When good Banana & chocolate concoctions go bad and other happenings of interest...

Went to the Starbucks on 14 and K this morning....I expected the Bananas and Chocolate smoothie to be sweet, but not too sweet...perhaps something got lost in the translation, but that was some nasty ish...don't get me wrong all the offerings on their menu they don't kill, but this...Ooh! I guess depending on how big one's sweet tooth is, others may find it just fine...My sweet tooth is a monster...I'm looking for healthier ways to satisfy it. The only thing I've come across so far is Craisins (thanks to some co-workers for bringing it to my attention.).



I was also wowed this morning, because my vanpool guy...wish I could remember his name...I've misplaced his card, which majorly sucks...But I found out that he loves Hitchcock films also. I thought I'd jump for joy...I had this book that's a mystery revolving around Hitchock and his films...the book is like one great big homage, it's called Dial H for Hitchcock, and it's by Susan Kandel. Each novel in the Cece Caruso mysteries centers around some famous mystery writer or person of note in the genre. I love mysteries like this. So anyway, he notices the book and comments that he loves Hitchcock. That got me going, because I don't come across many Black men that say/admit to that. I asked him what his favorite Hitchcock film was (he's going to get back to me, as he said "They're are too many to name."). I said mine was Vertigo, problematic me being a woman and all, but it's got so many layers to it... I recently saw Marnie, that one messed my head up badly...It's always cool when you don't have to work too hard at it to strike up a conversation with someone. : D

Well ain't that a #$*!

Last night I was all set to watch, or at the very least DVR Happy Town, then my freaking cable box stops getting a signal. I don't fool with the equipment and stuff like that doesn't just happen out of the clear blue sky. Needless to say I was pissed. Then the first tech I got on the phone didn't seem to know what she was doing...maybe she was a newbie, or hadn't gotten a call from someone in my situation. I was trying to cut her some slack, but I was beyond irritated. Then my cell phone drops the call. I had to call back and then the couldn't even send someone out same evening, because I'd call too late.



May 1 is Free Comic Book Day...When I first heard of it (when I was a freshman in college 1991?), I got all excited, but most comic book shops don't give away anything really cool. Unless they give you like some new underground comic from a name people haven't caught on to yet...

My sis, Happy Town, ...

Got to chat with my sis on fb. (A most welcome and rare occurance.)

I'm debating about going to the grocery store this evening, between the changing temperatures, the dizziness, and the joint pain...I'll probably see if I can't take care of it over the weekend. I can also get a cab right to my door and not feel ridiculous about it if I wait.

I'm very much looking forward to Happy Town. The Express review describes it as a mashup of The X-Files and Twin Peaks. I loved the X-Files (at least up until Mulder left.), but I think I was too young to appreciate Twin Peaks when it was originally on the air. I hope it's better than that show whose name escapes me...the one where a different set of people would be killed each week...I know it aired on channel 9. It felt too much like a long drawn out slasher film to me. Whether Happy Town will be the next Lost remains to be seen. Fringe isn't clicking with me at all...

Glee

I'm not a Gleek, but I've heard so much about the Madonna themed ep that aired last night, that I can't wait to see it. ( I did have the DVR record it...it's just a matter of making the time to watch.) I'm also curious to see what the reviewer in the Express talked about (people dressed like Madonna in various stages of her career in the background of certain shots...). Am I a Madonna fan?...I don't really get her as a person...I think I stopped really following her music after the Ray of Light album... I blame this partially on just having more expenses and way less leisure time...Something else I noticed in the Express that didn't make me happy...they keep taking potshots at Michael Jackson (I thought his death would stop it, I guess not...Never realized how truly nasty some people are...and the really disgusting part is they get off on being nasty and don't care who knows it...That kind of thing I just don't get and never have...not even when I was a kid...)...I'd rant about that, but a bunch of other bloggers do that way better...among them MJ777.

Dorothy Height...

I was truly sorry to hear she passed. I wish I could have had the pleasure of meeting her...I'm embarassed to say that I really don't know as much about her as I should. I do remember they sort of did a shout out to her on A Different World. She had a campus building named after her. :)

In case you're wondering...

I have a Chinese post up, because I have a commenter who only responds to me in that language. The commenter posted a comment that roughly translates to "Nature is God's greatest flash in the pan."... I asked them what would make them say that? Not because I'm angry or offended, but because I just really honestly want to know...I'm also wondering if they're not posting stuff like this to draw me out a bit...

