Hello All,

I hope that everyone had a wonderful and joyous holiday last week. It was great to have my family around and enjoy laughter and good food and stories of the past but I must make one declaration. I AM BOYCOTTING NEXT YEARS HOLIDAY SEASON ALL TOGETHER!!

Sure, I had a great time and Santa was really good to me (I received a fanfreakingtastic digital camera so you all might see a motherload of pictures popping up on this blog. I'm just saying) but the cooking and cleaning and hosting is exhausting of which I'm still not recovered so I decided I'm not doing this crap again next year. I am completely boycotting the whole thing.

Just think how much time and energy I will save not to mention money if I don't have to run to the store and elbow or gut punch people for the last roaster chicken or ham or turkey or sweater I simply must have. No more cleaning, cooking or gift wrapping. I'm getting giddy just thinking about it.

Yeah, I think a boycott is the way to go.

I have a question I’d like to pose to the masses. What if you had children and you wanted to raise/discipline them in a certain way but their other parent had very different ideas on how things should be done. How do you handle that?

• You think the kids should have a curfew. The co-parent thinks they should be able to stay out all night.
• You feel spankings are in order but the co-parent says no way, no how!
• You want to enroll the kids in extra-curricular activities to expose them to different things but the co-parent is adamant that it’s not necessary.
• The co-parent is a meat and potatoes person but you are a vegetarian.

If you both are actively raising the children together then the co-parent’s view can’t very well be discarded. How do you navigate these difficult waters?

I was reading a fellow bloggers post today and she was talking about past loves and it got me to thinking about mine. It got me to thinking about Bernard Mackey and James Stewart.

Those two were the loves of my life. They were the air I breathed. They were my first thoughts when I awoke in the morning and the last thought when I laid my head on my pillow at night. They were my everything……when I was in the 5th grade.

See, I hear the scoffs of you non believers but trust me, our love was real. Well, maybe just my love. They really didn’t know my name, but that is beside the point. It didn’t mean our love was any less meaningful.

We left 5th grade, had different homerooms and somehow lost track of each other.

It’s sad really. I strongly feel that if I were able to muster up enough confidence to tell them how I felt, one of them would be my husband now and my pesky 2 year marriage 13 years ago would never have happened. I’m sure of it. A 32 year love affair thwarted.

Bernard or James, if either of you are reading this, call me.

You know what, I changed my mind. Bernard looked back then as if he'd wind up in prison someday so scratch him. James, it's just you and me baby.

As many of you know, The Analyst and I have been over for a little while now. I have been working hard to distance myself from him. Making sure he understands that we are done, all without coming across as a cold, calculating, unfeeling bitch.

I have told him many times that I have moved on. Things between us are damaged beyond repair. Even though I’ve told him these things I don’t think I have made myself very clear.

He came this weekend to pick up a few things from my house. I want him to take everything but he whines about not having enough room for everything and asks if he could leave the rest until he can figure out his next move. I relented and agreed but I am not very happy about this decision at all.

He made a statement to me while picking up his things that “we are going to be married before you know it.” I simply looked at him and said “You think so huh?”

What’s more disturbing is that he went on to make another statement when I asked for my keys back, “No! I don’t want to. We’re not done yet.”

He honestly believes that we will somehow find our way back together again someday. I could have insisted upon the return of my keys but looking at him I realized he was simply not ready. Not ready to let go. Not ready to move on. At that point I didn’t push the issue any further. I figure in time, when he’s ready. He’ll come to understand the finality of this situation and be more willing to let go of those keys.

As for now, he needs to still hold on and I’m not sure if I am hurting him more by being understanding and patient or if I should be the bitch I can be which would prove to crush him in the end. I’m at a total loss right now.

Ending a relationship is not always as cut and dry as we’d like.

Who knew men had a hard time letting go too?

I am a firm believer that customer service is extremely important. It can make or break your business.

With that said, if you are not a people person, please do not get a job in customer service. I beg of you.

