Owner: La Bella Noire's Ramblings URL:http://labellanoire.blogspot.com Join Date: Fri, 03 Nov 2006 09:50:12 -0600 Rating:0 Site Description: I'm a twentysomething black female navigating through life after college--aka adulthood. I grew up between Albany, NY and NYC, and decided to transplant myself to the DC Metro in January 2006. I'm enjoying my journey, missteps and all. I think hard, play Site statistics:Click here
Weekend Recap 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Of course this weekend flew by faster than I wanted it to, but it was a pretty decent one. Somehow on Friday I managed to be late to the airport to pick my mom up, but I managed to save some time since PoliceBoy was nice enough to map out the shortcuts over the phone for me as I was driving. It was interesting trying to understand the directions though.Me: "So what exit am I supposed to get off of?"Police Boy: "Well what do you see?"Me: "Trees, other people's brake lights, a billboard for Charlestown Races and Slots, some exit signs"PB: "What exit are you near?"Me: "Oh shit, I just passed one. I didn't see the number."PB: "Tasha! Get off at exit 11B"Me: "Ok, it's coming up"PB: "Well, you could go the other way"Me: "What other way? There's more ways?? Too late for that, I'm off the exit now, gimme the rest of the directions"PB: "Go straight and you'll see the signs to BWI"Me: "Doesn't mapquest do this easier?"PB: "You wanted the shortcut babygirl. Don't shoot the messenger."Me: Read more:Weekend
, Recap
Death By Heelie 1970-01-01 00:59:59 This morning I went to WaWa to get my coffee as usual and to catch up with PoliceBoy after his overnight shift before I made the trek through the faux tundra to work. I was fixing my cappuccino, which I got free because police get their beverages free (yay for PoliceBoy's career choice, lol), when out of the corner of my eye I saw a flash of primary colors and long hair fly by me. By the time I turned my head in that direction, nothing was there. I figured I'd just seen something through the window and let it go. But then came the giggling and the shrieking, and it became all to clear to me that the chirrens were out. I went back to fixing my drink then suddenly heard the hollow rolling sound of a mini rollerskate wheel and then everything happened so fast from there. PoliceBoy said, "Tasha move" just as this hulking mess of child ran into me running and rolling around on a brand new pair of Heely shoes.If you don't know, Heelies look something like this:"BAM" "THUD" and there was i
Happy Valentine's Day 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Happy "I'm not feeling this whole Cupid thing" Day! Normally I am ambivalent to this holiday, but so far today has shaped up to be pretty nice. The snow/ice storm sent us home from work early yesterday and gave us a snow day today, so I would have been happy with just the extra sleep.Last night/this morning, around 3AM I got a knock on my door that scared the hell out of me. I was still up since I just knew this was going to be a bad storm and I'd have a snow day. I looked out the peephole and saw a female police officer who I recognized but I wasn't sure where from. I opened the door a crack (yall know how we do, put the chain on the door then open it, lol) and she said, "Natasha. I'm Sargeant PoliceLady, we met the other day. I need to speak with you about PoliceBoy"My heart did a nosedive to my feet. I was thinking everything that I probably shouldn't have--ohmydamn, what if he got hurt or something worse--but I just stood there and waited for her to explain. I let her in the d Read more:Happy
, Valentine
