Semi Hiatus

I'm sorry to those...oh...lets just say, two individuals who keep checking my blog semi religiously only to be disappointed to find not one new post in weeks. Sigh. I really do try to post, but all I seem to do lately is work and sleep. As it stands, I have no time for family, friends, or even myself. Needless to say, I am starting to get really tired of working my job. The joy I had just two months ago coming into work (oh...its for the children...yey!!!!) has since diminished and been replaced by crankiness. While I thought I would be making a pretty penny vs. my other job, when broken down...I actually only make about $100 more than I did before. In addition, when you take into account the 60-75 hour work weeks I have been pulling, I probably make less than the cashier at your local McDonalds. Since I am salaried, there is no such thing as overtime here. It's sad, sad, sad I tell you. I better get one FAT bonus I tell you that or else my boss can kiss my @ss....On one Positive note, I have lost a whole pants size. I call it the Platform Diet (named after my company of course).

Anyhow, during the last week or so, I have seriously considered taking down My Complex Simplicity completely since it has become so damn neglected, but truthfully, I don't have the heart. I love this blog too much. It has provided me with an outlet that I never knew existed, allowed me to expand my cyber network of friends, and lets me plain and simply express myself to anyone who cares to listen. How can I just give that up? I CAN'T....

SOOOO, I have to make more of an effort to make ME smile. I need to start dancing in the street for no other reason other than the song that’s playing in my head, I need to light a few candles as I listen to Sade while eating a whole Triple Decker Sundae complete with chocolate wafers and whipped cream. I need to cuddle with my puppy and have some serious quality time with my man for a change.

But, first, I need to start taking some vitamins or something cuz...I'm Tired ya'll. And I have to get back to work. So, laters.

party time...it's my birthday !!

"Today I'm 26 years old. For the first time in my life, I'm actually closer to being 30 than I am to 20. SHIT!!" That was the first thought that crossed my mind as I woke up this morning.

But, don't get me wrong, as the day progressed, I eventually got over it…somehow lying myself into thinking that my babyface and constant mirage of shocked reactions I get when I tell my age to people, will somehow buy me a few more years before I actually start to look like the vieja I am slowly becoming.

Anywho...'almost turning 30' really made me think about how much I've changed over the past few years. Here's a brief synopsis of me at 21 vs. me at 26.

At 21...I didn't know what I wanted to do 'when I grew up'
At 26...I still don't know what I want to do when I grow up, but at least I love my job

At 21...I was saving for a car
At 26..I just finished buying a house

At 21...I was listening to Lauren Hill 'The Miseducation of Lauren Hill'
At 26...I am listening to Jill Scott 'Beautifully Human Words & Sounds Vol.2' and this morning I had the strongest urge to listen to Nas ‘Illmatic”…so I did.

At 21...I was stuck in a tumultulous relationship crying almost every day
At 26...I'm so deeply and happily in love with the most wonderful man in the world that I'm smiling almost every minute of every day (and no, I'm not just saying that)

At 21...I hated drinking
At 26...I say 'pass me the tequila' - again and again

At 21...I had hell of girlfriends and tons of acquaintances
At 26...I realize 99% of those girlfriends were just acquaintances

There’s so much more I can’t even begin…It's amazing what 5 years can do a person. I have changed over the past few years more than the words on this blog can ever say.

I just wonder what the next 5 years will hold. hmmmm...

theres a first time for everything...

This is the first time in the last month and half that I have had an opportunity to slack at work. I actually have time to blog...yippie!!!!

Now, I SHOULD be working on school mailings, or whittling down the mountains of paperwork surrounding my laptop on my desk, or even attempting to file, call back everyone on my voicemail, or even clear off my desk...but who cares? I insist on being the bum I deserve to be after busting my ass nonstop...ahh...wonderful.

While discussing work, I have inadvertently, become the office dj: playing mixtures of trip hop, mellow grooves, hip hop, and dance music to liven this place up and help pass away the hours of labor. Sometimes its the only thing that holds on to my sanity. As I type, Bob Marley is crooning away "mellow mood".

catch up time

So much to do, so little time. Rather than give an all encompassing post about my bland life, here are just some of the tastier morsels.

Somehow over the past month and a half the intense motion sickness on the cta trains that previously occurred whenever I read something has (mostly) dissipated and now I have actually have the chance to catch up on some quality book reading time at least two times a day (to and from work)! yeah for me. That being the case, I am fully engrossed in my newest read: The Tipping Point - How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference by Malcom Gladwell. I can't explain it, but everything has been drawing me to this book: first, it came to me via new Roots album (which evidently draws its name from this book). Also, the book is on our company's reading list, thus my coworkers and bosses keep mentioning tid bits to me just enough to whet my appetite. Lastly, last week, I woke up to local chicago radio jockeys discussing it. So when a coworker borrowed me his copy last Thursday, I picked it up with a quickness. In a nutshell, the book talks about the phenomenon that occurs when an idea or action is shared from person to person and manifests itself into an epidemic of sorts: suddenly hitting the "tipping point". It’s an intriguing read, which I highly recommend to just about everyone I know.

