Stepping Up Lisa's "A" Game

Ever since I got laid off, I think I've let my "A" game slip a little. Ron told me to relax and take some time to just enjoy myself and stop working so hard. Well, I didn't take that advice...I didn't listen...and started doing some projects around the house...

• Put up gutter covers on the sunroom
• Washed & cleaned the sunroom windows - Yes, all by myself
• Cleaned out the garage
• Put up shelving and peg board in the garage & bought shades for the garage windows (which are still sitting in the garage)
• Organized clothing, shoes and put all the old/too small stuff into 6 bags to go to the "Mission Trip" sale at my mothers church
• Cleaned out my office (but the boxes are still sitting outside of my office)
• Built a website for our company
• Designed business cards & stationary
• Visited my bestest friends who don't live near me (NY, KY, ATL this weekend)
• Went to two conferences & interviewed a dozen times
• Started doing my own housework (MY GAWD - now I know why I should pay someone to do it)
• 4 Loads of Laundry a day (HOW IN GOD'S NAME DO WE HAVE THIS MUCH LAUNDRY)
• Cooking, like for real meals (My family still looks at me like I got some kinda fever)

...but then I started to slack off. I've been sleeping in later & later. I got sick and stopped exercising. I started watching WAAAAAY too much TV during the day and the day would just get away from me. Yesterday, it took my over an hour to get myself together to go to a job fair and when I got there, I WAS FREAKIN PISSED. They advertised that over 30 companies would be there and when I walked into the room there were only 7 - none of which I had any interest in working for - and they were only offering entry level positions. Ummm. Not so much. I left. I was angry, I was upset and for some reason, I started feeling sorry for myself...like all of a sudden, because I was laid off, I had become a loser. When did that happen? When did my job all of a sudden start defining who I was? When did I stop playing my "A" game? I got home and texted my friend Sissy and she managed to talk me off the ledge...more like snapped my head back with a "are you stupid or somethin' response". Just what I needed.

Well, right there and then I decided that I can play my "A" game whether it is on the fields of friendly strife (at work) or at my humble abode. I will get up outta the damn bed and get my family started on their day. I will take and finish the 30 day Yoga challenge to strengthen my mind and my body. I will make it my mission in life to help Jordan get a scholarship and get accepted to college - if that means that I have to fill out the applications for him (I WILL NOT write the essays, but I will fill in the rest of the blanks). I will ease off my merciless attacks on the cleanliness of his room and help him myself, if he can continue with his borderline genius status this year with grades, work, and play lacrosse. I can do that. I will still post for jobs and then walk away, putting it in God's hands. I will handle the tedious details of our lives & our home with flair that only a TravelDiva can, making what Ron does every day a piece of cake & stress free.

The TravelDiva has got her "A" Game back. Watch out and watch me roar.

Ron's 25th High School Reunion

This past Saturday, I went with Ron to his 25th High School Reunion held at St. John College High School; a private, military, Christian Brothers high school. Back in Ron's day, it was an all boy private school. So, 99% of the women in attendance were wives. Now it is co-ed and the military portion is optional. Times have changed.

I agonized all day about what to wear and settled on a St. John Denim Skirt Suit with a pair of matching denim Guess shoes with 3 in heels. (Ron said they made my legs look great, so they were a must - uh, huh - but whose gotta stand there lookin' cute for hours). I ended up the royal photographer and followed Ron around while he caught up with his classmates.

I did get bored during several conversations and ended up finding a seat (remember 3in heels). These guys started spraying testosterone around the room in the midst of "catching up" and I just found it amusing. What was very striking to me was that almost all of Ron's white classmates owned their own company, were consultants, or were some kind of financial guru/venture capitalist/hedge fund manager AND almost all of Ron's black classmates worked for somebody/some corporation (only 2 of the approx. 10 in attendance were self-employed - Ron & Chip). We still got a long way to go...but YES WE CAN!

I will admit that I find watching Ron "talk business" is pretty damn sexy to me. He's just so....um, so...HOT... when he's got his Alpha Male "A" Game on, I just have to fan myself. My RonnieBear just ROCKS! He introduced me to all of his classmates as "his better half" & "isn't she a beauty", making standing in my HotNESS shoes worth it.

