Today I must say has been a shock to my senses. I lost one of the biggest icons in my life. I've always been a big fan of Michael Jackson and always will be. I remember when I first heard about him being rushed to the hospital. I was at work at the time and thought, nawwww he will be okay. I was too worried about my Spanish test to think anything bad. So I get to my Spanish class and I'm studying in the hallway, and I'm talking about the incidient with a fellow classmate. She gets a text message on her phone and she informs me that he has died. I'm looking at her shaking my head, thinking nooo that's a mistake he should be okay, I just got a text messge from ENEWS stating that he was in a coma but not doing well. Then less than a minute I get a text confirming that he had died.
Strangly I was no longer worried about my spanish test, I felt a strange calm and went into the classroom to take my 10 minute oral exam with my professor. I broke the news to him (in spanish) and he just looked at me in shock. We talked quickly (in english) about Ed Machman (sorry on spelling), Farrah Fawcett, and now Michael Jackson. I always thought that famous celebs go in threes and unfortunately the biggest one in my life finally had his curtain call.
After my oral exam I took my remaining tests for the class and I went home. I was listening to the radio in my car and 95.5 fm was playing Michael Jackson music and I turned up the volume, rolled my windows, made the sign of the cross and yelled "I LOVE YOU MIKE" I headed home and parked my car in front of my house. One of his songs was still playing on the radio and I couldn't bear to turn it off. I had to wait until it was finished.
I go in my home and I go up the steps and my legs are heavy. My mom bolts upright from her bed and looks at me, and before she can speak I tell her I already know and found out before my test. Yet I told her that strangely it calmed me down from my nerves and I think I did pretty good. She was watching CNN and Larry King was on, talking with various celebs about Michael's death.
She and I talked about my love for Michael from learning his dance moves when I was a kid, to when I would LITERALLY freak out when a new world premiere video would come on. In fact I still have the original VHS of when BAD the video premiered more than 10 years ago. I learned technology because of him, I had to learn how to use the VCR to record by myself. lol
I had all his CD's before they were stolen from my car back in 2005. I really haven't bought CD's since then, but now I plan to buy them all over again. I went to my room to just deal with it. I hadn't cried yet until a few minutes ago. I remember as a kid seeing older kids with the famous red jackets and the white jeweled gloves. I shake my head because I feel that an era has passed. A legend has moved on and I know that regardless of his personal life and the drama from it, what he did as far as entertainment he will be known forever and I pray he is dancing it up with Fred Astare, James Brown, and Sammy Davis Jr. God bless you and I will miss you SOOO MUCH!!!!! (ok full tears are on, gotta post this)
Ok folks for those who are familiar with the porn industry the man above probably needs no introduction. For those of you that are not........(cough cough) the man above is none other than Ron Jeremy, the Legendary Porn Star.
Ok now at this time you are probably wondering how did I take this picture and still be able to keep my clothes on? Well mind you we were in a public setting at the University of Missouri Saint Louis Campus where a special porn debate was being held between Ron (for porn) and another person, forgot his name (against porn). The debate started at 7pm in the Millennium Center on the third floor, and I was able to get there by 7:30pm. It was pretty much a packed house, at least 300 people from what I could tell. So I took up some space on the back wall and listened to the debate. People were allowed to ask questions, some actually interesting and others wouldn't shut up and get off their soapbox's.
I must say Ron Jeremy definitely won the debate hands down. His intellect and humorous ways as well as the way he could spew off facts about the industry were equally impressive. Around 9:15pm the debate was over but we were allowed to do a meet and greet with him and I knew this was an opportunity that I just couldn't pass up.
For me this wasn't just about meeting someone from the "Forbidden Industry", it was more about meeting the VERY first person I ever saw over 15 years ago on a Porno Tape, it pretty much introduced or inducted if you will, into an ALTERNATIVE way that people enjoyed having sex. With my Catholic education upbringing it was abstinence all the way and when you did do the deed it was in the missionary position and that was it.
I remember that fateful day........because I stole the vhs tape;) It was either Thanxgiving or Christmas back in the 90's, one of those holidays when my family went out of town to go to Chicago to visit some of mom's relatives. At that time my mom's three brothers lived in an apartment complex that had 3 floors. Each brother had a floor and two of them were married with families but my Uncle Miller was a bachelor who lived on the lowest level.
Well some of my cousins decide to just have fun and go through each floor level to see what mischief we can get into. Well there was food on the first and second levels, but on Uncle Miller's level there was an 8 track system (yes I said 8 track) and we were just fascinated by these big ass cartridges and how they could play music. Well as my male cousins were checking out that equipment I decided to go into my Uncle Miller's room and check things out.