Case in point, I had to return some curtain rods that were the wrong size at Wal-Mart. This is a “super” Wal-Mart in that it is fabulously large with a Subway, a nail salon, a bank, an ophthalmologist’s office and acres upon acres of grocery and household fabulousness.

I walked up to the customer service office armed with said curtain rods and was terribly disappointed to be confronted with a painfully long line with only one girl at the register and she looked all too pleased to be working at this time. Sure, I had nothing else better to do at 12:45 pm on a Tuesday afternoon anyway.

Finally, someone noticed how the line had stretched out of the office and wrapped around to the ophthalmologist’s office next door and decided to jump on the register next to Ms. Speedy Cashier there and help out.

Lucky for me when it was my turn at the register I got Ms. Speedy Cashier and instead of greeting me with a smile and asking what she can do for me today she stared at me without a word uttered, took hold of my receipt and began punching numbers into that register machine thing of hers. About 3 seconds later she looks up at the line and uttered not once but twice, “Gosh! People still keep getting in line. Dag!”

I merely turned my head to look at the end of the line, which I could not see, then I turned back to face her. I said nothing. I hope she wasn’t trying to get sympathy from me because she was ass out today my friend. This is your job. Get over it.

Since when was it OK to grumble and complain in front of customers?

If you don’t like your job then you need to find another. I'm just saying.

Finally, I've tabulated all of the votes and here is what you all had to say.

The sexiest women of 2008! Just as with the men I will not add any commentary because these women are all gorgeous and sexy and deserve their places on this list. Without further ado, here is the list:


#10
Eva

#9
Victoria Beckam



#8
Jessica Biel



#7
Sanaa Latham



#6
Halle Berry



#5
Charlize Theron



#4
Aishwarya Rai



#3
Jessica Alba



#2
Megan Fox

And the Sexiest woman of 2008!!!

Angelina Jolie!

HONORABLE MENTION! This next women makes Honorable Mention because she has a great campaign manager who also seems to have a thing for coffee. LOL

SSC!!

I know I promised the sexiest women of 2008 and that is coming up in a day or two but I had to preempt regularly scheduled blogging to fill you in on one of the most phenomenal concerts I have attended in recent times. None other then Ms. Tina Turner! I must start by saying that I was not looking forward to this concert. I had so much to do that I'd rather been at home getting things in order. But I have to say that words can not express how thrilled I am that I did attend.

Ms. Turner appeared at the Verizon Center in Washington DC. Let me just say that she looked absolutely beyond fabulous. It was outrageous.

She moved across the stage with such speed and precision it was hard to believe she was in her 60’s. Can we talk about those legs?!!! There are 20 year olds that would kill for those legs. She wore the sexiest, skimpiest outfits and looked simply gorgeous!

We had pretty decent seats but my camera phone could not capture her true stage presence so I attempted to get a few pictures of her from the jumbo screen. I was only able to snap the one you see above because the camera Nazi behind me would not allow me to take photos. Forget that there were flash bulbs going off all around the arena and no one was being told to cease their picture taking. I was pissed to say the least so sorry for the poor picture but I hope you can see just how fabulous she really is.

She performed for 2 ½ hours and I had never seen anything like it in my life! She definitely put many of these “youngsters” to shame. I am still in awe.

Ok everyone, you voted! The votes have been tallied and I have your top 10 hunks of 2008! I must say, you all have picked some really fine men if I say so myself. I am not going to write a comment for any of them because they are ALL gorgeous and sexy and deserve to be on this list!
Without further ado here we go:

#10
Lenny Kravitz

#9
George Clooney


#8
The Rock


#7
Mark Wahlberg


#6
Johnny Depp


#5
David Beckham


#4
Leo DiCaprio


#3
Michael Ealy


#2
Chase Crawford

There was a tie for the Number #1 spot!!!

Patrick Dempsey

and

Idris Elba

Coming up tomorrow, the sexy ladies!

