So now that I'm 24...

I'm finally feeling my age. Not physically, but mentally. This year has been dubbed "the year I get my ish together" and I'm off to a good start. I've broadened my personal horizons (in the past month I've eaten chapulines and buffalo - which is incredibly tasty), and I've stumbled upon some information that will hopefully bolster my finances to where my retirement savings will no longer be a worry of mine.

And if you're shaking your head at me worrying about retiring at the age of 24, you need to reevaluate your plans and get started putting some money away somewhere. Money saved now works a lot harder now than it will later on down the line.

Anywho, once I find out some more information I'll share, but for now, all I know is that it involves compounding interest - the concept that if I give you .01 today and double it everyday for a month you'll be *ahem* markedly affluent by today's non-celebrity standard.

Aside from that, I had a wonderful birthday weekend - got to see Eddie Izzard perform live at the Coronet, celebrated 100 episodes with my CostasWorld.com fam, and I went to the King Day Parade - which is always marked year in and year out by multiple fights.

*shrug*

Sometimes I just.can't.stand. black people. I swear. At one point during the parade, the Mayor of L.A. was running around greetign people (he always does this - LOL) and a teenage girl behind me asked "Who is that?"

I told her he was the mayor.

She replied, "So. People are out here acting like he's somebody."

"But he's the Mayor of Los Angeles."

"And? He ain't nobody."

Lawd Jeebus, help these children.

Coming Up for Air

1 to the 2, 2 to the 3, 3 to the 4, then you gotta *BREATHE*

The song used to go so hard. Anyway...

I'm almost done with it. School is officially over on Monday and I'm only a test shoot and a lamp away from washing my hands of my second go round at education I have to pay for out of my pocket. It's been a crucial two weeks, but as of today, I've actually had the time to sit back and enjoy the day, make plans for the weekend, and act as if (school) work has not completely consumed me.

I mean, it has, but it's been for a good reason. The Emmys gift suite came out VERY nicely and I came away with a nice amount of free stuff as a result. My portfolio is officially done (for now), Armani is no more, and my graphic submittal for a concept Sony store received some great feedback.

People have resorted to making appointments to see me starting in 2010, but it was all worth it. Sad...but worth it.

I'm coming out of hiding this weekend, and dammit, I'm gonna go out. There's some listening party with free champagne and chocolate covered strawberries somewhere in the mix - cheap and sexy on a Sunday night. Oh yeah.

RANDOM NOTE: I finally sold the wedding dress. I should have hit up ebay the first time, sheesh. I figured I wasn't going to use it, so someone else should be able to benefit. Eh? Eh? Now I have to figure out what to do with this engagement ring that a certain someone asks about the status of but never actually comes to pick up. Now I could keep it in the little box it came with in a safe place...or I could...umm...find something more constructive (read: lucrative) to do with it.

Or I could just call him on the day we were going to get married on (it's 2 weeks from today...wow) and tell him I've sold it. That would be hilarious.

Decisions, decisions.

Golden

I actually was able to get out of the house for a change. I got up with my girls (who I rarely get to see...so sad), and we all went to the beach.



I forgot how beautiful the drive up the California coastline is. Well, subtract the traffic, and you have a pretty freakin sweet ride.


We got up to Zuma Beach in Malibu and despite having to fight brids and bees, we had a really nice time relaxing, playing in the water, and forgetting about real life. I wish I had more opportunities to do that.


Thank God for sunblock. I got a pretty nice tan today.

I think I wanna do something different with my hair. Random, I know, but I think it's about that time. I guess it's in due form, though. I usually get the bug once every couple of years. More on that as it develops.


Side note: I was reading my horoscope in Allure and it said something to the effect of "Capricorns need to make rash decisions in order to curb self doubt." Seems like my life isn't so abnormal after all.

Double side note: Is it strange that I am completely over my ex-fiance? I really am. Feels like it happened AGES ago. Damn I work fast. LOL.

Why I'm NEVER going to Roscoe's

Yeah, I said it. I'm never going to Roscoe's Chicken and Waffles on Susent and Gower again. The love for the ecclectic mix of waffle and chicken is still there, but I can't take going to that establishment. It's painful. Like, sliding into salt and vinegar after tussling with a tiger painful. Like, having pushpins stuck into my skin one by one very.slowly. from head to toe painful. Like, watching BET's version of "The Hills" painful.

I'll recap the Reader's Digest version for you:

Before I got to the entrance with my friends who were visiting from out of town, I was called a "b*tch " for not responding to the cat calls of "Ay, bay-bay!" coming from an overdone truck driving by (I was texting and walking; paying attention to fools in cars was not on the menu at that moment).

When we got up to the door, we were told that the wait was 45 minutes. This is typical, but at 2:00am coming off of a long day, that wasn't really what I wanted to hear. Sure the place is the size of a shoe box with a newly added wing, but damn.

So, we're waiting outside among a sea of half-nekkid women with TERRIBLE weaves engulfing men that were extremely starved for attention. I mean, yelling to people 3 football fields away from them, making sure the wrist with the sparkly watch on it was in full view of everyone, taking off running for seemingly no reason, the whole nine. I was so undone. Then there was a 700-decibel argument about the aforementioned lay-ties being from the valley vs. Los Angeles (this is a big debate out this way...believe me). This mess was just ignorant.

I won't even mention the myriad of cars that passed by with radios up to 40, mashing out and looking out of the windows.

Stunting. In front of a restaurant. Wow.

An hour passed. We sat outside. For an hour. Outside. Having to look at all of this mess. For.An.Hour.

When we finally got in, the A/C was on full blast in the back...SO NOT COOL. Well, actually, it was quite cold, but you know what I mean.

Anyway, black folks post club were in full form: loud, ornery, and overloving. I'm going to need for men to not try to holla at people that are two tables away from them. I'm also going to need for people to learn how not to fill an entire room with the caucophany of their conversation about the night's dealings. I was trying to eat my waffle in peace. I really was.

We finally finished, but upon exit, my group was met with a near table's judgment on how the girls I was with compared to the women on Flavor of Love. I think I was Buckeey. Tiff was Pumkin, Ash was Hoopz. Lovely.

Thanks, guys. Thanks.

I think because I wasn't drunk and I haven't been out in a while, I forgot that this is normal Roscoe's on a Saturday night. Do better. Please and thank you.

I'm Baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack!

Just got back in from D.C. and I am tired as all get out.

Estatic, too.

I needed that trip. I finally got to do something that rarely occurs: what the f I wanted to. It was great. Truly a beautiful and fun place I went to.

I had a lot of time to reflect, refresh, and renew. I feel like a brand new woman. Well, as of this moment, I feel like passing out, but other than that, I'm great.

Take care, and let your hair down sometime in the near future. It'll do you good.



Side note: If you ever see me with Crown Royal in hand, slap me one good time. Please and thank you.

Happy 4th...

It's hot outside. Really hot.

I'll post pics of whatever I plan to get into today - I can do that now. Heh heh heh.

If you go to a BBQ, make me a plate. I'm partial to potato salad, but we all know you can't eat everyones...