 27. Where have my twenties gone. In another year I'll have to start saying my late twenties instead of mid twenties. Horror of horrors.
• Happy birthday to my mama.