Fabulous and Single

I adore Tai Beauchamp and was excited to feature my mentor and friend with her new show "Holidate," airing on SoapNet on Wednesdays.

For our interview we got into why someone as fabulous, accomplished and gorgeous was single - and how annoying it is for someone to ask you why you are single when its not a disease, just a simple circumstance of not yet meeting that somebody special.

A couple of months back I attended a Alvin Ailey African dance class one Saturday morning with her and another fabulous young woman in the city. Afterwards, we grabbed lunch and great girl talk ensued. I gushed on Sherlock. Tai told me she had been engage when she was around the age I am now and how she called it off, knowing she wasnt ready to make that step. She shared how much more growing she has done since then and now she is the person she would want to be for a partner. Along with pancakes, I nibbled on her food for thought.

*That's her with the fab bangs at a dinner two years ago she hosted for young women in media. Good times

About Last Night

Had dinner with my beloved Mikey last night.

He met me at work. I was so excited to see him we started holding hands and crossed the street. I saw my coworkers KB and Tracey, and we stopped and said hello. I told KB this was the infamous Michael I told her about, my gay best friend. She smiled and started laughing. Then belted "Ohh, I was thinking, that ain't her man." We all laughed and she said how she was ready to go with whatever I said, as far a story on who he was. We went on and reverted back to our summer 2006 ways, laughing and telling stories over thai at Cafetasia. I could see my own growth through his eyes. I was proud to see his, after moving to Los Angeles quickly and never looking back. Only thing constant really is change:)

Moving on Up (well, actually down)

So, again back to sporadic posting. A LOT has been going down. First up, Im happy to report I moved into my first apartment where I am the ONLY tenant over the weekend. It all happened rather quickly. At the beginning of summer I thought it might be time to move on my own, then Grandma passed and new boss at work, and I forgot about it. Until i was looking at one month until my lease was up at the end of July. I wanted to live below 125th st is possible, and stumbled upon an awesome deal of apartments being rented in a building on 121st St. My income was enough. My credit was good. I signed the doted line all by myself. The day I saw the apartment I happen to run into my friend KLA who lives right around the corner. She treated me to Sangaria across the street at Nectar. SO exciting to have place to eat and drink in the neighborhood other than chinese and halaal.

Today my first movers flaked, got some new ones to come a few hours later and all my stuff was moved in enough time for me to still make it to BK for the annual block party. Awesome weekend, with old friends and new beginnings

Meet with Mitzi . .

So it never was celebrities I wanted to be when I grew up. It was people in the media. And all through high school I was enthralled with the life of one magazine editor: Mitzi Miller. She did the Roadtrippin' column in Honey and the ultimate friend in my head.

 Fast foward a few years and I have politely stalked my way into her life and consider a dear mentor and she's having a book signing in NYC, for her teen series HOTLANTA, co-written with Denene Millner. Check it out . . .

read her message below . . .

Big HOTLANTA day tomorrow afternoon party people!!  

From 4-6pm, yours truly will be shaking hands, taking pictures and signing copies of HOTLANTA at theNAACP's Centennial Convention's s Author's Pavilion: 100 Years, 100 Authors.

I'll be in the company of 9 other illustrious children and teen authors including: Deborah Gregory (Cheetah  Girls), L. Divine (Drama High) and even former NY Giant Tiki Barber (don't ask me what he books wrote, all I know is the man is FINE).

Seriously?  I'm SOSOSOSO excited! I done went and got me a new dress and everything.  

Oh and the best part?  The event is free and open to public!!!  WOO HOO we love the Free, Free, Free!

So if you're gonna be in the midtown NYC area- or know someone who will- here's the addy.  Puh-lease come out, show some love and watch mama get her award-winning author ON. 

New York Hilton

1335 Avenue of the Americas

Btwn W. 53rd and W. 54th

July 14th

4-6p

Feel the Love

Before I stepped off the plane, I could feel the spirit of the ESSENCE Music Festival. Girls raising the question of why as they strutted through the airport in bright colored-sky high stilettos. Celebrities shuffling to the private lounge. I see you D-Nice, Salt, and Queen Latifah. Aboard Soul Plane I go. Round-the-way girls debating who sits with Queen Latifah in First Class as she casually flips through People in her ball cap and sneaks. Flight attendent apologies for lateness of flight. Brother requests a drink and wings to make up for it.

Three hours in the middle seat. Finally I am there. The suffocating heat hits me. Im in love.

The weekend was amazing just seeing the overwhelming numbers of people out for empowerment and quality entertainment. I was energized and humbled. Beyonce and Maxwell. Yes, yes, they KILLED, even with Maxwell's lateness.

In the superlounge waiting for Ledisi, I turn around and my first best friend in life in standing there with her sister. So great to see her and just another reason to love the festival.

I ate seafood everyday from oyster platters, bbq oystsers, to shrimp po boys and platters. Rode around the city with a friend from college and got a big kick out of getting Daquiris at a drive through spot that just sells drinks. 

I sweated. Man it's hot. Conquered French Quarter and plotted places for my next trip, hopefully with the boy, since its so romantic there. 

I was taken aback and excited to see Black people in every job. My hotel housekeeper?somebody's nana. My taxi drivers? Black men and  women plus a gold tooth or two

Dollars well spent in the bayou. Eyes wide open and time to step it up

Maya Rocks My World

Michael Jackson's service was definitely fit for a king. Momma Maya's Poem, Stevie and JHud's singing and the heartbreaking words by Paris on her dad and being comforted by Aunt Janet all made my cup run over . . .


"We Had Him"

By Maya Angelo

Beloveds, now we know that we know nothing, now that our bright and shining star can slip away from our fingertips like a puff of summer wind.

Without notice, our dear love can escape our doting embrace. Sing our songs among the stars and walk our dances across the face of the moon.

In the instant that Michael is gone, we know nothing. No clocks can tell time. No ocean's can rush our tides with the abrupt absence of our treasure.

Though we are many, each of us is achingly alone, piercingly alone.

Only when we confess our confusion can we remember that he was a gift to us and we did have him.

He came to us from the creator, trailing creativity in abundance.

Despite the anguish, his life was sheathed in mother love, family love, and survived and did more than that.

He thrived with passion and compassion, humor and style. We had him whether we know who he was or did not know, he was ours and we were his.

We had him, beautiful, delighting our eyes.

His hat, aslant over his brow, and took a pose on his toes for all of us.

And we laughed and stomped our feet for him.

We were enchanted with his passion because he held nothing. He gave us all he had been given.

Today in Tokyo, beneath the Eiffel Tower, in Ghana's Black Star Square.

In Johannesburg and Pittsburgh, in Birmingham, Alabama, and Birmingham, England

We are missing Michael.

But we do know we had him, and we are the world.