I can not convey to you just how much I hate Comcast cable right now. They were scheduled to come to my home on Thursday to perform a complete install. They never show. I called several times and on the last call rescheduled the install for Saturday. Those bastards never showed again! I called and ripped them a new one. I was and still very livid!

I have no TV and no internet. I called them first thing this morning and cancelled my service. I had already scheduled Verizon FiOS to come on Saturday but being in a house with no TV or internet is rough. Especially since I sleep with the TV every night.

Comcast never tried to make things right. Their customer service sucks terribly. Everytime I called I was given a different story as to what was going on.

I hope those bastards go out of business.

On another note, I will tally your votes for the sexiest men and women and get that up by Sunday.

After 5 1/2 months I am finally moving in today! I am really excited about getting out of that God forsaken hotel but looking at the 300 or so boxes they brought back to the house yesterday I am a little overwhelmed with all the work ahead of me.

Being gone from home has made me realize just how much I take for granted:

1. Washing clothes anytime I want without having to go on an expedition mission for quarters.
2. Being able to watch all the TV cable channels I'm used to watching everyday. Having only 5 channels suck and I've missed all my favorite shows.
3. Being able to watch DVD's anytime I want.
4. Having a truly high speed internet connection. The connection at this hotel sucks and I can not watch videos without them stopping every second. Takes 30 mins to watch a 6 min video.

Yeah, I am ecstatic about being home.

Now excuse me while I go run around and act like a complete fool.

Ok my beloved blogging buddies, it's that time of year again. I can't believe it's been almost a year already but nonetheless it's time for us to select the 2nd annual top ten sexiest women and sexiest men alive. Yeah baby!!! People magazine has nothing on us!!

We are doing this differently this year. It is up to you my dear friends to select this years winners.

Just enter you choices for sexiest man and woman in the comments section. I'll tally all the entries and the winners will be posted here in just a few days!

So get to entering!!!!

I had to fly to Massachusetts for a client visit this week. Can I say I hate the pain in the ass TSA jerks?

I know they have a job to do but is it in their job description to harass and piss me off? I mean really.

OK, I know that you can only take liquids and gels that are of a certain size and they must be in a plastic bag. I know this but dagnabit I forget sometimes. Geeze! Sue me.

I leave Baltimore with no problem. The TSA agents that checked my bags were fine. The guy did throw away my large Bath and Body Works Moonlight Path lotion. I was not happy but whatever.

After my trip I arrive at the airport in Connecticut and the idiot TSA agent goes into my bag and pulls out my Olay Total Effects moisturizer that I JUST bought and my Clarins Advanced Eye Serum. He had the audacity to say to me, “These have to be in a plastic bag.”

“Uh I know, the TSA agents in Baltimore didn’t say anything.”

“Well you need to have these in a plastic bag or go out and check your bag.” With my products in his hand, he actually started looking around as if trying to locate a trash can. Did he just lose his mind?

I know the guy is legally correct but can there be some consistency in this process? If some agents let you go then come on dude, you can too. I was getting a little heated.

“Are you kidding me? Do you realize how expensive this stuff is?”

“You need a bag and I don’t have one back here. You’ll need to check your bag.”

“Come on now. I’m not getting out of this line! That stuff is too expensive to throw out. You have got to be kidding me!”

He then proceeds to search around and luckily he located a plastic bag. YIPPEE!

I was fully prepared to fight tooth and nail for my skin care products. I pay a lot of money for this stuff and I be damned if I was going to let him throw it out.

I was fully prepared to go to the big house for the right to have my skin care products in my bag the way I want them. Sometimes you just have to take a stand people. Bastards!

I was reading a blog buddy’s post today and it got me thinking. No, I’m not going to link back to her blog because I don’t think she’d like that. She’s much more low key then the rest of us.

Anyway, her question today prompted me to write this post. She asked women how they felt about their men frequenting strip clubs. She asked the men if they would have a problem with their woman accompanying them to said strip club or would they prefer to go alone.

