Me and Den finally arrived in Cali. and made it to Bakersfield early this morning. Although we were able to get a good price for our tickets, Den didn't find out to yesterday that if we brought an extra bag, we'd get charged $25 dollars. Needless to say, Den changed the way that he packed so we were able to put everything in two bags. The flight from Huntsville to Ohio was uneventful however the flight from Ohio to LAX was interesting. First, JoJo from Jodeci with his wife. Since we could tell he was keeping a low profile we didn't say anything to him. The flight to LAX was booked solid and by the time we got on the plane, all we wanted was to sleep. After boarding the plane, we watched the cutesy flight video featuring a cute red head (den's words not mine) and then the flight attendant started listing the prices for everything. Six dollars for a movie;3 dollars for a can of pringles;six dollars for a cup of wine;two dollars for headphones. Although all of these prices together might not seem really expensive,when you add it up, it gets a little costly.

Me and Den finally arrived in Cali. and made it to Bakersfield early this morning. Although we were able to get a good price for our tickets, Den didn't find out to yesterday that if we brought an extra bag, we'd get charged $25 dollars. Needless to say, Den changed the way that he packed so we were able to put everything in two bags. The flight from Huntsville to Ohio was uneventful however the flight from Ohio to LAX was interesting. First, JoJo from Jodeci with his wife. Since we could tell he was keeping a low profile we didn't say anything to him. The flight to LAX was booked solid and by the time we got on the plane, all we wanted was to sleep. After boarding the plane, we watched the cutesy flight video featuring a cute red head (den's words not mine) and then the flight attendant started listing the prices for everything. Six dollars for a movie; 3 dollars for a can of pringles; six dollars for a cup of wine; two dollars for headphones. Although all of these prices together might not seem really expensive,when you add it up, it gets a little costly.

Packing for our trip and backing up my blog

I'm finishing packing for our flight out to Cali. for a week or so. I found this cool website when you can back up your blog for free.This can be especially handy if you've been blogging for a long time.If you'd like to back up your blog, go to blogbackupr.com.

Summer grades are in....

Checked my school website today and I am happy to report that I got A's in both of my classes! I'm now officially halfway though with getting my masters degree.

Tough times hit everyone

Saturday night, we were having problems with over internet modem and Den had called a service technician to come to the home to fix the problem. When we woke up Sunday morning, the modem was working fine so Den called and cancels the technician. Me and Den were enjoying a nice evening at home yesterday when we heard someone pounding on the front door. Although we initially ignored the pounding at first, Den eventually stopped what he was doing and answered the door. He was still thinking that the cable company may have sent out the service technician anyway but when he opened the door, a man (late teens-early twenties) was standing on the bottom of the front steps with a lawn mower in hand.

"Excuse sir, could I please mow your lawn. My dad's birthday's today and I need more for a gift." Considering that we too are currently strapped for cash, Den turned him down. "Okay, well can you at least donate a few dollars for a gift?" Den again turned him down. In the end, the man ended up leaving our yard with any money. It really saddened me that times have gotten so tough that people have to beg for a chance to do work in order to get money. Me and Den were also discussing the shape this country is going to be in after everything is over.

Currently, the prices for everything is increasing except for the amount of pay that people are receiving. When you go grocery shopping now, you're still paying the same price (if not more) and are getting less for your money. In addition, the only foods out there that are cheap are junk food and completely unhealthy so you're left with the choice of eat healthy and be broke or eat junk and have money. Most are choosing the later and are going to suffer for it in the long run. Even today my heart broke when the front of the local newspaper stated the cholesterol drugs can now be prescribed for children as young as 8. Eight years old and on cholesterol drugs! What the hell is wrong with our world when childhood obesity has become so out of control that this is the only course of action?

Not to be mean but I feel like all junk food should be removed from the grocery stores or at least have a warning label telling shoppers what years of greasy pizza and ice cream (two of my favorites) and hamburgers will do to your heart, body and self-esteem. While some food maker and restaurants have made a positive step by listing their nutritional information of their packaging, in the end I personally feel that the only way that people will start to truly change their lives is through making consequences personal for them. Sure it's good to know how many calories are in a big mac but I'd be less likely to eat it if I know that it'll take an hour to burn of the calories.

A little note for my reader

I regularly check my blog to see how many people are reading this and latey, the nunmbers of readers have shot up dramaticaIly. I am both flattered by this increase in readership but also puzzled as to why so many are interested in what I have to say. I suppose what isn't interesting to you is interesting to some. At any rate, I just wanted to say thanks to anyone who's been reading my blog, have sent me a comment or have stopped by to just read a post.

A very interesting article on the homeless

While at Tellini's the other day with Den getting dinner, I picked up the Valley Planet which is a free local arts newpaper here in town. I read an article in the latest issue that was so great, I'd thought I'd post it here. Keep in mind I didn't write this, I'm just reprinting the article as it was in the Valley Planet.

Hope you like it:

Disclaimer: First, I want to make it absolutely clear: I am NOT writing about H., Alabama. I am NOT writing about the H. mayor. I am only writing about the crassness of SOME town or towns in this nation and how they treat the poor and homeless.


