Phoenix Rising

A Little Bit of This, A Little Bit of That

Christmastime in the City - I'm an unabashed big kid. I love Christmas. From the sappy carols to the decorating to the gift-giving and receiving. It is definitely my time of year. I decorated my class and put up my tree today. There is nothing like drinking a mug hot cider spiced with cinnamon and sitting next to a tree ablaze with lights. I've been shopping like a maniac. I show love year-round but when Christmas comes I especially like to give gifts that let people know I've been thinking about them and I love them. The gifts don't have to be expensive. Just thoughtful. Sometimes they are thoughtful and expensive. Thoughtless gifts and cheap ass people at Christmas SUCK. My son's big gift this year is a cat. Seeing how much I hate house animals, this is a HUGE step for me.  But the first time the bastard cat uses my furniture as a scratching post...Hasta La ByeBye. I just think where I was last year and I thank GOD that I am in a better place.

What A Girl Wants - I'm a Product Whore. This time helps me indulge because there are so many great bath, body and makeup gift sets out there. I'm currently in love with this. It's such a minty treat for your lips with such fab shine, that I damn near stop strangers on the streets and dab a little on their fingers to try on.

What A Girl Needs - People always ask me what makeup do I wear. When I tell them none, then they want to know my skincare regimen. First of all I thank the good genes and then I let folks know that I exfoliate DAILY. It keeps my face glowing and fresh. I'm partial to Aveeno Positively Radiant or the Olay Cleanser and Toner. I use Lancome's Regenerie as a moisturizer. It's creamy, light and smells great. It's expensive, so a lil dab'll do ya. And I absolutely do not leave the house without blush, mascara, and lip gloss. There are so many awesome products out there and Sephora is a woman's multiple orgasm.  Or maybe just mine?

Blessed at Work - I am really lucky to say that I have the ideal work situation. I am surrounded by intelligent, educated, beautiful black women with great personalities. We have a 2nd period "sister circle" where we hole up in one of our classrooms, have breakfast and just shoot the shit. It is great to be around like minded people. My department head is a DREAM. I swear I wish she would adopt me, just so I could eat her cooking all the time and listen to her talk about her experiences. My kids are coming along. When you work with kids and you can see that light that shines when they "get it" or how they come to life during discussions, it is awesome. I wouldn't trade it for the world.

Freaky Friday Redux

Hey, hey, hey! (Either Fat Albert or Rog from What's Happenin'...it's all in the inflection.  Take your pick)I feel that it may be time to take my blogworld bow.  Yet another site I frequented bit the dust. Anyway, here are some random wanderings from my mind.

• I'm pleased to announce (not really) that I did take 2nd place at the Annual Teacher Rap Battle. The kids ate it up, though. It is really something for them to see us out of our element. I have to admit that I did get a bit carried away with my shout outs. And I was booed when I shouted out the class of 2010. But hey, I teach all freshmen. I had to hold them down.
• How the hell does a departmental meeting turn into a scuffle...all behind a rubric and norming essays? Your girl Phoenix DOES get a kick out of shit like that.
• I took my class clown out in the hallway and told him to CUT THE SHIT. Aren't you tired of being an ass, because i am tired of you being one. Now go in there and sit the hell down.
• I did receive the nicest compliment from a young lady.  She told me that i constantly embarrass the other young ladies.  She asked did I intend to dress better than my students daily. Nah, honey but I do need to preserve my sexy and find a husband.
• I have to buy a halloween costume for my son. And a witch's hat for me. I'm trying to figure out how the kids never leave me alone, yet they say i am so mean. The witch's hat is for them.
• Phoenix Jr. is doing well in school. I brought him with me to my school's Open House, which my headmaster loved. He actually said that my son is the best representative of what I do and the parents of my students would feel totally comfortable entrusting their kids with me after seeing my own son. I thought that was a really nice thing to say.  It is great when people can look at your child and can tell that they have truly been invested in and trust you to do the same with others. Parenting is not lip service.
• I watched the gubenatorial debate last night. I was so mad i logged on to Kerry Healey's site and left a message. I was pretty disgusted at the commercials she's airing with a woman walking in a deserted parking garage while a menacing voice-over talks about Deval Patrick's association with Ben LaGuer. I hope that people are smart enough to catch the fact that she believes a person that commits a crime can't change.  I don't know enough about LaGuer to say if he has or hasn't, but i trust Patrick enough to believe he is a good judge of character.  Also, the fact the she wants to exclude the two other candidates from the debates shows just how she will exclude other minorities or people she doesn't feel should be at the table. Regardless of their chances to win, Mihos and Ross are the legitimate candidates from their party.  If she had better character or the current administration was better or if the issues she espoused were favorable for all the people in Mass, she wouldn't have to worry about trying to pigeonhole Patrick.  It sucks for her that she has 3 people that call her on her bullshit.
• She kept mentioning Patrick being in bed with the "special interests" one of which is the Teacher's Union.  It strikes me that the people that educate your children ARE the people you should be in bed with. It amazes me that some people think it is a good idea to do away with class size maximums. Right now, you can have 31. I'd say that I interact personally with about 15 during class. I can't get to more if EVERYONE needs extra attention. Each class has at least 4 that can hear it once and be on their way; 7-10 are English Language Learners and need close explanation; I'd say another 3-4 should be in SPED classes and have fallen through the cracks; and the rest are typical students. How the HELL can they think it is a good idea to add more?
• But...I'm liberal about some things and conservative about others.  Immigration, illegal and legal, is one of the things on my conservative agenda. Now in fairness to ALL the people that want to come to the country and do so lawfully, I don't condone illegal immigration. Illegal immigrants and their children shouild be sent back to their countries. Yeah, waaah, waaah, blah blah blah. If the citizens of this country received the aid they needed, i wouldn't have a problem with it. But the US needs to clean house first. No, illegal immigrants shouldn't get in-state tuition or whatever else. And everyone needs to know how to speak English.

