Friday, December 28, 2007

Friday Rap Up - What do you resolve?

I'm still here in Mississippi visiting with the MooMoo and the doggies. It took me a little while longer to to my rap up today I guess because I'm in Mississippi mode, but it's here and it's still Friday.

I'm really excited about 2008 y'all. A lot of things are changing for me this year and I'm anxious to go ahead and get them started. I'm going to post my resolutions as an entire post a little closer to New Years Day, but this Rap Up is asking all of you what kind of resolutions you're making for the new year.

Hopefully this year we'll all be able to keep them.

Wednesday, December 26, 2007

Twas the day after Christmas...

...and my back really hurt; it's supposed to be good that my mother's a nurse.


Actually, I woke up on Christmas day with a pain in my upper back. It felt like a muscle sprain or something of the sort. My mom gave me some pills last night and when I woke up this morning I was actually okay (sort of). My mom and I were off to try to grab some post-holiday deals and when I turned my head, put my hand on the headrest of the passenger seat, and started to back my car out of the driveway, the pain returned - FULL FORCE! It really caught me off guard, I even lost my breath for a minute. And I have a high threshold for pain, brought about from years of my mother telling me to count to ten when I hurt myself before she'd do anything about it, but I digress. My mom was convinced my pain was not a muscle sprain, but gas.

This is our conversation at Target:

Mom: What you need is some Tums or Mylanta.

Me: What? What kind of solution is that to a sprain?

Mom: That's not a sprain, you ate too much macaroni and cheese yesterday.

Me: Is this what you tell your patients? Like oh, you have a bone protruding from your leg, must be gas. I'll get the Tums, but in the meanwhile do some jumping jacks!

Mom: Remember when you were little how I used to make you run around the house to get things moving? It works.

Me: Can we not talk about this now, please.

Mom: Is it the upper back or lower back?

Me: Upper, like in between my shoulder blades.

Mom: Mmmm hmmmm, gas.

Me: How is that gas? You would've said it was gas no matter what I said.

Mom: (to cashier) Do you not have Tums up here?

Cashier: No ma'am, not up here.

Me: *spewing evil eye darts at mom*

Mom: (whispers to cashier) She doesn't want you to know that she has gas.

Me: (internally) WTF...I DO NOT HAVE EFFIN GAS!!

Cashier: *uneasy giggle*

Me: Wow.

Mom: We're gonna have to hurry up because I need to release my bladder.

Me: Double wow.

Let's just say, I can't wait to embarass my kids. Oh, it must be much fun if my mom is still doing it and I'm 27 years old. Geez!!

Tuesday, December 25, 2007

Murr Crimmuh y'all...


Let me know what y'all got for Christmas. Okay, just one thing you got for Christmas, so I can be jealous and live vicariously through all of my blog fam.

I'll start: One thing I got for Christmas is - uhm...well...my mama said she'd braid my hair today. That's something.
Whatchoo get?

Saturday, December 22, 2007

Tracie in Wondaland

Okay, let the updating begin!

Last weekend Kuh Reel Yuh asked if I would like to join her at a cabin up near Lake Lanier for the weekend. (This is where we had the brush with the law) The Wondaland Arts Society, where she interns, had rented a place out there and it was gonna be a good time. I couldn't pass it up. I mean, really, what else am I doing with myself?

If you're not up on Wondaland (an indie record label), I highly suggest you get to know Janelle Monae. *ripped from Wikipedia* She was first featured on the Purple Ribbon All-Star's Compilation Got Purp? Volume 2 in 2005. Her song "Lettin' Go," from this album became a cult hit and a fan favorite. Her next major feature was on OutKast's movie soundtrack for Idlewild, where she is featured on the songs "Call The Law" and "In Your Dreams."

Anywhooo, she's great (get the album on iTunes for like 5 bucks), everybody was so great. I had so much fun. Let's see, to tell it all very quickly here's what went down:

-We arrived around 8pm Saturday.
-It was just me and the interns at first.
-We all got drunk and tried to sleep a little, but...
-Around 6am, EVERYBODY else came (after a P.Diddy party)
-Around 7 (AM!!!) we barbecued
-slept a bit more
-'round 11am ate breakfast
-tripped out
-sang
-danced
-freestyled
-talked about pretty much everything
-I was the score keeper in the hypest game of Taboo I've ever been a part of (let's just say there was a small marching band involved)
-Dinner
-Went home, crunked out.

Me & Janelle Monae

Kuh Reel Yuh chowin' down

Delvin, Alex, and Rico

Jon, tapped out.

