Today is a special day... all of the things that I have said that I am thankful for, I will experience today. I am on my way back to Columbus, Ohio to hang out with my family and friends. Along the way I am listening to some awesome music (yay! Car concert in full effect) and when I am back in town I will see the last thing that I am grateful for-- Ohio State football!!
Today the Buckeyes play their conference rivals (crappy michigan) and after a year of talking all kinds of smack (yep- year round job!) we will see what happens at noon EST. I love the rivalry weekend scenario. It seems like for a split second, the whole town comes together, wearing scarlet and gray (obviously) and cheer for the same thing- a victory over that team from up north. There is crap talk and real statistics thrown around. In the end, however, there can only be one winner and as I hit the road, I hope and pray that my Buckeyes come out on top!
**UPDATE** My Buckeyes did, in fact, win-- convincingly. I love that I have another year to rub it in peoples faces!! Woo hoo!!
This seems weird, huh? To be thankful for someone not liking you? It seems weird to take joy in the fact that someone can dislike you so much that they think of things to make your day hard. I have to say, it seems odd, but I love it.
For me the biggest and best form of flattery comes from a person that is trying to drag my name through the mud. Because EVERY chance I get, I will prove them wrong. Tell me I can't be successful and I will make you EAT.THOSE.WORDS. Tell me I can't do something and I WILL do it...well. Better than you... and your friends. And then I will smile in your face. See, I love to be right and I love to make people question their perceptions of me. So you can talk trash all day. And guess what? I will be on your mind-- ALL day.
You remember that song Conceited by Remy Ma? Yeah, that was my theme song for a while. I am not phased by women who think that I want their boyfriends, or by men who are insecure. It makes me smile and it should be a clue that they need to get themselves together. I don't have time to be everyones cheerleader, so if you are feeling like you aren't up to par, more than likely, you aren't.
I am, by no means, where I aspire to be... but I am on my way. And no Debbie Downer is going to make me feel bad about who I am or what I do. There have been some who have caught me off guard, but trust and believe this: No one will put me on a higher pedestal than I have placed myself on. And I am not giving anyone permission to take my pedestal away.. SO hate on, my friends. In the end, I will be victorious. Below, Remy Ma and Katt Williams illustrate my point.
Today- and at least twice a day, every day- I an thankful for good music!! As seen during times when I have been having a rough time, I often will not write, I'll put up a video. Trust me, the videos that have made it to the blog have represented exactly how I felt at the time it was posted.
I have "f*ck it" days... and I post "f*ck it" music. I have days when I am reflective and that is the type of music that is posted, or that I am listening to. I cannot remember the last day that I didn't listen to music, and whenever it was- it probably wasn't a good day! I have so many memories tied to fantastic music from my youth and I can easily recall times with my family when certain songs play.
I express myself through music and the sappy Moximillion sends her special guy music through email to let him know that I am thinking of him... even if we aren't in the best place all the time. Music brightens my mood, or allows me to be angry, or shouts my thoughts in ways that I can't. I'm not talking about today's ridiculous crap either. I am talking about soul searching, pour your heart into a glass music. Nothing about poppin' bottles or making it rain in a club (yuck), but about love, life, struggles and triumphs. Music makes me go. It lets me breathe. It gets me through. It shouts politics and describes wearing your heart on your sleeve. It colors my world and I LOVE it!
Today, I am thankful for my faith. During rough times like these, I am glad that I have a refuge where I can turn when I feel like nothing is going my way. I am glad that my parents introduced me to a calm that is like no other; a source of amazing relief; a deep love and compassion that is all encompassing. I am glad that I have God to turn to in my times of trouble.
I generally don't talk about God on this blog. But I believe that He is present in my underlying principles. I think that even though it is a struggle for me, my light shines through my actions and my words. I hope that through some of my words, readers are able to receive some of the comfort that I felt when I needed them. I am not a bible thumper and I don't think that I ever will be- I find them disturbing... I guess that it is ok to preach to people, but when you do, it is a tight line to walk. You (I) don't ever want to come off as holier-than-thou, or like you don't struggle every day to maintain your relationship. For that reason, I am not one to tell people that they need to redeem themselves. I have entertained many conversations about my Christianity, and I am not adverse to it... but I am never going to be that chick that says: "OMG, you do (whatever)? You're going to hell."