Next up, my 25th High School Reunion from Oakland Mills High on November 1st. Should be a hoot.

I Simply Couldn't Have Said it Better

What's Good for the Goose...

is Good for the Gander.

If the McCain campaign is going to "turn the page" on the campaign and now resort to more direct, personal attacks on the Obama campaign by trying to call the man a terrorist because he is the neighbor of a terrorist...if they are going to say that he is guilty, hates this country, and is unfit by association...then let's all call the kettle black and remind everyone of McCain's past associations...namely The Keating 5. Uh huh...and McCain is in touch with the economy...really. So, while your sitting around, all in shock and awe, about how horrible it would be to have a terrorist lover as a President, take a moment to reflect and remember how McCain and his buddies are the destroyers of the economy as we know it. Let's just be fair about it, mmmmkay.

In the middle of the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, they want to change the subject from the central question of this election.

Perhaps because the policies McCain supported these past eight years and wants to continue are pretty hard to defend. But it's not just McCain's role in the current crisis that they're avoiding. The backward economic philosophy and culture of corruption that helped create the current crisis are looking more and more like the other major financial crisis of our time. During the savings and loan crisis of the late '80s and early '90s, McCain's political favors and aggressive support for deregulation put him at the center of the fall of Lincoln Savings and Loan, one of the largest in the country. More than 23,000 investors lost their savings. Overall, the savings and loan crisis required the federal government to bail out the savings of hundreds of thousands of families and ultimately cost American taxpayers $124 billion. Sound familiar?

In that crisis, John McCain and his political patron, Charles Keating, played central roles that ultimately landed Keating in jail for fraud and McCain in front of the Senate Ethics Committee.

The McCain campaign has tried to avoid talking about the scandal, but with so many parallels to the current crisis, McCain's Keating history is relevant and voters deserve to know the facts -- and see for themselves the pattern of poor judgment by John McCain. So at noon Eastern on Monday, October 6th, we're releasing a 13-minute documentary about the scandal called "Keating Economics: John McCain and the Making of a Financial Crisis" -- it will be available at KeatingEconomics.com, along with background information that every voter should know.

The point of the film and the web site is that John McCain still hasn't learned his lesson. And this time, McCain's bankrupt economic philosophy has put our economy at the brink of collapse and put millions of Americans at risk of losing their homes. Watch the video to see why John McCain's failed philosophy and poor judgment is a recipe for deepening the crisis: http://my.barackobama.com/keatingvideo

It's no wonder John McCain would rather spend the last month of this election smearing Barack's character instead of talking about the top priority issue for voters.

Full Moon to Full Moon 30 day Challenge

Bikram Yoga Kahului @ Haleakala, originally uploaded by mAri*e saYs sMiLe.

Are you up for a challenge? Are you ready to transform you spirit as well as your body? Well, join me for the Full Moon to Full Moon 30 Day Challenge at Bikram Yoga Columbia. Starting on October 14th, I will be participating in the 30 days of Bikram Yoga Challenge. You have to have 30 days to do 30 sessions...and I'm going to do it.

As YogaKat says...30 days will change your spirit, change your body, change your life...and get your prepared for holiday feasting. I'm gonna take her word for it.

I'll keep you posted on my progress, my thoughts, triumphs & challenges during this adventure and let you know any changes/outcomes as a result.

I hope to see you there. Don't just sit there...do something. What are you gonna do to transform your body & your mind?

HILARIOUS! Explains it All...

I WON! I WON!

"Congratulations on winning Hu.man.a's give-away of a Nintendo Wii and a Wii Fit at the 2008 National Black MBA Association Conference in Washington, DC."

WOO HOO! The Steptoe's got a Wii coming! I'm so damn excited, but I think my son is even more so. He wants to "take me" shopping for games. He is soooo funny.

