Monday, November 30, 2009

Stuff They Don't Tell You When You Buying A House

I love my new house but homeownership can be a bitch. My homeowners insurance is going through the roof. Before closing Allstate quoted me a price of $ 1200.00 for the year. Then after closing they sent me a letter saying that my home owners insurance would be going up$ 854.56 and that increase would take affect the next month.

Of course I was on the phone calling them like WTF where the hell am I suppose to get an extra $854.56. They told me that it would take 330,000 to replace my home so the rate reflected the replacement cost. I said screw the replacement cost I want enough to cover the loan and something left over to put down on something new. So finally they said they would write me a new policy that covers the loan amount and about 90,000 extra. They gave me a quote of 1250.00. Guess what, a few weeks letter I get a letter in the mail saying my insurance will increase 150.00. I was pissed; I thought why the quote and the actual price never match up.

So last night I am looking at the news and guess what? They were investigating the increase in homeowners insurance. In Missouri and Illinois home insurance rates have increases ranges from 9-60%. Insurance companies claim that in 3 years they have paid out 19 billion dollars, which rivals the 20.3 billion dollars spent on insured property loss from the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

Also contributing to the rise in premiums is……


High than normal castrophe frequency
Rising Cost of Construction and home repair
Higher home Values

I understand these issues but some of this is just the cost of doing business. Hey Allstate ever heard of collateral damage? That is what I call all the excuses you are giving me for raising my insurance. People are trying to survive and companies are thinking of reasons to suck more money out of you.

I always felt that insurance was just one big con game. You pay the premium but if you every use it your premium will increase and if you don’t use it then you just been giving away free money back. I feel the government should regulate that business. That way things could be more fair and equal for the policy holder

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

My Obsession With 50 Cent



Have a baby by me baby be a millionaire…..
Have a baby by me baby be a millionaire.
I’ll work that, merk that.
Just the way you like it baby.
Turn a quickie unto an all nighter baby.



When I hear this on the radio I immediately turn the volume way up. I absolutely adore the man. He is my type of guy. He is street savvy and has an acute business acumen which further influences my attraction to Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson.

I’m the type of girl who likes what I like to call “A Real Man” for my man. I have a strong mind set and can be a bit pushy and hardheaded sometimes so I must have a man that knows how to take charge. And the only way for you to take charge of me, is to be in charge of you. If the man life is together financially, emotionally, physically and spiritually then he is ready for his mate. My man should be the type of man that when he walks into the room all the women just fell a bit safer.

My man must have a lil thug in him but be able to discuss anything from politics to the latest urban issue. I want my man to appreciate all the possessions we have but not act so bougie that he makes people feel uncomfortable. Have you seen 50 Cent he looks great in jeans, a t-shirt and timberlands but he also looks great in a suit. See I like it when they can switch it up and still look good.

Did you know that 50 makes most of his money off of investments and endorsements? This is forward thinking to me because how many rappers last a lifetime in the rap game? Has anyone seen the man’s body….that alone is enough to make a girl’s panties wet!

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Not Ready For Mommiehood





The little Prince at the top is my new nephew Dreyden. Isn’t he soooo sweet and gorgeous. He is so small but when you hold him close he is super soft and smell like baby. Well this little one caused me to want to jump out a window and set myself on fire at the same time!


You may ask yourself how someone so little and beautiful could make you cause bodily harm to yourself. Well I can sum that up in two words…. Darius ( nephew # 1) and Derrick ( nephew # 2) ( see their pics below). Yeah they look innocent too until it is time to baby sit.







I had to watch these two while my sister when into the hospital to have Baby Dre. LLLLLLLLLLLLord have mercy. It was a time. I worked 15 hours of overtime that week and worked 7 days straight. I picked up the kids on my 7th day of working without a day off. Needless to say I was bone tired and not in the mood for not freaking kids. I picked the kids up around 8:30 pm and hoped they were fed and tired and ready to go to bed when they got to my place. NOT! They were bouncing off the wall and I was dying to go to bed. I gave them a bath and a snack and begged them to go to sleep. Finally everyone was in bed by 10:30pm.

RING>>>>RING>>>>RING…. That ringing was my alarm going off at 7:00am it was time to get up and get Darius ready for school. Got damn the boy pissed in the bed and smelled like hot pee. So another bath was needed and now we are late. I throw my coat over my pjs and tell my 3 year old nephew to but on his shoes and coat. He kept whining because he had on his pjs too and wanted to get dressed. I gave him the dreaded evil eye and he shut right up. Me and the kids drove all the way across town and dropped Darius off to school. Never mind the fact we were late and I had to walk him to his class. Other teachers gave me the poor you look when they saw me in my head scarf and pjs and toting a toddler in his pjs too.