This Just In...

The latest Kerry Healey commercials have me wanting to slap a bitch. Any bitch will do.

When TV Hurts Your Feelings

I don't consider myself a tv addict. There is just certain shit I like to watch and the fall season affords me the opportunity to indulge myself. My favorite girls, the Gilmores are back. The creator and her husband have left the show and I can really tell. Anyway, Lorelai's romance with Luke falls apart.  Lorelai felt as if Luke wasn't allowing her in his life and putting his baby mama and child ahead of her, so she gave him an ultimatum. And he didn't pick the right door. So Lorelai sleeps with her baby daddy, Christopher.  At the end of tonight's show Luke and Lorelai meet in the freezer aisle of the grocery store and he tells her something like we weren't right for each other, we were pretending and now we can go back to being our real selves. Awesome, right? A little tear fell.

Of course I've been watching ANTM. Tyra is trying harder and harder to position herself as the next Oprah and I am just not buying it. Sorry. But this cycle's crop of girls is unremarkable. I'm glad the girl with the two small children and their father in Iraq got sent home. Heffa, go take care of your kids before they rob me someday. Damn. One thing about the girls that irk me is the whole "no one ever told me i was pretty" bullshit. Err, umm, then why the fuck did you enter a modeling contest where millions of people would tune in to bash you? That takes some big balls, huh?

Sunday is the New Negro Night on the CW. Everybody Hates Chris (which I watch with my son), followed by All of Us, Girlfriends, and the new show The Game. As Antwan Merriweather would say, Hated It! All of Us has sucked for a while. LisaRaye needs to go be the first lady of wherever the fuck it is that man she married runs. Or make that money, don't let it make her. Whichever comes first. Will Smith must be the Man in Hollywood or he is financing this awful piece of television himself. Girlfriends without Toni? Cornflakes without the milk and other trite sayings. I didn't really get down with the show in the beginning because it seemed like a Sex and the City knockoff. And the characters were really raggedy looking. All Posner and Fashion Fair makeup. The opening montage was Joan jogging through a ravaged New Orleans with a fucking iPod. Anachronistic to say the least. I thought it was kinda disgusting. Then the new show with one of the Sister, Sister girls. Question: How do they know which twin to cast? Both bitches look and sound the same to me. Anyway. This show is all about a rookie NFL player and his girlfriend.   Hilarity ensues as they navigate through groupies and God only knows what. Christ on a bicycle, they could have at least made the wench his wife. Shit, if your average nondescript nigga would volunteer a threeway with his girl's friend, what damage can someone with a little money do?

