The Year of 2014

2014 started off cold with a lot snow and was a bit rough at times. Being out in negative degree temperatures is breath taking. Still have thoughts about that night it was -42. The look and sound was like being in one of those artic movies. It made me stop complaining as much about it snowing or how cold it is, even to this day.

Early this year, a friend of mine pretty much just up and moved away. The fact the she was moving bummed me out but what made it worse was that she showed no emotion about it. They say when it’s time to go, it’s time to go.

Switched shifts at work back in May or June(damn really, how did I forget the month already) and was pretty content with the work situation I was in for a long while. Took a lot of small trips to hit the stores but mainly went to Danville, IL aka the Dirty D aka the Shady Capital. Last year it was 2 months straight that I hit the road at least once a week. This year, I think I’ve done it 8 months straight and counting.

Had some thoughts about long term goals and I how I’m not good at sticking with them. In June, decided to come up with short term monthly goals. That has been working out well. A couple of my goals each month are to write at least 4 blogs and write about 5 movie or TV shows.

Also in June, started walking and working out to get my health right. That was fun but only did it for a few months. Wasn’t trying to lose weight or get too small for my clothes but it happened and hit me quick. I want to get back to some kind of workout soon even if it’s just a couple of time a week.

Started writing someone in jail over the Summer. That was cool plus that was around the time I started setting goals so it made me want to write more. Had been wanting a pen pal or something like that for a while. It’s true, when someone is locked up they tend to be really tough in his or her feelings. Making lots of promises but when they get out, you get the real person.

Been on a shopping binge since late July 2013. Sometime earlier in the year, went a little over 30 days only buying 1 thing that wasn’t something like food or a necessity. As soon as the weather was nice, I was back on it and hitting the road again. After that harsh Winter, we went right into a mild Summer that was loaded with lots of decent weather.

Met up with a friend in person that I started talking to in the Myspace days. That was pretty cool. Also got to see a friend who moved away a couple of years ago. She was right, people do change or have changed since she had moved.

Switched departments at work after working the same department for 8 years. The cool part about it was that my co-workers from that department requested me and stayed in the boss ear to help me get the job. I’m digging the job but the “shituation” and having to work for a “lying ass sounding like a bitch with all those excuses” boss kind of makes it hard at times to really enjoy it.

Got me a Partner in the Kitchen. So far, we’ve made Lemon Cake and Sexy Voice Peanut Butter Pie. Both were damn good but that PB pie, Boi I tell ya, it be calling out for you, I’m trying to tell ya. Cut my sodium intake down when I started working out and since then, everything taste too good. Damn, I’ve eating some good food in the past few months.

Put the Christmas tree up the weekend before Thanksgiving. Had a bunch of gifts wrapped before the tree went up. I usually wait until after Thanksgiving but I was in the spirit and ready to get it cracking.

Black Friday, with the exception of the few bumps I hit that smoothed out, was pretty good this year and I had some. That made it that much better. Everybody act like they afraid to be in the store during Black Friday, it wasn’t even that bad that year. I’m already thinking about 2015 Black Friday but I’ll let this year soak in some more.

Turned one of my visions into a reality when I started working on a game room. Finally got it done for the most part at the beginning of the month.

On December 9, 2014, got a call from Mom letting me know that Grandma had passed. I quickly went from good to I’m not sure anymore? Everything will be ok. She’s resting after putting in an amazingly long life. I’m proud to have a Grandma like her. R.I.P.

Was out of the Christmas spirits for the past few weeks and it never came back to me. Took the Christmas tree down the day after Christmas. I almost take it down Christmas Eve. Been trying to make the best of these last days of in 2014 and continue that through 2015.

Overall 2014 was a really good year. One of the best years I’ve had in long time. I’m sure I forgot something but it’s cool, maybe it’ll get its own blog one day. My goal every year has been to learn as much as I can to help me become a better person. Of course I’m still going to do that but along the way, those little things are what I’m going to try to enjoy the most. See you in 2015, if not, you be cool.

Happy New Year!!!!!

Randomness in December 2014

From 2006 up to a few years ago, New Years Eve was something I looked forward to. Brought most of those New Years in with my Drunkin Partners. Although I had a lot of good moments with my partners, had a lot of mix emotions once the New Year was in those nights. Felt like I should have been doing something else or with someone else?

Used to believe whatever you were doing going into the new year was what you would be doing all year long. That was crazy to think, now it’s like whatever. If I do something I do something, if not, it’s cool too.

Haven’t put any thought into 2015 besides having to remember to write 2015 instead of 2014. I think a new Star Wars movie is coming out in 2015, definitely looking forward to that.

Now that the Game Room is operational, I hope to break it in soon. Haven’t gotten into that full blown gaming mode just yet. Need to found the right games. If there isn’t an ugly sale, I don’t plan on buying any more games for a long time so I better like something got or hope what I have will do the job for me.