I drove home thinking me and nephew # 2 would get some breakfast from McDonalds and take a nap until noon. Did ht happen that way….HELL NAW. Nephew ate his pancakes and was ready to play and watch Sesame Street. The poor chile kept asking me for paper and crayons so he could do his “homework”. Before I knew it, it was time to pick up nephew #1. I picked him up and he was talking the entire way home. I thought it would be a good idea to take them to the park and tire them out before we went home. They played at the park almost 3 hours and I still had to drag them to the car. I got home and started preparing dinner and helped nephew # 1 with his homework. They ate, took a bath and watched television for a few hours and I put them to bed at 7:00pm Yeah I know it was early but I had not choice I was running on fumes I was still so sleepy.


I told them that they better get in the bed and do not get out unless they had to pee. I also told them if anyone pees on my good mattress tonight they would wake up to a good azz whooping. Of course they talked and giggled for about 30 minutes but they eventually drifted off to sleep. I had to watch dishes, clean up the house and take a shower. Finally some me time. I sat down to watch the news and next thing I know. RING, RING, RING…yes it was my alarm telling me it was time to get up and get nephew #1 off to school.

The last thing I remember was watching the news and it’s a new day all ready? Got the kids up and no one peed so we could jump right into the day. Nephew #1 made sure to remind me to get him a snack today because I forgot it the day before. We picked up the snack and dropped him off ( please tell me why the pick up and drop off line for elementary kids are so long?) My sister had already given birth and nephew #1 was dying to see his Mommie and new brother. So we go to the hospital and find a parking spot. We parked pretty far away so the walk was very challenging with a slow walking 3 year old. We finally make our way to the 9th floor only to be told that due to the swine flu epidemic kids under the age of 18 were not allowed to visit the hospital. The poor nurse allowed me to speak to my sister via the phone who told me she was sorry but she forgot to tell me the kids could not visit. However, she left her house a mess and she did not want to bring the baby home to a messy house……she asked me to clean up a lil bit. So the nurse sent out the key and off we went to straighten up the house.

I opened the door and wanted to run back out. The kitchen had standing dish water and dishes inside the sink, the bath room could use a good wash down, the kids room was a mess, her bed was messy and a few things sprawled about, the living room needed dusting and the entire place needed vacuumed. I was cleaning for 5 hours…next thing I know it was time to pick up nephew # 1. Since I still had a little cleaning to do I bought McDonalds and took them to their house while I did more cleaning. Finally exhausted and completely tired we traveled back across town to my house.

I went to bed super excited because I knew this was my last night with the kids. I bathe them and let them watch a few hours of television and we did homework and off to bed they went. I again reminded them of the consequences of peeing on my good mattress. My house was a total wreck… toys everywhere, books, papers and crayons scattered on the floor and couch. Pop tart and fruit snack wrappers here and there but I was too tired to think about cleaning my own house.

That morning the alarm went off and I jump straight up I checked the bed and realized nephew #1 had peed in the bed again. I ran the bath water and told him to get up. I calmly asked if he had pissed in the bed. He simply shook his head. I told him to take off his clothes and I would be right back. I went and got my belt and I came back into the room and he was naked looking for his school uniform which I usually lay on the bed in the morning. He almost went onto cardiac arrest when he saw the belt… I have him a few smacks on the butt and told him to get into the tub. The room smelled like a toilet. The aroma of pee was heavy in the air. I got the kids ready and dropped nephew # 1 off to school. I had an early doctor’s appointment so I was forced to take nephew# 2 with me. We were leaving the house and I had my hands filled with things for the new baby and I opened the door to let him out first so I could lock the door. As soon as I opened the door he bolted out the house and down the stairs. I screamed at the top of my lungs…don’t run into the street. Guess what………..he did. I then heard a screeching sound of car tires. I dropped the bags and ran into the street. At that moment I felt like the worst would be parent in the world. All eyes were on me… the bad Auntie that almost got nephew #2 killed.


Finally that night I dropped the kids off to their mama. I was so in a rush to get home I barely glanced at new nephew #3. I just was ready to go home, relax and enjoy a glass of wine in my messy house. Well the next day my sister called me frantic. She said nephew #2 had to be hospitalized because he came down with a very high fever and was diagnosed with H1N1 aka “The Swine Flu”. She said could you be with him in the hospital because I can not be exposed to the flu and go home to the baby.