Random Ruminations 1970-01-01 00:59:59 In no particular order...~I miss him...~Why are people, especially women, so quick to give relationship advice when their own situations are jacked up?~Sometimes you reach a point when you just have to let go and not look back~I resent being made to feel guilty for moving forward~This grad school thing is no joke~Sallie.Mae needs to backthefuggup, my loans are in deferment dammit!~My family needs to have our own reality TV show~Why do the eggs in Egg McMuffins look like that?~How come when you eat Chinese takeout, you're full but then a half hour later you're ready to throw down again~How come when I drunk dial/text I have no problem finding the numbers, but when I'm sober I can't seem to find them in my cellphone?~My officemate needs to take a fuggin shower, he smells like hot pepper, tuna, and cheese~My boss needs to take his ass somwhere with this mess, otherwise he's gonna see this stilleto come off my foot and land squarely in his eye~It felt good to show the muscleheaded jac Read more:Random
Friday Flashback 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Since Valentine's Day was this week, it's "I Need Love" from LL Cool J:Happy Friday
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Long Weekend Recap 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Hey yall! I thought this past weekend was going to be one from Hades cuz of all the travelling, but it actually turned out to be pretty cool. My parents and my stepsister arrived in town while I was still at work on Friday afternoon, but I'd given my mom a key so they were able to chill and eat everything in my fridge until I got there. Once I got home, we packed up my stepsister Debbie's truck and got on the road to NC where my cousin's funeral was being held Saturday. I was knocked out for the entire 4 hours it took to get there. It's a normally six hour drive, but Deb thinks she's Speed Racer and her truck is the Mach 5 so it only took 4. I guess she figures she won't get a ticket since she's a cop too. Ehh, whatever.Saturday morning, just before the funeral, my brother in Bmore called me to tell me that I needed to get my arse home as fast as possible afterwards. When I told him that I didn't drive and that I drove with Deb and our parents, he told me that he'd get me a fl Read more:Weekend
, Recap
, Long Weekend
I got back a little while ago from a long lunch wi... 1970-01-01 00:59:59 I got back a little
while ago from a long lunch with a few friends and co-workers. Somehow the topic of Black History Month came up and we got to talking about how our "heroes" our represented, and about the whole vibe of the month in general.One person raised an interesting point. She said that Black History Month is little more than a curriculum addition for elemetary school children, a marketing ploy for the Coca.Cola company, and an excuse for employers to dust off their diversity plans. I can't say that I disagree with her. I remember when I was in Kindergarten until about probably third or fourth grade, every February there would be Black History Month posters and stuff all over the room. There were the obligatory picures of the likes of Dr. MLK, Jr., Rosa Parks, Frederick Douglass, and Harriet Tubman hung on the windows next to the Valentine's Day hearts. Of course we had to do a book report or present a piece about one of the prominent "Black History Month Heroes" (in costume
Check Your Girl! 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Ring. Ring."Hello?""Yeah, is this Tasha?""Yeah, and why?""Do you know Sean?""What?""Girl. Do you know Sean Lastname?""Yeah, that's my cousin. Who is this?""Well I saw you texted him 'I love you' yesterday. So I had to check"---silence---9:00 this morning my cellphone was ringing and I had this exchange with some chick my cousin is dating. Well, probably after today they won't be dating anymore. I should be mad at her for calling me while I'm at work trying to start some ruckus. But I'm really sad for her.I know a lot of females who have been on the receiving end of phonecalls like that and more often than not, the offending male is a cousin or some other non-sexual person in her life. It's so sad that chicks feel insecure with their men to the point that they will call up a complete stranger to cuss them out for taking her man. If you are worried about that, then he isn't your man to begin with. There is no way in my ever loving life that I'm going to call up some female that Read more:Check
Friday Flashback 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Up this week, Kid N Play "Ain't Gonna Hurt Nobody":Happy Friday
!!