I'm watching The Wire. Really looking at the show through an educator's eyes. I'd be a damn lie if I said that I understood what goes on in Baltimore. Shit, people living in Baltimore don't understand what the hell is going on! It's hubris to sit behind a computer screen and do a Black power salute because as bad as I've lived, it's never, ever been that bad. And if it was... I couldn't blog about how enthralling it is. 

Random Shit...The Lost Bulleted Points

• I really wish people would stop sending me pics or posting their fugly children. One day I am going to be off my meds and start telling people to stop letting their kid lick windows.
• Mayor Menino is my cousin. Really. But he got the business on Friday when he came up to the school. Instead of utilizing the "Green Room", he sat in on a 10th grade math class. The kids abandoned their lesson and asked Menino such pertinent questions as why hasn't he endorsed Deval Patrick and what is the real deal with the bio-lab. I bet his ass wishes he didn't set foot in that class. O'B kids are the BEST and the BRIGHTEST.
• I'd like to be commended on my self-control. I want to cuss someone out SO BAD i can taste it. Yeah, he probably don't deserve it, but I hold grudges and the thought (mistaken as it may be) that someone thinks they got the best of me rankles. Especially when he wasn't worthy in the first gotdamned place.
• I registered to vote when i moved. I know i did. So why do I have to drive to my old neighborhood to vote. Why, dammit, why? I'd almost say Deval Patrick has it in the bag, but this is the country that re-elected George Bush. I'm never counting my chicks before they hatch again.
• Why can't some shit just be FUNNY?! It aggravates me how some people always want to turn some shit into a political statement. I've been reading some stuff about a YouTube clip that is out there, which I think is fucking hilarious...but folks got their panties in a bunch about it. Niggas PLEASE. Clean up your own house before marching on Washington...thanks!
• Reading a book now and again won't kill you.
• I've got a LOT of work ahead of me this year with my 9th graders.
• I really like most of the folks I work with.
• Blog World has a lot of certified chumps out there. I'd like for the Black Blogger's Association to come up with a chumpiest site award so i can vote...and vote often.
• If you can't tell, I'm in a mood.
• Hopefully this mood will have disintegrated by the time I take a relaxing bath and have quality sex.
• Hasta la bye-bye.

Random Shit Part Eleven

It's hard work, working hard. I'm TIRED. Matter of fact, I have no idea what I am doing awake now. I just wrote about 7 lesson plans. Thank God TV Land is running a Good Times marathon. Anyway, here's the Random Shit for this week.

It's Not TV, It's HBO: Damn skippy. I'm excited because Bill Maher is back. I've decided that he can be my Something New. I love that guy. Mind you, I can't watch him with everyone. Nothing irks my nerves more than someone who feels like they have to always comment on what is said or constantly say "that's not funny". Bill and I go way back and we shall continue on. The Wire is back as well. I watched the last season again. I got to mourn the death of Stringer Bell all over again. I'm telling you, that man is #2 on the list of men whose children I will gladly bear. #1 is still Alonzo Mourning and the #3 spot has surprisingly been taken over by Clive Owen. He is past sexy. Anyway, this season of The Wire enters the Baltimore Public School System also known as the Seventh Circle of Hell. There is not enough money in the world to get me to teach there.

SUV's - I never thought I was a SUV kinda girl. When I had the opportunity to get a new car, I ran right to the Corolla. However, a good friend of mine has a Volvo SUV that is the best friggin' thing i have ever driven. I mean, luxurious out of this world and a really smooth ride. When we go out, I usually pester him to drive. I always try to get his car when I know he'll be working. But unfortunately for me, he is NOT trying to fold his tall frame into my little car. Bummer.

Kid's Parties - Wow. I have never and never want to again experience a kid's party that lasts for 7 hours. That is right. 7. Damn. Hours. I was so tired at the end of Saturday. My best friend's daughter turned two on Carnival Saturday. I'm still thankful that I didn't have to run up in the middle of that mess that carnival causes every year. Anyway, I'm somewhat of a Julie the Cruise Director, so I organized about 15 kids for games and prizes. Musical chairs, Pin the Tail on the Donkey and a mean dance contest where a 5 year old did the chicken head and the yung joc motorcycle dance. But do you know your ab3's, I asked? Let's turn BET off and Noggin on. Better yet, grab a book. I swear, when will good parenting return?!

