Time for a pick up line . . .

Wow, is that shirt new? It's very becoming on you.

But if I were on you, I'd be coming, too.


(Just sayin . . . )

Greg Beck 1958-2007

Greg Beck was mean, drunk, horny and hilarious. His funeral - held at the Baptist Church where his mother belongs - didn't play down his vices and couldn't diminish his ability to bring the people of his life together to share one last toast to this great man. It was an honest and touching ceremony - short to Baptist standards, if I say so myself - full of laughter, loss and realization.
The red dresses were out in full force . . . and the ladies looked hot!! My favorite part of the whole event was little Matthew Sader calling out, 'yes, sir!' in the middle of a prayer. Jesus Camp - here he comes! =D

Last night

I got to see Elle for the first time in 4 days yesterday so the last thing I wanted to do was leave her at home with a sitter last night while I went to Greg Beck's visitation. But I didn't want to miss it, either - even though my red dress I was planning on wearing was in my bag that still hadn't made it from Orlando. So I decided to take Elle with me. She had to go to her first wake sometime . . . and it was easier to talk about death when it was someone that she didn't know. She told me that people didn't really die in this place - it's only on movies (probably something her dad told her when he was watching 300 with her the other night - good one, daddy'o). Needless to say that conversation took a little while . . . she's decided that when she dies she doesn't want to go in the ground under dirt but that she wants to stay 'regular' - even if it means she'll get stinky. She said we can put her in the blue room (you know you are a little paint-happy when your kid identifies rooms in your house by the color on the walls) and read her a book every night. But we got dressed and started our journey . . .

. . . never got there. I followed my googled directions, I asked the 'metro patrol' officer in the entrance of the cemetery, I called the phone number of the place, I drove between the 4600 and 5100 block of Truman like 10 times with Elle in the back seat trying to count all the dead people in the graveyard. I'm really not blind. I'm really not dumb. But it was already 8 by that time and I just wanted to get out of my car. So we headed over to Harry's Country Club in the River Market to see if anyone was over there.

After convincing Elle that we could go to Waldo Pizza some other night, I finally got her to get out of the car. . . but then she gets out and sees the AMC building downtown and decides that she wants to see a movie instead (I have a really bossy kid). But I'm the boss - so we went inside. she was very excited to see the bar . . . she loves sitting on high stools, so she was failed again when I told her we were going outside. Ooooh, but they have a jukebox like Waldo Pizza - she wants to go to Waldo Pizza again.

I go outside and see some red dresses so know I have found the bloggers . . . saw Spyder and XO and MToast and Janet and FileGirl and Dan. Sat next to Dan and Elle was being shy at first . . . but then he offered her french fries. Nothing like some fried, salty veggies to bring my kid out of her shell. She wouldn't stop after that. I have never seen her so animated in front of a group of strangers. Maybe it was the atmosphere ('and if she loves a bar - she loves a bar like her mama') - or maybe it was the Sprite after 8pm - or maybe it was just the people. I think I'll have her start a blog now . . .

Anyway, it was good to see everyone there last night. I didn't know Greg anymore than I know XO or MToast or Spyder . . . but just sitting there on a night that we all said goodbye to someone that was present in our lives - made me realize how connected this little world is. I open my world to anyone that reads this blog and I thank each and every one of you for doing the same. Its very spandex-like . . . as our circles get bigger - it just works harder to keep us together.

After we paid and walked out - Elle still convinced we were on our way to Waldo Pizza - she asked me which one of those people was the dead one. I giggled inside and almost told her that he wasn't there. . . but then realized that he was.

Rest in Peace, Big Guy - give 'em hell.

I'm baaaack!!

Been super busy the last couple weeks, but just got back from Florida so I'm ready to get back to work on, you know - my LSATs which are next weekend!!!! GAH! Not ready . . . not ready . . .

Super fun stuff though, this weekend . . . met Mia Michaels - she signed my dance shoes! She's freakin amazing. I'm like a total dork and in love with her. Took a class with her and my body still hurts today (stretching afterwards is always good - note to self) - but not only is she incredibly amazing as a choreographer, but it's just always so inspiring to hear people who absolutely love their life and are breathing their passions through other people. And she made my body move in ways it never has before and made me love being a dancer even more because of the power I hold to express myself through that medium. Love it!!! I will scan in my signed picture of her when, you know - I learn how to do that. So, next year around this time - be looking for it. =D



I also saw a bunch of my friends from South Florida, and it made me realize how much I miss the close friendships I've always been used to. I live so far away from so many people that I love. I used to have such a hard time with goodbyes when I was younger - and taught myself how to cope by just realizing how much people affect me and change me as a person for knowing them 2 hours or 2 decades. It made me less sad to see people go, but I don't find those connections so much anymore. Is life really too busy to have what I see as the most important thing in it? It's too bad if so, because I'm too far away to really hang on the the ones I have established in the past. I just miss my friends and my family, I think. Very emo today - not a good day to say goodbye to a friend I never got to know. Oh well.

My Soundtrack

Okay - so I've been sick and not blogging and don't want to blog about my sickness, but I finally checked my myspace today and did a fun little bulletin and thought I would be lazy and just post it here as well. And don't make fun of my music selections . . . or I'll hurt you.