Jesus was a HOMELESS MAN.

He hung out with HOMELESS people.

The prostitutes, like Mary Magdalene. The lepers or untouchables or incurables, the unrehabilitated, the

lost souls. The unliked, the tax collectors. The

dregs of human society at that time.


Reminds me of those today with A.I.D.S. who have been kicked out of hospitals because their insurance ran out, or they never had insurance; those simply on disability whose insurance ran out; the prostitutes who still sell themselves; the mentally ill turned out from mental hospitals; the drug addicts who only think about two things: 1)where the next fix is coming from and 2)how to stop (Must be lovely for them!); the sociopaths who may be beyond help; and the few who have lost their homes and dignity in hard economic times. “There but for the grace of God go I.”


Jesus didn’t hang out with the mayors of the cities--uh, I mean--the priests of the temples and the kings.


He didn’t hang out with the money changers. Hm. One of the few times in the Bible where Jesus gets angry--at those darn money changers on the steps of the temple. “You cannot worship both God and Mammon.”

He had one pair of sandals. I bet they were really dirty, in that land of little water, until someone who loved him washed them for him. “In as much as ye have done it unto the least of these, my brethren, ye have done it also unto me.” Let me repeat that one, in caps: IN AS MUCH AS YE HAVE DONE IT UNTO THE LEAST OF THESE, MY BRETHREN, YE HAVE DONE IT ALSO UNTO ME.”

He had one robe. I bet that was quite dirty, as well, until someone who loved him washed it for him. “Love thy neighbor.” “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” “The first shall be last, and the last shall be first.” Guess what? SOME town is going to be LAST.


His hair was probably full of dirt and dust of the Middle East, and his sweat, beneath that hot sun. And it wasn’t clean until someone who loved him washed it for him and “anointed it with oil.”


He never knew where his next meal was coming from, though he never worried about it because he was like the “lilies of the field.” But, I bet he felt hunger until someone who loved him shared some bread and wine, until someone “set a table before [him] in the presence of [his] enemies.”


Everyone wants to go to church on Sunday morning and sing aloud how they love their neighbors. In SOME towns.

But, if Jesus were to come to SOME towns, in his dirty shoes and robe and dirty hair, they’d move him out of the downtown area, which is being “cleaned up” to make us--I mean--THAT town somewhere else--“look good” so some friends of the mayor--not OUR mayor, of course, but of SOME TOWN, sell houses and make money--and make Jesus walk on his aching feet to some other part of town, where nobody would want him, either. I suppose everyone would hope he, and the other dirty miscreants, would just wander on away to other cities. But, more than likely, what would happen is that some teenagers would think it fun to mug Jesus or torture him. Things like that have happened in SOME towns before. (I’m SURE it hasn’t happened in THIS town.) Or, Jesus might be walking along a main drag in the rain and a car might run him down. It happens all the time in SOME towns with the homeless. Or a night train might kill him as he crosses the tracks. (That happened to Charlie--oh, I don’t mean Charlie of this town where there are so many churches per block, for Heaven’s sake! Just Charlie of SOME town.) Maybe on a winter night, Jesus might die of exposure, from pneumonia. Or, he might say, “Forgive them, Father, for they know not what they do.”


I wish I were as forgiving as Jesus. I wish some of the rich people--and apparently there are MANY of them in. . . . SOME towns . . . could get away from their mammon worship and their fear for five seconds and do something about one of the worst travesties of this city’s--DER--I MEAN--SOME city’s--history. I’m sure no one is afraid of someone’s mayor--I mean, a mayor isn’t like the POLICE, is he?--in SOME town?

In SOME town, why are people not standing up in absolute outrage? Where is their courage to be the Good Samaritan? Where is the heart of Christianity in this--uh--SOME town? You do not have to put your very life on the line for these homeless: You need not take them into your own homes. However, you can stand up to the powers (of fluff--you know, like birds over the Courthouse) that be and say, “No. This is not right.

This is NOT how my community treats the poor and the homeless.”

Shame on all of you who have not said a word against this outrageous maneuver that was only for MAMMON, of course. I am thankful to and for the few of you who have spoken out.

If SOME town cannot respond to compassion, if SOME towns have no ability to empathize or to follow the teachings of their very own--well, at least, professed--God, then maybe embarrassment will help to move them. Maybe national disgrace will help. . .

SOME TOWN.

Summer school blues and a haiku

In my continuing quest to finish grad school by summer of next year, I signed myself up for two classes for the first summer session. These two classes are extra fun because I'm taking them two days a week (Tues. and Thurs.) one is in Tuscaloosa in the mornings and one is online at night and they're both lasting one month.

Some of my classmates think I'm crazy for doing all this while working a full-time job, but you got to do what you have to do to get what you want in life. So far, I feel I'm keeping up with my assignments. I kind of feel like I have to overachieve and wow my classmates since I work in a library reference department and this is a reference resources class. Oh well, I'm just gonna keep on keeping on.All I have to do is keep juggling assignments and readings for the month of June to make it to the end of the semester and our annual vacation in July.

Here's a Haiku to reflect me feelings towards my current situation:
Two classes one month
What the hell was I thinking
All will be impressed