Random & Restless Thoughts

• WTF!!!! What makes you think that I'm going to pay you/your company to do some ish that I could do myself with my eyes closed. One month of my mortgage to negotiate on my behalf with a bank to refinance and/or restructure my mortgage. CRACKHEAD. I can negotiate with the bank my damned self for free - especially if they want me to pay the damn mortgage. Hell. Pay a fee up front to help me find a job. CRACKHEAD. How bout I pay for performance. You get me an offer that is acceptable to me and I'll reward your stoopit azz for that performance and not a moment before.Pay you to fill out some government contracting forms? DA HALL. My pen and computer works just like yours.

• Needless Markup just thinks they da ish. They only accept their store credit card, Am.ex, or cash. My Vi.sa debit card isn't good enough unless I use it to get cash out of the ATM. Keep your ish then. Now that is elitist.

• Customer Service ain't ish these days

• I'm so sick & damn tired of seeing people in ill fitting clothes, especially undergarments. If you have 6 boobs instead of 2, your bra is too effin small. If your drawers only cover the crack of your azz, are not thongs, and you have 3 butts instead of 1 - your drawers are too small and your pants are too tight. LOOK IN THE FREAKIN MIRROR before you go out. DAMN.

• I worry that my crackberry trackball will fly off cause I'm always scrolling.

• Yesterday was my best Bikram Yoga practice ever! Go me.

• I think my sister sees an ATM machine when she looks at me.

• I may not be able to speak Spanish well, but I do understand most of what your are saying. So, when you are here landscaping or delivering my mother's new fridge, I know what you are saying about me. Thank you for the admiration, but it is NOT gonna happen. Yes, I know my boobs are big. Yes, I live here. No, I'm not the servant. Geeze.

• I refuse to argue with my friends anymore about the election. I'm tired of this shit. NO, I am not voting for Obama just cause he is black. DAMMIT - are you voting for McCain just cause he is white? NO, I am not pinning my "hopes" on any one man. NO, I am not going to stoop to name calling & character assassinations to make my point. (...well, one last dig...It just amuses the heck out of me that people watch Palin make an azz outta herself over and over all by her lonesome and then justify it by saying the media is mean & sexist - NO - she is just plain intellectually challenged BUT she can see Russia from her house). All you have to do is watch, listen, and see the candidates eff up and contradict themselves on a regular. You need to make your decision for yourself - the less of two evils as I see it. You don't need help from me. I simply am not going to get into it with anybody anymore. You wanna rant and rave to make a point, fine. You gonna be doing it by yourself. I'm not the one.

• I love the fact that I'm a foot shorter than my husband. cause when he hugs me, I'm engulfed in his arms; surrounded by the warmth and smell of him. I instantly feel safe & loved. I try to get me in 2-3 hugs a day.

• I knows de is a Gawd, cause after 25 years of sans ropas with the same man, he still makes me yearn for more. Yes, Lawd...exhaling. And on top of that, I love the way he looks at me when he thinks I don't know. Gives me goosebumps. I thank God that I feel this way still.

• Cara is slicker than snot. If it gets quiet, look for the scissors.

• You definitely can't live off of unemployment, but I'm still gonna get my benefits while I can. I wish my sister would apply for the benefits I've (we all have) been paying into so she could stop living hand to mouth in that hovel of a motel she is staying in.

Gotta go, time to watch my programs...

Guess Who's NOT Coming To Dinner

I don't have to add any additional commentary to one of my favorite movie critics critiques of the Presidential Debates...he sums it up nicely...

Guess who's not coming to dinner

by Roger Ebert

I do not like you, John McCain. My feeling has nothing to do with issues. It has to do with common courtesy. During the debate, you refused to look Barack Obama in the eye. Indeed, you refused to look at him at all. Even when the two of you shook hands at the start, you used your eyes only to locate his hand, and then gazed past him as you shook it.

Obama is my guy. If you are rude to him, you are rude to me. If you came to dinner at my house and refused to look at or speak with one of my guests, that would be bad manners and I would be offended. Same thing if I went to your house. During the debate, you were America's guest.

What was your problem? Do you hold this man in such contempt that you cannot bear to gaze upon him? Will you not even speak to him directly? Do you think he doesn't have the right to be running for President? Were you angry because after you said you wouldn't attend the debate, he said a President should be able to concern himself with two things at the same time? He was right. The proof is, you were there. Were you angry with him because he called your bluff?

