#30WriteNow 3rd Annual Sista Strut for Breast Cancer Research/Cure 2012

Main Stage

This morning I woke up early to get myself ready for the 3rd Annual Sista Strut for Breast Cancer Research/Cure 2012. This is my 2nd year attending this event. I arrived at the History Museum aka the Jefferson Memorial around 7:20am. Of course there were plenty of people there before myself but that just added to the ambiance of the event. 

Spring Break - Day 5

Good evening to all, well on day 5 of my "spring break" I had plans this morning that unfortunately fell through. So I mainly stayed home and cleaned up between bouts of watching tv, being on my laptop and studying when I can. The most excitement I had today was going with my sister and running an errand.

Yet I can say the most interesting thing happened this evening. If you are not aware, Oprah is coming to Saint Louis for one of her LifeClasses. I heard about it on the internet and through friends. So I went on her website and put my name into the hat for the drawing last month. I received an email on March 13th that I hadn't been picked so I started calling the various radio stations when I knew they were doing a giveaway with tickets. Well needless to say that was a nightmare and nothing was fruitful from that option.

So you can imagine my surprise when I checked my email account and realized that they had sent an email to me back on Thursday stating that there were still tickets and if I wanted to be considered I had to email them back DEADLINE March 15th! Unfortunately I did not check the email until yesterday........but I responded anyway and this evening I was surprised to find a confirmation email stating that I had tickets to go!

So I called my mom to let her know we were going and do you know what she asked me? If Oprah was gonna give away something to the audience, cars or Ipads, something like that. I told her no, THAT show was no longer going on. lol Oh well back to this evening and enjoying my spring break. Enjoy the evening.

Out with the old, in with the new

Good morning to you all today. I hope you all are doing okay. Earlier this week I replaced my troublesome old 17 inch HP laptop of 4 years and upgraded to a 15 inch HP which is not even a week old. It's pretty nice my only gripe is the sound quality is a tad bit lacking to me. Yet it works and that's all I ask at this moment to help with school assignments and just surfing net. My nails are gonna be the next thing that is going to need a change up. I do think the longer length is cute but for functionality they are driving me crazy. Next time I go the Nail salon, I'm going to get them cut down.

My weight, ongoing battle, plan on getting with my boy Trenton so we can have another of his talks which helped me out the first time when I was on my weight loss goal, I'm hoping he can help me again. I also joined a group Selena J, Music DJ from Majic 107.7, has put together for people to keep them motivated whether it be for weight loss or other personal goals. From the responses I've read on her blog, there are  people just like me going through the same thing.

I'm back in school taking a Spanish 2 course, which is quite frankly scaring the crap out of me. I have NO idea how anyone that speaks Spanish can keep all the verbs, correct in their head. It simply amazes me and when I speak to someone who is fluent in both English and Spanish they tell me English is harder. HUH??? I just don't know...Hell when the class started back in January there were about 12 of us, now there is barely half of that number still treading water.

Anyway, I'm just hoping my hard work will pay off in the end, and I'm not just talking about the class;) Enjoy the day.

Chris Botti - The Real Deal

UPDATE: Pics are FINALLY uploaded! as of March 4th;)

This is my review on the Chris Botti Concert that I wrote on ticketmaster.com:

Chris Botti

Peabody Opera House

St. Louis

, MO

Fri, Feb 24, 2012

Review:

First off I have to start this off by saying that the Peabody Opera House is a beautiful venue for this performance to have taken place. From the marble floors that greet you as you walk in to the pain staking details on every surface that leads you into the main area. I give this place a 10 out of 10.

I was lucky enough to get front row tickets for $48.00, sitting less than a foot away from the front stage. Joe Buck introduced Chris Botti onto the stage and I will tell you it was a jam session I will never forget. Chris was fun and engaging and his trumpet skills I thought were stellar on his CD's were legendary in person. He played so many songs that I'm used to repeating on my CD's so it was an extra treat to hear them live. What was also impressive was that he stayed on the stage the whole time, never took a break unless someone who was accompanying him on a song was doing a quick solo before he came in with his trumpet.