Fast Food Nation, Tyson's Corner Style 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Just how many people does it take to run a McDonald's drive through at lunch time?I'm still trying to figure out the answer to this question. I was starving and didn't want to eat lunch at the onsite nasty wannabe carryout, so I took a trip to the Golden Arches near my job in Vienna, just by Tyson's Corner Mall, and I was simply confused by the goings-on at the drive-thru. Instead of talking to the speakerbox like normal, there were three people walking up to the cars and taking orders before they got to the speakerbox order form thingy. Ol' girl came up to my car, asked what I wanted. I'm don't eat at McDonald's like that, so I need the aid of a menu, but this chick was not having it. So I had to order from my memory of the last time I was there. She was like "Ok, you pay cash or charge?"Me: "Da Hell?? Cash."Then she wrote down the total on a little green slip of post-it paper and stuck it to my side mirror and told me to go to the first window. I was all kinds of confused wit Read more:Style
, Fast Food
, Fast Food Nation
Weekend Recap 1970-01-01 00:59:59 This weekend went by entirely too fast for my liking, but was still pretty good. On Friday I was supposed to go to happy hour with a bunch of my co-workers, but they left work 45 minutes before I did, so when it was time for me to leave I didn't even bother with it. I'm not all close with them anyway, so I wasn't all hearbroken from not going. Instead, I went up to Baltimore to visit Brother Bella and chatted with Midwesta on the phone to keep me company during my drive.Brother Bella and I finished our conversation from last weekend that we were too frazzled to handle at that point. Turns out there have been a lot of miscommunications and misunderstandings between us that once we explained our side of things, shouldn't have gotten as ugly as they did. No siblings should be on the outs like we once were. I'm glad we got all of that cleared up, especially since we've become really close since I moved here. Once we talked, we played a quick game of Madden and for the first time ever Read more:Weekend
, Recap
Random Randoms 1970-01-01 00:59:59 And these are the things that cross my mind...~It's funny how we complain about being bored at work, but the minute we get a bunch of work to do, we complain about being to busy~Chinese food restaurants shouldn't be in business to sell "Chicken Fried Collard Greens". No. As a matter of fact, Hell Naw!~I love how we are now~How did N.ike come up with the swoosh symbol?~I'm getting too used to functioning on little sleep again~I think I'm being stalked by Jehov.ah's Witnesses. They keep leaving reading material at my door~Under.Armour is the best stuff ever to work out in~Can hip-hop go back to it's glory days?~I've been feenin for real White Castle and Nathan's~I can't believe that fool was serious asking me for a Playstation 3 and got mad when I told him no. Family can be on some other stuff~These people at work think I'm letting them get away with the okie doke. I can't wait till next week to give them their reviews~I'm glad she felt comfortable enough to talk to me. Poor Read more:Random
I Quit Dis Bitch!! 1970-01-01 00:59:59 The Offices of La Bella NoireFebruary 28, 2007TomMyspace.comSomewhere on the Internets, USADear Tom,I am writing to inform you that effective immediately, I am resigning from my position as a member and "friend" of your website.This decision was difficult for me, as I have mostly enjoyed my tenure with this organization. After much decision, I've decided to move on to Fac.ebook or perhaps another site, but it is beneficial for the both of us if I end this relationship now.Everything with us started well, posting pictures and locating old friends. But after a few months, the foolishness started. A friend request from "Jessica" started the downspiral. I checked her profile to see if it was someone I knew, and I saw all kinds of images that are unfit for human viewing. In the months following, I got many many similar friend requests to the point that they were spam. I also got many requests from profiles that "no longer existed".That didn't bother me so much, but 'Space, you failed me Read more:Bitch
Friday Flashback 2007-03-02 06:09:00 This week it's "Oh Sheila" by Ready for the World:Happy Friday
!!!
