change my name to silly e. badu

Can a man and a woman ever go back to being just friends after they've been so much to each other?

And once that so much more goes horribly, awfully, irrevocably wrong, is there even any point in trying to go back to the beginning?

A Special Place

I've been feeling out of sorts lately, as my "Jesus Birthday" approaches. The big 3-3 is coming friends and I don't exactly quite like the way it feels. Single. No kids. Most of the time, that's a very good life for me. It just works, but there have been recent days when I found myself wondering if I made the right choices. If I'm where and who I'm supposed to be.

Today, a 5th grade writing assignment dedicated to me, proclaimed very loudly, "Yes. You are EXACTLY who and where you're supposed to be."



Just in case you can't read the image:

A Special Place

My favorite place to be is, at my Aunt Mimi's house. We always have fun together. Every time I see her, I get excited! We get to play cards, watch TV and look for red tree frogs in her backyard. I also get to help clean sometimes and talk about things.

Every year she helps me pick appropriate school clothes and supplies. She helps me with things I do not understand and I enjoy hanging out with her, especially when we have dinner together, we go get ice cream to top off the night!

I love her because I will always have fun and feel safe and loved. I can get advice, and practice at beating her at cards. I can always talk to her about school, friends and so much more. I don’t know what I would do without her!


I Love You Mimi !

Nia Simone Allen
5th Grade

From the SU yard to the World

I remember it just like it was yesterday. May 1998. I'd just graduated from Southern University and my partner-in-crime GB had another year to go. We cried like babies...fearful, I guess of what the future held. No more living in the dorms or meeting for lunch and dinner in the cafe. 

I went off to Louisville. And time passed. She graduated, and eventually we found ourselves back in the same city and up to our old tricks. Together again. For good. Or, so we thought.

Then, life presented her with a chance to go to Qatar for a year. She had a blast. And shortly thereafter, life showed up again with another offer. Pack it all up and move to Turkey. And so, she did. But there are no tears this time...just expectations of grand adventures and, yes, a few butterflies, because it is a long way from home, after all. 

I say, you go girl! I say, that we take home with us. I say, that you can come home again, when you're good and ready. I say, have a blast! I say, when you least expect it, a little piece of home will manage to find you wherever you are. 

I will see you soon!

U done made me hit this car

I ventured out on my lunch hour with nothing but edamame and spicy thai soup on my mind.

Outside on the street, I walked over to the crosswalk, and proceeded to cross when the little white fluorescent stick man said I could. 

Halfway across the street, I heard a muted, but definite thud. The sounds of a small fender-bender in progress. The driver in the front car looked annoyed, hot and late for an

 appointment. The driver responsible for the accident looked mighty sheepish when he jumped from his car. 

Rather, than approach the front driver, he turns to me, shakes his head and says, "See what you did? I was looking at you, and you done made me hit this car."

I wonder if AllState's Accident Forgiveness will forgive that?

Just Shemika is Just Sweating...from here on out.

Holy Mary Mother of Thermostats!

I just opened an electric bill from Walton EMC, and I'm convinced they accidentally sent me the bill for the Governor's Mansion, because I KNOW my little ranch does not cost this much to cool. 

I mean, there was that one week in late July when I went on vacay and left the A/C running like the plants, TV and floor needed to be cooled off. And there was that one night, I was having hot flashes so I turned it down to like 68-degrees...but surely, surely this bill has to be wrong. Right?

I'm about to call Mr.-Charge-Shemika-Way-Too-Much-Walton-EMC right now and ask him to put me on a layaway plan. Cash for Clunkers is fine, but what about Cash for Cooling?! 

If Walton EMC says this bill really belongs to me and not to Sonny Perdue, I'll be forced to pay it, but my neighbors are gonna be so upset when every window in my house looks like this:

Thursday update

Breakfast: Pepsi
Lunch: 4 Chick-fil-A Nuggets from coworker 1, half-chicken salad on wheat from Co-Worker 2, the other half of the now room-temp Pepsi from breakfast.

If we are what we eat, then what am I?

Deep breath...without further ado... here's what I put in my mouth this week.

And before any of you even ask, no I didn't forget the breakfast items. I just didn't have any.

Monday
Lunch: Dr. Pepper
Dinner: Lemon Pepper fish (Tilapia, I think), collard greens (boiled, not braised), sliced tomatoes

Tuesday
Lunch: Turkey Burger Patty, Potatoes, leftover collards
Dinner: Popeyes Strips, Cajun Fries

Wednesday
Lunch: 1/2 California Roll, 1/2 Crunchee Roll
Dinner: Oatmeal