A little thing called WondaPunch

BBQ Chicken in the morning

I like how Mitch looks all "cabin-esque" with his iPhone.

AND, I finally found somebody to braid my hair. Thanks Alex!

Friday, December 21, 2007

Friday Rap Up - DWB

Wow! I can't believe one Friday Rap Up is stacked on top of another one on my blog; that means I didn't blog all freakin week. Well, I plan to catch you all up on my life when I have time to take a breather. It hasn't been that involved, just busy that's all; I don't want to build you up to let you down.

Anyway, this week's video is about something that happened last weekend.
Enjoy!

Friday, December 14, 2007

Friday Rap Up - Why I Youtube

Happy Friday y'all!

You all know that you're my blog family, right? But what you probably don't know is that I also have a YouTube family. I have about 80 people who subscribe to receive my video every Friday. Last Friday one of my subscribers named Andsanp sent me a message asking me to record a response to a video he'd done asking people why they YouTube. I guess it's almost like I was video tagged. Maybe. A little.

So anyway, here's my response.
Enjoy!

**OH! And I've added a little intro to my Friday Rap Ups. It's a little After Effects project I worked on this quarter. Hope you likes.**

Wednesday, December 12, 2007

Sorry guys...

I know it's been a while. My critique is tonight, then I'm finished. Just hang in there!

Saturday, December 8, 2007

Shorts are now allowed...

For a limited time only.
It was like scarf and hat cold last week, this week they are forecasting mid 70s! Just to remind you, it's December. Global warming eh?

Planned Parenthood



**My male readers might want to run and hide from this post, but it's not that bad.**

Planned Parenthood. Just the name alone makes me think of an old dusty room packed with teenagers, pregnant teenagers. But when I stepped off of the elevators, that's not what I found at all. The place was nice and clean; there were females (and males) of all ages. I even saw a cute young couple who were there to get HIV tested together (smart girl, I thought). I only went there to get my annual exam and HIV test because one of my friends told me it was cheap for students. And it was. Yay!

Let me just tell you, I'm not a fan of being naked on a cot, feet in stirrups, with all my business out there for some strange person to inspect. In fact, I've been going to the same gynecologist in Mississippi since I was 17. He knows I laugh during the breast exam because I'm ticklish; he knows that my cervix is tilted (oh the horror stories I have with other doctors trying to get that damn cervix). But I have to say, my experience at Planned Parenthood was THE BEST exam I've ever had.

The wait was horrible, though. I waited an hour and 15 minutes in the waiting room and another 30 minutes one I got into the room. But when the nurse practitioner came in, we talked, mostly about the history of breast cancer in my family. During the breast exam, we talked (and I didn't laugh), while she tried to get the right angle to find my cervix (didn't take her long), we talked, during the pelvic exam, we talked. And I didn't mind. In fact, it was great, and before I knew it, it was over.

In the end, I only paid a little over 75 bucks for a flawless annual exam, 3 months BC, and an HIV test. Score! So, if you're a full time student, like myself, I highly recommend the downtown Atlanta Planned Parenthood for your next annual exam. Plan to be there for at least 3 or 4 hours though. teehee.

Friday, December 7, 2007

Friday Rap Up - Apple Z

Requested by Chrissy.
What if we could Apple Z (undo) stuff in everyday life. Like, remember that time you peed in the bed? Well, what if when you woke up you could push Apple Z on your life and have that part undo itself. It'd be good.

Ready, go!

Wednesday, December 5, 2007

Tania's gonna kill me!

But I think she may be living a double life.


Here's her alias "Mindy Mylrea," the 2004 Can Fit Pro International Fitness Presenter of the Year. I just saw her on an Orbitrek infomercial.


Oh Tania, I knew you were up to something.

Just a thought...

Shouldn't white men stop wearing black trench coats? (At least in schools) It makes me nervous.
I'm just saying.

Saturday, December 1, 2007

101 things about me.