I am more likely to see that one of my friends is struggling and ask them if they want to come to church with me. If not, I hit up my mother to pray for them (I am convinced that her prayers are heard before mine!!), and I call and check up on them a little more often. It is because of my faith, I care about not mistreating others because of who they love, what religion they practice, what life struggles they have, etc. So you will see me stand up for the little guy- in almost every situation. I am not down for persecuting people because they are different, and I firmly believe that is because of my upbringing in a church-going family.
Completely thankful for being an OPEN minded, liberal Christian, fighting for my rights and the rights of others... through faith AND works!
It takes a true crazy dog lady to say that... and write it for everyone to see it! LOL Whatever!! I am comfortable with that. For anyone who doesn't know, my life is pretty much run by dogs. They control what time I get up, my cooking schedule, the vast majority of my free time... Who would have thought? Certainly not me!! I did not have dogs growing up and I never really figured myself for a dog person, honestly. That all changed when I met the sweetest, loveliest pooch to grace the Earth.
Picture this, Columbus, Ohio, 1997 (that was my Sophia moment of the day- I love the Golden Girls!) OK, seriously 1997- I was dating this young man from my home town and we were home for the weekend. I went over to his mom's house and was greeted by a medium sized dog with a GIANT bark. That was the first and only time Lady barked at me. Ooh, she was beautiful and SO nice. Granted, she was just as spoiled as my dogs are now! She totally got treats and special (people) food, but she deserved it! Amazing temperament, cutest little face. It was love at first sight.
Fast forward to New Year's Eve 2000. I was living in Nashville, Tennessee and had asked my parents for a dog for Christmas. In true Moximillion family style, my parents bought me a robot dog (remember those?) Yeah, Momma Moximillion did not think that I was up to the challenge of being a dog owner. Now, I am *slightly* stubborn (shocker) so a robotic dog was NOT going to work out for me. I had absolutely NO plans to ring in 2001, so I answered an ad in a newspaper, grabbed my lovely neighbor Rob Cash to go along for the ride and headed into the depths of country land that surrounds Nashville. We drove for almost an hour (in the dark... in the south- I was scared) to this little country house. The lady of the house met us, took us in the backyard where I saw a dog that looked just like the Taco Bell dog and right behind her was the cutest little face I have ever seen. Needless to say, that night I bought a dog and it was the start of something wonderful.
There are hard days, (read: someone pees on the floor, eats my underwear, or pukes on a pile of clean clothes before I can put them away) but those a few and far between. I share my crazy life with five dogs right now, and they love me no matter who I vote for! :) I am no fan of 5 am potty breaks in the middle of the winter or long walks in the rain (truth be told, the dogs aren't crazy about those either) but I wouldn't have it any other way. I love those little puppy dog eyes and the way that they hog the covers. Every day they teach me a little more patience than I had the day before, and no matter how bad everyone thinks I am- they think I am pretty cool. I think they are all keepers! :)
Today (and every day) I am thankful for my friends. My extended family of brothers and sisters! There are not enough words in use to describe the love that I have for my friends. I am a firm believer that friends are the family that you get to choose; and I have to say, I surround myself with some quality people. I am not talking about acquaintances. I have those and they can be easily dismissed. I have spent a lifetime learning the difference between a good time "buddy" and a friend I can call at three in the morning to pick me up from a police station (that hasn't ever happened, but it is nice to have a list of people to call).
Since they are family, the lessons from yesterdays post holds true. There is nothing above family. When one of us is poor, we all pull together and take care of it. When one of us is crying, we listen and plot revenge. When one of us needs help he or she gets it. When we have stress, get married, have babies, experience a death, it happens to us all and we go through it together. I have picked up more than a few friends at crazy times of night; driven to different states for last minute visits, been picked up for emergency runs back to Columbus, went to an event, volunteered for moving duty, and been taken care of when I was in need. Give and take is what we have built our lives together on. It is that give and take that allows for us to be so very different, yet, able to co-exist. Do I like all of the people my friends associate with? HELL NO. But, I love my friends and for them I make the small sacrifice of participating in their life events, no matter who is around.
