Lizzo's "Watch Out For the Big Grrrls" Breaks the Reality TV Show Mold

     As someone who is not a fan of reality TV shows, I will admit I was skeptical when I saw the preview for Lizzo's reality TV show "Watch Out for the Big Grrls" on Amazon Prime. Although the premise of a dance competition featuring plus sized women seemed interesting, I worried it would be hokey or boring. I'm so glad that I gave this show a chance since it is entertaining, insightful, and uplifting. 

The main premise of the show is that Lizzo is searching for new backup dancers to add to her Big Grrrl dance crew who will perform with her at the annual Bonnaroo music festival in Tennessee as well as go on tour with her across the country. In order to select the best woman for the job, Lizzo flies thirteen plus size women (including one trans woman) to Los Angeles to audition for a spot of the dance crew. In each episode, the contestants are given challenges meant to showcase their dancing ability, personality, creativity, as well as stamina and endurance.

Throughout the course of eight episodes, the viewer learns the backstory of each of the women which involve common factors of feeling unattractive and not feeling accepted by society due to their body size. By discovering dancing in various stages in their lives, each of the women find healing and happiness. As each episode progress, the viewer also sees each of the women transform from timid and insecure individuals to a strong and powerful team. By sharing a house together, eating, sleeping and dancing together on a daily basis, a sisterhood is formed among those living in the house in addition to bonds formed with Lizzo.

As I continued to watch each episode, I was surprised to see pieces of my life experience in each of these women whether it was through learning how to love my body (regardless of its size) or working to uplift other women through my words and deeds. Through watching this show, Lizzo's genuine love for helping women shine really showed as well as her desire to help women work through their person issues in order to become the best versions of themselves. 

In closing, if you are a plus size woman, have plus size people in your life, or just wanted to watch an unconventional reality TV show which focuses on uplifting often overlooked people, I highly recommend you watch this show!  

 

First Visit To Hometown Since COVID & Little Rock 1/2 Marathon Race Recap

     In an effort to complete my life long goal of running a half marathon in each state, I signed up to run the Little Rock 1/2 Marathon in Little Rock, Arkansas. Since the race occurred on Sunday, March 6, hubby and I decided to fly in early and drive down to my hometown in Alabama to visit my best friend as well as my parents (which I haven't seen in person since 2019. I was happy to be able to meet up with my best friend and her son over lunch before visiting with my dad and my mom.

Best friend and me

Dad and me

Hubby, dad, and me

Mom and me

Me, mom, and hubby

      After our brief visit to Alabama, it was time to return back to Little Rock to prep or the half marathon on Sunday. While taking a break from race prep, I was able to enjoy some delicious vegan food from Blue Sage Vegan Bistro.

Spicy mushroom tacos

Chick'n fried steak sandwich

Vegan grilled cheese with mushrooms and arugula

Spiral fries

After a good night's sleep at the hotel, it was time to get up and run the half marathon. The half marathon was fairly uneventful expect for a brief period of sprinkles followed by a later period of brief rain. Luckily, I made sure to pack a poncho in my pants pocket so I didn't get too wet during the race. 

Me before the half marathon

Bridge I ran on during on during race

Communion on the Run tent

Arkansas Governor's mansion

Me with half marathon finisher's medal

Close up of finisher's medal

Although there were many interesting tents set up along the race route, my favorite was the "Communion on the Run" tent in front of a church which gave runners the communion experience using pretzel bites to represent the body of Christ and a cup of grape juice to represent the blood of Christ. This to me was a very creative idea! Overall, the Little Rock 1/2 Marathon was a wonderful race to run and I loved how many community members come out to support us runners. I'm looking forward to visiting my family for a longer time sometime soon as well as looking forward to my next 1/2 marathon which will be the Las Vegas Women's 1/2 Marathon next month. 

Award Winner at First Annual SoCal Yeppies

     On May 12, 2001, I was nominated to become a member of the Yelp Elite Squad. On Thursday, January 20, Yelp held their first annual 2021 Southern California (SoCal) Yelpie Awards via Zoom. 

