Five Years Ago This Week

Seeing Anna (Patty Duke)in "Oklahoma!" on Broadway 2003


I made my way to NYC this weekend to see Anna in Oklahoma and I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed Anna's performance. Keep in mind, I had never seen Oklahoma before and so when the curtain went up and then she didn't utter sound for like five minutes, I was a might concerned. But when she did start, in my mind, I was like, “I can't believe that I'm actually here watching Anna perform." I really enjoying the show, despite fact that I had only had about 2 hours sleep since Thursday night... (It’s a long, long story).

Now, would be a good time to mention that I left Maryland for NYC on Friday night and arrived at hotel at 7:30 am on Saturday because of a series of stops. My friends and I knew of the upcoming snow in Maryland, but hoped for the best. By 7:30 am Saturday, my mom called me and said that they had 2 inches of snow on the ground in Maryland and that more was predicted to come. Carrie also told me that they were predicting snow for NY, so we decided not to stay too in NY too long.

Back to my story...

We stayed in a hotel in Long Island, Hicksville, specifically. The hotel guy told us that I could take the train into the city to see the play. So like a brave girl, I took the Long Island Railroad to Penn Station. I met to nice older women who told me about the train system and they filled me in on the fact that Penn Station had a fire on Friday, but not to worry because everything should be ok. I took the train in and it took about 45 minutes to get into the city. Well, because I'm not always the most intelligent person, when I forgot the address to the Gershwin theatre and to make matters worse, the play was scheduled to start in 45 minutes. I was on 34th street and had to get to 51st street. Common sense would tell a thinking person to catch cab at this point. But not this gal...I gotta do things the hard way. Not only was I going to walk in 20 degree wind, but I was also on the look out for a camera and a gift for Anna. Foolish, I know...

Well, I didn't get Anna a present, (Billy don't be ashamed of me, but I could see myself walking 17 blocks in that wind with flowers). I got to the theater with about 10 minutes to spare and by this time I was starving to absolute death. To prove the point, I actually purchased a $3 bag of M&Ms and was perfectly ok with the exorbitant pricing structure of the theatre. I found my seat, which was in the rear mezzanine, which is really high up. I was on the aisle, but it was ok. To make my day even more interesting, I discovered that a trip to the ladies room might have been a good idea before the play started, but being the fool that I am, I just sat there thinking dry thoughts until the intermission.

Now nothing terrible interesting happened to me personally during the second act except that I got to watch Anna some more. Once the play was over, I went to the stage door to wait for Anna. Everyone and their sister came out of the door and for about 10 - 15 minutes I waited out in the cold for Anna. With the wind chill, it felt like it was 0 degrees out; my fingers, toes and face hurt from the cold. But I waited. Now there was a girl who was not from this country out there with me. She wanted everyone's autograph and she wanted me to take her picture with everyone. Now because I was raised to be nice to people in general, I didn't mind at first. However, when it became obvious that I might miss Anna, then I got irratated. Eventually Anna came out and these burling men swarmed over to her and asked for autographs on what seemed like thousands of photos. They also inundated her with facts about her life and with seemingly inane questions; at least, they seemed that way because they were questions that I could've answered myself. The only thing that was useful out of their conversation was Anna's announcement that she will be appearing on the series finale of Touched by an Angel this spring. She's really excited about this and who wouldn't be really.

Then the ultimate thing happened. The two guys departed and then the foreign girl turned to me and said, pointing to Anna, "what is her name again?” I could've slapped her right then and there, but I didn't want Anna to think I was a nut, especially since I was going to tell her that I was friends with Carrie. The girl got Anna to sign her playbill.

Anna said, "well I've got to go now and get dinner so we can be back in time.”
Julie: "Ok, I'll be the last one. My name is Julie and I'm friends with Carrie and Bill. They told me to come say hi to you"
Anna: "Oh really? Isn't that nice. Did you want me to sign the program too?"
Julie: "No, the playbill is enough?"
I said no because the program has Andrea Martin in it and if I'd known that, I wouldn't have bought it.
Anna: "Well, it was nice meeting you, we really have to go."
Julie: "Ok, thanks."

Here comes the foreign girl...

