Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Copycat

This weekend Mr. Stefon picked up his knitting needles again and has been working on his knit stitches. He will be making a scarf soon. I went up stairs and I heard the funniest thing. I was upstairs in my room and I heard him screaming - George Washington Carver knit!! I can knit too!! I thought I would die laughing. The next day, while we was walking to camp I asked him what was that all about and he said that his brother and sister was messing with him. I said well make sure you tell them, that men use to be the primary knitters and that Rus.sell Cr.owe and An.thony Ande.rson knit.

Well, well. Guess who asked me for some yarn and some knitting needles. Yup, Anger Management. NOW, she wants to make something for Hope (my brothers new baby). She has not picked up her needles in a minute, so we will see.

I am at home, looking at all these judge shows and people are crazy. One girl was suing another young lady for hitting her car. And the girl who hit the car did not see why she had to pay because the girl was illegally parked. But, hold up, why she didn't have a license and you talking about you shouldn't have to pay her because SHE broke the law by being parked illegally. Something is wrong in the water. Any who, I can't wait for Maury, so I can see some dumb ass woman who says she is 110% sure that he is the father, run off the stage crying, because he is not. And my favorite is Jud.ge Hat.chett, when she says, "YOU KNOW THIS IS NOT THIS CHILD FATHER". I sound just like her, Luvs it.

Can you telll I am enjoying my day. Oh and the husband is taking me out when he gets off in 2 hours before we get Mr.Stefon and the kids.

One last thing. I fell off the damn wagon before the kids even got here. I went to a surprise Happy Hour for my coworker at Cafe Asia. We had a ball and I had some Thai beer, I could not resist. My husband and I LOVE, LOVE this beer. So, I convinced myself that I was drinking because of the party and then because it taste good with Sushi. Well, I am back in the game.

Monday, July 28, 2008

Auntie Urban

Well, well. I am about to be the bomb Aunt - although Anger Mgmt told me that she will think of some stuff to do with her cousins as well because, "don't nobody want to go the museum". Whatever!

I will be getting my oldest nieces/nephews - my babies and I can't wait. Mr. Urb and I will trek down to Dale City, VA to get the boys from their dads house and my nieces from my mom in D.C. (ugh- still not talking to her). My nieces and nephews are my children, especially the first three. I guess it is time to tell the sister story. I have one sister, and one brother, (I am the middle child - can't you tell).

My asshole of a sister, lets call her Master Manipulator, has always been in trouble. Her nickname coming up was Nuisance. I did not know what this name meant, but I figured it meant bad, mischievous, something. As an adult, I now know they should never had named her that, she had to live up to the name and TRUST, she did. Whenever we moved to a new neighborhood, I had to explain to peeps, yes, that is my sister and no, she is not the oldest.
She was such an excellent liar. Grown ass people would believe whatever she said. I just never understood. For instance, she would run away from home and she would be over people house and when we would meet the parents, they would be like, she said you (my mother) had a heart attack!! And these were upstanding adults, and I just could not understand why you would not try and call the house or something. She can stand in your face and tell a bald face (my mother term) lie and you would start to rethink the color of the sky yourself. Besides the bad shit she use to do, like climb out our window, pierce her ear, invite boys over, oh and the time she got a cordless phone, when our parents got a phone lock (man she was wild). Oh, one more story, my sister use to leave the house all the time, run away. So, our house had the wind up windows, well, my mother winded up all the windows and took the cranks so her ass could not get out. Homegirl, got her a wrench or something because she got out. Too many stories to tell. But she was fun too. Man she would have you dying laughing, but she didn't play. If you get into a fight, you want her on your side.

Okay, well my sister has in total 6 kids and she is married to the last two children father. Her children are 13,12,10,6,2,1 and she is NOW raising all of them. She has had her kids for the past 2 years. My parents basically raised the first three. When my stepdad died my mom moved to Georgia, and soon after the first two kids came to live with her and then my pregnant sister moved down and when she had him, he ended up living with my mom and she rolled out.