I Be Jammin 2007-03-01 16:49:00 I be jammin, and not with Bob Marley either. I be traffic jammin, baby! Every day this week, I've been met with some outrageous traffic, so I thought I'd start taking pictures of the ish that I deal with so I can show my bosses, and make a case for letting me work from home. Here's what I've come up with so far: (Tuesday Morning--I-95 S near the I-495 split near College Park) (This Morning--American Legion Bridge I-495 S **30 minute delay for what??, there was no accident, no nothing!!**) (Tuesday Evening--merging onto I-495 N near Tyson's Corner) (Yesterday Evening I-495 N just north of Tyson's Corner)Now I know that might not look all that bad, but it took me almost an hour to go five miles on the way home from work yesterday. I live 30 miles away from my job. Still, that might not sound bad...hour and 45 to get home. But when you know the road is 'sposed to look like this: (Even with NO snow, the road is usually clear) then you know something's got to give. I've missed o Read more:Jammin
Transitions... 2007-03-05 21:35:00 The song goes... "Life is filled with swift transitions", I can't say I don't understand that. I'm on a mission to get myself out of this miserable location I call a job. On top of the drama that's already going on, my boss decided to get postal and gangsta on me and lose his mind in his way of speaking. I've checked him on it previously in a professional way, and I've even tried coming out the side of my neck "ghetto bird style", and each time he'd calm down for a few days then act like he had some home training.Today was the straw that broke the camel's back for me. It takes a lot for me to get angry. Sure I'll get irritated, but angry is different. Anyway, I'm officially convinced this man is missing some life lessons. I'm not going to go into our arguement, but it came down to him calling me a little girl and essentially insulting my mother, all because I caught an error of his and brought it to his attention. I can take whatever professional insult you've got for me, b Read more:Transitions
Weekend Recap 2007-03-05 20:15:00 Really didn't do much this weekend. Friday I was supposed to go to a baby shower, but it got postponed because the girl went into labor early. She delivered that night and had a healthy baby girl. Good for her! Her mom said she’ll reschedule for sometime next month. So since that got cancelled, Hunny and I went to dinner and stopped by his parents’ house for a while. This was the first time I met his dad and his grandmother, but it was nice. I heard his gramma say, “She’s a keeper”, and according to him she doesn’t like anyone, so I felt all special. She kept holding my hands and saying “welcome”. It was kind of strange, but I know that grandmothers sometimes do that kind of thing to show their acceptance.Saturday, we woke up and went to breakfast and had yet another deep conversation. These conversations are becoming a weekly ritual, and I kinda like it. Now we’re talking about me moving in with him around June or July, after he transfers to his new agency and I tra Read more:Weekend
, Recap
Happy Birthday... 2007-03-07 14:09:00 Yay, it's my birthday and I'm one year closer to being able to apply for Medicare. Seriously though, so far it's been a good morning. My mom called me at 3AM and sang the most horrendous version of HappyBirthday
ever, but it was sweet.At 7AM, some chick dressed in a pig costume came to my door and gave me breakfast and sang me happy birthday again. I think it's called a "sing a gram". The card says she was dressed like that since I was born in the year of the pig/boar according to Chinese astrology. Kinda nice, I guess my mom and Hunny put that one together.Me and the girls are meeting up for lunch, then I'll be on my way to my three back-to-back job interviews. Thank goodness they're all in the same area! I'm hoping someone will realize it's my birthday and just offer me a job on the spot--now that would be a nice gift.After that, hunny's taking me somewhere but he won't say what we're doing. All he told me is to make sure I bring a pair of tennis shoes. Him and his surpri Read more:Happy Birthday
Hairstory 2007-03-09 04:01:00 My uncle in the blogosphere, Gunfighter, wrote a great post about our struggles with hair and I felt the need to keep the topic going.Being a black woman, hair is a bigger part of my life than it is for a lot of other women. I remember when I was a little La Bella and my mom would braid my hair all up and put cute little barrettes in it. I thought I was untouchable with my cornrows and beads or my cornrows and ribbons. Like many other little girls who look like me, I had a "barette box" filled to the brim with cute little accessories for my hair. She never mentioned "bad" hair, but every Sunday it was a battle with my hair and a comb. I figured every little girl went through the same struggle that I did, so I really thought nothing of it.It wasn't until I started first grade at a predominately white all girls private school that I noticed something different. All the girls in my class, except me and three other black girls had long hair that they could take out of their perfect littl
