I am seriously in need of physical contact...and I'm not talking about sex. In New York people try to avoid each other if anything else. When we get on the subway or walk down the street we go in to our own worlds by listening to our Ipods, reading magazines, books, newspapers, anything so we don't really have to interact with each other.
The only people that hug me are my mom (which might explain why I have been going home so much lately) and my friend German Girl. I don't even think GG realizes how much I appreciate her hugs. And my girl Nadira, every time I see her she gives me a hug...always makes me feel good to get such a warm greeting.
So the other day I hung out with a friend from college that just moved to NJ. It was so nice to get a big, warm, man-squeeze. We were so happy to see each other we hugged twice. That is one thing I really miss about the south. People really are friendlier and warmer. If I needed a hug all I had to do was drive around the corner to the Honey Comb Hideout. Or I had my big brother Unk T or the Big Black Man was always trying to hug up on me. He tested my nerves but at least his hugs were warm, strong and he surely always smelled good.
I'm not saying I want complete strangers to touch me but I just feel so disconnected. Hugs and sex are great stress relievers. I can't get enough of either and right now I'm getting neither...so I would really appreciate a hug.
My niece is coming to stay for the summer with my mom...I know I am guaranteed a hug from her. When ever she is around me she is always up underneath me because my brother ain't the most lovable guy. He's a military guy and he acts like he is allergic to hugs or giving attention. So I don't mind her being under neath me and I'm looking forward to me and my niece hanging out, having a blockbuster night and cuddling up on the couch.
Thursday, June 29, 2006
Tuesday, June 27, 2006
Someone Noticed Me
Sorry I haven't posted in awhile. Quite a few things are happening with me but you'll hear more about that in the coming weeks.
I think I keep a sporadic schedule. I never leave for work or leave from work the same time every day. It's very rare I see the same people twice on the subway. But apparently I don't pay enough attention.
My MO is when I ride the train at night I usually read a magazine as I'm waiting on the platform and as I'm riding the train. I subscribe to enough magazines that I'm able to read a magazine a day. So one late night after work I'm walking down the platform sipping on my Chai Tea Latte from the 24 hour Starbucks in Times Square. I sit down, pull out a magazine and commence reading.
I guess the guy next to me was getting up the nerve to speak to me or to figure out what to say. He finally says, "Do you work in the area?" Startled a bit because no one ever talks to me I say, "Yes." He says, "I see you some times, around this time." I laugh. He says, "What's so funny?" I tell him that I usually never see the same people each night and that I keep a pretty sporadic schedule so I didn't think anyone would notice me. He said, "I noticed you. You are always reading a magazine or something. So when you sat down next to me and pulled out a magazine, I knew it was you."
He was a pretty cool guy. Born and raised in NYC, he's leaving at the end of the month to pursue his hoop dreams in Israel. We had a cool conversation until he reached his stop. He never asked me for my number which I'm glad because I've learned my lesson giving my number out to nice strangers. He said I hope I'll see you again on the train. He was nice so I wouldn't mind if I ran in to him again.
But part of me was a little concerned. How many other people have noticed me? Is my schedule not as unpredictable as I thought? Do I need to switch things up? I'm not going to worry about it too much because my schedule is about to DRASTICALLY change so my days of riding the #2 late at night are numbered.
I think I keep a sporadic schedule. I never leave for work or leave from work the same time every day. It's very rare I see the same people twice on the subway. But apparently I don't pay enough attention.
My MO is when I ride the train at night I usually read a magazine as I'm waiting on the platform and as I'm riding the train. I subscribe to enough magazines that I'm able to read a magazine a day. So one late night after work I'm walking down the platform sipping on my Chai Tea Latte from the 24 hour Starbucks in Times Square. I sit down, pull out a magazine and commence reading.
I guess the guy next to me was getting up the nerve to speak to me or to figure out what to say. He finally says, "Do you work in the area?" Startled a bit because no one ever talks to me I say, "Yes." He says, "I see you some times, around this time." I laugh. He says, "What's so funny?" I tell him that I usually never see the same people each night and that I keep a pretty sporadic schedule so I didn't think anyone would notice me. He said, "I noticed you. You are always reading a magazine or something. So when you sat down next to me and pulled out a magazine, I knew it was you."