His range of music he played from classical, a song from Herbie Hancock, Miles Davis, to even doing a version of Michael Jackson's "You are not alone" that will debut on his next CD which you had better believe I will be buying was so simple yet so rich. I was so sad when the performance ended I could have stayed an extra two hours to hear him play more. My only regret was not being able to stay around long enough to grab a picture with him. Yet I will say the winks he gave me as he playing throughout the show, definitely made up for it;)

I can not WAIT until he comes back next year (rumored to be at the Saint Louis Symphony Hall) I'll be keeping my eye out on tickets when they become available.

Favorite Moment:

When he jumped off the stage and played his trumpet and I was less than a foot away from him;)


Opening Acts:

No opening acts, but his band was phenomenal and he performed duets with Lisa Fischer (who sings that amazing song, "How can I ease the pain") and an amazing classical violinist whose name is Caroline Campbell.



Addiontional Notes: I will upload my pics from this event as soon as possible!

Conclusion to a wonderful weekend

Alrighty so it's Presidents Day. Mainly chilled out at home until about 4:30pm. I hightailed it over to Chesterfield Mall walked around. That got boring real quick so I went over to the Chesterfield Commons and chilled out and grabbed something to eat. Back home now watching American Dad on Cartoon Network. Good night folks.

And still I enjoy my Birthday......part. 3

Well yesterday I decided to get up and go to the mall about 2:45pm. Decided to go to West County Mall and chill and see if there were any sales that might pique my interest. So I wondered into one of my favorite stores, Franceseca's Collection and found a beautiful purse that I just had to have for Spring/Summer time. The price on it said 24.00 and I thought what a great deal. Yet when I went up to the counter the sales lady scanned it and rang up 38.00. Instead of throwing a fit and demanding the price on the tag, I asked nicely if they would please honor the price and they sure did. Saved 14 dollars on a beauty of a purse.

It's Still my birthday...part 2

Well yesterday was Saturday and I was still enjoying myself with birthday festivities. Yet I was a bit sad because I had watched part of the Whitney Houston funeral  and recorded the rest to watch later. I left in the morning to run a quick errand then decided to go downtown to check out Mardi Gras, Saint Louis style. I've never been to a Mardia Gras here so I decided to just drive down Broadway from Downtown to Soulard. My lord I never seen so many people at 10am in one place getting ready to par-tay. There were plenty of booths around to buy hats, beads, drinks, and food. Police of course were out in full force. After what seemed like forever to get through the crowds I finally made it back to the highway and decided to go through Delmar Loop to see if anything was poppin. The answer to that question was no.

So after finally making it back home..about 11am (I think). I chilled out at home until 2:30pm, then my family made our way to the Cheesecake Factory (Saint Louis Galleria) to celebrate my birthday. It was crazy crowded, so you better believe I'm glad I called ahead of time to make reservations. Which cut down our wait time from 30 min. to 5 min. ;) My sister gave me a card that had me crackin up.

Afterwards, my dad bought movie tickets for us to go see "Safe House" and my mom, sis, and I went and did some browsing before the movie started. We finally made our way to the movie theater around 4:45pm,  I won't lie, I was nodding off within the first 20 minutes. BUT after that, I was wide awake. Denzel was straight cold blooded in this movie but he made you cheer for him to kill anyone that got in his path. Unlike in Training Day where I was happy he was killed in the end. Overall highly recommend you go see this movie.

So after our fun time together we go back home and I'm wondering what to do for the rest of the night. My girl Cassandra calls me up and we decide to go down to Soulard to see if the Mardi Gras festivities were still in swing. So we get down there about 9:30pm and yea.......things were pretty much already shut down. Apparently, and this is excellent info to know for next year. Soulard shuts down at 10pm during Mardi Gras which I guess makes sense after all the heavy partying. So we get back in her car drive through downtown and then end up in Central West End and go to Drunken Fish, where we enjoyed Happy Hour on the 2nd Floor. I was in heaven with 2 rolls of Fried Philly Rolls and 3 drinks. Afterwards we went to Bissinger's, a chocolate connoisseur's dream playground for sweets. I asked one of the workers if they had this special white chocolate/Raspberry treat (Vanilla Petit Fours) that I tried a few months back. She did and they had a few boxes since they had a valentine's sale and now they were 50% off. I bought a few boxes and gave a few to Cassandra.

I also had her try out this one treat called Apple Ghost Chili Salt Caramels. To see her face when she bit into it was priceless. My friend Trenton had me try one last year and I'm pretty sure I had the same face when I bit into one that long time ago.