Birthday Rewind 2007-03-08 20:29:00 Thanks everyone for the birthday wishes! Yesterday was pretty good, despite the stupid little snow we got that managed to snarl up traffic yet again.After lunch and some interesting conversation (which I’ll be posting about soon) with my 4 bestest girls, one of whom came all the way 3 hrs from NYC to join us, I went on my marathon job interviewing. All of them went really well, but I got what essentially came down to a conditional offer from one large hospital. I just have to go through the background check and drug screens and I’ll get a firm offer. I’ve been trying to get into that hospital for 2 years, so it seems like it will work out. Much more money, better benefits, etc. I’ll basically be in mid level administration management. Yay!!After the interviews, I went back to Hunny’s place. He was sweet and took the day off so we could hang out. We went to Love Café on U Street, which is a branch of Cake Love—I adore their cakes!! So he got me a huge vanilla raspberry cupc Read more:Birthday
Stuff you just don't do 2007-03-09 19:20:00 Some stuff you should just know better than to do. I swear some people really just suck at life and need remedial help.-Washing your curling iron with dishwater: My cousin did this yesterday. Then she plugged the damn thing up, got shocked, and is wondering why it won’t work today. She said she needed to get the hair oil build up off of it.-Apply for a credit card in yo’ mama’s name without her permission: My nephew: “But Tasha, I had her SSN, and funds was tight, so I applied for a Visa card. I really meant to pay it all back on time. Yo, can I borrow $400 to pay that off? I can’t believe she checked her credit report and saw it. How she know it was me tho? Just cuz the card was sent to this address…Well at least she aint pressin charges or nuffin”-Catch a case screamin at your boo about them cheatin on you when you got 4 or 5 negroes on the side: Co worker. On the phone screaming at her man WHILE she’s emailing that side dude-Buy a $800 set of rims for your 1989 CRX t
Friday Flashback 2007-03-09 19:15:00 This week it's Public Enemy, "Fight The Power" (long version): Happy Friday
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Get to know me some... 2007-03-12 17:26:00 Because I'm being lazy and because I'm sure you're just aching to get to know more about me, here's a survey that answers every question about me that you didn't have...1. EVER BEEN GIVEN AN ENGAGEMENT RING?No, but hopefully around the end of this year…2. LONGEST RELATIONSHIP?6 years3. LAST GIFT YOU RECEIVED?A beautiful photo album of cards that my gramma gave me over the years4. EVER DROPPED A CELL PHONE?I do that like once a day5. WHEN'S THE LAST TIME YOU PLAYED TRUTH OR DARE?Probably about three months ago6. THING(S) YOU SPEND A LOT OF MONEY ON?Hair/beauty, dance supplies, shoes, gas (why can’t the prices just stay the same for a month??)7. LAST FOOD YOU ATE?Chocolate chip muffin8. FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT THE OPPOSITE SEX?Smile and if they have all their teeth9. SOME FAVORITE SONGS?Too many to list10. WHERE DO YOU LIVE?DC burb, Maryland11. HIGH SCHOOL YOU ATTENDED:Albany Academy for Girls12. CELL PHONE SERVICE PROVIDER:T-Mobile13. FAVORITE MALL STORE:New York & Compan
Weekend Rewind 2007-03-12 16:43:00 Spent the weekend with Hunny as usual. We don’t get to see each other too much during the week since we have opposing schedules—he works midnights and I work the usual office slave schedule so we get a half hour a day if we’re lucky. Me and the girls usually hang out during the week, so don’t get to thinking that I’m neglecting the rest of my life in favor for PoliceBoy/Soldier/Hunny/Dat Dude (or whatever I feel like calling him that day)Friday night we took it down memory lane and went to Toys R Us. We bought a big huge box of Legos and played for a while. It was nice to feel like a little kid for even just a few hours. We ended up at a Spades tournament and hustled the hell out of his friends. We were like, “Uhhh, it’s been a while since we played Spades, but sure we’ll give it a shot”. Had the other teams screwing up books, underbidding and what not. Yeah, we left there with pockets a little heavier. Watch us turn into the Bonnie and Clyde of the Spades Tournament Read more:Weekend
Questions I've Got, Vol. 3 2007-03-13 16:59:00 -Why were there people in the self checkout line at the grocery store who don’t speak speak a lick of English? The machine doesn’t speak your language, so how are you faking the funk and managing to get your purchase done?-Why are there homeless people who are creative enough to come up with signs like this: but no employer is willing to use that creativity for their benefit and give them a chance?-Speaking of homeless people, why are there so many black and white homeless people, but so few minorities? I don’t think I’ve ever seen a Latino or Asian obviously homeless person—at least on the east coast-Why do people insist on carrying blatantly fake azz Louis Vuitton bags? If from far away the logos on your bag look like LV, but up close they look like spades and clubs from a deck of cards, you’re not fooling anyone. Instead of trying to front, just go buy the best quality bag you can for your money.-Why when a baby is over 1 or 2 years old, a parent will still say some mess