Got Sexy Voice Peanut Butter Pie on my mind, maybe I should hook one up soon. Damn, it’s good. I’m due for some sweets anyways. Shouts out to my partner in the kitchen, we about due to concoct something mouth watering.

Watching Movies In December 2014

Agents of S.H.I.L.D. was pretty good even though it didn’t really have any mutants in the whole show. It was mostly chemically enhanced people. There were some twist and good stories going on for the most part. Ran right through season 1.

A Haunted House 2: Marlon Wayans is extra crazy. The movie was stupid but dude had me rolling doing all that crazy shit.

Jailbait: The main chick in the movie couldn’t catch a break at all. She just kept getting the bad end of the stick each time. There were lots of little boobies going on in this movie so I made it to the end of the movie. It’s not really worth watching.

 

And Then There Was You: Ehh, this movie was ok. There was some weird stuff going on along with some real stuff. I never really found Lynn Whitfield to be attractive but in this movie, she caught my eye. I wouldn’t recommend this movie to anyone unless you’re bored and just want to watch something.

A Special Woman

Grandma was born October 14, 1909 in the south, Mississippi to be exact. Grandma had 8 kids along with some adopted kids, 1 Aunt I never got a chance to meet. She passed away before my time. Grandma once told me that she was taking care of her brothers and sisters at 9 years old. That would explain some things about the stories of having all those family members living in one house.  

    

At some point, Grandma must’ve packed everybody up and moved north to Champaign, IL.  

There are always some family members telling stories about the past and I use to wish I was there to be about of that history. There’s a lot I don’t remember about those stories but I remember some of my history with Grandma.

My time finally rolled around. My earliest memories of Grandma are when she used to babysit Shandra and I. She has this spot in the kitchen where she’d sit and watch TV. She had her crutches, purse and spit can on deck. In her house, she had plants by the front window, shelves between the livingroom and kitchen. There were bottles that had blue and red liquid in them sitting on the shelf and her trusty sewing machine.

Seems like every time we went on a road trip, she rode with us, chewing on her gun. Grandma and Mom would always talk about the past at some point during those road trips. Any and every where I’ve seen this woman, she was chilling. Even when you go to her house, should be posted up in her same spot in the kitchen, chilling. She was my neighbor for 22 years.

At same point, she became the candy lady, Ms Avant is what the kids called her. Kids would always tell me they liked buying from Ms Avant because she had penny candy. They also figured I was getting free candy all the time but that’s not true at all. She may have given me a little extra every few blue moons but that’s about it. One time I stayed the night at Grandma’s, I stole some chewing gun. Eventually I snitched on everybody that was there and paid her back. Never stole from her again and it was rare that I asked for free candy.

Grandma was into the soaps so during the week days, every day, we had to watch soaps. I hated it but what was worse was when I had to spend the night at her house. I can still hear the clock and the noise from the refrigerator. Whenever I got mad at Mom, I’d run next door to tell Grandma. Wanted Grandma to whoop Mom. It’s funny now but I was serious back then. She was always into westerns and action movies. She’d say “wellsir” or something like that when she got excited about something she seen.

I hated having to help Grandma in the garden. I’d try my best to duck on or go where she couldn’t see me. I feel bad now because I should’ve been helping her more in that garden. Plus I couldn’t learned more about gardening. It was the bugs that kept me from wanting to help. I don’t do bugs *smacks arm and leg*

When Grandma got dressed up, she was too fly. She looked like she was going to the Players Ball or something. I’d ask her sometimes where she was going and she’d tell me “tomcatting”. I wanted to go but they weren’t having that.

 

I spent many hours over at Grandma’s watching TV in her bedroom sitting the reclining. It was me and Peter the cat and years later, Cecil the cat. Those were my little buddies. Grandma called me Buckwheat when I was High School. Then it was Buck a Monk but she mostly called me Brown Skin. Anytime I’d call her looking for Mom it would go like this “May I speak to Mom” she said hand the phone to Mom and say “here Mom” or “PEAK to Mom”.

Grandma would tell me to listen to my Mom. I usually listen to Mom, I just don’t do what Mom says. Hahaa     

There are all kinds of little memories that I shared with her. A part of me feels bad that I didn’t spent more time with her and talk to her more as an adult. It’s ok, one thing I do know is Grandma was a warm person, strong, a survivor. She had experienced a lot in her long life. I don’t know what it’s like to lose brothers, sisters, kids but she has lost all but 1 sister and 4 kids and she still carried on. She never treated me any different today then she did when I was a kid. We never really expressed our feelings by saying I love you but I always know she did. She showed me and it was understood.

Grandma, Lilma, Ms Avant, Gramps, Grandma Mary, this little woman is a real soldier in my eyes. I couldn’t forget her even if I wanted to. She’s touched many people and I got to see some of those people express that at her 98^th birthday. I walked away from the party like, WOW. Grandma is someone special, not just a Grandma. This special woman is MY Grandma. I’m honored to have been cut from a part of her cloth.

Where ever she may be, I know she’s good. She wouldn’t want any of us to worry. 

R.I.P. Grandma