During the debate, Jim Lehrer repeatedly called upon both candidates to speak directly to each other. Obama looked at you. He addressed you as "John," which as a fellow senator is his privilege. His body language was open. You stared straight ahead, or at Lehrer, or into space. Your jaw was clinched. You had a tight little smile, or a grimace, or a little shake of your head.
I had to do two things at once while watching the debate. I had to listen to what was being said. And I had to process your rigid and contemptuous behavior. If you were at a wedding and the father of the groom refused to look at or speak to the bride, how would that make you feel? Especially if you were the father of the bride?

You made a TV commercial showing the moments Obama agreed with you. Everybody knows he did. Did his agreement show honesty, or weakness? It is significant that you said it proved he was not ready to lead. What is the better leadership quality: (1) Willingness to listen to your opponent, and keep an open mind? (2) Rigidly ignoring him? Which of the two of you better demonstrated the bipartisan spirit you say you represent? Was there anything he said that you agreed with? Could you have brought yourself to say so?

I'm not the only one who noticed your odd, hostile behavior. Just about everybody did. I'm sure many of your supporters must have sensed the tension. Before the debate, pundits were wondering if you might explode in a display of your famous temper. I think we saw that happen, all right, but it was an implosion. I have instructed my wife to exclude you from any future dinner parties

Shoe-aholic

Hi, my name is Lisa, and I am a shoe-aholic. Yep, that's me. I have it bad and I'm still at step 1 of the twelve step program to recovery (whatever those are) and there is no hope for recovery. My rate of recidivism is infinite. I simply refuse to capitulate. I simply can't stop. I will rotate shoes, I will replace old/out of date with new - at a rate of 2-3x the rate that I get rid of some.

The above picture is just a smattering of my shoes. It does not include the boots, which are in labled boxes, sandals, exercise shoes and other flats. Sigh. Ron is gonna get real mad if I ask for more closet space when I have most of it already. To top it off, I went to NY this past weekend and managed to get in some shoe shopping. I wanted shoes to wear with my new jeans and ended up with 3 new pairs. Ummmm, well, ah, what had happend was....

The icing on the cake was the arrival of a pair of shoes from my girlfriend Terri. She picked up these awesome brown shoes with 2 1/2 in heels and decided that she simply couldn't walk in them. I told her to practice, but alas, it just didn't work out for her - and since we are the same shoe size...HA...I got me some new hotness shoes. I love them, Terri. They fitta fine.

What is a shoe diva to do? I know...go out and get some hot new outfits to go with the shoes. Mmmmm, maybe I should hold off on that till I get me a job or we win a contract. Imma try. Imma try.

UPDATE FOR MARYLAND: Passive Electioneering

I got this information of the the Maryland State Board of Elections regarding Passive Electioneering:

Electioneering -How far away from the polling place must I be to electioneer?

A line will be established by the election judges and you must be behind that line. The line will be located as near as practicable to 100 feet from the entrance and exit of the polling place.

However, a voter may wear campaign paraphernalia (buttons, t-shirts,
or stickers) into the polling place while he or she is there to vote (the voter may not linger in the polling place after voting). An election judge, challenger and watcher, or other person stationed inside the polling place or within 100 feet of the polling place may not wear or display campaign materials.

I have probably received about 10+ copies of an email that is going around warning me to not wear my campaign gear to the voting booth on November 4th because it is "illegal" to do so and I will, consequently, not be allowed to vote. Usually, I delete messages of this type because 99% of the time they are a email hoax and/or have a tiny bit of truth surrounded by a whole lot of lie.

Since this election is going to be a very important one, I decided to investigate further and see if I can find out some truth. First place I usually go to get some background on these type of emails is snopes.com. It is a pelthora of fact finding information behind all of these email scams that are going around. You will find out what part is true and what part is false.