He was a pretty cool guy. Born and raised in NYC, he's leaving at the end of the month to pursue his hoop dreams in Israel. We had a cool conversation until he reached his stop. He never asked me for my number which I'm glad because I've learned my lesson giving my number out to nice strangers. He said I hope I'll see you again on the train. He was nice so I wouldn't mind if I ran in to him again.
But part of me was a little concerned. How many other people have noticed me? Is my schedule not as unpredictable as I thought? Do I need to switch things up? I'm not going to worry about it too much because my schedule is about to DRASTICALLY change so my days of riding the #2 late at night are numbered.
Thursday, June 15, 2006
And They Say I'm Not a Journalist
People don't think you are a journalist unless you have a byline in some publication or your face is on the tv screen. Well there are plenty of behind the scenes jobs and those people (myself included) are journalists. But every now and then I'll write a story, column, blog...something...to remind people that I do have the basic journalism skills and I know how to put a story together.
So my internship has come to an end. I got a single byline for my story and a group byline for the entire package. But you'll have to hit me up offline or on email misadventures@gmail.com to get what the exact publication is....so you can look for it online and/or on newsstands.
My main job is known as "The Golden Shackles," and there is the ever so slim chance I could get in trouble for writing for another publication even though I :
A - Do not write for my current employer.
B - Do not work in the section of the paper of which my internship would be associated with.
C - My name is not associated with my employer as if I was a reporter because I get no credit for backend production. Basically my name will never appear in the newspaper or on the website.
The other freelance assignment also ended, but that won't hit newsstands until October, so you'll have to check back for an entry about that. I thought I was only going to get a research credit but it looks like my cover story for that publication will be a double byline. The reporter I've been working with is hella cool. I was surprised she would agree to share a byline with me cause you know how people are about sharing bylines. But we both busted ass on the story and I know it will turn out well.
So I'm still in the hunt for my next internship or freelance assignment. But for the next week I'm going to enjoy not having to get up during the day and catching up on 11 weeks of missed sleep.
So my internship has come to an end. I got a single byline for my story and a group byline for the entire package. But you'll have to hit me up offline or on email misadventures@gmail.com to get what the exact publication is....so you can look for it online and/or on newsstands.
My main job is known as "The Golden Shackles," and there is the ever so slim chance I could get in trouble for writing for another publication even though I :
A - Do not write for my current employer.
B - Do not work in the section of the paper of which my internship would be associated with.
C - My name is not associated with my employer as if I was a reporter because I get no credit for backend production. Basically my name will never appear in the newspaper or on the website.
The other freelance assignment also ended, but that won't hit newsstands until October, so you'll have to check back for an entry about that. I thought I was only going to get a research credit but it looks like my cover story for that publication will be a double byline. The reporter I've been working with is hella cool. I was surprised she would agree to share a byline with me cause you know how people are about sharing bylines. But we both busted ass on the story and I know it will turn out well.
So I'm still in the hunt for my next internship or freelance assignment. But for the next week I'm going to enjoy not having to get up during the day and catching up on 11 weeks of missed sleep.
Tuesday, June 13, 2006
Facebook Frenzy Finished
I think I'm over my temporary facebook frenzy. Because when what someone posts on the wall of one of your friends pisses you off...it's time to keep it moving because you are clearly taking facebook way too seriously.
This chick is literally throwing herself at my boy on his facebook wall. It's one thing to let your interest be known but to publicize that -ish on someone's facebook wall is ridiculous.
People need to be careful about what they post on their facebook, myspace, etc. pages. As illustrated in a recent story in the Times it may prevent you from getting the job of your dreams.
This chick is literally throwing herself at my boy on his facebook wall. It's one thing to let your interest be known but to publicize that -ish on someone's facebook wall is ridiculous.
People need to be careful about what they post on their facebook, myspace, etc. pages. As illustrated in a recent story in the Times it may prevent you from getting the job of your dreams.
Tuesday, June 06, 2006
Do I Look Spanish To You?
This weekend is the Puerto Rican Pride parade. Part of me wants to go but given that I'm not fluent in Espanol I think I will skip it. I'm already mistaken for being Hispanic, even by my own people. So I don't want some cute pappi chulo rolling up on me and I can't respond.
But I just don't understand it...well I do understand at night...from a distance...I may look Hispanic. But in broad daylight I don't see the confusion. Black men will start off saying, "What's Up?" and I guess they think I must not understand English when I don't respond so they will pull out some broken spanglish. "Hola Mommie...Come Estas?" I just smile and keep it moving.