Her thought was “I personally think there is nothing wrong with a man going to the strip club… I think it’s nothing more than some up-close and personal fantasy time”

She goes on further to say, “I think that the best thing a woman could do if she has issues with her man going to the strip club is, GOING WITH HIM!”

For me, this is not a cut and dry issue. I used hang out with strippers, both male and female. I dated a male dancer and I had a female dancer as a roommate at one time. I even MC’d a few shows for the girls actually. I would observe how the men interacted with the female dancers.

I have to tell you that for the most part, the guys were pretty respectful and just enjoyed the show and went home.

I have to say that I would not have a problem with my guy going to a strip club/show every now and then as long as he didn’t try to hide that from me. I’m not a prude by any stretch of the imagination.

We’d have problems, however, if he were to lie to me about going and if he went a little to frequent for my liking. Once a month or so I can handle but beyond that I’d begin to think there was a problem.

Hell, I’d even go with him a few times. It could bring a whole new dynamic to the bedroom.

Now I bring this to you my female bloggers, what do you all think about men going to the strip clubs when they have women at home?

Men, how do you feel about bringing your women along?

I was talking to my girl Crazy this evening. She has a 9 year old son and she was explaining to me that she had to help him with his school project. Apparently he has to create a dia...dia...dia something or other. I have no idea what the hell she was talking about?

Then she said that the "new math" he's doing is killing her. What is wrong with the old math? I'm sorry but I count, add, subtract and multiply the old way just fine thank you very much!

Do they still teach the Metric system in school these days? I remember my teachers in elementary school telling me that I had to learn this new metric system because eventually we here in the US were going to totally convert over. Uuummm, I'm still waiting.

Talking to my girl made me realize I am not smarter then a 5th grader. Damn!

I signed up for a tutor. All this shit is making my head hurt. His mother said he could start tomorrow. Wish me luck.

I have a confession to make... I am a Deal or No Deal junkie. At 6:00pm I must turn on to watch the new weekly ½ hour version to get my fix and I LOVE it.

I must admit though, I think I am going to give myself a heart attack by watching it. I never realized how stressful that show really is. I’m sitting there yelling at the TV, “Low number! Low Number!” “The left side! The left side dammit!”

It’s terrible. If someone unveils the $500,000, $250,000 or $100,000 too soon I fall into a deep depression.

I agonize over whether or not to deal or push it just one round further. Oh the pressure is excruciating.

Even though my blood pressure rises to out of control levels I can not stop watching this show.

And here is the kicker; I applied to be a contestant. I’m not a glutton for punishment at all am I?

I have a question for you; if someone asked you to be their supporter on Deal or No Deal would you expect them to give you part of their winnings?

I can't take it any more. I need a drink.

As a society we have all taken for granted all of the wonderful things we have been blessed with, nice homes, nice clothes, a great job, a car, food, tavel. Anything we want we pretty much get as a society.

My question to you my friends, when is too much just too much?

As most of you know, I am a trainer. I teach occasionally at a local community college.

Tonight, my good people, I had to teach and just so happened to walk by a class that had boxes and boxes of glasses and food and whatnot. I thought, 'Ooohh. They are having a party.'

I walked past the class and looked at the sign describing the class so that I knew what class that was.

Why people, oh why was the class titled Intermediate Appreciation of Beer.

Since when the hell do people need a class to appreciate beer?

I'm signing up next week. I'll let you know how it goes. :)

Being a woman in today's society is an absolute adventure. I am not sure that men really fully understand or appreciate what it means to be a woman today. Let me shed some light on it for you.

We women experience the joys of having our feet feel as though they are going to combust at any moment because the heels we are wearing are squishing our toes together into one big toe.

Two to three times a month we subject ourselves to being scorched by blow dryers, burned and bruised by a curling iron slipping from the hands of our capable stylists and grazing our foreheads or neck that we have to put make up on to hide for about a week. Not to mention the numerous dye jobs and perms/relaxers we endure.