My mother has been their only constant along with my brother (another story) and I. Since Master Manipulator was more bent on running the streets my mother raised them, however she could not take care of the kids financially, which meant we had to chip in. Now don't get me wrong, I did not mind helping, because we are family. But I have been disgusted with her actions for a very long time. She does not take ownership for anything.

My sister is not on drugs or an alcoholic. She is/was just an asshole. This is just my opinion and my feelings. I do not want her to be on drugs, but I guess I could kind of understand her actions if she was. My mother and sister both lived in Georgia and one time my mother had to go to work and needed a babysitter for HER kids and she said no she was not watching them. Can you believe that shit! Oh, I was hot. On another occasion, my daughter was down there (my kids use to visit every summer) and she has natural hair, I asked her could she braid her hair for me and she said she will think about it. DID NOT DO IT. However, every year I went down to get my kids, I braided my niece hair for back to school, bought them back to school clothes and tons of Xmas gifts like I was their mama or daddy, while they did nothing. My mother had to pay to get my nieces hair done during the school year, because she can plait, but not braid (don't ask, I never understood this, she use to do connect the plaits with me and my sister hair - ugh).

Anyway, to be positive , she is supposedly getting her life back together and if that is the case, good for her. I am just happy she has all of her kids in one place. She has found the Lord like she has on numerous occasions and hopefully she really has. I won't knock her, she may have, but if i hear one more gin how she is Save, Sanctified and a Christian, I might just have to snatch her ass back to size.

OKAY, back to my babies. One more thing, I do love all of her children. I just have a special bond for the first 3 because of what I mentioned above. NOW.

One thing about Auntie Urban, she loves education, history and some more. Also, she loves the museum and one thing about D.C. ITS FREE!!! YUP!! I will be their tour guide. We will be going to the Monument, Zoo, National Aquarium (I have never been, I only go to Bmore Aquarium which is the bomb), Air and Space, Fredrick Douglass Home, the pool, park, scrapbooking pictures (finally get to use my supplies), a cook-out in their honor and the icing on the cake - Mr. Stefon tennis camp is having a Family Fun Day Saturday and they can go to that as well. College Boy and Anger Management is planning some thing too.

I am planning my menus: burgers, hot dog, homemade pizza, cakes, cookies and ice cream sundae bar. I know I will be burnt out, but I do not care, I love stuff like this. If you come to D.C. I will show you around!!

Remember I quit drinking, I bet by the middle of the week, I will be taking the sport back up.

Friday, July 25, 2008

Yesterday was a good day

My bestest (yes, I know it is not a word) coworker is leaving our organization at the end of the month, she will be attending NYU Law School. I wish she did not have to go, but it is, what it is. However, the best part of being at my job, good eats when people leave or special occasions. Why you ask? My boss loves spending money and we go to the best places to eat.

Yesterday, we went to Oyamel, good eats all around. We ordered a lot of small plates (Tapas) of different foods and shared. I would show pictures, but I did not take any, I did not want to look crazy.

Yesterday did not start off good, I had to go to the coochie doctor for my annual and he is off the hook. He has no cut cards. Then the dinner did not start until 7. We never do dinners, we normally go at lunch time and take the whole day, so I was a little pissed because I get off at 4 which means I had to find something to do for all that time since I did not want to go all the way home and then have to come all the way back. What's a knitter to do in 85 degree, breezy weather, but to go to the book store and look at all the knitting and cooking magazines and find a nice place to knit. I finished looking at the magazines around 6:00 and was not that far from Oyamel, so I said, self, find a knitty good spot and get to work. I turn the corner from Oyamel and I see Teaism, which looked quite familiar, but I could not remember why and a beautiful park, right by the Navy Memorial. SCORE!! I whipped out my knitting and got to work. D.C. temperature has been turned on to Hot DAMN! But yesterday was gorgeous. So, I am knitting and checking out my surrounding and I see this lady with a cute dog. I noticed her because she actually picked up after her dog, which a lot of people do not do. I can not stand that, when I had our dog, I always picked up after her (carry sandwich bags - work ain't hard). I lower by head and get back to knitting. Then I hear - are you on Ravelry? - PEOPLE STOP THE PRESSES! The lady, with the cute dog is a knitter. YEAH! Why yes, I am and for the next 30 or so minutes we talk about knitting and Ravelry. She has been knitting for 52 years. We introduce ourselves and she said, I know YOU. WHAT! GTFOH!