I've looked this email up and it is TRUE & FALSE. The bottom line is (according to the website):

Election laws and regulations in the U.S. typically prohibit the practice of "electioneering" (actively supporting a candidate, political party, or issue) within or near polling places. Such rules have generally been applied to prevent overt electioneering: posting signs or banners; passing out pamphlets, flyers, or other literature; making oral exhortions, etc. Recently, however, movements in some states have sought to have bans on electioneering enforced against "passive electioneering" as well the wearing by voters of buttons, pins,t-shirts and other adornments bearing the names of candidates. The issue is a murky one because state laws may prohibit electioneering without defining the term, and the definition of "electioneering" may vary from place to place when the issue is left up to local election boards to define........

It's up to voters to be aware of what the regulations are at their local
polling places; if you can't get (or don't have time to find) a definitive answer about what constitutes electioneering where you vote, you may want to leave apparel (or other decorative items) bearing the names of candidates home on election day, or at least be prepared to remove it if asked. (For example, if you're going to wear an "Obama" or "McCain" shirt to a polling place, be sure to bring a change of shirt with you just in case.) In general, you should not be denied permission to vote for violating passive electioneering regulations; you should just be asked to leave the polling place and remove the items in question from public view before you re-enter. (Electioneering can be a violation of state law, typically a misdemeanor, so perpetrators run the risk of being detained and/or arrested, but this outcome is unlikely save for cases of flagrant violations.)

So, I would take heed to the warning. If you want more information or want to read the entire article go to http://www.snopes.com/politics/ballot/electioneering.asp

I'm so Proud

I am so proud of my man. Always am. He is an entrepreneur, a business man, a make it happen kinda man. Always has been, always will be. When he sees a business opportunity that will compliment or accent what we have already built, he seizes it. When he sees a way for us to make additional income utilizing our skill sets, that man works it out. Ron is a master networker, a shrewd business man...a man that takes care of his family.

This time he has taken what we have done in the private sector and leveraged those assets in the government sector. I'm proud of him, of his insight, and of the way he always includes me as his partner, as one of his advisers, as the keeper of the moola. The trust and respect he has for me, just makes me continue to want to be a better person, wife, business partner.

I put together our website for us. It's plain, but it has been working for what we need to do. Have a peek....

The Steptoe Group, LLC

Pray for our continued success and blessings.....

Dare to succeed,

Charlee's Homecoming

While Erin and I were galavanting all over NY (not really) visiting Maia, Ron and my mother were sending Charlee off to Homecoming....

http://sandysprogress.blogspot.com/2008/09/charlees-homecoming.html

We did managed to get in some shoe shopping while also shopping for Maia. I mean, really, the stores were along the way. Now how am I gonna get all of this home. Good thing we are taking the train.

Made from Love

Random Thoughs/Sights from Manhattan

These are just some scenes and random thoughs/questions I had during my walk about downtown Manhattan and on the subway. Erin and I went shopping for Maia today and I just had to catalog a few sights/sounds/smells....

• Toe nails so long and thick that they curl almost under the meat of the toe. Top that with crusty feet and you have NASTY.
• Talking to yourself on the subway train.
• Well dressed white children with black nannies.
• Screaming and cussing ("you mother f*&&#ker.....") at the top of yoiur lungs on your cell phone.
• No eye contact by anyone, especially on the subway.
• Nail art galore
• Lots of bad weave. Lord have mercy.
• Nails so long they curl. eeeewwwww
• Four very large (VERY) get on the subway car with us. Question? How did they get throught the turnstiles? Sorry, I diregress. Why do they have to be so gosh dang loud? Why. Loud and Ghetto fabulous. My eardrums almost burst.
• Lord, I need to pay attention when picking a train to get on. Erin and I ended up in Queens. Oops. Good thing I can read a map.
• Why do funky people not only smell like feet & azz but spicy too. What is that?

There was more but I got tired of pulling out my "handy dandy notebook" to write down everything I saw. I should have just recorded it on my phone. Hmmmm. Tomorrow is another day.

Isn't She Wonderful...

An uneventful train ride and the cab ride from the seventh level of hell and I made it to Val & Manny's for my weekend rescue of Maia Athena. She is just precious. She was fussy last night cause she is a little gassy, but Aunti Lisa figured out how to hold her so that she was comfortable. I got up around 4 am and resuced Manny & Val from a crying Maia to let them get a few hours of sleep. Maia and I watched CNN and she promptly went back to sleep. Aunti Lisa has the magic touch.