FG: "Can you take my picture please?"
Julie: "Well actually, I wanted a picture but ok.”
Then Anna left... I got no picture, but she did sign my playbill.

I called Carrie, my new NYC travel agent, got directions back to Penn Station and went back to the hotel. Now, had it not been extremely cold, I would've just waited for Anna to come back to talk to her, but again, it felt like 0 degrees. I made it back to Long Island safely and nestled in for a cold winter's night.

My mother called at 7:30 this morning and said, "Come home now. There's a foot of snow on the ground they just said that it's not going to stop snowing until tomorrow night. We may get up to 2 feet of snow." Well, we started out at 7:30 am and what is normally a four hour trip took us 10 1/2 hours in the snow. I took lots of pictures of cars stuck in the snow, including one of a tow truck. As soon as the Governor lifts the ban on driving, I'll get the pictures developed. Right now, you can get fined $1000 for being on the road.

So that's my story. Even though it was only for a minute, I'm really glad that I got to meet Anna. Hopefully, in a warmer season, I'll get to meet her again.

Genesis 2:18-23

. . .And Jehovah God went on to say: "It is not good for the man to continue by himself. I am going to make a helper for him, as a complement of him." 19 Now Jehovah God was forming from the ground every wild beast of the field and every flying creature of the heavens, and he began bringing them to the man to see what he would call each one; and whatever the man would call it, each living soul, that was its name. 20 So the man was calling the names of all the domestic animals and of the flying creatures of the heavens and of every wild beast of the field, but for man there was found no helper as a complement of him. 21 Hence Jehovah God had a deep sleep fall upon the man and, while he was sleeping, he took one of his ribs and then closed up the flesh over its place. 22 And Jehovah God proceeded to build the rib that he had taken from the man into a woman and to bring her to the man. 23 Then the man said: "This is at last bone of my bones And flesh of my flesh. This one will be called Woman, Because from man this one was taken."

New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures

Detox

When starting a diet, many people decide to use the first few weeks as a period of detox. They eliminate meat, sugar, and other foods that are ultimately harmful from their diet. I did it when I started dieting last May. For the first nine days, I didn't eat any meat, no caffiene, no starches, and no sugar. It was something that I thought I wouldn't be able to do, but I survived and felt much healthier for having done it.

I think that the same thing happens when we decide to make changes in our lives in other areas. We need to detox from destructive habits that only serve to hurt us. I have found in my case that whenever I make strides towards improving my spiritual routine, the devil is right there to bring out a hidden toxin to pull me back.

The latest involves a rather odd and depressing dream that drew from a mixture of unfortunate incidents in my life. The dream had me depressed for days and in some ways unable to function at a normal emotional level. Although I am happy to report that the moment has past, it's not a great feeling to know that I still get to those depths of despair. But I guess that even the most faithful servants of God have moments of despair. Faithful servants like Job had moments of crisis. But Job never lost his integrity to Jehovah.

So I guess I'm not worried. The detox period can be trialsome. But it can also lead to better life in the long run.

Spring Break 2008

With only five days under my spring sememster belt, I've already got my spring break plans worked out.

Here's the information about the Spring Break Trip : http://www.howardcc.edu/students/centerforservicelearning/spring_break.html


Information from the Heifer International site: http://www.heifer.org/site/c.edJRKQNiFiG/b.737833/

All over the place

When I got home tonight, I don't know what was going on with me. I think that I was having some kind of weird chemical reaction. I wrote down what I feeling at around 6:30.

Heaviness
weighing on my chest, my lungs
my heart

anxiety over what? I don't know
the fear inside
the need to run
thoughts racing out of control

It's 11:37 pm and all those thoughts are gone. It was just a passing moment.

Writer's strike

How come the daytime soaps are still on if there's a writers strike? I don't get it.

Blogger's block

Have you had so much to say, but not know the words to get your thoughts out? I don't if this counts as writer's block because I think that writer's block involves not having any ideas. I have a million thoughts running through my head but no constructive way to express them.

I think I need some rest and time to figure this all out.