Anywho, the reason the name Teaism was familiar to me, is because I saw the name mentioned before on Ravelry as a meetup for our area. Of course you all know I am not the meet up type. I just do not do it. However, that might change because I enjoyed talking with GKat and may have to come on out and knit with her at Teaism or at the beautiful park we were at. Oh and I hipped Gkat to KnittingHelp. She said, she never heard of it. I could not believe it. I told her she has to go to KnittingHelp, it is the technical cousin to Ravelry. I learned/and is still learning a lot from the Knitrixes over there. I have not turned on KH for Ravelry, I think they both serve a purpose.

Oh and one more knitterly thing. I finished my 1st block for College boy blanket.




P-E-A-C-E

Thursday, July 24, 2008

Another Wine Festival and The Dark Knight

Wine Festival

This past weekend, I attended another Carribean/Reggae Wine Festival in the hot ass sun. I must have been smoking something (I kid, I don't smoke nuffin), because I did not drink this time (4th of July made me quit). So, I was at the wine festival, with my glass, filling it with Sprite. Let me just tell you when they sang the Reggae song "it was 98 degrees in the shade" - they NEVER lied. We were delusional pouring water/ice on us. It could have easily been a wet t-shirt/halter top contest (I hope my dry clean only silk halter isn't ruined). People, if you look at my CPH in one of the pictures my ring is off (I can't find it sssshhh!), you can see the color change. I mean no shade, no freaking shade. When we got there I found shade and was like hey let's hang out here, but they was like it would be rude because our friends (my husband two aunts) that got there earlier already saved us a spot, but it was not in the damn shade. So, when they were acting like their ass was about to faint, I was like I told y'all dumb ass we could have sat in the shade and visited there asses. I bought it up ALL DAMN DAY!! Besides the sun, it was wonderful. Nothing like good music, people, and food. Oh and this was the first Wine Festival I have been to, where there was no fighting, a beautiful thing. However, a couple fools did decide to take a swim in the pond.

The two idiots and the wine tour - machine that crush grapes.


The Dark Knight
If you have not seen this movie you need to. We will be going again, it was so good. Hubby, Angr Mgmt, College boy and I went to the movies, minus Mr. Stefon. You would have thought it was a secret mission. Mr. Stefon went over his grandma house and we did not want him to know about the movie because he would have scrapped the idea and went with us. We were not having it. College boy came to me and was like, when are we leaving. I thought Anger Mgmt was going to hit him with a left, because he didn't know it was a secret.

HEATH LEDGER was so awesome. Christian Bale is so damn fine and THE ultimate batman, but Heath stole it. I love when an actor is so good you lose who they are (Denzel as Hurricane and Malcom X). I could not tell it was Heath, except for the hairline. I don't want to say too much, so those who have seen, The joker and the nurse - TOO MUCH, thought I would die. The last two Batman's are nothing but the truth and I can not wait for the new 007 that is coming out and many more.

I can tell you what I did see this weekend that was some garbage - Meet the Brown, now I love me some Tyler Perry, but that piece right there was HORRIBLE. What was the purpose of Madear in there? I mean come on, I laughed when I understood what one of the characters was saying, but this was some pure d garbage.

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Urban's Central Park Hoodie

Urban’s Central Park Hoodie
Started: January 2, 2008
Ended: July 22, 2008
Yarn: Paton Classic Merino
Needles: US size 6 & 8

I am finally done!! This should have been a fast knit. However, my cheating ways plus my procrastination do not equal a quick knit. I love my full fledge sweater. One I can actually wear, unlike Starsky the Jolly Green Giant. The topping on the cake is when everyone in the house including my husband said, “let me see.” Wow, that looks great, you did a great job. Mr. Stefon wants me to make him one too. Without further ado, I present to you FINALLY: Urban’s CPH



Thursday, July 17, 2008

The Weekend, and I see Pink and Green People

I had a beautiful weekend. It was shaky for a moment, a lot of family drama went on and I do not have time for it. This is why I have limited people in my circle (including family). Well, my godsister decided she was the black red cross and wanted me to ride with her to take my mother, and my sister kids (the first 4 – they are visiting their dad and his family for the summer) down to my brothers house. I went kicking and screaming and I told her I had a bad feeling. She said, what, I said I do not know I just have a bad feeling.

