Notes from a Friend's Town

1. The inability to produce a summer beverage that retains it's flavor profile in the presence of ice is grounds for my mother to ban you from the kitchen. It doesn't matter if it's Kool Aid, Iced Tea (bag or powder mix) or iced coffee. Waste a gallon of water making something refreshing that tastes like tainted water in the presence of ice and you'll be banned from the kitchen until soup production season. 2. Summer brings out my sweet tooth like no other season. Lemon Meringue Pie, Peach Cobbler, Apple Pie just about any concoction that involves fruit, dough, and sugar is fair game. I may even try my hand at dessert production this year. 3. Chocolate City is looking less chocolate these days. Much to my dismay, I suspect this was going to happen when I returned 5 yrs ago. 4. This Oscar Grant verdict reads like salt in an open wound. The jury acquits, Gov. Schwarzenegger tells the Mayor of Oakland that the state of California, which is in record breaking debt, has ...

1. If an exchange is riddled with more stock replies than TD Waterhouse, chances are the deal has fallen through. 2. Whole Foods makes grocery acquisition exciting yet depressing. The layout is welcoming but, why wouldn't you want to spend $200/wk to feed one person? 3. Still don't understand how people were so-so about Michael Jackson before he died then became die hard fans post-mortem. If you were down with Mike, you were there for the good publicity as well as the questionable accusations. I'm not declaring his innocence or his guilt, just don't be a sunshine/bandwagon fan. 4. This Twilight phenomenon has gotten out of hand. I appreciate a good series as much as the next story lover but obsession is never the business. You don't go about neglecting reality & the people in your life for a TV series. That good people, is stupid. 5. As a kid I use to start off every summer by getting a new pair of sandals. Open toed shoes symbolic of the freedom that was m...

1. For the love of strawberries! 2. I picked up my duffel from the baggage claim carousel & all I wanted to do was go home and sit with my woman. Just sit down on the sofa & watch tv before tv started watching me sit with my woman on the sofa. 3. My return flight was filled with visions of me accomplishing my goals with my dog being the only person at my side. No girlfriend, no wife, no lover. A sprinkling of friends, my immediate family, & my dog. It's as though I expect to go at it sans the boost that comes from an intimate partner. I'm most surprised at the absence of surprise at this dream, it as though as I've known this for sometime. 4. Networking means nothing if you're not expanding access to resources. 5. Ever notice how the sunset & the sunrise look alike as they sit on the horizon. 6. The silence isn't disturbing, it's the small sounds like a rock shifting that resonate louder because there are no competing sounds. Th...

1. I've nothing against burning bridges ,metaphorically of course. I've torched a few in my day with great joy. Truth is, it's not always the best approach. Now if I could only find a hiding place for my matches. 2. I think I prefer the act of writing over the act of typing. Ink bears no permanence but once I begin writing something out, it as though the thought must be completed. Now I'm beginning to wonder if my word choice & sentence structure differs between my hand written & typed pieces? 3. It's not that my reality just set in, i've been aware of it for a minute. For some reason, tonight it became remarkably clearer, crystal clear. 4. and I hope by chance I see you once again/I'd love to kiss your lips once again... 5. That breakfast easily belongs in the top 5 fast breakings I've participated in. Coffee not tea, ha!

Chew Wu!! No need for an alarm clock now

1. Hard work always beats talent if talent don't work hard. 2. Disappointments & struggles are relative. Their impact can be minimized through comparative reasoning, at least its not (fill in the blank). The unknown is what is truly unnerving, as there is no point of reference. 3. There is such a thing as over analyzing a situation. I suspect I've come to this realization long after the milk has been spilled. 4. I'm not sure if I like the way HBO's Treme portrays New Orleans. While the factual representations of the city appear accurate, as best I recall, there's still something that's not quite right. 5. Brand loyalty is the rationale maintained my Blockbuster Online subscription instead of using NetFlix. Blockbuster filed bankruptcy. Seeing no need in lingering on a sinking ship, I am now a happy NetFlix customer, the Watch Instantly feature puts all sorts of otherwise unknown films at your fingertips. 6. My reading list can be completed if I finish at lea...

1. I really wish I would have learned to enjoy the moment for what is a lot earlier on. I would've saved myself much confusion & disappointment. 2. To be critical or to be creative, that is the question. 3. In the event someone ventures to ask you what their take home message should be from a given exchange, respect their willingness to acknowledge the limits of their understanding & give them the blasted message. It doesn't matter how simple it is, just relay the message. 4. Is there such a thing as too much pop Chinese cuisine? The answer is yes, yes there is such a thing. 5. Every time I think to text you, I immediately remember that I don't care if I ever hear from you. I'd delete your number but I love the surprise of feeling that every time it happens!! 6. Touareg + Gun Powder= Yess!!! 7. Hand crafted items always rank higher in my book than mass produced goods. I suppose it's the old world charm that captures my attention, knowing ...