Could it get any worse! After three days he was discharged and allowed to go home. By the end of the week I was exhausted and began to wonder if I was cut out for the motherhood thang. All these years I wondered when was I going to have a little one running around the house? I even imagined what my baby shower would be…that was until I had a week of kids? Honnnay I serious doubt I wanna do the kid thing. I had more appreciation for my single non kid life than ever. She being a mother is HARD work…. I’m lazy yall and it was way too much to me.


But I tip my hat to all the mothers because it is truly one of the hardest jobs I’ve ever attempted to encounter.

Friday, November 20, 2009

Breast Cancer Debate



Personally I hate cancer. Cancer has taken so many of my loved ones that it feels like I am in my own battle with the disease. My first encounter with cancer occurred at age 12. My mother was diagnosed with cancer; I remember when she told me. That night for whatever reason I wind up sleeping in the bed with my mama and she wrapped her body around mine and told me in a soft whisper that the doctor told her she had cancer. Before that night I had never heard the word cancer before. It meant nothing to me, but I remember my mama sounding like a frighten little kid , like she just accepted the fact that she was in the fight of her life. Soon after that mama started going to chemotherapy which made her feel weak and ill. Sometimes I would go with her; I don’t think anyone knew she was sick. In the waiting room were people from all ethnic backgrounds and ages. I still wasn’t too sure of what cancer was but from looking around the waiting room I could tell that age and racial make up was not a factor. Each person seemed to be at a different stage of the disease, some had hair, while others did not.

Soon it became very apparent that mama could not keep this cancer thing a secret. Finally she told the family because the chemo was making her so sick she could hardly get out of bed and go to work. Mama was losing weight so fast, at her normal weight she only weighed 130lbs and she had already lost 20lbs. My mama decided that she could not handle all four of her kids so she decided that my brother (who happened to be her shadow, they had a very close relationship) could not mentally handle seeing her deteriorate, so he went to Arkansas to live with my dad. My little brother and sister who were only 3 and 4 went to live with my Aunt. My Grandmother and two Aunties moved in and took care of mama 24 hours a day. Slowly the cancer started to eat away at her body. The doctors added radiation to the mix and this was like a jolt to her body. She began to have radiation rashes and lost 15 more pounds at this point she was skin and bones. She would spend weeks in the hospital and seemed to be tired of fighting. The cancer was winning and there was nothing anyone could do to stop it. My mama knew the end was near and called my father and asked that he bring my brother home because she needed to see him before she left this world. I will never forget the look on my brother face when he saw my mama, he was completed devastated. A few weeks after his arrival my mama passed away. Since that time I have lost my father, aunt and uncle to this disease and that is just the people in my family.

So when a government task force said Monday that most women don't need mammograms in their 40s and should get one every two years starting at 50 I felt personally attacked. The task force also feel that breast self-exams are of no value. I know that I am not a medical professional but I also know that many women discover lumps in their breast by doing self-exams. I also know the benefit of catching cancers at the earliest stage as possible. Not to mention the fact that although white women get breast cancers at higher rates than black women, but black women are more likely to die from the cancer.

It is my fear that Medicaid and insurance groups do not fall in line with the suggestion of the government task force. This would be a tremendous blow to the life of many women that could be diagnosed too late to save their lives. It angers me that people that sit on a board get to make decisions that adversely affect the lives of thousands of people. I am willing to bet a dollar to a dime that big pharma or insurance companies is behind this “new” revelation. Why not it would save billions of dollars on test especially when the government may pass a law that entitles all Americans to insurance? People need to understand that this is about lives not dollars. Can someone please tell me how much a life is worth? When are we ever going to get past our greedy need for money and as much as possible at all cost? Sometimes capitalism is not as great as it is cracked up to be



PS. I have a high school classmate that is battling breast cancer. Lisa my prayers, thoughts and love are with you.

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Sammy Done Turned White



In case you have been living under a rock you have probably seen the pictures of Sammy Sosa sporting his new look. Using what he called “skin rejuvenation” and contacts Sammy has become a lighter skin Dominican. Actually it made me mad and sad at the same time. Who knew that the desire to look Caucasian was a global thing. Well I actually knew that it was becoming a looming problem. Indians, Africans and Asians are top consumers of skin lightening creams. In many foreign countries lighter skin means an easier life. Of course African Americans have dealt with these issues since the day the stepped foot off the boat. However, not many of us indulge in skin lighting cream. Because in America black is black. For the most part it doesn’t matter if you the lightest of the light or the darkest of the dark , if black can be detected in your skin tone you will probably experience racism at one point or another in your life.