German Girl and I look very Hispanic when we are together and both having really curly hair days...but it's rare that our curly hair days coincide and that we are together. Is it really that hard to discern race?
But I just don't understand it...well I do understand at night...from a distance...I may look Hispanic. But in broad daylight I don't see the confusion. Black men will start off saying, "What's Up?" and I guess they think I must not understand English when I don't respond so they will pull out some broken spanglish. "Hola Mommie...Come Estas?" I just smile and keep it moving.
German Girl and I look very Hispanic when we are together and both having really curly hair days...but it's rare that our curly hair days coincide and that we are together. Is it really that hard to discern race?
Sunday, June 04, 2006
My Coke Rewards
I have this thing about collecting stuff to get free or low cost air travel.
Like last November/December I would buy Wendy's Cups to get free travel on Air Tran. And it worked. If you did the math it was cheaper to buy medium sized drinks from Wendy's than to buy actual one-way tickets from Air Tran. So I bought cups from Wendy's and from E-bay and from Craig's List and I scored the maximum amount of airline tickets you could get. But when you combined that with the points I already had with Air Tran it came out to about 6 one-way tickets or 3 round trips. Unfortunately because of the issues with my tenant and my house I had to use some of those airline tickets for business rather than the intended pleasure trips (Las Vegas, Grand Bahamas). But I still have some flight credits left and hopefully I won't have to fly back to Atlanta any time soon.
So now on to my new addiction. Coke is the official drink of Atlanta. Well it is the official drink of all my jobs as well. Everyone has Coke vending machines. Well I average 3-5 bottles of Coke a week at work. And one day it hit me, I was throwing away valuable points every time I threw away one of my Coke bottle caps. So I started saving them and then I started looking on E-bay and Craig's List for people selling them. And now I'm hooked. My goal is to get 1600 points which is the equivalent of 10,000 Delta sky miles. I have a little over 15,000 Delta Skymiles so 10K would be just enough for me to get a plane ticket. The cost calculation hasn't been as clear as with Wendy's. I knew with Wendy's I was getting a deal.
But let's do some math. I need 10,000 miles or 1600 points. So far I have been averaging about $10 for every 120 points. If I keep with this average those 10,000 miles will cost me about $130. If I was to straight up buy 10K miles from Delta it would cost me $320.63. So that's a savings of $190. I'll keep y'all posted on if I hit my goal or not. I'm considering flying Delta or American Airlines to the NABJ convention so that may help me to reach my goal faster as well.
P.s. - If you are not using your coke bottle caps...give them to me, you can email me the codes...or at least think of me each time you drink a Coke ;)
Like last November/December I would buy Wendy's Cups to get free travel on Air Tran. And it worked. If you did the math it was cheaper to buy medium sized drinks from Wendy's than to buy actual one-way tickets from Air Tran. So I bought cups from Wendy's and from E-bay and from Craig's List and I scored the maximum amount of airline tickets you could get. But when you combined that with the points I already had with Air Tran it came out to about 6 one-way tickets or 3 round trips. Unfortunately because of the issues with my tenant and my house I had to use some of those airline tickets for business rather than the intended pleasure trips (Las Vegas, Grand Bahamas). But I still have some flight credits left and hopefully I won't have to fly back to Atlanta any time soon.
So now on to my new addiction. Coke is the official drink of Atlanta. Well it is the official drink of all my jobs as well. Everyone has Coke vending machines. Well I average 3-5 bottles of Coke a week at work. And one day it hit me, I was throwing away valuable points every time I threw away one of my Coke bottle caps. So I started saving them and then I started looking on E-bay and Craig's List for people selling them. And now I'm hooked. My goal is to get 1600 points which is the equivalent of 10,000 Delta sky miles. I have a little over 15,000 Delta Skymiles so 10K would be just enough for me to get a plane ticket. The cost calculation hasn't been as clear as with Wendy's. I knew with Wendy's I was getting a deal.
But let's do some math. I need 10,000 miles or 1600 points. So far I have been averaging about $10 for every 120 points. If I keep with this average those 10,000 miles will cost me about $130. If I was to straight up buy 10K miles from Delta it would cost me $320.63. So that's a savings of $190. I'll keep y'all posted on if I hit my goal or not. I'm considering flying Delta or American Airlines to the NABJ convention so that may help me to reach my goal faster as well.
P.s. - If you are not using your coke bottle caps...give them to me, you can email me the codes...or at least think of me each time you drink a Coke ;)
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