In front of his bed is a stand with his tv and vcr. Below the stand is a box with vhs tapes that say on the outside box covers HOME VIDEO'S. So being a teenage girl I'm thinking "WOW he has some home made movies COOL" So I slip a tape in and turn on the T.V. and press play on the VHS. The white scrambled screen comes on and this WEIRD title comes on the screen. Then what do you know? I see none other than Ron Jeremy come on the screen NAKED trying to make out with a manaquin.
So you know when you get that famous blank look on your face and your head tilts to the side and you are like,"WTF" yea I had that look. So needless to say my cousins start to come in the room because apparently they were calling my name and i wasn't responding. Gee I wonder why......... They stop in their tracks and watch the screen as the manaquin comes alive. Next thing you know Ron is giving it hard and crazy to this chick on a bed, and then all of a sudden they start to do a "69", doggystyle, they give each other blowjobs, and all kind of other stuff. It was a pretty long scene and after that it went into another little "skit", so we decided to eject that tape, try out some other HOME VIDEO'S that were in the stash.
By this time my glasses had fogged up and I didn't realize why until years later that it meant that i was "excited". lolol Yet at the time his basement was cold I though it was just the cold air foggin up my glasses. Who knew...... Well after a few hours some of the adults were trying to find us so we had to clean up quickly and I decided along with my cousins that we wanted a bit of a keep sake from our memoriable experience. So his stash became about 5 tapes "lighter".
Oh did I mention I still have that tape to this day?? God bless that man.
Hey I was so happy about the HOOTERS thang I forgot to tell you guys about something that I was reminded about for UMSL students that went to the University of Missouri regardless of campus during 1999 and before.
University of Missouri was sued a few years back and they lost a decision regarding tuition fees. To settle up they had to come to some kind of agreement. SUPPOSEDLY it states that if you went to any of the schools before the given time frame you were entitled to receive an EQUAL amount of credits towards future University Missouri classes. if you don't get what I'm saying here is an example, I have been in the System since 1997. Since I took 10 classes between 1997 to 1999, SUPPOSEDLY I am entitled to 10 classes free to take towards future classes at the University of Missouri campus of my choice.
This was how it was explained to me by my English Professor. Apparently they have not spread the word about this because they obviously don't want to be out of any money. Oh well phuck em. After class that day I went to the Financial Aid office and they gave me the number to someone who is connected to the situation. If you are interested and think you qualify, you can call CAROLYN ALLEN at 573-882-3611.
Be prepared to have your student number on hand. Word to the wise IF YOU WENT TO any campus at that time, PLEASE BE AWARE that the student numbers HAVE CHANGED at least up at UMSL. I found that out the hard way because I had my old student number memorized. So call the Registration Office to your campus to find out if that is the case at the OTHER schools.
I called Ms. Allen yesterday and received a message today, I do plan on calling her tomorrow and hopefully I will have a follow-up soon;).
Please note: Video above is after the ceremony. Pictures from both Saturday night at THE LOFT and of Sunday after the graduation are located on my FLICKR site which you can access on the right side toolbar;) Thanx!!!!
Saturday-
Ok, so here is the scoop on how we celebrated Kamina's special day. It begins Saturday evening when I get a call from Mina wanting to know if I'm still on for kickin it that evening. Of course I am and will be there by 9:30pm. Danielle unfortunately couldn't come because she had to work. So I get to Mina's all jazzed up, with heels, lace tie-up top, and denim long skirt, and my hair done from Friday evening in some pretty curls. We wait on Cookie (another good friend of Mina's) who is also riding along with us. We mob up and get in Mina's SUV and make our way downtown where we are meeting up with her friend Jason who is from out of town and here for her graduation. We meet up close to the DRURY INN and wait for him to get his car.
He comes thru 10 minutes later and we all get in his ride. Which might I say was absolutely STUNNING!!!! Definitely a site to behold, oh and Mina did swerve that sucka on the way to our destination, which was THE LOFT. We get there and have an excellent parking spot right across from the club. We get out and make our way in. Jason is sweet enough to pay for Mina, Cookie, and myself into the place. We go and walk around for a quick bit, and then we make our way to one of the VIP areas, with red rope and all. Jason bought some PETRON and Pineapple Juice for us to wet our lips on. I had never had Tequila before EVER so this was definitely something new to me.