Afterwards she took me back home and I proceeded to dance in my driveway (thanks to the alcohol) and finally made it to my bed. I woke up this morning 3 different times because my head was like...ummm...no just yet. So now I am up and I can't wait for TODAY!!!!!

It's my Birthday;)....yesterday

 Well yesterday was my birthday and I climbed one more notch into the 30's. I took off from work to just pamper myself. On Thursday my principal was nice enough to buy me cake. Very pretty and then the office staff (5 of us) went in on a Huge pizza, probably the biggest i have ever seen.

UPDATE: Won't be using Fed-Ex for Valentine's Day again

The package finally arrived at 10:22pm....now to go WAKE my mother and go give the flowers to her....ugh..

Won't be using Fed-Ex for Valentine's Day again

The time is 9:36pm as I begin to write this post. Besides watching American Dad on tv, I'm also still up because I am waiting on Fed-Ex to deliver some roses STILL to my house for my mother. They were suppose to be a surprise for her to enjoy for the day, but unfortunately they have yet to arrive. I called them 3 times to ask them where the hell my package was and all they could do was repeat the same thing that I already knew. That the package was in transit since 9:50am to be delivered. I know it's Valentine's Day and I am aware that they probably are busy as I don't know what. Yet I still can't grasp why with it now being 15 min to 10pm that nothing still has yet to be delivered. Hell, UPS came through about 8:30pm and delivered some items. I'm not even mad with the company (ProFlowers) that I bought the flowers through, they had already shipped them in a timely matter for them to be delivered. I just wish there were other options for delivery. I normally use UPS (the lesser of the two evils in my opinion) and have not had issues with them before. Who knows Fed-Ex might have dealt with  my flowers the way they dealt with that tv (see video below). Only thing. I don't have a fence around my house!!!

Whitney Houston - Another gone too soon. 1963-2012

Yesterday we lost another treasure in the music industry. As someone pointed out via twitter “@phontigallo Worst Black History Month EVER.” We lost Ms. Etta James in January, Don Cornelius earlier this month and now Whitney Houston. She had one of the most powerful voices I had ever heard. She is known for singing the Star Spangled Anthem at  Super Bowl XXV like no other. I remember her from the movie The Bodyguard and remember having that soundtrack on heavy rotation as well as the soundtrack from The Preacher's Wife. She was what I considered one of those artists who didn't need a backup dancers or special effects to keep her audience engaged. All she had to do was open her mouth and that VOICE would just put you in a trance and for the most part make you get goosebumps. I honestly would feel sorry for anyone who had to do a duet with Whitney (such as Mariah Carey) because Whitney's voice would just out shine the other people.

Since news of her death came out, more info is "somewhat" suggesting especially from different media outlets that drug use might have played a part in her death. When I look back on her life I can't help but think about how drug use has messed up her life and that voice. If you had heard her in the recent years, you could tell her voice had been ravaged from her poor health. In a way it reminds me of Michael Jackson. You had two phenomenally gifted people who unfortunately were brought down (not yet deemed official in Whitney's case) by drugs.

It's amazing me to see the people I grew up on leaving whether it be suddenly or through old age. I know heaven is straight kickin it now. When I get there I know the first thing I'm gonna do is buy a ticket so I can see all performances that I missed in life (Michael Jackson, Marvin Gaye, The Rat Pack, Luther Vandross, and so many others) with  Don Cornelius as the Master of Ceremony . All I can say and hope is that her soul is in a better place and you will be missed.

The Smith Family Mardi Gras 2012

Well another successful Smith Family Mardi Gras party has come and gone. Great times were had by all with the food and dancing. My girl Danielle came out with two of her coworkers. I saw two of my former Wellston coworkers there as well. I enjoyed myself with a few drinks that unfortunately are still buzzing in my head as I write this post. Afterwards some of my cousins went downtown to Mosiac to continue partying, other cousins went to another cousins house to continue partying, and then Danielle asked me what I was getting into. At the end of the night the only thing I got into was my BED and slipped into a peaceful coma.

Pre-Smith Family Mardi Gras Party Madness

Well this morning I woke up and stretched myself out after a much needed and deserved rest/coma. My mother and I stayed up till 11PM last night to get the salad prepped for the Smith Family Mardi Gras party that is being held tonight. From what I heard all the tickets for the event have sold out and it should be just as big of a success as the previous ones. This will be the 12th year that we have done this. If  you wish to see some of the previous celebrations just click on one of the picture sets below. I will try to take as many pics this year as I have done so at the previous parties and have them uploaded by the weekend.