1. I'm a planner.
2. I stopped wanting to get married.
3. But then I started back.
4. I'm a hopeless romantic.
5. I've been writing plays since I can remember.
6. I have a tattoo of a 4 leaf clover on my shoulder.
7. I got it for my gramma who passed away; her birthday was on St. Patrick's Day.
8. My granddaddy was the one who called me Tracie Mae.
9. My real middle name is Diane.
10. Which is also my mom's first name.
11. I have lived in a battered woman's shelter.
12. Gymnastics and cheerleading used to be my life.
13. My mom is funny.
14. So is my dad.
15. I think I'm slightly psychic, or highly intuitive.
16. I have two degrees in broadcasting.
17. I found out being a TV reporter is too serious for me.
18. I love to laugh.
19. I am an only child.
20. One Christmas I had 36 presents under the tree BEFORE Santa came.
21. I was that girl.
22. I had a skee ball machine in my house.
23. I'm not a trier.
24. I stick with what I know is good.
25. I enjoy rollercoasters.
26. I worked as a mortgage loan specialist for about 2 years.
27. I cry when I get mad.
28. I wish I could stop that because I think others look at it as a weakness.
29. I sometimes have dreams about beating people up. Men mostly.
30. I've never been in a fight.
31. I love Beyonce.
32. I wish I could be one of her background singers.
33. I tried out for American Idol.
34. I tried out for VH1's Diva show.
35. I tried out for VH1's Pop Culture Trivia show.
36. I lived in Mississippi for 12 years.
37. Now, I notice when I'm the only black person in the room.
38. While growing up in Chicago, I never noticed that.
39. My first best friend was Holly Panazzo.
40. I tried to find her on myspace once.
41. Death is one of my biggest fears.
42. Not my own, but people around me.
43. If I didn't make jokes, I'd cry.
44. I'm a worry-wart.
45. And a perfectionist.
46. I get it from my MooMoo.
47. I don't remember when I started calling my mom MooMoo.
48. I was named after one of my mom's friends from nursing school, Cie.
49. And my dad, Tyrone.
50. I wrote a letter to myself when I was 15.
51. I'm supposed to open it on my 30th birthday.
52. I can hardly remember anything I wrote in it.
53. I love being in love.
54. I think I'm a great girlfriend.
55. My ex used to constantly remind me that I wasn't.
56. My ex and I were together for 7 years.
57. I'm totally over it.
58. I love when a guy can make me laugh.
59. I fell in love right after I became single.
60. I shouldn't have done that.
61. My mom says I've been trying to win something since I was a little girl.
62. That's why she understands why I get sad when I don't win.
63. I feel like winning something big is my destiny.
64. I can't be on a treadmill next to someone who stops every 2 minutes.
65. Or someone whose sweat is flicked on me with every step they take.
66. Or when the person next to me is reading; you can't read and walk, it's just impossible.
67. I can usually remember what a word starts with even if I can't remember the word.
68. My friends think I'm wrong most of the time.
69. I need to start keeping a tally of when I'm right.
70. I believe in traditional gender roles.
71. Most guys are surprised when I tell them that.
72. I've never been given flowers by a man.
73. I think that the first man to give me flowers will be my husband.
74. I want to delete #73 because it might give someone an unfair advantage.
75. In high school the people at Burger King knew my order before I gave it.
76. BK was the hangout after school or a football game.
77. That was back when the Whopper was still 99 cents.
78. I'm not feeling the "happy Mary J. Blige."
79. I liked her music better when she was "Going Down."
80. I'm an R&B chick to the bone. Oldies through today.
81. I believe that any TV show is good as long as you watch it from the first episode.
82. I'm 5'3.5" tall (please say the half).
83. I'm a sucker for romantic gestures.
84. I love all Cranium games.
85. I want to have a party at my house but I don't want anyone to spill Kool Aid on my carpet.
86. I'm more patient than I should be.
87. When I was little, I felt sorry for 18-wheelers that couldn't make turns.
88. Not for the driver, but the actual truck.
89. I did some things in my past for the sole purpose of making my diary interesting.
90. I want some one to find my diary one day and publish it.
91. My mom and I sing songs randomly from old commercials. Like "Blockbuster Video, WOW, what a difference," and "Mommy. What is it dear? I want a Salerno Butter Cookie..."
92. "...You can lookie, lookie, lookie, but you'll never find a cookie with a better butter batter than Salerno, Salerno Butter cookie." I felt strongly about finishing that song.
93. I used to stick my head out of the car window like a dog and laugh cuz I couldn't breathe.
94. I fell out of the car when I was 3. Seat belts weren't the law.
95. I had an appointment to take pictures that day, so my mom put makeup on my exposed white meat, drew a right eyebrow on me, and we kept our picture appointment.
96. I used to perform for my family (plays, songs, etc.)
97. Occasionally I get a hankering to paint something.
98. Once I thought I could do a total room renovation before my mom came back from work. I emptied my room, ripped up the carpet, and drew up plans. It took me about 2 weeks. My mom wasn't mad.
99. Once I get something in my head, I have to do it, or get it, or research how to do it.
100. I think I want to live in Chicago again, as a grown up.
101. I went to Double Dare on tour back in the day. It was great.