15 weeks

On October 21, 2010, I wrote this letter during a blog challenge:

Dear HugMaNeck,

During the twenty plus years of friendship, we have watched each other grow from 1st graders to grown auss women. We have watched each other's younger sibling grow into beautiful young women. Now, it's almost that time to watch some of our own seeds grow to beautiful young women or handsome young men. With that said, I expect my god child to be conceived by 2012. Put the shut to the up...the sperm to the egg...and make it happen.

Love, Hug My Neck

P.S. Don't worry about when you'll get your godchild. This is about me and MY needs wants. lol

On December 31, 2013, this woman selfishly called me at work and told me she was pregnant. I say she's selfish because she knew damn well I couldn't scream like I wanted to while at work. I cried tears of unspeakable joy. Tiff and I had talked about babies while growing up. My girls and I made a list of the order in which we'd have babies. I told her that I thought Baby Love will arrive in late 2014.

And it's happening. For real! And, I'm excited as hell! She will be the 2nd mommy in our crew...giving birth to a Virgo.

Like Beyonce.

EEEEEeeeeeek!

As of today, my bff is 15 weeks pregnant. She'll be home in a couple of months so I'll get to see the belly in person.

I'll probably cry.

Again.

And then put headphones on her belly and play some Michael Jackson for Peanut (My nickname for the baby.)

*swoons*

K to the...

Music Monday - 2.24.14

The relationship I have with The Foreign Exchange's music is similar to my relationship with Jill Scott's music. I was introduced to The Foreign Exchange via their second album "Leave It All Behind" and immediately fell in love with it.

I feel like their albums are telling a story from the first album until the last; a story to which I can relate. Below is how I interpret their albums:

• "Connected"
• Living and loving life
• Trying to find one's purpose on Earth
• -"Leave It All Behind"
• In love with someone
• Getting on each other's nerves
• Wanting to give each other the world
• May have found The One
• "Authenticity"
• The issues in the relationship are overbearing
• Downs outweigh the Ups
• Relationship ends
• "WTF happened?"
• "Love In Flying Colors"
• You worked on yourself, realizing your flaws
• Looking at the broken relationship as lesson learned, not a waste of time.
• You love life again.
• You survived
• Ready to love

So below is my personal ranking of the studio albums from The Foreign Exchange:

1. Leave It All Behind
2. Love In Flying Colors
3. Authenticity 
4. Connected.

Can't wait till I see them in May! I turned my mom into a fan, so she'll be there right along with me. :-)

Happy Monday!

K to the...

Music Monday - 2.17.14

I don't recall what it was that made me buy Chrisette Michele's first album when it dropped...but I am glad I did. With her latest album "Better" being in heavy rotation lately, I'd figure I'd bring you my personal ranking of her studio albums.

1. Epiphany
2. Better
3. I Am
4. Let Freedom Reign

Happy Monday!

K to the...

Randomocity - 2.11.14

Written last night, hence "2.11.14" in the title, and not today's date. Enjoy! 

• I honestly forgot about Valentine's Day approaching.
• February is the beginning of the baby boom for my crew.
• Yes. Yes, I am rocking crop tops this summer thanks to this tattoo.
• Sometimes when conversing with my mom, she gives me this look...of admiration. Like she's proud of the woman she raised; or she's seeing how though I'm a grown-up, I'm still her baby. I look forward to the day I can look at my child the way my mom looks at me. 
• I love my body...even my slightly knocked knees.
• My grandmother can't remember what she had for breakfast, but oddly remembers a conversation I had about me moving almost a month ago. The human brain is such an interesting organ.  
• The city of Hammond...the county of Lake...the state of Indiana does not believe in salting and properly plowing the streets. It really unpeels my banana, son.
• I miss working downtown. I'm working on getting back there.
• I'm over winter.
• New Orleans...I miss you!
• Toronto...here I come!
• "Now I know how to love somebody/I've learned love is out there for me/There's no way that love forgot/Love won't leave me out."
• Thinking of retiring the "JUKBX" license plate. 
• Yes, having an FWB* can be fun. But that ish gets boring...because it's just sex. I don't want anything more from you...boriiiiiinnnnnng.
• Or is it just me?
• Want to know if a guy who claims to be interested in you is on that shullbit? Ask a male friend. 
• I love how my friends look forward to what has turned into an annual summer party at my crib. But last summer's party was so epic...I don't know if that can be topped. We kicked it from 10p - 4a. My patio was a mess. I had to shampoo my carpet.  