Valentine Gift's FAIL

As Valentine's Day approaches I can't help but wonder what gifts might be given. Most women I know enjoy roses, candy, or even a romantic night on the town. Yet there are others who will be unfortunate to receive a gift/surprise and wish to God that they had not. I was thinking of a few that I will list. Please feel free to add to the list.


For Women

1. A gym membership (unless a previous conversation has hinted AND has been accepted as an acceptable gift.

2. A gift certificate to a place you know she does not go. (example: Lowes, Sear Hardware Department, unless AGAIN previous conversation has been held.)

3. A teddy bear such as the above picture with a similar or same message.

4. Any brown liquor that can be bought behind a Schmucks, Diebergs, or Shop N Save counter and comes with 2 free shot glasses that have the name of the liquor company on them. (example: Crown Royal, unless she is an alcoholic.)

5. A STD (Short Tiny D*ck) (Oh and the OTHER STD, the kind of gift you wish you had not received in the first place.)


For Men

1. A tie

2. A tease (especially if they felt from a previous conversation that they were gonna get some.)

3. The above options given for women from 1 through 5. Except for the first part of number 5 unless you roll that way.

4.  Unwanted conversations about the "next step" in the relationship.  How about enjoying "this step" today and making sure there aren't any "missteps" for next 24 hours.



Oh well, I've put my two cents in...

Don Cornelius - To Most the Soul Train Inovator, to me a relative I never knew

As a kid I remember watching Soul Train on TV, always fascinated by the dancing and performing acts. Always wondering who the heck was that pretty asian lady with the long hair and the sequin outfits? Thanks to Google I found out her name was Cheryl Song. Her picture is below:

But I digress. I heard this morning that unfortunately Don took his life this morning. I heard it through internet posts while my mom found out from a family member on the phone. My mom had told me a few years back that we were related (he was my third cousin). His father and my grandmother's father (my great-grandfather) had been brothers. But unfortunately his father had been killed before he was born. His mother unfortunately did not really have anything to do with his father's side of the family (from what I was told), yet my mom said that there were some who did keep in touch from time to time. As the years went by from what I can understand communication had ceased or was barely there. I know he has two sons, but beyond that I do not know if they have families of their own. I just want to say that we know you are out there and we are praying for you at this time.

Every year my dad's side of the family throw a Mardi Gras party in February and we always throw the Soul Train line in there near the end. I can't even remember how many times I've danced down a Soul Train line but I know I have him to thank for that;)

I remember always wishing I could have met him, way before I found out he was family. When I did find out he was a relative, I always wondered if I would ever see him at family reunions, which unfortunately never happened. Now that he is gone, all I can say is that I wish you LOVE, PEACE, & may your SOUL rest in peace.

Coffee, Curls, & Cupcakes, oh but don't forget the Confidence (Healthy Hair)

Good evening to all, I hope so far your January for the new year has been enlightening, refreshing, and all around just better than the January you had in 2011. Yesterday I went to an event called Coffee, Curls, and Cupcake. It was an event held at the Matthew Dickey's Boys and Girls Club. The event is centered around Healthy Hair Care. I remember hearing about the event from two sources. A wonderful makeup artist by the name of Alexandra Butler (also went to elementary school with her) and my (play) brother came over the house and gave me a flyer about the event, after reading it that evening I went online and purchased my ticket.

The event was from 2pm to 6pm. So I made sure to get there at least 30 minutes before then. Big mistake. I should have gotten there MAYBE 1 hour or 2 beforehand. This event was sold out! I couldn't believe how many women were there! I would say AT LEAST 700 to 1000 people. I had to park about 2 blocks away then WALK back to the building and wait in line to get in. I must say what I saw as I walking to get in the line, while waiting in line and when I finally got in the building were so many beautiful women color. So many women there had there hair out and proud in its natural state. Other women looked just as gorgeous with their relaxed styles and  weaves in place. There wasn't any finger pointing which I definitely liked, yet I will say I kept my hat on the whole time;)