I have friends that I have known since I started to walk and talk and friends that have become an integral part of my life, who I have know for a year. They all bring a certain something to my life. My friends know me, they accept me (and my crazy moods). Some can tell the kind of day I am having by the way I answer he phone. Some, I swear have ESP and call or text me just when I need it. Some (very few) have the ability to yell at me and snap my ass back into reality. All of them own a place in my heart. They make my days better and through their love and understanding, they make me better.
Here it is, Thanksgiving week. Through all the hustle and bustle of the beginning of the holiday season, the extended family time (OMG), the food (and the calories) we are supposed to take some time and reflect on the things in our lives that we are thankful for. During times like these, with the majority of us feeling the grip of a dying economy and mourning the loss of jobs and lifestyles that we have become accustomed to, it is hard to see, through the daily grips, what we have that makes waking up and getting out of bed every morning worth it. Well, it is hard for me sometimes. With the last two years of questionable employment, no health insurance and just plain doing shit that I was not interested in so that I could pay minimum amounts on bills, I can tell you- I have had several days when I did not want to get out of bed. Days when I didn't want to shower, cook or feed the dogs. I just wanted to... wallow. There are very few things that have gotten me out of that self induced state of depression. I can tell you, blog readers, I have had my fair share of "debbie downer" days and there is a very short list of things that put me back into the right state of mind. Those are the things that I am SO thankful for. So for the next week, I will be posting what those things are- celebrating the theme for the season. There might be some other posts in there, but for sure, one per day, you will get something that I am grateful for. So here we go...
Today (and every day) I am thankful for: my family.
Everyone says that, huh? Well, let me tell you... the Moximillion clan is ever expanding and hard to get along with. There are days when I want to slap the shit out of my sister... oh, believe me, she feels the same about me. My brothers (three of whom are teenagers) do things that make me furrow my brows and give them a "what the hell is wrong with you?!?!" look... and the parents? Well, Momma Moximillion is a saint and usually knows the right thing to say (OR will repeat the right thing that I need her to say...with a little prodding)!! But Daddy Moximillion? He is a trip!! Just typing that, and remembering some of the arguments that we have had made me smile. We are a volatile bunch, to say the least.
HOWEVER, when times are tough and you need something, we are a group of loving people. Nothing and nobody is higher than family. We are each other's refuge. I can call my mom, crying (done it- several times... yes, I cry) and she will gently remind me that she can't understand me when I am sobbing and *maybe* I can call her back after I go splash some cold water on my face and calm down. See, how nice is that? I can call my sister and tell her about somebody who did something mean to me (this happens very infrequently...) and she will ALWAYS be down for calling them and giving them the most profanity-laced talk of their life! Dad is in a class all by himself! He is such a stand up guy (and because of that, I know my brothers will be too). No matter how many times we get into disagreements about life, politics, who I am dating, why I don't have a job, why I am not married, if college was worth it (I say YES), whatever it is, he is a great example of how a man should love and provide for his family. My future husband WILL have the characteristics of my father, no doubt.
Are we happily dysfunctional- yes. Whatever, it is our thing! But we love each other and you will probably not find a group of 13 (counting all the babies) people willing to put every thing on the line for one of another. So on this first day of my week of Thankfulness, I am eternally grateful for being a member of this ever growing, happily dysfunctional, crazy ball of familial energy. I was born lucky... some people only wish for a family like mine. :)
I do realize that my Soulful Saturday entries are very lady heavy... Yes, I do listen to men singers. LOL An example is J. Holiday. Nice little melodies and he is nice to look at! (Minus that neck tattoo- gentlemen, that shit is NOT cute- Really!) Everyone is a winner. I was introduced to his musical stylings when I was on a date with a guy from Utah. The guy was super cute! And he was actually a gentleman, save for the fact that he was singing "Bed" to me. He could sing... and that was as far as it went! So here is "Bed"
Key Lyrics: *Let me repay for the week that you been through. Working that 9 to 5 and staying cute like you do... *Love is war; I'm your soldier. *And love you till your eyes roll back (This line makes me giggle)
J. Holiday- Suffocate
Key Lyrics: *Got me feenin' for her love, can't lie. Man you should see how she got me, spending all this time with her. And I couldn't leave her if I wanted to, her love turns men into fools, tell me what a man is to do. *I can't breathe when you talk to me; I can't breathe when you're touching me. I suffocate when you're away from me, so much love you take from me- I'm going out of my mind.