During the course of the evening, the band Cold Blooded Soul gave two musical performances, a bartender who made an alcoholic and nonalcoholic drink, and a comedian did a five minute comedy routine.

Intermixed with each of the above performances a total of seven categories were announced and a total of 43 Yelp Elites were selected for the awards listed below.

I was surprised and honored to be chosen to win an award for "Keeping Yelp Useful," The award explanation can be seen below. 

Below is a photo of me and the other Yelp Elite Squad members who were also also selected for the Keeping Yelp Useful award.

After the event, I took a photo at the virtual photo booth that was created for Yelp Elite Squad members and took the below photo.

I looked forward to receiving a Yelpie trophy as well as a curated box of local goods and Yelp swag. I feel so happy to be celebrated for my contributions to Yelp and look forward to being a Yelp Elite Square member for many more years to come!

Booklist Queen's 2022 Reading Challenge

Each year, I take on different reading challenges as a way to get outside of my reading comfort zone. For 2022, I plan to read a total of 104 books in 2022 by completing the 52 Book Club's 2022 reading challenge and the Booklist Queen 2022 Reading Challenge. If you'd like to participate in this 2022 reading challenge, visit www.booklistqueen.com/reading-challenge-2022.

Below is the list of reading prompts for the 2022 reading challenge which I'll start on January 1, 2022. After I finish each reading prompt, I'll update this list. If you want to see more of the books I've read this year and previous years, check out my Goodreads profile at: https://www.goodreads.com/user_challenges/15431036.

The Booklist Queen 2022 Reading Challenge:

1. By a author you love: Head Bangers by Zane
2. Goodreads winner in 2021: The Hill We Climb by Amanda Gorman
3. Book becoming a movie in 2022: Bullet Train by Kotaro Isaka
   
4. Book with a twist: A Head Full of Ghosts by Paul Tremblay
5. Speculative fiction: Dwellers by Eliza Victoria
6. With a bird on the cover: Feral Creatures by Kira Jane Buxton
   
7. About a difficult choice: Rabbit: The Autobiography of Ms. Pat by Patricia Williams 
8. Published in 2012: Wild by Cheryl Strayed 
9. With a name in the title: Etta and Otto and Russell and James by Emma Hooper
10. By a local author: Gabi, a Girl in Pieces by Isabel Quintero
11. Discussion-worthy book club book: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows
12. 2021 bestseller: The Storyteller by Dave Grohl
13. Genre you don't usually read: Sackett's Land (western) by Louis L' Amour
    
14. Shakespearean play: Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare
    
15. With a two word title: Brown Girls by Daphne Palasi Andreades
16. About a Muslim protagonist: How It All Blew Up by Arvin Ahmadi
17. Set in the 1980's: The Impossible Fortress by Jason Rekulak
18. Asian American & Pacific Islander Author: The Magic Fish by Trung Le Nguyen
    
19. Bottom of your to-read list: Heated by Naima Simone
20. Literary fiction: I Liked My Life by Abby Fabiaschi
21. Recommended on Instagram: The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett
22. LBGTQ+ book: Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin
23. Book everyone is talking about: Finding Me by Viola Davis
24. Pulitzer prize winner: The Tradition by Jericho Brown (2020 winner in poetry)
25. With a blue cover: My Lady's Choosing by Kitty Curran & Larissa Zageris
26. Author who shares your initials: Spy x Family, vol. 1 by Tatsuya Endo
27. Epic adventure: Kill the Farm Boy by Delilah S. Dawson and Kevin Hearne
28. A guilty pleasure read: Larger Than Life by Maria Sherman
29. An audiobook: Run the Mile You're In by Ryan Hall
30. Catchy title: Eat Cake for Breakfast and 99 Other Small Acts of Happiness by Viola Sutanto
31. About nature: Friluftsliv by Oliver Luke Delorie
32. Two books by the same author (1): Every Heart A Doorway by Seanan McGuire 
33. Two books by the same author (2): Down Among the Sticks and Bones by Seanan McGuire
34. YA fantasy: The Marvellers by Dhonielle Clayton
35. Purchased at a bookstore: An Elderly Lady is Up to No Good by Helene Tursten
36. Family drama: Revenge of the Scapegoat by Caren Beilin
    