Shopaholic - I really think I can give Sophie Kinsella's character a run for her money. I've been getting my school wardrobe ready. I take my personal appearance really, really seriously. I have no idea how people can make it a practice of going to work looking like whodunit on a daily basis. Anyway, I'm really pleased with what I've assembled so far. Lots of pencil skirts, some pleated, a bunch of kick ass trousers, great blouses and sweaters and the best part, my patterned pantyhose. Not tights. Actual argyle stockings. Fabulous. I'll need a separate post for my great MAC and Sephora buys.

Same Bat Time, Same Bat Channel

Hello, Hello, Hello!

I can't believe that it is already the 6th of August. Where has summer gone? In less than a month, it is time for work to begin and all I can think is I'M NOT READY!!! I swear, I start to hyperventilate thinking about the first day of school. I am ready to work though. For the past 6 years, I have been a full time mother, student and employee. This summer was a welcome break, an extended vacation if you will. But, the life as a lady of leisure isn't for me. Well, maybe it will be if I find and marry the man that will keep me in the style of which I can become quickly accustomed.

I have a new hair stylist (thank you Jesus!) I was talking to one of my girlfriends and I decided that I needed something new. So, i made an appointment with Brianna at Diego's on Newbury Street and cut off three inches of hair. If I may say so myself, it looks great. Random women have been stopping me on the street telling me how great the cut is. I met one of my guy friends for lunch and he said while it "looks nice" I need to stop it. Why are men so preoccupied with hair? Jeesh. Anyway, I know that if I don't maintain the cut, it will grow back fast. That is just the type of hair I have. But the cut is a great style and I look uber mature, so I think i'll be rocking this for a while.

And can I just bring up the difference between hood salons and ones of a more upscale address? The ones I usually frequent are all about the money. The stylists don't hesitate to book 2 or 3 people for the same time slot. They have no problem juggling services. The only time you pretty much have your stylists full attention is if you are getting a relaxer. Other than that, be prepared to play musical chairs as they juggle clients. From the moment I stepped in Diego's, I was taken back, offered a drink, washed, cut, blown and flat ironed. (I didn't even have time to read my book!) Finished in less than two hours and I was pleased with the results. I usually have to go home and restyle my hair. I went home and changed into an outfit that went with my hair, added some makeup and hit the streets.

I had to pick up another baby shower gift. Ugh. I always feel my clock tick-tocking in these situations. I always said that I wasn't having kids after 30 and 30 is rapidly approaching. I do think I'm going to go ahead and bite the bullet soon. I just need to find a father for this child. And get the logistics down. As I tell my son...We shall see.

Still reading a lot. Recently consumed: Good in Bed - Jen Weiner, Goodnight Nobody - Jen Weiner, gods in Alabama - Joshilyn Jackson, The Other Boleyn Girl - Phillippa Gregory, Whitney My Love - Judith McNaught. I may or may not throw up some reviews.

Til Later.

It's the Weekend!

I have no idea why I am excited. When you have no job, pretty much the days all blend into each other. Tee-hee. I've been doing hella reading lately. I always seem to have some book in front of my face. And the people at Borders know me by name now. I'm telling you, their 3 for 2 table is the greatest invention ever! However, I still can't bring myself to cop a squat in the bookstore and chill like so many other folks I see. I still prefer to grab my booty and make my way home with my treasures.

My favorite places to read? The bathtub, in bed late at night and in the car as I am waiting for my son's bus.

Any great plans this weekend? Ummm, I have a few cookouts to attend, I want to go to Sephora for Carol's Daughter, my girl is a makeup artist at MAC and she is dying to do my face and I am trying to get a date to Shakespeare on Sunday night. There is a tropical storm off the New England coast, so all these plans may be for naught as the rain whips and the thunder roars. And that is a great time to settle in with a great book.

But all this reading has put me more in mind of my own writing. Especially when there are alot of books out there that are kind of bad. And I mean that in the most respectful way. I can never fully shit on anyone that took the time and initiative to churn out a whole novel...but some of it does stink. But, I am turning over stories in my head. Maybe one day I'll be brave enough and actually start typing. My fear? That I'll be one of those self-published assholes. It would be great if I wrote something and that something was somehow validated with an agent, editor, and publisher. Then too, I have ADHD and I wonder if I can last for a whole novel. Maybe I can write short stories or those mini novels like Mitch Albom. Now that dude has a super hustle going on.

If I can give one piece of advice? Slow down, put your feet up, and grab a book. challenge yourself to learn something new this weekend.