A New Year... A Beginning and an End

It's funny but it doesn't feel like a new year yet. I think it's because I'm still in a fall class. I've been feeling a little overwhelmed lately with work and school. The winter break helped a lot, but not quite enough.

This spring is going to be so hectic, I feel overwhelmed just thinking about it. Here's my schedule:

BEHS 343 Parenting Today 3 units
An overview of critical issues of parenthood in the United States today. Topics include characteristics of effective parenting styles and capable parents, the role of nontraditional parenting techniques, and the social forces that cause changes in parent/child relationships and give rise to varying styles of parenting as developed in the United States. Some cross-cultural comparisons are included.

CMST 311 Advanced Electronic Publishing 3 units
Prerequisite: CMST 310. A project-oriented study of the advanced concepts and methods of electonic (desktop) publishing. Emphasis in on effective transfer of electronic files to service bureaus and printers. Features essential to multimedia presentations are integrated with techniques for capturing and editing photos to produce business publications. Students learn to publish printed documents on a Web site.

CMST 340 Computer Apps in Management 3 units
Prerequisite: CMIS 102, CMIS 102A, CMST 103, or IFSM 201. An overview of computer-based information-system concepts and operations and how these capabilities are applied by management to improve the work processes of business, government, and academic organizations. Topics include management planning at the strategic, tactical, and operational levels necessary to effect continuous improvements. The interchange of electronic information and the application of various computing tools such as spreadsheet programs are introduced.


SPAN 318 Commercial Workplace Spanish 4 units
(Video programs, Windows 95, sound card, microphone, and CD-ROM required for online sections.) Prerequisite: SPAN 211 or equivalent Spanish proficiency. A study of business terminology, vocabulary, formats, and practices. Emphasis is on everyday spoken and written workplace Spanish, using authentic text from native speakers. Written and oral practice is provided in finding and communicating information, especially on commercial topics in business and other workplace situations. Assignments include a project involving specific vocabulary, forms of professional communication, and cultural protocols relevant to the student's workplace or major.

2008

Being positive everyday is a challenge. There are days when things go smoothly and nothing goes wrong. And then there are days that make you wish you never got out of bed. I want this year to be more like the smooth sailing days.

I'm going to take four classes this spring so that I can graduate in May. I'm also going to take on a few new responsibilities. The next few months will be filled with change, hopefully all positive.

One of my few new responsibilities will be a new family member. I'm getting a dog in April. I'm still not sure if I'm getting a puppy or an older dog. I'll keep you posted on how that goes.

Spring Break at the Ranch

http://www.heifer.org/site/c.edJRKQNiFiG/b.201573/

One of the Best Grammy Performances Ever

I read that Mary J Blige said that she wrote this song after 9/11 and it reflected what was going on in her life, but also the world. If you see the music video, you'll understand what I mean.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWkqDwfpN0o&feature=related

Beyonce - Listen

Jennifer Aniston

Life on Strike

Graduation

I just submitted my application for graduation. Finally the end getting close. I have so many plans for my life after I graduate.

I have sacrificed too many things during school and now I'm going to get back to them full speed.

1. Increase my time in the ministry each month.
2. Hopefully, volunteer for the Circuit Assembly Hall Construction Project. (I'm submitting my application this weekend)
3. Increase my personal bible study program (i.e. read the yearbook and other recent publications).

I'll keep you posted.

Lost Season 4 Trailer

The places in your heart

There are times in your life when you have to stop and take stock of your life and the people in your life. I have been fortunate enough to have gained a really good friend in the past year and last night, I really got to see the depth of that friendship.

I think that each person we meet fills a particular space in our hearts. When you have a lot in your life, your heart can be pretty full. My heart isn't completely full yet. I'm still waiting for the great love of my life. But there is a lot of love in my life.

These will make you cringe

---

From You Tube -

Kim Fields and Lisa Welchel

American Popular Culture

I've been going over my notes for my American Popular Culture final on Monday. I've feel woefully unprepared for this final, mostly because we haven't had an exam in this class, so I'm not sure about his testing style. Also, my nose decided that it was going to sneeze all day to the point of giving me a massive headache. Who knows what that's all about.

I'm going to do some more reading. I have 5 textbooks to go through.

Pray for me.