I find that the moment I try to keep my political comments to myself, someone does something just ridiculous enough to make my comments necessary. I can absolutely say that I pull no punches when it comes to the office of the Presidency- I have written about some of my disappointment with a President that I have voted for and those I have not voted for. I think that it is important to be able to intelligently show dissent; it is part of the political process. Dissent is the reason that “proper” people don't discuss politics at dinner parties, right? That has definitely been a rule at some dinner parties I have attended. But dissent is also the reason that people are so passionate about their parties, their candidates, their own agendas. I am going to not make friends with some of my posts... I am ok with that, so let's get into it.
I am currently watching Matt Lauer's interview with former President Bush on my iPhone. I have to say, I wasn't as disgusted as I thought I would be. I have never been a Bush supporter (no secret). I don't like how he “won” the election in 2000; I don't like his policies and I am not a supporter of his tactics- but that is a completely different post. Seeing this interview, I must say that former President Bush is a little more put together than I thought. Often I see him as a bumbling idiot, and currently I only seeing him as...an idiot, so at least he has dropped out of the bumbling category, right?! I think he is very calculating, or at least the people who run him are, and I think that comes to light in this interview. So which parts pissed me off? There were a few. One stood out a little more than the rest. So there he is, one on one with Matt Lauer, reflecting on his eight years of...ruling. His Presidency started on a bad note with the election against Al Gore, was in its infancy when September 11th happened, the United States reputation was obliterated with the affair at Abu Ghraib, Hurricane Katrina demolished three states (and some citizens still haven't bounced back from that), he was directly responsible for starting and continuing TWO wars in the Middle East- which is costing us trillions of dollars TODAY, and an economic recession that is the second worst financial pitfall in American history (as I see it). However, when asked about his worst moment of his Presidency, Bush didn't mention any of those.
When asked about the time surrounding Hurricane Katrina, President Bush said that the lowest point in his Presidency was when Kanye West said that he “didn't care about Black people.” Dude, what? What the hell is he smoking? Are you kidding me? All the shit that happened when he was in office, all the names that he was called (mostly by me, I admit), all of the destruction that was seen during his Presidency, and THE worst moment in his eyes was when a rapper said that he didn't care about Black people? Ok. This shows exactly how ass backwards George W. Bush is. Kanye is a nobody. He is one rich guy that showed his dislike for another rich guy. George says that Kanye called him a “racist.” Hell, maybe he is. Millions of Americans are still presently suffering from the wrath of hurricane Katrina, five years later. We live in the richest country in the world and after five years, parts of New Orleans still have not been rebuilt. Thousands of displaced people from New Orleans are Black. They didn't receive the help that they should from the state or the feds. The response from the federal government was lacking, which Bush admits. Why is that? Where were they? Spending tons of money and sending more troops to our never ending war fronts? Bailing out banks? Does that make Bush a racist?
I am not one to overuse the race card. I don't (necessarily) think that Bush is racist. I think he was and is completely shortsighted in his approach- to most things and especially the Katrina disaster. In 2005, nothing should have come before fixing the three states hardest hit by the waters of Katrina. There is no excuse that five years later, whole neighborhoods still lie vacant, carrying the stench of death and hopelessness- no matter who used to inhabit those houses. There is no excuse that after five years, people- Black, White or other- should be sleeping in FEMA trailers. Finally, after five years, there is no excuse for people to still be waiting on the government to do what they said they were going to do. Where is the pledged help? What happened to all the money raised? Where is the urgency to help your fellow man?
So, at worst, Bush is a racist and at best, he is an elitist that doesn't care about poor people. The fact that the people who are still displaced are poor and MOSTLY Black is something he *might* want to look at... Hmmm? I wonder if, after reading this blog post, former President Bush will say that this was the hardest moment of his life after the White House?