We can not forget the midlife pooch, the stretch marks and the stiffening joints. The iron deficiency that makes us want to fall out from exhaustion that we expereince every month. After gravity has set in and our bodies go to pot we must take on the most desirable task of finding a girdle that won't cut off our circulation so we can at least breath without sounding like a freight train.

With the physical pain aside, there is the second full time job of chef, homework monitor, soccer/little league/play date chauffeurs, field trip/school lunch/the must have jeans financiers, accounts payable clerk, dog walker and feeder and doctor appointment schedulers.

Then there is the occasional girlfriend in crisis that require us to assist her with stalking, egging the front door and keying the car of her ex boyfriend at 2:30 am on a work night who just got caught cheating on her with her best friend.

Oh yeah, being a woman is definitely an adventure but you know what, I wouldn't have it any other way.

OK, so since The Analyst and I split I've just been relaxing. Not dating at all. Figured I'd wait until I got back home, life settled down a little.

Well Friday night my girl Sher and I went out for drinks and dinner at this local restaurant that featured a live jazz band so we knew it would be lively that night. I was looking forward to the evening because it had been a long while since she and I hung out.

Well during the course of the evening I met 3 guys. Neither of them are really going to make the cut but it was a fun evening nonetheless.

Well after a few conversations with a couple of these guys we decided to meet up this evening. So I met with guy number 1 at 7:00pm. This was already going to be a short date because he had to work later that evening and needed to get home and sleep before his shift.

My problem with guy #1; he works 2 jobs, he lives with a friend, he can't afford his own place so that is why he's been living with his friend for 2 years. Uuummmmmm, no! To add to the mix, he has a 10 year old son that requires alot of his time. Yeah, OK.

I left him at 7:30pm with the excuse I had to pick up my little nieces for my brother because he had to work late.

I met Guy number 2 at 8:00pm. The conversation was great. We debated and had a really great time.

My problem with Guy #2; he smokes and I do not date smokers. YUCK! He ordered his drink before me when the server came over to take our order. He saw several friends at the restaurant but never bothered to introduce me to them let alone acknowledge my existence. He has a 7 year old son whom he has no qualms with leaving in the next several months to move 3300 miles across the country to LA. I told him he was going to miss out on alot and asked him how he was going to field the really hard questions his son would surely have for him when he got older like "why did you leave me?". His response, "Sometimes you just have to live your own life. His mother and I don't get along." I told him that he should not let that get in his way of being there for his son and he said he just had to do his own thing.

He's not selfish at all is he? Hmmmmm. Excuse me but I was under the impression that when you have children your life is on hold. They become your priority.

Hmmmm... 2 dates in one night and neither guy makes the cut.

The third guy, I will not even call. He needs dental work and I can't deal with that.

Am I being too picky?

Now I know why I could never live in a high rise apartment building. Yikes!! I have two neighbors on my floor here at the hotel that are cooking and whatever the hell they are fixing is so darn spicy it's making me ill.

I have to go downstairs to the laundry room to wash clothes, which is drama in itself, and everytime I go out into the hall my nose is assaulted by these offensive aromas. They have the audacity to have their doors cracked open!

Do you think they'd be offended if I crept their door open and flooded their room with Oust? Hmmmmm?

Speaking of going to the laundry room, on my way to the elevator I saw this old guy with the nastiest, crustiest feet I have ever seen who got on with me! I swear I threw up in my mouth a little. I swear I COULD NOT look at those nasty feet so I looked up in the air to avoid contact. Eeeeiiiiwwww! There should be a warning label when he's around and walking bare feet! DAMN!

Have you ever had one of those days when you are trying and trying to come up with a blog post and nothing comes to mind? Life is pretty bland these days and you have no appropriate blog fodder. You sit at your desk at work and you just sit there, thinking. ‘I could post about the time I was carried way by a strong gust of wind down the street’. Naaahhh. That won’t do. ‘I could blog about the time I went to the mall in Arundel Mills and lost my car in the parking lot like in Seinfeld.’ Naaaahhh, not funny. Hmmmmm.