Because, I care.

• I love my team.
• I need my couch reupholstered.
• That wasn't a euphemism. 
• I said I wouldn't give up on Jhene Aiko...and I didn't. She has really grown on me.
• The CFO thanked me for my work on the annual compliance audit at the gig. There were no issues in the audit report that was presented to the audit committee today. It meant a lot to me coming from him.
• December 18, 2014 marks 10 years since I graduated from undergrad. Yikes!
• RIP Whitney Houston

K to the...

*"Friend With Benefits"

Basketball Chronicles: Bye!

Aside from hearing grown ass men whine, do you know what I really hate when I'm playing ball? What really shreds my cheese?!

When guys try to flirt with me while on the court.

Most annoying thing ever. It's never smooth. It's always lame.

I hate it.

This guy...we'll call him Shabba Ranks. So, Shabba and I ended up playing defense on each other during the first game we were on the court together. Before the game starts, he comes to stand next to me and put his foot next to mine; as if he was comparing our shoe size. I'm like "What are you doing?" and move out the way.

This was his lame way of flirting and I was NOT here for it.

So, we ended up playing defense on each other in another game. And... *sigh*

Shabba: So, if my team wins this game, I get to take you out.
Me: I don't place bets like that.
Shabba: Oh, so you do place bets?
Me: Not like that.

Man, if you don't getcho lame ass outta here and go put on some deodorant.

K to the...

J-walking...or something.

As someone who is a lover of fresh kicks, I didn't always have multiple pairs of shoes when growing up. I would get one pair of gym shoes every school year. I never asked my mom for a pair of Air Jordans because I knew damn well she wasn't paying more than $100 for some gym shoes. Plus, they didn't look all that great to me. 

Back in '98, during my sophomore year of high school, our boys' basketball team was the shiznit, mmkay? I remember Quentin Richardson being the first person I saw rocking these particular Js. Like I said before, Js weren't appealing to me...but these young ya digs were the flyest I had seen thus far! And they were in my favorite colors. Seeing those shoes everyday was like being around a married man. I could look...but I damn sure couldn't touch because I knew mom wasn't buying them for me. After a while, I stopped lusting for those shoes.

Fast forward to 2005. Those shoes I loved were retro'ed!

And I HAD to have them.

So at the age of 22, I bought my first pair of Jordans for $100. One of my buddies who worked at a Finishline in Texas shipped them to me.

Damn right, I still got them.

I love the shoes so much, that I got another pair as a gift when they were retro'ed again in 2010. Same style and color. I may have worn them less than 10 times. I'm not ashamed, either.

As of today, I now have 5 pairs of Js. The latest pair are all black Jordan 1s. I searched high and low for some all black kicks (because none of my gyms shoes are in solid colors) and finally found some...and they were only $60. 

*fist pump*

Moral of the story?

There is none.

Happy Monday.

K to the...

10 months...

Tuesday, the 21st, marked 10 months since I start my loc journey. The onliest downside of my hair growing has been my face breaking out. So, I change my pillow case more often, use less oil in my hair and went back to using good ole Dr. Earles cleansing system. I'm too light (in the winter) to have acne scars, son. This had to be handled.

The upside is still and will always be being able to wear hats. Yes, I put satin scarf on before putting on the winter hat to protect my edges.

What?

Ain't I a (black) woman?

Look at those two locs unraveled.
We baby drapin in these streets!

Happy 10 months to my babies.

K to the...