Today I'll take some video of our day so you can see my tiny diva in action.

Inspiration

I'd like to think that it was my diva inspiration that spurred my friend to start blogging. Not so sure but he's done it.....http://angry-black-man-va.blogspot.com/

Funny thing...he really isn't angry at all. I hope you will stop by and encourage him in his efforts....DESPITE THE FACT THAT HE LURKED HERE FOREVER without ever commenting on my site. Humph. Whatever. Imma support my fellow alumni and fledgling blogger with my endorsement and support.

SO MR. MAN! If you want me to comment on your blog, you're gonna have to stop lurking and comment here too. HA!

Friends and Family,
Though I have threatened for years without following through, I have finally started my own blog.Here I will comment on issues that I feel are important. I finally gave into frustration and needed a positive way to express it. When I look at America 2008, I am reminiscent of the Marvin Gaye song “Make Me Wanna Holler”. Our government has failed us…badly. If I really think about the nation that I have served for my entire adult life and what it has become in the past 8 years…I feel like crying. Never in my life have I not been optimistic about our future…today I am not. If we care about our future, we have got to stop doing the “same ol’, same ol’” . Too many of our people still are unregistered and not prepared to vote. We are being fleeced, in part due to our apathy. If you don’t think so…check out my first post.

I urge each of you to make a difference. Don’t sit on the sideline when the game is our future. I hope you will visit my blog and share your thoughts. I don’t care whether you agree with me or not…at least have an opinion… this is the most important election of our lifetime, so you CANNOT sit on the sidelines and watch. If
you think your vote doesn’t’ make a difference…ask Al Gore, he lost by the
equivalent of less than one vote per precinct in the state of Florida back in
2000.

If you feel you cannot afford tocontribute to a candidate, I would offer…you cannot afford not to. Even if it’s just $5…contribute. Get involved in a campaign and make a difference. I would not be so presumptuous to tell you who to vote for…but vote regardless of who you cast your ballot for, because too many of our people have sacrificed so much for the privilege.

So drop by my blog and leave your comments. Speak your peace. I don’t care if you agree with my opinion or not…just have an opinion! Also feel free to share the link with your friends and family. I promise to stimulate, provoke and inspire you
into doing something. Please click on the link below to get to my blog and read
my first post TheUS Economy on Life Support...$700 Billion Dollars Worth of Bad Medicine?. Thanks in advance for your interest and support.

Just Great People...

I have worked with a lot of people during my 18 years in the healthcare industry, but these guys and gals of the DC Power Team & Washington Federals (our district names) were just the greatest bunch of people to work with. Reorganizations, promotions and life have sent a bunch of us on our merry way around the country, but whenever one or two of us is in town (DC is our major meeting hub), then we try to get as many of us together as possible - even if it is only for drinks.

Stanley W came in town for the Career Fair at the National Black MBA and after 2 days of wrangling schedules we were able to get a smattering of us together for breakfast on Friday. All I can say is - WE LOOK GOOD! I love these guys. It was good to see my friends.

My Best Friend is a MOMMIE!!!!!!!

Welcome to the world Maia! Born on September 9th, 2008. In this picture, she is 10 days old. I'm coming Maia, hold on....Aunti Lisa is on her way! I can't wait till your old enough for loud toys, playdo and weebles that wobble (stuff it down the drain, Maia, stuff it down the drain - that's my girl). You already have the look of power Diva Shopping!

See ya on Thursday, pumkin! Get ready for your film debut.

P.S. Manny & Val - GIMMIE MY BABY!!!!!

102 Minutes That Changed America

I haven't stopped crying since this documentary about 9/11 came on tonight on the History Channel. I also can't take myself away.

http://www.history.com/minisite.do?content_type=mini_home&mini_id=60026

It was made from the footage of 10 different people, ordinary citizens, who were filming from their homes, the street, from rooftops. I am horrified, I am rivited, I'm still sobbing. If you get a chance to see the documentary, you must. If you can't then spend some time at the website. Let us not forget.