Random Thoughts

I'm addicted to TV Land. I swear I am having so much fun rediscovering the old shows. But, I am gonna need for TV Land to sign a contract and start running Fame. Or can I get a DVD boxed set at least??!!

Mindless Wanderings

I've been having some really random thoughts that come up at the most random moments...usually when I don't have a chance to write them down.  I'll do my best to recreate some of the shit that I have said/done/thought this past week.

* trying to figure out why the kids are wearing pajama pants to school. trying to figure out why parents are letting their kids wear pajama pants out of the house.

*also, trying to figure out what is the INSANE craze thing with the UGG or UGG-like boots. also trying to figure out when the people that wear these boots realize that they are not flattering at all. the thinnest person now has cankles. and cankles are not attractive.

*these young boys are trying to get me CANNED. if i ever wanted to run away with an adolescent, now is the time to do it.

*what is it with men and "i was stupid"? is that really a valid excuse for not treating someone right? my ex told me that I can't run from men and the stupid things they do. i bet you i can. watch my fucking smoke. i'd rather be alone, than put up with inconsiderate fuckers.

*i thought i was going on vacation next week w/my son. unfrotunately every travel outlet uses school vacation to jack up prices ridiculously. bastards.

*one of my student's parents pre-empted the vacation hijackery by taking my student out of school all last week to go to disney.  she came back and got a 20 and 38 on her make up exams.

*there are a whole lot of dry-snitching ass teachers at that school. real lame shit like so and so isn't in the hallway during class change or so and so left at 1:47 as opposed to 1:50 or so and so was drinking coffee at her desk. yes folks, at this dear school, you are not supposed to drink at your desk.

*when i wasn't watching, i became a role model.  my friend's youngest sister called me the other day for advice on her unplanned pregnancy.  she actually wanted to know how i did it all. man... flattered to think that someone thinks I do it all and scared that someone would actually follow my bootleg example.

*still trying to find a vacation getaway. i was looking at last minute cruises, but i'm trying to remember which carnival ship is the bootleg one.

*lonely dialing is just as dangerous as drunk dialing.

* "most men think that all a girl needs is to be sold a dream but i won't fall for it" MJB telling the fucking truth as usual.

*thinking about taking in a short term roomie. but hell, i don't even want to have a party at my house, much less have a random MF living with me.

*yesterday the kids pissed me off and i threatened to kill them and myself in a bizarre murder-suicide pact.  they thought it was funny.

*also, they don't get a lot of my jokes.

*we're working on a project and will be in the library monday and tuesday. i told them if any of them mosey in the library after the bell rings automatic detention.

*gum chewing now offends me.

*the funniest shit i heard this week is my friend's husband said that he can always tell people that are nurses and teachers because they are homey. LOL. his wife is a nurse. LMAO. we were pretty much on the floor with that one.

*when my cooperating teacher announced to the 10th grade class that i would be taking over after the break, one of the little heffas said "ewwwwww!" LMAO. F++ for her.

*i took a nap after school and now i can't sleep

*you ever have so much shit to do that you don't know where to start? and here i am blogging.

*gonna try real hard not to go on blogging hiatus like *other* folks LOL.

*myspace is the devil. but you learn alot about people from their "friends" list.

* i don't care what people say.  flavor of love is the funniest show ever. where else can you watch women put vaseline in their weaves?

*it's Black History Month. UPN is running their hometown heroes tributes...basically the most unknown negroes out there. i keep expecting to see cousin pookie or someone else be honored.

*Black History is American History and quite frankly cramming all this shit in one month offends me more than ignoring the contributions of african-americans. as james baldwin succinctly put it "changing the curriculum in all the schools so that Negores learned more about themselves and their real contributions to this culture, you would be liberating not only negroes, you'd be liberating white people who know nothing about their own history"

* i still think that the Boondocks MLK episode was genius. especially when MLK saw his likeness on the mcrib wrapper "i should have some say so in this" damn skippy.

*coretta scott king passed. this saddens me.

*every station except BET broadcast the funeral. if BET (and its personalities, shows, videos, news, etc) were anymore IRRELEVANT...man i just hate BET. 

*i heard people say that their Top 25 most fucked up moments in black history was funny - ummm, no... what would have been funny was if the creation of BET was the #1 moment.

*i'm getting a damn cold. shit.