Seeing Me Naked

It's the new novel by my friend Liza Palmer... Seeing Me Naked. I think you should pick it up.

Hmmm. What's the Fred way of describing the book? OK.

Imagine that everyone in your family has met and exceeded all their life's expectations and goals. And you're the one who's lived life by your own standards and still reaching your potential, yet you still want to live up to your family expectations.

I think that's one way of summing it up. But like Liza, it's funny, fabulous, and for anyone who gets that late 20-something angst about where life is going, Seeing Me Naked will resonate.

I went to Liza's debut reading and signing last night in Pasadena. Still sick, so I was sweatshirted/turtlenecked up, away from people. But I enjoyed the event and seeing other writers and friends nonetheless.

Hope all is well with you!
fs

The Hot New Janitor

So I don't know about you.

But I've got a "thing" for things blue collar, rough around the edges, bad boy type. (i.e. the "redeeming the bad boy" dating entry last week...)

Anyway, we've got a hot new janitor who started in the organization last week on January 2nd.

And he's driving everyone good, sexy crazy with his style (he nixed the janitorial uniform, for his tight v-neck t-shirts, sagging jeans, and the iPod which blasts hip hop tunes). And he's friendly. And he's professional. And he's somewhere under 30, probably under 25, from our guesses. And he passed the background check which everyone goes through to get hired, so we know he's not a documented crazy or criminal. And he was just some random find out the applicant pool apparently.

And everyone who's single -- man, woman, undecided -- is talking about him. When we walk to the restroom or lunchroom. When we gather around the water cooler. After he leaves our offices after picking up the trash, we're picking up the phone. "Ma-a-a-a-a-ry, what's up with the new janitor?"

He's single, some busy-body already got that info. We've seen her flaunting her tight sweaters around him.

What's the fascination we have with the new people who join our organizations? What's the fascination when it's the janitor, delivery person, or maintenance person?

Why was that storyline so hot on the Soul Food television series, when Teri met Damon the delivery guy at her workplace?
fs

Distorted Vision

Has this ever happened to you?

You dress in the morning in an outfit that looks awesome and professional.

But by late afternoon... maybe it's the brightness of the office lights, the sunlight, or the fact that you ate... lunch... that same outfit makes you look like a fatty pancakes? Somehow, it just morphed into something else over the course of the day?

Just thought I'd share. That's exactly how I feel I look right now. lol. And I've got a few hours left and DON'T want to get up or be seen. It'll look awfully weird wearing my coat to go to the bathroom.

A humorous mid-afternoon break.
fs

A Writer's Thanks and No Thanks Moment

First off... I'm thankful for a lot. And working hard toward improving and protecting myself from the things that provide me challenge.

Anyhoo...

On the thanks side. Tess Gerritson writes about how book writers haven't been hit by technology as much as writers of other products, specifically songs and movies.

On the no-thanks side. Tayari Jones writes about a NYT article in which the creator of a highly successful HBO series had one of her ideas lifted and updated by a (former) friend and associate.

Lessons here... I always buy books, and I always buy them new from bookstores or reputable online sites... NEVER used.

The other lesson... Keep your ideas to yourself as much as you can. But you don't have to be so paranoid as to copywrite yourself... once you get published, the publisher takes care of that for your finished product.

Honestly, there's no such thing as a new idea or storyline. Everything is recycled, repackaged, given its own spin in a new product. But then again, there is too close for comfort.
fs

Stuff Like This Just Makes Me...

Wanna pull an afro puff.

Student comes into my office. Now, my first question before any greeting is, "Are you registered to vote?"

So he goes, "Yeah."

So I ask, "So what did you think of the Iowa elections yesterday?"

He goes, "My dad was mad. He says Obama is racist."

I go, "I've never heard that before about Obama. Maybe other candidates. But not Obama. Maybe you should research Obama's views and speeches before taking your dad's word. Do you think that's a good idea?"

He goes, "Well, my dad's usually right. He votes for the family."

I go, "What do you mean?"

He goes, "Oh, we do mail in ballots. He votes for all five of us in the family."

!!!!!!!?????????

Needless to say, I gave him a good talking to about how since he's a college student about to graduate that he needs to start taking responsibility for his voting decisions... not relying on his dad. He is from a family of color, though not African American. Their five family votes... apparently will go to Hillary Clinton.

Then, I remembered having a similar conversation with a young lady last year about how her boyfriend told her she needed to vote for Bush in the last election. And she did it. And regretted it.

Are we still in the Stone Age? Or the 50s?
fs

Do Ya Wanna Caucus With Me?

So I saw The Color Purple musical in L.A. last night with my friend/ex who works for a local politician. The musical was great.

So was the conversation prior to the show. While he's not being sent to Iowa, he is going to New Hampshire for presidential primary work this weekend with the staff of the politician. They all gotta help their candidate.

Which leads me to tonight's caucus events in Iowa. I had dreams all night about the caucus outcome. I guess I like politics a little much... or just excited that we're counting down the last year of the current regime.

Anyway... I'm undecided. I'm happy with all the three frontrunners on the Democratic side, and so yeah, I'm a Democrat. I think you knew.