我的问题提意见

大自然是上帝最伟大的昙花一现？为什么你会这样说？

Lost rant *contains spoiler*

Why did the Jin and Sun reunion only last a couple of seconds/minutes? They (Cuse and Lindelof) keep them apart for practically a whole season or more and Jin and Sun only get to be together for a few seconds? WTF?!! As happy as I was to see Sideways Hurley get to be with Sideways Libby...last night pissed me off royally. A co-worker of mine who also watches Lost and I were talking and I found out I was not the only one ticked off. What are these guys thinking? I'd love to hear what they have to say for themselves in the DVD commentary.

I'm also wondering how they plan to tie up all the loose ends in 4 episodes... This is definitely going to make for interesting viewing...I don't have my hopes so high they I expect something miraculous, but at the same time, I want to be satisfied...and I'm very afraid I won't be...Oh well, if all else fails, there's always the wonderful world of Lost fanfic.

Double Down etc.

Tried the Double Down (original recipe). It wasn't as greasy to me as some people were saying. It was spicy to me though. I was a bit disappointed that the KFC I went to didn't have grilled DD's, but it's not a huge thing. (ie. I won't be banging down their doors to get another one.)
My one complaint: Not enough bacon. I could barely taste it.

Cirque de Soleil is doing a Michael Jackson show. Actually a series of shows...I think that's awesome! Hope I can afford to go see them.

Am disappointed in myself, because I've had a lot on my mind (work and personal stuff...) and have just been too tired and miserable to get it together and draw again...

Unsung was good last night...I didn't know some members of the original Bar-Kays were killed in the same plane crash as Otis Redding. :( That broke my heart. No matter who the show is on, I always learn something new. This Fall they're also supposed to do a show on Tammi Terrell (I voted for her on the TV One website, I'm glad I wasn't the only one.). I've wanted to learn more about her for a long time.

This weekend, I would like to clean up a little more around the apartment and buy some more plants. I thought I was going to get a little more rest, but I somehow doubt it. :(

Potluck Day # 2

Found out the Double Down can come in Fried or Grilled form (like the Grilled option will somehow make the calories less. lol I'm still trying one. )

I have a cousin who wants to check out my blog. I warned her she'd probably find it boring. It's funny, in my family, I'm either not daring enough or I get told that I need to slow down (and what? Stop stand still and let life pass me by? No, because as far as I can tell, you only get one. I don't want to have any more regrets than I already do. ). I wish I could find that happy medium. A lot of people have told me to just pay no attention to what other people think, but because of the type of person I am, it's really not all that easy for me to do...

They were running The Princess and the Frog downstairs. I actually got caught up in watching it. Then this guy made a comment about me buying it. (I'd never seen him around before...not sure whether or not he was some type of manager or what.) I told him it wasn't payday and I smiled. I also informed him that I couldn't justify buying it, because I have no kids. I don't want to be that "crazy lady" or that "slow, shy lady". Making myself a target on top of my other problems, I can do without.

Over on MJFC, when people mention they are dots in Michael Jackson's portrait, I notice that they put the location of their dots as well. My curiosity got the best of me and I went to try and find my dot this morning. I found it, but I've got mixed emotions about where it is. It's the detail on or around his nose. The drawing appears to be of a younger Michael so far, so this is good in a way (I'm glad to be a part of it at all), but bad in a way. (I don't want to be a part of his nose that winds up not there later. I'd rather be among the people around his heart. But then, people in Hell want ice water too. ).

Bought a new walking stick today. This one matches most of my outfits and it folds up, so I'm jazzed. :D

This weekend, I've got a lot of reading to catch up on, but there are also movies coming out that I'd like to see ( Kick Ass and Death at a Funeral). I wish I could see both, I'm not sure I'll have money to do that though. Maybe if I skip the concession stand...

That episode of Lost this week is definitely in my top ten. I was a bit surprised(and then not, it is Lost after all) and disappointed by the character death.

I've also got to remember to make the time to draw this weekend, even if it's just a sketch.

Potluck...

I'm talking about a bunch of stuff...again.

I've been really bad about writing in my print journal.

Can't believe KFC really made a "sandwich" with no bread. I'm dying to try it (I think it's called a Double Down), but I think if I do, maybe I'll workout 6 days a week instead of 7 or something. I think there's a KFC out near me, if not I know where another one is. I'm trying to at least sample one before, dietary watchdogs shut everything down. (Some people can cut everything "bad" out of their diet. Others can get by using moderation. I say let people use their own judgement.)

I found a really good Jamie Oliver recipe on abc's website. Parmesan chicken with posh ham I think it's called. Any recipe that spices chicken and turkey up is a help to me (It's mostly the only type of meat I've been eating lately.)

Can't believe it's 1:00 already. Time is just flying today.

Haven't been in the frame of mind to draw as I've been stressed and pressed for time a great deal lately. I'm also having trouble sleeping. The rheumatologist put me on another medication, but I have my doubts about it. Next week I start physical therapy. It's only supposed to last for two weeks. I hope it ends sooner. I could use the extra cash.