Well we pick up the kids and I was so happy to see THEM, my mother, not so much. They are so tall (13, 12, 9, 6), I have not seen them in about 3 years. I will spend time with them in a week or two when I pick them up from their dad’s house in V.A.

I also met my new niece – Hope, that my brother just had and his son. I want to post her picture so bad, but I cannot because of family rules. She is so precious. I held her the whole time I was there. However, there was one snafu, why one of her neighbors made her a crochet blanket – THE SAME ONE, I am trying to learn how to crochet to do for her. I told her mom, I am taking that blanket when I come back. First of all, my baby girl is too cute, to have a hard ass scratchy blanket against her skin. Am I jealous? You betcha!

Oh, and the bad feeling. Well after reminiscing with my brother about how he was thrown out of three schools coming up and how one of the times was my fault, we go to leave and my god sister big ass truck would not start. I was blown man, when your ready to go your ret ta go! So, someone (her) left the light on and the battery died. Her truck is so big (Arm.ada) that a car could not jump it, so Nis.san road side came and jumped it. On a positive note, at least we were at my brothers (with AC and Hope), so we were safe and not on the side of the road.

In other news, The AKA’s have taken over downtown D.C. I am walking to work this morning and soon as I get out the metro station, pink and green everywhere. Decide to walk up the hill to work instead of riding the bus, more pink and green. I guess they have a hotel or something downtown. I know they have been celebrating, but this is the first time I have seen them out and about.

In addition, I may have a finished oldie but goodie knit for you soon.

Virtuous asked why did I start blogging?

I have always written. I love to journal. I have always been the “strong” one, well the strong one needs someone to talk to sometimes, and so I use my journal as an outlet. I thought I would do the same thing with blogging, but I have not, well somewhat. I share about my life and my craft, but it is somewhat limited. I actually think I am not being true to myself/blog sometimes because I bite my tongue on some issues/topics.

Friday, July 11, 2008

And some more answers

Patrice asked:

With you still having kids in the house... How often do you and the hubby have ummm "quality time"?

Quality time is EVERY day. Seriously, you know I am in my 30’s and the elders did not lie at all, you reach your peak. Oh lawd, surely do and a yes ma’am!! I do give him a break when Paula Michelle Smith visits and after that it is on like butter popcorn (I am so old).

Do you enjoy food play w/ your quality time?

No food play, but, um. Play in ALL other areas, ya feel me. (I think I might get another question out of that one)

Have you ever been walked in own by any of the kids when you and hubby were "talking"? lol

Nope, we have never been caught. Thank God! I think I would die. We lock the door and I hate doing anything while they are woke, but we will. I am scared now, because being in the house, our bedroom is right over top of the living room and college boy room is on the first floor, so I never know when he comes upstairs to the second floor to eat or get on the computer. So, I am always that chick saying, wait, stop, do you hear something and of course he always says no. The next morning, I try and be slick and be like did you go in the kitchen last night I thought I heard something downstairs…. They only see us kiss or hug and they are like, ugh, especially Anger Mgmt and I tell her all the time, make sure you get someone who will treat you like your dad, same for the boys.

I do have two funny stories about my girlfriends ALWAY’S getting caught. One of them got caught by her boys, and they were like you are not married to daddy and you are not suppose to do the Grown up unless your married. Another friend, the son was watching and she did not know how long he was there. She figured she got him before he saw anything. Until he went over his grandma house (why do they do that), and told her parents, I watched mommy and daddy last night doing something. She said, boy we were wrestling and he said, “you were not wrestling because your legs was in the air like this, and daddy was laying there and you were making noise and stuff.” Same, little boy walked in while they were watching a movie, too funny. Why not lock your door, they are never sleep when you think they are. She just died and I died laughing.