37. Classic you've avoided: Lord of the Flies by William Golding
38. Set in Africa: The Memory of an Elephant by Alex Lasker
39. Recommended by a librarian: Wash  Day Diaries by Jamila Rowser and Robyn Smith
40. By a British author: Assembly by Natasha Brown
41. Reread a favorite: The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
42. Under 300 pages: Treasure Island!!! by Sara Levine
43. Spooky read: Ring Shout by P. Djèlí Clark
44. Nonfiction bestseller:  Atlas of the Heart by Brene' Brown
    
45. A book about life: You'll Never Believe What Happened to Lacey by Amber Ruffin & Lacey Lamar
46. Reese Witherspoon book club pick: Something in the Water by Catherine Steadman
    
47. Makes you laugh: Everything I Need to Know I learned From a Golden Book by Diane Muldrow
48. Historical novel: The Forty Elephants by Erin Bledsoe
49. A 2022 new release: Tanqueray by Stephanie Johnson & Brandon Stanton
50. Inspiring memoir:  Lady Death:  The Memoirs of Stalin's Sniper by Lyudmila Pavlichenko
51. Cozy mystery: Murder in Cherry Hill by Paige Sleuth
52. You own but haven't read: Book Nerd by Holly Maguire

The 52 Book Club's 2022 Reading Challenge

Each year, I take on different reading challenges as a way to get outside of my reading comfort zone. For 2022, I plan to read 52 books in 2022 by completing the 52 Book Club's 2022 reading challenge. If you'd like to participate in this 2022 challenge, visit www.the52book,club.

Below is the list of reading prompts for the 2022 reading challenge which I'll start on January 1, 2022. After I finish each reading prompt, I'll update this list. If you want to see more of the books I've read this year and previous years, check out my Goodreads profile at: https://www.goodreads.com/user_challenges/15431036.

The 52 Book Club's 2022 Reading Challenge:

1. A second-person narrative: Million Little Mistakes by Heather McElhatton
2. Featuring a library or bookstore: The Bookshop of Yesterdays by Amy Meyerson
3. Title starting with the letter "E:" Every Body Yoga by Jessamyn Stanley
   
4. Title starting with the letter "F:" Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law by Mary Roach
5. Chapters have titles: Black Widow: A Sad-Funny Journey Through Grief for People Who Normally Avoid Books with Words Like "Journey" in the Title by Leslie Gray Streeter
6. Household object on the cover: Niksen: Embracing the Dutch Art of Doing Nothing by Olga Mecking
   
7. A non-fiction bestseller: The Meaning of Mariah Carey by Mariah Carey (New York Times 2020)
8. Involving the art world:  The Art of the Con by Anthony M. Amore
9. A book that sparks joy: The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse by Charlie Mackesy
10. A book based on a real person: White Houses by Amy Bloom
11. A book with less that 2022 Goodreads ratings: What's Your Enneatype by Liz Carver & Josh Green
12. Set on at least two continents: The Catch Me If You Can by Jessica Nabongo
13. Includes a club: Mean Girls Club: Pink Dawn by Ryan Heshka
    
14. A character with superhuman ability: Nubia: Real One by L.L. McKinney & Robyn Smith
    
15. A five-syllable title:  Running For My Life by Lopez Lomong 
16. A book you've seen someone reading in a public place: Portraits of Childfree Wealth by Jay Zigmont
17. A book picked based on its spine: My Seven Black Fathers by Will Jawando
18. Jane Austen-inspired: The Code For Love and Heartbreak by Jillian Cantor
    