In the middle of all this mind ramble a coworker comes to your desk and begins to ask you questions about work. 'How dare you? Don’t you see I’m in turmoil trying to come up with a blog post?' you think to yourself.

Coworker leaves and you begin to get back to the task at hand, coming up with an adequate blog post. Hmmm…..'I could post about my coworker who is still hung up on her ex husband.’ Hmmm... naahh.

‘I could post about how I am excited about dating again once I move back home.’ Naaahhh, they wouldn’t be interested in that, I think.

You almost have an idea then the phone rings and disrupts your train of thought, “What!” you scream into the receiver unnerved by the interruption only to find its your boss on the other end.

You ever have one of those days? Well I’m having one now.

I found this and thought I'd share.

1. She has a positive attitude. There's no energy that can mimic what's released when a positive, high-stepping woman enters a room. A positive attitude is the fuel needed to drive us from idea conception to realization.

A positive attitude takes conscious effort on your part. Arrest negative thoughts and replace them with positive ones. Listen to the things you're saying to yourself in your mind. Deliberately use words that focus on constructive, affirming truths about yourself.

To help you stay positive, surround yourself with people who'll encourage, inspire and believe in you. If you have a positive attitude, you'll be able to see the potential that lies within you.

2. She can overcome obstacles. Women who've struggled in their lives tend to have amazing inner strength. Use adversity to your advantage. At the end of a struggle, you're a better, more valuable person. Helen Keller said, "Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, vision cleared, ambition inspired and success achieved." Find what you're meant to learn in a struggle, and you'll see that it isn't as fierce as it appears to be.

3. She is strong minded. Strong minded doesn't mean that you're rude, conceited or destructive. On the contrary, a strong-minded woman displays confidence. When you're strong minded, you're empowered, possess a healthy self image and take responsibility for your life. The entrepreneurial spirit, by its very nature, requires us to consider possibilities that most aren't brave enough to.

4. She is soft hearted. Charity and compassion allow us to reach beyond our cookie-cutter lives and make a difference in the lives of others. By reaching out to others, we grow as individuals. A woman with a compassionate heart has great influence

5. She has integrity. You don't need to leave victims in your path to be victorious. You don't need to step on others to step to the next level. Integrity must be the very core of your character. Always put honor before dollars and live by your convictions. As you gain respect and trust, your company will grow. People seek to do business with those they trust.

6. She has balance in her life. Our lives revolve around four major categories: family and friends, health, wealth and spirit. These areas must be balanced to lead a fulfilled life. Evaluate your balance continually. A balanced life allows you to think clearly with imagination and optimism.

7. She sets goals. Goals are dreams with a plan for realization. Commit your short- and long-term goals to writing. Record how and when you'll achieve them. Post your goals in plain sight and review them often. Record the reward when the goal is attained. Remember that you can't hit a mark you can't see, and continual success demands a plan.

8. She is driven by a cause. Looking for the hole in the market is a strategic move in every entrepreneur's plan. Find the needs in your business ventures and pursue those causes with passion.

9. She is a teacher. Great woman teach. People want to know what you have that ignites that flame within. We can help mold the great women of tomorrow.

10. She's focused on the next step. The greatest point of resistance is just before breakthrough. We must have a stubborn resolve to see ourselves to the other side. When challenging circumstances seek to derail us, if we just take that next step, we'll find that we've made it.

Agree or disagree?

Do you ever get tired? I'm not talking about physically tired where you require a nap. This is a little deeper then that.

I am really tired of giving and giving and never getting what I need in return. Just because I never ask for anything (and I never do) that does not mean I don't need.

I may not need your money, I may not need a place to stay, I may not need to borrow your car but I need your support and understanding. That is all I ever "ask" of those close to me.

It gets a little disheartening when you need someone to just be there and they are not. It can hurt.