The return of Stalker dude

Stalker dude thought he was slick and followed me into the cafeteria after he saw me in the hall. }:( Why can't pervs just be shipped off to their own little planet somewhere?

Oh, one more thing...

The computer I'm on now has some kind of a glitch to where I can't comment on my own posts. Sometimes it does the same thing to me on other people's blogs too. It doesn't matter who's sponsoring it either...I can't explain it. Anyway, I didn't want my lone poster to think I was just being an arrogant American and ignoring them. It was just difficult to find some time to figure out what was being said and to figure out how to respond to it.

I want to try something here...

In my blog post about The Runaways, I got a comment I couldn't read. I had to fiddle around with Google translator to figure it out...I think I got it right, at least I hope so. I'm trying to meet my favorite poster halfway...

我很好。感谢你对我的博客恭维

Vampire Diaries Book vs. Series...

Lately I've started to get into the Vampire Diaries. I'm also an Ian Somerhalder fan, so I was going to give it a shot right out of the box. I enjoy the TV series so much, I said "Hey! Why not try the books?" Once I did that, I found a few surprises. First, Elena is a blonde in the book. I'm glad they made her a brunette on TV. Blondes need to let brunettes take a turn in center stage. Bonnie is a red-headed white girl in the book...Again, I like the fact they went in a different direction as far as casting went on the TV show and decided to make the character African-American. Stefan and Damon...in the book they're twins...I'm glad they didn't do that here...Maybe they decided it was too cheesy to fly on camera? With the right actor that's a concept that could work, but it takes such a huge leap of faith...Another thing I've noticed about the book version of the series (so far I've only read the first one. I want to read them in order. It's also just come to my attention that there's a second set of books.), is that Elena is in a love triangle with the two brothers. You never get that impression on the series. She is very sure of which Salvatore brother she prefers. In this respect, I prefer the book...maybe they thought it would get stale too quick? Or that it's been done to death? Or maybe something changes as the series develops and I just need to be patient...not sure, but it'll be interesting to see what they do.

Speaking of which, I can't wait until Season 3 of True Blood starts!

Will Smith's turning down the role of Marvin Gaye...My two cents

This morning in The Express, I saw a blurb about Will Smith turning down the role of Marvin Gaye. (Jesse L. Martin I could see. Will Smith not so much...Apparently there may be more than one biopic in the works. This happened with the dueling Janis Joplin biopics being in the works a few years ago too. Phil Morris might be good to, but I'm not sure if he can sing...that's the only drawback...)

I couldn't understand why he'd refuse that and say yes to an Independence Day sequel. (The way I see it a sequel can is either a very good idea or a very bad idea. Very seldom is there an in between.)

I think Mr. Smith decided to stick with the Independence Day sequel, because he doesn't see Marvin Gaye as a positive enough role model to portray (He takes that very, very, seriously. It's a very admirable personal quality to have, but as an actor, it limits him).

My other thought as far as Mr. Smith's refusal goes is, he's a little more flexible than I think, but he doesn't want to go the places this role might take him. I have heard story upon story of acting fathers that would "bring a role home" with them.

Another possibility could be the money, but I think he's taken ensemble stuff or pay cuts/percentages before, although I'm not certain (He's not an actor I follow too closely. ).

It'll be interesting to see who does decide to work with Cameron Crowe on this, whether it moves to another director, or whether the project never materializes at all. [As I type this, yet another possibility has occurred to me. Maybe Will Smith subscribes to the same school of thought Denzel Washington and Spike Lee do (ie. a Black director would be able to tell the story more accurately. ]

Stuff I'm unhappy (and that's an understatement) about as far as the Murray trial goes

The most this dude would get is 4 years...4 years WTF????!!!! And I don't want nor need some legal expert explaining the fine line between manslaughter, 1st degree murder, 2nd degree murder and the whole nine to me. He still took a human life. Whether it was by accident or not is splitting hairs to me at this point.

Then I see Randy Jackson's tweet that the press is being given preferential treatment in the courtroom as far as seating. What's that all about? Members of the family couldn't even sit together?

I hope this is not representative of how the rest of the trial's going to go.

I'm going to try and continue to keep thinking positive thoughts, but I just feel sometimes like I'm fighting a losing battle.

ps. This morning I was made aware that Murray can't administer medicine, but he can still "practice" it. How is that right? The next trial date is 6/14/2010. Whether justice will be served time will tell...He can't escape Karma though, and I hope I'm around to see him get his.

I Don't Like Mondays...