There were about 8 people on the panel (if I recall) with the main attraction being the co-founders (two African-Asian american sisters) of a hair line called Ms. Jessie's. They were very knowledgeable about hair especially since they are stylists who own their own salon and shop in New York. Yet I will say the person that really held my attention was Dr. Nina Ellise-Hervy better know as BeautifulBrwnBabyDol on the internet. She is also from Saint Louis, MO but currently resides in Texas in a city (Nacogdoches) I still after 5 tries,  am not sure if I am saying it correctly. She talked about her life and her struggles. With school (obtained her Ph.D), her weight (lost 100 pounds) and her hair. She said something to me that really got to me. She said there are people in your life that are gonna have issues with you, especially when you change your appearance. I'm not gonna be naive and think there won't be people out there who will have doubts and think I have lost my mind if I do decide to go through with this. Yet she says you have to deal with them just the way you dealt with your hair. Unhealthy ends and cut em off. 

I must say what I learned about hair especially my own hair was really an eye opener. I had been thinking for a while ever since some time last year about just saying "phuck it" and take it off. Yet I wasn't sure, hell I'm still nervous just thinking about. About a month ago my beautician had taken about 4 inches off, so I currently am sporting a bob because of hair damage. Yet this week I have a hair appointment which is "scheduled" for a relaxer.

I started thinking why did I want to cut my hair. I've always liked my hair long especially being able to put up or down in different styles. Yet deep down I've always known I used my hair as a curtain in a way to hide my face. I've never really been comfortable about how I looked. I remember asking someone what they they thought if I cut my hair off and they looked at me crazy. They said why would you do that? Your hair is beautiful and anyway your head is too big for that. I just looked away and thought...wow. 

Last  year I went without a relaxer for about 3 months. I paid for it to when I did eventually go see my beautician with all the crazy combing I endured but I must say what I saw at the roots of my hair during those 3 months fascinated me. There were times I was standing in front of my mirror playing with my kinks (aka curls) and was amazed at how springy they were! I was like wow, this is really interesting.

I know it will be a big step if I decide to go through it. Yet regardless of what I decide to do I know the main thing is WHATEVER I decide to do will be my decision, not anyone else's.   It's funny as I wrap up this post two songs came to me from India Arie. I realized I am not my hair. It's just apart of me. I am so much more than that. Strength, Courage, & Wisdom.

Happy New Year 2012

I hope everyone enjoyed their new year celebrations last night. I unfortunately wasn't able to go out because of a severe cramp in my neck that I'm still dealing with. I went to bed early last night and just wanted to wake up with the pain gone, alas that has yet to be the case. So I'm slowly just turning my neck left and right, up and down, just to see where I am right now.

Well we have another year down, and another in front of us. I'm pretty sure people made resolutions for the new year. I've made a few myself. On the top of that list is getting back into my exercise regimen. I've neglected it for one reason or another. My education, I'm enrolled in a course for this semester. I've been dodging going back for the longest time, yet the last few months I've been thinking about school a lot. It's time for me to finish and prove to myself that I can do it. I've let past demons get the best of me for too long.

I also would like to "explore" Saint Louis more, in the sense of finding hidden treasures such as a few new jazz spots, restaurants that I might not have considered in the past, & new boutiques to shop. Yet I still want to enjoy my old habits, going to Forest Park to enjoy the Zoo, the Art Museum, or even relaxing with a blanket and book under an old tree, while the ducks are playing in a nearby pond. I can never pass up going to the Delmar Loop or Central West End. Those places are like therapy on a trying day.

Friends....how many of us have them? I have plenty and am thankful, yet I won't lie and say I haven't been tested by them this past year in one way or another. Lord only knows how my patience was pushed to the max. Yet as there have been challenges there have been rewards. I can only wait and see what is in store for us.

Family....I am happy to belong to a wonderful family (immediate and extended). No family is perfect and there are trying times even in mine. Yet you can only hope with the new year that it brings you more good times and memories, than anything else.

As I'm writing this post I'm listening to some soothing jazz music thinking about me going back to work on January 3rd and seeing my coworkers. My students will not be back until January 5th. My mom's birthday is on the 20th, my friend Cassandra's is the 29th. It seems as though as soon as the winter break is over with, I have to jump start and get back into the swing of things. Yet isn't that what starting a new year is about? Recharging and Restarting. Yet just make sure if you are Repeating any old habits that they are serving a positive purpose for the new year.

Take care and god bless. Welcome 2012, took you long enough to get here;)