I am a very strong, self reliant woman and I really don't need anything from you materially speaking but just be supportive and that goes a long way.

When I had my surgery last year The Analyst took really good care of me but the only one of my friends to actually come and visit was R. I have known her for 30 years and she has been the constant mainstay in my life. I never held that against my supposed friends here in Maryland, not even my "friend" that lives in PG County which is 50 mins from my house whom I would bring food to because she was too distraught over her boyfriend being in Iraq to eat and then spending the night with her when her grandmother died but you better believe I never forgot.

The Analyst is a good man but he has some issues that have forced me to break off the relationship recently. Sure, he calls regularly and tries to get me to reconsider but I haven't heard anything from him that would suggest that things would change.

There were many times in the past when I needed his support and he was nowhere to be found. I never held that against him but, again, I never forgot. But over time the things that upset you begin to fester and build and build until you can no longer overlook them.

For some reason he asks alot of me and I give and give but it never seems to be enough. He still wants me to continue to be put out more and more and it's frustrating.

I'm the one that is still living in a small one room hotel that only furnishes you with 5 channels on the TV. I am the one that does not have my DVD's, my clothes, my furniture, my soft bed, my cable, my computer with all its software, my important paperwork while he is living in a HOUSE with his parents with all the luxuries I am temporarily without and he still expects me to give and exert myself yet further.

I love my life. I have a great home (whenever I am living there, lol), I have a few really good friends (a couple of them live outside of Maryland and that sucks), I love my job and the people I work with, I am not hurting financially (which is a lot to be said in THIS economy) but when will enough be enough? I am just tired.

I hope I am making sense because I just needed to vent.

I have a question I’d like to pose to all my blogging buddies.

Let’s say that you were hosting a party at your home and you had about 35 people in attendance. Also in attendance was your lovable Labrador Retriever named Roxie.

All of your guests are fine with the dog but one guest seems a bit skittish around Roxie. Obviously not a dog lover.

Would you ignore your guests’ uneasiness and let Roxie continue to roam freely around the party or put Roxie in the house as your guests are outside by the pool?

What would you do?

My friend Tracy, whom I had dinner with on the Sunday chronicled in the previous post told me the most incredible story that I'm still shaking my head behind.

She has a really good friend named "Sherry". Sherry is married to "Victor". Sherry and Victor have two little kids whom they absolutely adore. My friend Tracy has no children.

Tracy was visiting Sherry and Victor one day when Sherry out of the blue says, "Tracy, you should have a baby!"

"I don't know, maybe I should be MARRIED before I have a kid." was Tracy's response.

"Oh come on Tracy! I'll help you raise the kid."

"Uuumm, I think I need a man first." Tracy says.

"You can use Victor's sperm. I'm done with it. We're not having any more kids." Sherry says as she looks at her two sons.

"What? Are you kidding me?" Tracy says befuddled and trying to stifle a guffaw.

"No! I'm totally serious."

Tracy then looks over at Victor and asks, "Are you OK with this?" to which he simply shrugs.

"Do it Tracy!! We'll be family!" Sherry squeals.

I have never in all my life heard of any woman offering her husband as a sperm donor to a heterosexual woman. I am still shocked.

Could any of you women ever pimp out your husband's sperm like that?

OK, so my weekend started off pretty normal. My plan was to meet some girlfriends for a movie then dinner. We met at the theater and saw a great movie then decided afterward to go to a restaurant close by for dinner. Not a problem. As we are eating and enjoying ourselves we notice that some people had walked in and started setting up for what looked like a birthday party.

Of course me being as nosey as I am had to ask the server what was going on. She informed us that a group had rented the place for a private party and they were charging admission. We were like 'OK, whatever.'

We finished our meal and was waiting on the check when we noticed a half naked man walking past our table! We looked at each other and the obligatory high fives were going around and the decision was made right then and there to stay our asses right there to see what was going on.

Then a few minutes later a couple of girls dressed in lingerie started walking around as well. Hmmmmmmmmm.