So, here's how it works:
1. Open your library (iTunes, Winamp, Media Player, iPod, etc)
2. Put it on shuffle
3. Press play
4. For every question, type the song that's playing
5. When you go to a new question, press the next button
6. Don't lie and try to pretend your cool...!

Opening credits:
Fuck Me Pumps - Amy Winehouse

Waking up:
Freak on a Leash - Richard Cheese

First day of school:
Make a Memory - Bon Jovi

Falling in love:
C.R.U.S.H. - Ciara

First Song:
The Roots (Interlude) - Jill Scott

Fight Song:
Get Loose - T.I.

Breaking Up:
Rehab Remix - Amy Winehouse and Jay Z

Prom:
Hallelujah - Leonard Cohen

Life:
Love Song - The Cure

Mental Breakdown:
Body Language - Queen

Driving:
I'm Good (Honey Soundtrack) - Blaque

Flashback:
Close My Eyes Forever - Lita Ford and Ozzy Osbourne

Getting back together:
All I Wanna Do is Have Some Fun - Sheryl Crowe

Wedding:
Go - Common

Birth of child:
Jeremy - Pearl Jam

Death Scene:
Muevete Pa Ca - Zumba CD

Funeral Song:
Abraham, Martin, and John - Jerry Vale

End Credits:
Here Comes the Sun (Live in New York) - Jewel and Rob Thomas

Oh, bama!

Okay - so I admit, I get really excited about people running for office - especially when they are saying the things that I feel in my heart, seem to be honest and trust-worthy, refuse to run campaigns because 'it's the way you have to do it to win', and when I get goose-bumps listening to them speak (because they know how to form a complete sentence). This will be my fourth presidential election that I have been allowed to participate in - and the first one where one of these candidates are at least on the primary ballot. I have been enthralled by Obama since his key-note speach at the Democratic national Convention almost 4 years ago. He came when I really needed him. I believe so strongly in America - the America founded on equal rights, the American founded as an escape from religious persecution, the America that has flourished because of it's welcomed diversity. I learned about this place all through my early education and books and songs and poetry and stories and fell in love . . . have not really lived there yet. Barack Obama was saying that he would bring that back. That equality was his mission, that love was his navigator. I jumped on that bandwagon. I registered for all the groups - I participated in discussion boards - I didn't miss a stump speech - I gave money and asked my friends to do the same - I joined the campaign. I learned as much as I could about this man, with each peice of information, every audio clip, the articles, the interviews . . . with each one, I was more enthralled. And then I heard his stance on gay marriage. And his argument for equality was broken over my head and shattered into peices. He believes in full civil unions - in giving same-sex couples all the rights that are denied to them today by the federal government (all 111 of them) - he believes that we should treat all citizens equally . . . but that we should let churches decide if they should call it a marriage or not. It's still a civil union - unless recognized as a 'marriage' by the church, but it would be recognized as such only by that church - not the federal government - and the heterosexual couples still get to be 'married' no matter if they are married in a United Church of Christ or in a renovated Taco Bell by an Elvis impersonator with a 10-day temporary license. I'm sorry - doesn't seem so equal to me.
I received a bulk email through one of my list serves from the campaign asking me to celebrate equality with Michelle, Barack's wife, as she did something or other for women's rights. I wrote back and let him know that I can't celebrate equality with a man who only celebrates it for some . . . the campaign team sent me this back:


Dear Friend,

Thank you for contacting Senator Barack Obama and Obama for America with your
thoughts on LGBT rights. We appreciate hearing from you.

Senator Obama supports economic, social, and legal rights for gays and lesbians.
He supports full civil unions, expanding hate crimes statutes, fighting
discrimination at work and in housing and other places of public accommodation,
and wants to increase adoption rights. He opposes any Constitutional ban on gay
marriage, opposes the Defense of Marriage Act, and opposes the current “Don’t
ask, don’t tell” policy on gays in the military, which weakens us in a time of
global challenges.

Barack is a global leader in the fight against AIDS. He traveled to Kenya and
took a public HIV test to encourage testing and reduce the stigma of the
disease. In late 2006, Barack Obama worked to reauthorize the Ryan White CARE
Act, one of the largest sources of federal funds for primary health care and
support services for patients with HIV/AIDS.

Senator Obama has consistently supported LGBT rights, and will continue to work
for an open, tolerant society where people of all sexual orientations are
protected and their contributions are valued. Thank you again for writing.


Sincerely,

Obama for America



I'm just glad Kucinich is still in the race . . . I will have someone to vote for that sees equality as a foundational principle - not just for his campaign - but for his life and his persuit of a better America and a better world.

Urban Art

Okay - so for one of my classes we had to say what urban meant to us by telling a movie, tv show, book or song that described how we felt about 'urban.' (That was a really bad sentence, but I'm tired and don't feel like fixing it.) My answers were "You Suck: A Love Story" by Christopher Moore - because when you've been turned into a vampire and you're trying to go unnoticed while searching out a cure in the city, you realize how many people abound and how involved in other peoples' lives you really are. My second choice was "Honey" with Jessica Alba - a dance teacher at an inner city community center making it big and bringing it back to her peeps - Urban Extreme!! My final choice was "Tom's Diner" by Suzanne Vega - it always made me think of the big city when I would hear it growing up . . . you couldn't really observe things happening outside a diner in suburbia - it would just be a lot of people walking in from the parking lot.

So yeah, what movie, book, television show or song defines your outlook of the urban?