In other news, I have become a workaholic. Its a sad but true fact that I took about 5 pounds of paperwork home with me this weekend to work on because it seems I can't finish anything during the regularly scheduled workday without another 3 projects being dropped on my plate. That being the case, it is an ever sadder fact that I stayed up on Friday night (gasp! a friday nite!!!) until 2 in the morning piling through it all while cheesy MTV2 videos and cocoa puffs got me through the night. All I can say is...What the hell happened to me ?!!

I am still cranky about my car getting broken into and my city sticker stolen. Can you believe I still have not gotten a replacement sticker for my car? It's been about a month already, and I still can’t get my grimy hands on one. I keep getting sent to different places for them and I’m getting fed up. Check this: First, I was told by the police officer who wrote my report to go to the local currency exchange, which, of course did not provide that service. They referred me to another currency exchange which supposedly did. Again, I was rejected and told I needed a form from the City which should have been included with my police report. A week later in my hectic life, I call Chicago’s information hotline and was referred yet again to a list of other locations, all open 9-5 during the week (Which is kind of impossible to get to since lately I have been pulling 10 hour days). There was only one in my area that was open on the weekend. So the next weekend, I venture there only to be turned away yet again!!! DRATS!!! Needless to say, of course (knowing my luck) my car was slapped with a $120 ticket the other night for failure to have a city sticker. Sigh. Thanks to that little bitch who copped my sticker, I now am forced to take off work a few precious hours to wait in some long line downtown just to pay another $20 to the city for the replacement of a sticker that was already over inflated in price...and not to mention I have to take time within the next few days to contest the damn ticket some asshole cop gave me even though it is clearly evident that my city sticker was vandalized. As you can tell, I am starting to get (just a tad) pissed off, so I shall just continue writing on this post and just leave this issue alone before I get all worked up all over again.

On another note…is anybody else out there REALLY feeling Jill Scotts new cd? I mean to the point where you are singing to the top of your lungs, stuck in rush hour traffic, and you couldn’t care less? OH MY GOD...talk about classic. I was soo feening to see her in concert while she was in Chicago last week, but alas, work and monetary constrictions made this impossible. This cd clearly is..the tipping point for her career ;)

Also, my birthday is coming. My birthday is coming. I try to stay sane as every year about this time (ever since last year when I turned 25) because my birthdays have become somewhat traumatizing to me. Last year I was like "OH CRAP! I'm a whole quarter of a century old!!" This year I am thinking "oh shit. I am closer to 30 than I am to 20!!" Its always something. And I can’t get over how time just flies. It’s beyond any doubt that the older you get, the faster that time seems to move. This year seemed little longer than the time frame of a nap for me. I can only imagine that when I am 50, years will seem like blinks of an eye. Oh my...where does the time go?

well this post became alot longer than I originally anticipated. I have to go. Peace & love.

my view from Atlanta

a pic from atlanta

This is about all I saw of Atlanta, which I spent a whopping 18 hours in. This pic is actually taken in the Atlanta airport while I was walking towards my gate. They had a bunch of awesome African art placed down a cooridor of the airport. Of course, I took a whole bunch of pictures. This is my favorite. Enjoy.

I just decided...instead of buying all kinds of artwork to furnish my new house, I will start with placing a bunch of pictures which I have been taking the last few months all over the walls.

time flies when you're busting your ass

I have been working sooo much the last few weeks that even my dreams are being infiltrated by the job. I float off into dream world only to be dragged down by thoughts of unfinished projects, endless phone calls, and missed flights to various cities for training. Seriously, within the last 2 1/2 weeks, I have been to Atlanta, New York, and helped coordinate a training session in Chicago for about 60 new employees. Its been so crazy.

But on to more interesting and Fun stuff. I finally closed on my damn house! Two months later, but the delay has just made it that more sweet upon arrival! And guess what? I already have tenants ! The seller was going to move out of the country, but as it turns out, his 18 year old daughter got pregnant and they are forced to stay here for at least a little while. Which sucks for them, but makes me somewhat happy due to the fact I don't have to scramble to find someone to fill that apartment. And the rental income is almost half of my mortgage, which is beyond words to me. (can you say HEAVEN DIVINE?) Whooo hoo! BUT, I won't be moving in for another 30 days due to the fact that the tenant staying in my unit is still living there. Since he's on a month to month contract, I have given him 30 days to move out...exactly on my birthday (Oct. 6th). What a birthday present for me!!

In other news, I am soooo tired of these damn fashion trends. For instance, the low rise and ULTRA low rise jeans craze that’s become so intense you can't even find a 'normal' pair of pants nowadays. Let it be known I DAMN the inventor of them. They were simply devised to make flat booty girls look like they are packing something in the trunk. Unfortunately, for the more pleasantly endowed in the rear department (like myself), these jeans make us look like we are showcasing for some kind of porno or something.

Here is where I get really cynical. I also am despising the whole poncho thing. Every store I frequent has these skinny little mannequins flaunting cutely colored ponchos. Get off it people. 'My people' have been sporting them since being considered "ethnic" was the cool thing to be. Blah to all those poncho manufacturing companies trying to make it the hottest trend of the fall. blah.

That is all. More updates soon.

new quote!

I know you all have been craving a newly updated Tea Cup Wisdom Quote...so enjoy ;)

Einstein was the man...