Got up this morning thought I was doing ok, because I'd laid out some of my stuff. Arrive at work only to find I've packed my salad dressing in my little insulated pouch, but not my salad ( I had to bottles of water and peach tea inside the bag and a breakfast sandwich. I thought the salad was at the bottom of the bag and was sadly disappointed. What I think happened is I opened the fridge with the intention of getting the salad and set the salad down to get the drink, thinking I'd grabbed both in the back of my mind.).
Someone saw smoke on the Metro Orange line train I was riding this morning. I smelled burning rubber, but said nothing, as that's not an unusual thing. Sometimes conductors will go the whole trip with the burning rubber smell. Everybody smells it, and we get from point A to point be just fine. It sort of makes me wonder if everyone on the train doesn't have some type of death wish or just in some type of apathetic zombie like state (as most of us are on our way to a workplace that one way or another is a drag, I'm assuming it's the latter.). It's still dangerous though. And it worries me.

Dr. Murray's trial is today. Can't believe his defense wants to claim Michael Jackson killed himself. WTF??!!! As fast as some of those medications hit a person, how would he hook up his own IV tube, etc.???!!!!! That's such bull! I hope this dude gets just what he deserves. }:( He shouldn't even still be practicing medicine. Anywhere. I'm participating in the Tweetathon for everyone that couldn't physically be at the courthouse as much as I can. I hope they don't let him go. He needs to pay. No matter what punishment they give him though, sadly it won't bring Michael back, so I'm just in a very dark place emotionally about the whole thing.

Not much else going on...

I'm wanting to spend more and more time out on my balcony. My aunt recommended some more flowers I can put out. Sadly, my pansies have bit the dust. My tulips appear to be okay though. My aunt recommended petunias, vincas (which I've never even heard of 'til now.), and impatients.

Heard about the earthquake in Mexicali...All these earthquakes...it makes me wonder...and not in a good way either.


Supposed to be pretty warm tomorrow and Wed. I'm gearing up for the insanity.


Am trying to make the time to draw this week, but I can't seem to focus the way I'd like. I forgot which one of meds that's a side effect from, but it's a pain in the @#%*!

Oh yeah! I saw the video with Lady Gaga and Beyonce with the Kill Bill and Thelma and Louise references in it. I forgot the title of the song, but the video was a trip. I love them both so much! (I'm comfortable enough in/with my sexuality to say that. They're beautiful and they come up with some crazy stuff, I like that. Why hate?)

Have fallen head over heels for Craisins. Maybe this will help keep me away from the pastries. (I've been a really bad girl as far as excercising goes. To me walking and climbing stairs doesn't count, because I have to do those if I want to go anywhere.).

What a week I'm having!

The pollen is totally kicking my can this morning. I didn't even have to leave the apartment before my eyes started itching.

Metro was a mess yesterday evening. I love tourists. What would DC do without them? At times, I've been a tourist myself...(I've hit NYC, Chicago, Anaheim, CA, Toronto, and Daytona Beach), so I try to put myself in their shoes. Yesterday's evening train was packed with people who came I guess to enjoy the cherry blossoms. This happens every year (It's just depending on where I live and what line I use, how it affects my personal commute varies.). So my question to Metro is this: If it is a given that tourists are going to crowd the system for certain events, why don' t they add more cars to the trains they've already got running? Yesterday, people (tourists and locals) were packing themselves onto already crowded trains. I'm guessing because some of them probably, like me had a bus connection they didn't want to miss, but still, that doesn't make it right. At what point does common sense kick in?

I have a bill collection agency that won't leave me alone, because someone stole my soc. number and paid their utility bill with it. How I don't know. The utility company wants money. I'm not paying anybody, because I didn't run the bill up. I was tempted to pay the collection agency just to get them to stop harrassing me, but when they said they wouldn't give me a refund once I proved to them what I said was true, I lost that temptation really quickly. The police taking forever to send my case report hasn't helped matters either. My guess is my request is one in a pile of many sitting on someone's desk. I'll try and light a fire under somebody's can next week.


Was messing around on facebook and stumbled across Noel Cruz. I didn't make the connection that he was the same artist I'd read about in one of my doll mags a while back (Doll collecting mags are kind of expensive, so I only buy them when I can afford to splurge. I'm also bad with names and faces unless it's one I see quite a bit.). Both his artwork and his dolls blow me away.

Take a peek: http://www.ncruz.com/

One of the best blog titles ever

I was over on Dispatches from the Island and clicked on a series of links (Thanks, JuJu!).
I was scrolling over some of the book/reading blog links and I stumble across a blog called
"He followed me home...Can I keep him?" If I may slip into Comic Book Guy mode for a bit .
One of the best blog titles ever. I truly wish I'd thought of it. Awesome!

Yet more proof that I over complicate things...

Found out that what I've been looking for (Sudoku with letters) actually has a name. It's Wordoku. Found a ton of Wordoku books @ Amazon.