I am a darkie. I am one of the few dark skinned people in my family and I have been called every name imaginable. Blackie….black ass, darkness, African Boom-bata, African booty scratch er, ect…. And as a child it really bothered me. I would look in the mirror and wrap my head with a towel and try to imagine my skin being lighter and the towel would be my long straight locks. Each time I tried it would be hard to imagine myself as a light skin person. I could not put my finger on it, but I knew I would not be me if my skin was of a lighter shade. Today my skin tone is so integral to the person I’ve become. I could not imagine changing what God clearly thought what was best for me. What is the problem with being different? Why must we all be the same and look the same? Why do we feel that white is right and will sell our souls too look like what we have been programmed to think is real beauty.
I look at Sammy and although he is smiling all I see is hate. Look at what the brother did to himself he clearly does not like himself. Then he says that the camera flash makes him seem lighter than what he really is……..really Sam? And let me guess all you did was rub a skin cream all over your face and suddenly your face was white and your eyes were green. Sam….I am not Susie Sausage Head and I think you are full of it. But I can understand why he feels so pressured to lighten his skin. If you think African Americans have in bad in American, try being an African Latino in Brazil or the Dominican. The Dominicans consider anything black to be associated with Haitian. Haiti's slaves revolted against the French and in 1804 established their own nation. In 1822, Haitians took over the entire island, ruling the predominantly Hispanic Dominican Republic for 22 years. To this day, the Dominican Republic celebrates its independence not from centuries-long colonizer Spain, but from Haiti.


In much of Latin America -- the "one drop rule'' works in reverse: One drop of white blood allows even very dark-skinned people to be considered white. Racial identification here is thorny and complex, defined not so much by skin color but by the texture of your hair, the width of your nose and even the depth of your pocket. The richer, the "whiter." And, experts say, it is fueled by a rejection of anything black. Dominicans are encouraged to embrace Spanish Catholic roots rather than African ancestry. Walk down any city street in the Dominican and you will see a country where blacks and dark-skinned people vastly outnumber whites, and most estimates say that 90 percent of Dominicans are black or of mixed race. Yet census figures say only 11 percent of the country's nine million people are black.

It becomes painfully clear that being black is something people fear in many areas of our world. I could not imagine living in a land filled with predominantly dark skinned individuals and calling myself Indian, Latino or white. I am certain that each country has its shame to bear. But I guess I always imagined that if I lived in a land filled with black folks that we would treat each other like Kings and Queens. Sammy if you are reading this please stop the treatments. Get counseling and begin to heal by loving yourself. If people can not accept you then banish them from your life.

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Mad as a Mutha

There are a few characteristics about me that get me in a lot of trouble.
1. Very opinionated
2. Headstrong
3. At times extremely vocal

Today at work those attributes were tested and just as expected I lost it. Okay check it…. my department is throwing a party for a lady that I don’t particularly care for. People came around asking for donations for food or if each person could bring a dish. Now, I’m a person that if I deal with you then cool….but if I don’t mess with you then I don’t mess with you….period. I will be cordial to you even if I don’t fool with you but I don’t pretend to be your supporter when I am not... see that is fake shit. So anyway I told my department that I will not be making any contributions nor will I be attending the party. That causes a few people in my department to get pissy and give me the side eye. So I’m like “what’s the problem?”

Then two individuals start whispering about me not wanting to participate. Now I get upset and let them know that I do what the fuck I wanna do with my money. The lady has rarely spoken two works to me and when she does they come across as superior, condescending and patronizing. So then one of my co workers says, “ I just don’t think it is cool that you are not participating”. Of course I like WTF, did the bish give you some money or contribute to any party that you know of? She said she was not aware if she did or not. I started to get more upset because people were questioning my choice not to be inclusive. Then co-worker says well we got visitors in the building and I just don’t want to get into it. At this point I got steam coming out of my ears and I said “don’t start shit, whispering and getting your opinion across and then think of an excuse not to hear what I wanted to say." Now if you truly didn’t give a damn you would have shut the fuck up and turned around to face your computer and went on about your day.

I just want to know how someone think they gonna regulate my pockets. I get so tired of working in an office sometimes. I know I have an attitude and when it clashes with other people that come to work with an attitude it’s like a ticking time bomb.

I just had to get that off my chest. BTW how you doing