I loves the kids... 2007-03-15 05:00:00 Ohmydamn goodness. Parents, I know you have a hard job trying to raise your kids right and you can't force them to act like they have some sense, but some of you aren't doing your job right at all. I also recognize that teenagers have hormones, but seriously, a little home training never hurt anyone.I was out with my girl Sasha (yeah I know--Sasha and Tasha...lol or whatever) at Coldstone this evening when some teenage skeez in training tried to holla at us. Maybe it's BET, maybe it's a lack of whoop ass at home, but just damn...Boy: "Mmmm mmm mmm, I'd love to put yall in my ice cream cone"Me: "Say what now?"Boy: "Ma, don't act like you didn't hear me. Yall two is lookin tasty"Sasha: "Tasty like the Similac you just got off of apparently. Boy you are too young to be talkin to people like that"Boy: "I might got a baby face, but I'm ALL man"Me: "Where is your mama? I know you're out past your curfew"Boy: "Nah miss. I ain't gotta worry about that. So you gotta man?"Me: "Yes. See
Friday Flashback 2007-03-16 04:07:00 This week it's "The Humpty Dance" at the suggestion of my buddy JJ:Happy Friday
!
Color Me Brown 2007-03-19 19:42:00 Brown. Sepia. Mahogany. Raw Umber. Tan. I remember looking in my big box of Crayolas as a little girl, amazed at all the beautiful shades of brown in the box. When I drew pictures of my friends and family, I could use a crayon that was the same color as their skin. I loved that all of us were a slightly different color, but we were all some shade of brown so somehow that made us special together.I didn’t understand then why my brown hue was different than that of my best friends’ or my cousins’, but neither did it matter. Years later, I learned why, but it still didn’t matter to me. By that time however, it did matter to some of them. The mother of one of my best friends would instruct her every summer to stay out of the sun, because there was nothing good about having extra brown, extra tan skin. God forbid she be mistaken for a real negro.My mother, and I assumed, the rest of my family was unaffected by the skin color politics of quadroons, octoroons, dark-skinned, and light- Read more:Color
, Brown
Walking Away 2007-03-20 22:02:00 Today, I did something I’ve never done before—I abruptly walked away from a friendship, broke promises, and severed ties without looking back. And honestly, it felt good. The responsibility of maintaining this connection was more difficult than it should have been, and more strenuous than beneficial. I simply couldn’t take anymore.So to that person…I’m sorry it had to come to this, but we’re both better off. I don’t feel bad for breaking those last promises to you, because everything else was already broken. I will never accept you trying to make me feel guilty for loving my Hunny. Friendships don’t come with stipulations like that. I don’t know how you could have ever expected us to be in a relationship when in your eyes I wasn’t a person, but a smartfunnybeautifultalented robot woman. Maintaining a friendship with you became damn near impossible because when I got involved with someone romantically, you acted like I was cheating on you. I couldn’t cheat if we we Read more:Walking
, Walking Away
Music Meme 2007-03-23 17:03:00 I was tagged by Gunfighter for another meme. This one requires that I:List seven songs you are into right now. No matter what they are. They must be songs you are presently enjoying. Then tag seven other people to see what they’re listening to.I'm not much for tagging other people, so if you wanna play...cool. But here's what's on repeat in my ipod:1)Betterman by Musiq Soulchild. This is off of is new CD, Luvanmusiq. The beat reminds me of the happy church songs we'd sing when I was in the kids choir, but the song is so nice. Guess he's in luv?2)Get it Shawty by Lloyd. I'm stuck on this youngin for some reason. I was stuck on "You" for a while, and it still makes its way onto repeat now and then.3)Let's Straighten It Out by Monica and Usher. I've loved this song since I saw the movie "Panther" a while back. I know it's bitten off of Lattimore, but I still love it.4)Can't Get Enough of You by Tamia. I can't get enough of this song. Nuff said. Some people are gonna mess arou Read more:Music
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