Koolbreeze asked:

how do you manage your home/kids/hubby while working?

I manage everything by spending quality time with everyone. I think it helps that my kids are spaced out 9 (soon to be 10), 14, and 18 (soon to be 19), which means they help. They have chores, and are responsible for their own rooms, dishes and their bathrooms. I am not cleaning a kid bathroom. It is funny to hear Anger Mgmt and Mr. Stefon argue over whose cleaning what in their bathroom and her coming to me, telling us we need to teach that boy how to aim correctly. Pure Comedy. College boy always says he’s happy that he has his own, because he thinks their bathroom is terrible, his favorite line – Mommy, did you see their bathroom? I am also grateful that I have a husband that helps clean and cook. He does laundry too. I have to say, that I did not find him this way, he was an only child for 26 years (mom and stepdad surprisingly had a child after trying for many years), so he was spoiled. However, with me going back to school and working full-time, he had to do a lot of cooking and cleaning. The kids would be like mom, dad can’t cook (once made spaghetti with a secret sauce, that sauce was bbq mixed with prego) and I would be like damn, taste good to me, to encourage him and now his chicken breast is way better than mine (still don’t know how he get it so juicy and tender). Hubby and I spend a lot of time together, he has friends, but he rather, be home. See me I love to be around people out and about, not him. We are truly best friends, we hang out a lot. We have grown together over the years. There were a lot of things he did not do at first, that he does now. Politics for one. I remember when I would get frustrated trying to get him to understand that the Presidential election is not the most important, that, a.b.c., and now boyfriend can hold his own in a convo with me. LOVES it. He now screws me mentally and physically. Ha!

my toes stay painted forever too. don't ever chip... whats up with that?

The toe paint chipping, I have no clue. Because I would think that it would chip more on the feet because I take plenty showers, they are in and out of shoes, mouth (not mine). But, the nails will chip right away.

This is fun, any more questions……

Thursday, July 10, 2008

Some more answers

Virtuous:

1. How did you and hubby meet??
Did y'all like each other initially?

We were blind dates/phone calls or whatever you want to call it.

My play brother dated my husband cousin, and my brother dater her friend. His cousin and I became friends or associates because of the dysfunctional relationship they were all in. One day his cousin came to the house looking for one of them and since they weren’t there we chilled. She called her cousin or something and he heard my voice and asked to speak to me (you know the hook up). We talked and he told me he was going to marry me and be the father of my kids and I thought he was seriously crazy. I told him, you have not seen me or anything and he was like I am telling you. Cool story to tell, true too. And no, I did not like him initially, when we met, I was like damn, were the same height, oh well we will just be friends. The only request he had when we met was to take my shoes off he wanted to see my feet, I guess if they were jacked it was not going to work.

2. How many kids did you really want? Or did you care?

I never had a preference, I knew I wanted some. However, once I had my son and daughter, I figured okay cool you have two, one each. Then the day I went to the doctor to get my copper IUD, the doctor came in laughing and said you waited to late and I am like whatever, we planned this date, and he said right, and your pregnant. MUTHERFLUCKER, so now we have Mr. Stefon. I would love to have another girl, to see a different personality, but um, that’s okay.

3. Is your house a pet house??

No pets. I would love a dog, but I will not have any pets over until the carpet is removed and we have hardwood floors. I am sorry pet lovers, but I can’t take the funky animal smell. Some owners do not smell it, I don’t understand how, but they don’t. I know of two people who should be banned from having pets. They love their animals to death, but not their carpet, and my eyes and nose hairs damn near singe off once walking in the house. Cool, clean people.


4. What other hobbies do you have? Or would consider doing?

I LOVE to draw, cook and scrapbooking. New recipes are so fun, especially since my kids love for me to try it out on them. I do know that we are not a ground chicken house, OH LAWD. I have always drawn or doodle something. I do it at work now on contracts and have to remember to erase, I have it bad. I am thinking about buying a sketch book this weekend, My kids draw too except for Anger Mgmt, and for some reason I am getting that itch. I would love to try my hand at sewing, and painting.