Though I am undecided, I have been sporting a bumper sticker for one candidate. I have been leaning toward HER since there was speculation she would be running a couple years ago. Hillary Clinton.

But my undecidedness comes in this form. Idealism versus practicality.

Idealistically, I would love to see a woman or black person become president. Heck, we deserve it and are ready. Thus, I'm straddling the Clinton and Obama line. In terms of experiences, I feel like I have a firmer grasp of Clinton's experiences and positions, mostly due to her visibility for the past fifteen years. But I also like the feeling of change that Obama seems to talk in his stump speeches, though I've only really known about him in the past year or so.

Overall, I really like John Edwards... and his wife Elizabeth. They are likeable to me. And I like the fight for the working family mantra they've embraced. If I voted/decided to vote just on who I really like, it would be Edwards.

So that's my idealism on all three.

My practicality side says... Democrats needs to win the presidency, and ultimately the party needs a candidate who can realistically win a national election. As much as things have changed socially, I'm skeptical about a person of color having a chance to win a national election. I'm still skeptical about a woman having a chance, but I think that chance is a little more plausible.

Which leads me to think... who can run against and win against the conservative Repub machine. I think the Clintons (and yeah, I kinda put them together in a package deal) have that chance because they've done it before. They seem to know how to win elections. I think Edwards could too. He just seems really smart and personable.

Last night before the musical I watched a story on CBS Evening News w/Katie Couric. An interesting voting trend the story noted... in Iowa, a lot of undecided Repubs and those unhappy with the Repub candidates are leaning Obama.

So of course, the conspiracy theorist side of me thought... what if this recent surge in Obama's numbers in Iowa is because of Repubs thinking/knowing the same thing... if Obama is the eventual Democratic nominee, there's the national election handed over to Repubs again. And then the Repubs win again.

Again, I think as much as things have changed... there's all those red states that I just can't see embracing candidate of color. Not to mention, I still have women students who say their dads, husbands, brothers tell them who to vote for when they ask who to vote for (it's called empowerment... learn and decide for yourself, not your dad's or husband's opinion!)

I don't know. That's why I'm undecided. Luckily, California's primary is a month away. And depending on how Iowa and New Hampshire go for the candidates, my choices may be narrowed down and I'll have only one or two candidates to choose.

Thank God I'm not living in Iowa. But I imagine that's how my caucus conversation would go if I were going to a caucus meeting in Iowa tonight.

It all comes down to idealism vs practicality for me. But I'd be happy with any of the three Democratic frontrunners, Clinton, Edwards, or Obama.
fs

Back To The Grind

OK. So maybe part of it is that I haven't had to follow a schedule since December 14.

Part of it is that I was up late last night ROFLMAO because of reading the funniest stories on this blog: The Adventures of Chubby Chocolate. Oh. My. God. Hilarious stories. One of my faves was reading about this one gym incident because of a parking spot.

Please bring us new stories! You can also try this one: Disco's Gruuv, another fun blog I found over the holidays.

One thing that'll get me through the day.

Looking forward to seeing The Color Purple musical tonight here in L.A. Yeah, I'm the last person in the U.S. to see it. And yeah, I'm one of the few kids who didn't venture over to NYC to see it on Broadway... and what? lol.

Happy Monday/mean Wednesday!
fs

Taking On A Lova...

Aaaah, the new year. Hope it's happy so far! And I did smile a lot last night, as in the advice friends told me (and I wrote about yesterday) about not looking so serious. Yeah, it's a load of crap, the looking serious thing -- because I'm not feeling serious even if I look it -- but smiling (or was it the Goose and tonic?) does open up a lot of conversations... and that fun eye-flirting game.

So. There. :-D

So love that one line from an old Sex and The City episode, when Carrie declares "I'm thinking of taking on a lova..." Maybe it was some other show. Who knows?

But I'm kinda feeling that way. And yeah, I've been happily single for about two years, so I'm not needy like that. But I'm thinking of taking on a lova.

Not that it's as easy as snapping your finger and poof, here comes a long term situation. I can be a little bit picky about who I like. Yeah, that can be a problem. I've heard from some of my familial and friend elders there comes a time, like the mid-30s, when you have to make some choices. Stay picky. Or pick yourself out of the market.

I don't wanna believe it. But I kinda believe it. Do you?

Part of me needs to resolve a little dating pattern I've had since forever. I'm a habitual "I think I can redeem the bad boy" kinda person. And they're usually younger than me (now... though when I was younger, they were older), a little bit more urbanly/street knowledged, the cute kind that can't resist all the attention they get for their cuteness, and not quite at their life potential. But they're fun. Lots of fun.

If I resolve that one little thing... can't tell u why I'm attracted, but at least I recognize it. Otherwise, my list of needs is really quite attainable, and mostly the oppostive of what I've dated in the past... except for the fun thing. That list is a private thing, but one very important quality is being culturally aware and culturally empowered. Nuff sharing. The rest of the list is private, but they can feel free to fall in the looks range of anyone here :-)

In the meantime, why did I wake up with two old school classics in my head: Love is Contagious by Taja Sevelle... and Let Me Be The One by Five Star.

Who else has thoughts on taking on a lova this year?
fs