I have a couple of drinks, sitting on one of the stools near our table, while Cookie and Mina are actin crazy on the couch. Jason is just nodding his head to music. People that Mina recognizes come thru and congratulate her and I'm just snappin pictures left and right on my digital camera. As Im checkin out the crowd from my perch I noticed a guy I hadn't seen in over 2 years. I'm lookin at him like DAMN!!! DAMN!!!! DAMN!!!! He still looked good even after all that time. You see he used to work with me at job# 2, and we were feelin each other (aka he liked me, I liked him). I'm lookin at him with a glaze look over my eyes LOL Mina looks at me and asks whats up I tell her about the guy.
Do you know what she does? She goes and talks to him and brings him over the VIP section. We give each other a hug and catch up on old times. I'm mad because I had planned on getting a picture with him before he left but I forgot. As Im talkin with Greg(that's his name), Mina and Cookie make there way over to the opposite side of the bar, where apparently they see some other friends and one CERTAIN acquantance. Hehehehe.
Well that leaves me and Jason in the VIP section for while and then I'm left by myself, since Greg had gone to join his cousin and Frat brothers in another area of the club. Jason then comes back to the VIP section and soon after Greg asks if he and his boys could chill in the section as well since his boys had consumed a tad bit of alcohol. I told him I didn't have a problem with it but since Jason did get the spot for us to chill in he would have to run it by him for permission. Jason gives his approval and allows them in.
As this is going on another dude was tryin to holla at me after I took his picture along with his boys. He bought drinks for myself, Mina, and Cookie. Well the shit hit the fan when Mina's phone turned up missing. She had left her purse in the VIP section and when she went to look for her phone it wasnt there. We searched the whole VIP section and it wasn't there. Things became more heated when the guy that was trying to holla at me was starting to tick Mina and Jason off. It came to the point where we thought Jason was about to come to blows with this cat. So Security and the Police step in and kick ol boy and search him to make sure he didn't take phone.
After we find out he doesn't have it we start to call her phone to see if it might have fallen someplace in the section. Unfortunately Mina's Buzz from the alcohol was completely shot and for the rest of the evening she was distraught over her phone. AS the club shuts down we start to call her phone again just to double check. I had been calling it thru out the night and we were trying to find out how it had been swiped. Eventually I actually get a phonecall back on my phone from HER PHONE. Some dude claimed he found it in the men's bathroom (personally I'm not buying that). We asked him where he was, he says SAINT LOUIS AVE AND COMPTON. He states he is on his way to our location back at THE LOFT to drop the phone off. Needless to say he was lying he never showed.
We get in Jason's ride and even see if that intersection of St. Louis and Compton AVe. exists, IT DOESNT. The asshole who stole her phone would answer the phone when I would call but just make bullshit staments and then eventually stop answering my calls altogether. So we are in car and make our way around town and meet up with a friend of Jason's who happens to be a cop. The only advice he could give Mina was to call Verizon and have the phone cut off, report it stolen and collect from her insurance. She was still steamed about the whole incident and drops me and Cookie off back by her place so we can get our cars and head on home.
Now of course I know you are wondering what happend with Greg. Well WHILE WE ARE STILL PARTYING AT THE CLUB, he informs me he moved to Columbia, MO and will soon become a dad. I asked him if the mother-to-be was still the same clingy psycho chick that he was with back in the day when he still worked at job# 2, he informs me YES. AUGHHHHHH!!!!!! He tells me he is happy but I still have my doubts about that one. I asked him what he and his boys had planned for after the club. He states they were suppose to go to THE PINK SLIP. I told him he would have a better time at BOTTOM'S UP. He looked at me asking, "HOW DO KNOW?" Told him I'd been there one time and this chick did this badass stunt I gave her the rest of my money in pockets. LOLOL He then makes the statement that he plans on getting wasted some more, finding him some chick to bone, before he has to go back home to Colombia, MO. YEP I KNEW there was a reason something was holding me back into pursing something with Greg. LOLOLOL But damn he still looked fine:)
Sunday-
Mina Graduation is held at the Touhill Center on Universtiy of Missouri St. Louis Campus. Danielle called me that morning to inform me that Mina and called her and informed her about her Phone being swiped at the club. I pick up Danielle for the graduation. Of course we are late by 30 minutes, so we have to go into another area where they have special screen so you can see the ceremony going on. Danielle and I are standing by the bleacher area waiting to catch a glimpse of Kamina on the screen. We do finally see here when she is getting her diploma. The cermony ends 15 minutes later and we all go out and congratulate her and take pictures.
We go to Bahamma Breeze in Chesterfield, MO for the celebration dinner. We (mina's family and friends) all have a good time and say speeches around the table. Of course you can never have an outing without some jokes and trust me there were plenty to go around. We part ways and I take Danielle home. I get home and just chillout and go to bed.