As it turns out this group was a sensual pleasures group who sold adult toys and they were throwing an appreciation party for all their freaky patrons. Hmmmmmmmm...

They gave us all gift boxes with condoms in them. Condoms, lingerie, dildos and nipple clamps. Damn skippy we stayed to observe the festivities. This only happens to me. lol

That was Saturday. Sunday I met another girlfriend for dinner. As I was approaching the restaurant in Columbia MD, I witnessed a Howard County police officer race up, jump out of his car, run up to this kid and knock him off his bike, Then a few more cop cars barrel into the parking lot and they all converged on this kid and began to rough him up. My blood began to boil.

I stood just outside of the restaurant and watched the entire thing. If I was thinking I would have videoed it with my cell phone. Dagnabit! Anyway, there was this one cop that started walking away to retrieve the kids bike and I was so pissed off at how they were handling him that I screamed "Cops are fucking assholes!"

This jerk stops in mid stride, walks over to me and says,"Keep it up and I'll arrest you for disorderly conduct."

I looked at him and said "Disorderly conduct?"

He says,"Yes, for cussing in public."

I said, "I'm here." As if to say I'm here, what's stopping you? The jerk didn't scare me. Puleeze! He just turned around. I turned to walk into the restaurant but my rage got the better of me and I turned back around and walked back out side to prove to that jerk he did not scare me.

There was another lady standing out there as well and I said....loudly..."That guy is an ass! I'm not scared of him!" She was standing there cosigning everything I said.

Then a gentleman walked out of the restaurant to have a smoke and he inquired as to what was going on. I told him.....as loudly as possible...that the cops across the street were roughing up a kid. Then I added...loudly of course... "That ass over there thinks some one is supposed to be scared of him. I'm not scared of him!" I even pointed at that jerk for good measure. He might be able to scare most people but he didn't scare me. Jerk.

He caught me on the wrong day.

I have a really good friend that I've known for 30 years. I'd do anything for her because she has always been there for me. When we were kids we'd fight like sisters would but always made up because that what sisters do. She had a baby last year and due to medical situations he was never circumcised. She had decided to put it off for a year.

Well a year has come upon us and I asked her recently if she still planned to have her baby son circumcised and she informed me that she had changed her mind.

I know this is between her and her husband but I seriously feel upset about that. I feel she is doing him a serious disservice by not having him circumcised.

Women like a circumcised penis. It looks aesthetically more pleasing plus it's easier for the man hygienically speaking. It's just a win win situation. I know I shouldn't be this upset but I really feel they need to have that boy circumcised.

How do you all feel about circumcision? Women, do you prefer a man that has had this done? Men how do you feel on this subject?

I attended a wedding this weekend. My little cousin got married and it was a lovely event. His aunts and uncles and grandfather made the drive to Maryland from South Carolina for the nuptials.

His aunts and uncles are my cousins and his grandfather is my aunts husband. It was great seeing all of them since I hadn't seen them in about 7 years or so since my aunts death.

Although I was looking forward to seeing them I was also a little apprehensive. You see, I never hear from them at all but they periodically call my younger brother Kevin.

When they arrived on Friday, they called Kevin but I didn't hear a peep from them. My brother drove over and hung out with them but no one thought to call me.

I have a few other cousins that live here in MD that I only see during family get togethers but yet again, they are in constant contact with both of my brothers. I found out at the wedding that they had all arranged a get together where they all hung out and had a grand ol' time but no one thought to call me. Hmmmmm....

The more I thought about things the more I began to feel as an outsider in my very own family. I have a younger cousin named Ann that seemed to have cut herself off entirely from the family. No one has seen or heard from her in years. I personally hadn't seen her since my fathers death in 93. Thinking about her last night I totally understand her now.

Is there no wonder I will not look back ONCE when I leave MD? I think I will do just what Ann did and just cut everyone out when I leave.

Have you ever felt like an outsider in your own family?