5. Have you bought another sibling for Baby?

I wish, I bought another bag. I want this Gucci bag sooo bad, if I could sell a toe nail or something I would. But a sister don’t have that much money laying around and I am trying to convince myself that it is okay to spend it on that if I save……

6. How many blogs do you typically read?

I would say around 10 faithfully.

7. How do you stay motivated to knit?

Boredom keeps me motivated. I go crazy if I am not doing anything. Also, learning something new. There is so much to learn with knitting.

8. Heck! How did you learn to knit??

The internet and a kids book. I graduated college and I did not know what to do with myself. I scrapbooked, but it was not doing it for me, and one day out the blue I decided knitting it will be.

Next up, Koolbreeze and Patrice.

Wednesday, July 09, 2008

A couple of answers

Patrice had a rack of questions, quite tamed I might add. I am a little on the shocked side. But here are the answers.

What is one thing that hubby does that never fails to brighten your day?

That he puts up with my shit, let me be me AND still think I am sexy. Plain and simple, I know I am not easy to get a long with sometimes, but he is right there supporting me and telling me that I can do it. It's nothing like having someone in your corner. And let me tell you I use to run the streets and he stayed home with the kids, while I was clubbing - that right there takes a special man. So yeah, that is definitely my boo.


*one thing he does to annoy the shyt outta you? lol
Lawd. Keep asking me the same damn question. My husband should have been an interrogator or a lecturer. I feel sorry for the kids, he just keep saying the same thing. I want to say so bad, damn they heard you 20 minutes ago, but I just roll out. ANNOYING, he tries it with me, but i will fake sleep in a minute or again, roll out.


* What was your worst knitting disaster? That damn Starsky. I don’t know what I was thinking about, color and all. It was a crazy green monster and I was determine to complete it even though I knew it was going to be some shit. Too stubborn and I hate thinking something beat me. In the end, it did.


* what was/is your best project to date? Pics if you have them

I would say a scarf I have not put on here before. I have to take pictures.

* what would you like your kids to be when they grow up?

Whatever they want to be as long as they are not in my house putting their name on the OJ asking who drank it. Get the hell out.

Seriously. Happiness, and well rounded adults, so I can sleep at night. Anger Mgmt wants to be a lawyer. College boy major is Computer Science and he is already talking about getting his Masters (we told them that, but we didn’t know if they heard us, I guess they did). Mr. Stefon, wow, he hasn’t said anything yet, but I am just hoping he is NOT the one in the house claiming food.

*dream vacation all expenses paid... Where are you going?
I would love to go to Spain. I want to see the Moors work sooooo bad. Australia, Italy, Paris and China is also on my list. I want to travel period and I am hoping that Spain will happen in the next year or two.

* Favorite nail polish and color? See this is hard. I love nail polish and I love to experiment on the toes, however, I HATE chipped finger nail polish, my toes don’t chip but the fingers are a whole nother story. So, when I get my mani, I normally get Cotton candy or Pearl, so if it chips you can’t see it. Or, I will use color and by day two, using the nail remover.

Cici question: What do you love about your life and what would you change?:

I love my family (my kids/husband) and where I am in life. Very simple, as much as I complain, whine and all that. My kids are really great, I know where they are and they are very respectful and well mannered. I worry about that little one, but all in all, they are my joy. I also have a great set of friends I have known since 8th grade, a nice house and a job to go to.

What would I change is kinda hard. Why you ask? If I change anything, I may not be where I am today. It was hard getting here, but I would not change it, I learned from the trials and TRIBULATIONS! OH MY. So, just to give an answer I would say, I would love to change two characteristics of mine: stubborn as a bull (Taurus stand up), and being a worry wart.

I know three questions you all should have asked me by now and you haven't I guess I will wait until the end of the week and see if anyone ask, if not I will put me out there, but dang, let me find out you all acting shy and scurred!

Questions anyone?

Hey folks. I have been trying to post, but my pictures are acting wacky. I figured I would let you gals get to know me better and follow in Patrice footsteps and let you ask me any ole questions.

So, let's get it poppin. Whatcha want to know about me?