19. A book that has an alternate title: Where's Waldo: Deluxe Edition by Martin Handford
20. Related to the word "gold:" Gold Rush Women by Claire Rudolf Murphy & Jane G. Haigh
21. Published by Simon & Schuster: Self-Care For Black Women by Oludara Adeeyo
22. An unlikely detective: An Equal Opportunity Death by Susan Dunalp
23. Author with an X, Y, or Z in their name: Saving Myself One Step at a Time: A Running Memoir by T.J. Bryan
24. Addresses a specific topic: Never Too Late by Kate Champion
25. A wealthy character: January Fifteenth by Rachel Swirsky
26. Has an "Author's Note:" Get A Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert
27. Include a map: Goldilocks: Wanted Dead or Alive by Chris Colfer
28. Award winning book from your country: Life is So Good by George Dawson and Richard Glaubman 
29. Over 500 pages long: Roots by Alex Haley (729 pages)
30. Audiobook is narrated by the author: Will by Will Smith
31. Technology-themed: Awesome Achievers in Technology by Alan Katz
32. A book that intimidates you: Being Mortal by Atul Gawande
33. A bilingual character: You Had Me At Hola by Alexis Daria
34. An author's photo on the back: Secret Inland Empire: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure by Larry Burns
35. From the villain's perspective: Mister B. Gone by Clive Barker
36. Recommended by a favorite author: The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion (Recommended by Atul  Gawande)
    
37. Set in a rural area: We We're Rich and We Didn't Know It by Tom Phelan
38. Don't judge a book by its cover!: The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows by John Koenig
39. A middle-grade novel: Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
40. A book with photographs inside: National Geographic Rarely Seen: Photographs of the Extraordinary by Susan Tyler Hitchcock
41. Involves a second chance: You Made a Fool of Death With Your Beauty by Akwaeke Emezi
42. An indie read: Love & Saffron by Kim Fay
43. Author's who published in more than one genre: The Running Shaped Hole By Robert Earl Stewart (also published poetry)
    
44. An anthology: The (Other) F Word: A Celebration of the Fat & Fierce edited by Angie Manfredi
    
45. A book with illustrated people on the cover: Caught Up in the Rapture by Sheneska Jackson
46. A job title in the title: Maids by Katie Skelly
    
47. Read during the month of November: Second Coming: Volume 1 by Mark Russell, Richard Pace, Leonard Kirk, & Andy Troy
48. Redo one of the year's prompts, but with a different genre (title starting with the letter "F"): Fairest of All by Serena Valentino
49. Book title starts with the same letter as your first name: Thirsty Mermaids by Kat Leyh
50. A person of color as the main character: Happy Endings by Thien- Kim Lam 
51. The word "game" in the title: Good Game, Well Played by Rachael Smith, Katherine Lobo, & Justin Birch
52. Published in 2022: Clean Air by Sarah Blake

Scenes From First Vegan Depot Riverside Event

On Sunday, October 3rd, me and hubby attended the first Vegan Depot event in Riverside. The event was well attended with a total of over 60 vegan vendors selling food and clothing. Below is the announcement for the event as well as some of the items we purchased while at the event. The photos include a mixed juice drink from Lizzard Mama's, a classic burger from Vruger Guyz, a supreme vegan stuffed crust pizza from Love Amaro Pizzeria, pumpkin spice coffee cake from 7 Deadly Confections, and Vegan Chickun and Cinnamon Roll Waffles from Vegan Or Nah. 

In addition to the variety of food provided at the Vegan Depot Riverside event, the was also a in person meetup of the Facebook Vegans of the Inland Empire group. Below is a photo of me and the others who attended the meetup. We had a good time at the event and will definitely plan to attend future vegan depot events in Riverside.

 

 

Adult Short Fiction Book Club and Celebrating 110 Year Library Anniversay

Shortly after starting my new job at the library, I came up the idea to create a short fiction book club as a way to give others the feeling of accomplishment of reading a book without a long term page commitment. Having said this, I held my first virtual book club meeting on last month. Below are first four books I've picked for the book club and which are all under 200 pages. 

On Friday, October 1, the Beaumont Library District celebrated its 110 year anniversary. On this day, special edition mugs were given to the first 110 patrons who checked out library items and refreshments were provided to all library visitors. Below is a graphic I made for the library's website and social media account using Canva as well as a photo of me holding one of the special edition mugs.