I look back on the 90s now and treat them like the glory days. I had my first true love, went to prom and graduated from high school all in the 90s- you know, all the stuff that you remember for the rest of your life! Well all those memories have a soundtrack- even if it is inadvertent. You remember the song that was playing the first time your heart is broken, or the song you sang when your name was in the paper for some athletic achievement, or the song that was going through your mind when you gave the graduation speech, got dressed to go to senior prom with the guy that you had always drooled over, hugged your friends goodbye as you trotted off to college, etc. So 90s music was very important to my life soundtrack. It was still GOOD music, too. Groups came out and actually SANG. Yes, this was before voice alteration (Lil Wayne) and before lip syncing everything was cool (Britney Spears). Our music was full of love (as you will see below) and anger (Grunge movement) and everything in between. It was everything and it was all encompassing... The last great music that was made, I contend. Man, I hope making real music will become popular again because top 40, while it makes me dance in the club, does not speak to my soul.
First Up: EnVogue- Giving him Something He Can Feel
Key Lyrics: *Living in a world of ghetto life; everyone is so uptight, but nothing's wrong- it's all right with my man *I'm giving him something he can feel, To let him know this love is real.
Mariah Carey- Vision of Love
Please note: Mariah wasn't always a weirdo. She used to be (and look like) the girl next door, not the hooker on the corner. She burst on the scene in 1990 with Vision of Love and was a genuine superstar. She can still sing, but she is so freaking weird now. And pregnancy or not, she ain't ever getting back into this leotard!
Key Lyrics: *It took so long, still I believed, somehow the one that I needed would find me eventually. *You treated me kind. Sweet destiny... and I'll be eternally grateful, holding you so close to me.
The Cranberries- Linger Irish Rock Band- enough said! :)
Key Lyrics: *I swore, I swore I would be true, but honey, so did you. So why were you holding her hand? Is that the way we stand? Were you lying all the time, was it a game to you? *You know I'm such a fool for you. You got me wrapped around your finger. Do you have to let it linger? *Oh, I ... God, do I love you.
Lisa Loeb- Stay
Key Lyrics: *And I thought what I felt was simple, and I thought that I don't belong. *You say, I only hear what I want to; I don't listen hard, don't pay attention to the distance that you're running to anyone, anywhere. I don't understand if you really care... *I turned the radio on, I turned the radio up and this woman was singing my song- lover's in love and the others run away; lover is crying cuz the other won't stay. *You said that I was naive, and I thought that I was strong.
Let me tell you why I am so lucky: I grew up with parents who listened to FANTASTIC music. I was born in the 70s and there was so great music going on (um, and disco). Every Saturday I can remember from the year my sister was born (1983), my parents would turn on the stereo and we would listen to music as we did our chores together (that is where I got the idea for Soulful Saturdays). One weapon in their musical arsenal was Ms. Anita Baker. OMG, I wanted to be her when I was growing up. That signature sway on stage, her haircut (was all the rage in the late 80s and early 90s... and I had it)- not to mention: I can recognize her voice anywhere. It is so smooth and every song is amazing, even the ones where she is apologizing (see below). She is not only a typical R&B singer, she has a touch of the Blues and Jazz in her voice. Something that I can't really explain other than to say that her magical formula works for me! I feel bad for people who have never heard her. I think she is going back into the studio and when/if she does I will be one of the first to purchase it on iTunes...
Body and Soul
Key Lyrics: *I don't know what to do cuz all of me wants all of you. *Don't leave me out in the cold, just love me body and soul. *I've wasted too much time living for what wasn't mine, then came the day I found you.
Giving You the Best That I Got *I hope that you see that you can lean on me and together we can calm the stormy seas. *We love so strong and unselfishly *I stumbled my whole life long, always on my own, now I'm home. *And my weary mind is rested and I feel as if my home is in your arms. My fears are all gone; I like the sound of your song and I think I want to sing it forever.
No One in the World
Key Lyrics: *I tried every road I could find, still I can't get you out of my mind. *No one in the world can love me like you do. *I had it all when you were with me. *Please take me back. Babe I can't go on. I'm not happy in my life without you. *I realized I need you here in my life...
I apologize
Key Lyrics: *When the road gets rough, you say things you should not say. I never meant to treat my baby that way.
Hey, you! Yes, reader I am talking to you. Are you in your office, reading my archives when you should be working? (don't get caught) Are you at home, taking a coffee break before getting some large projects underway? (make time to help at my place!) Are you at school, watching some videos from Soulful Saturday, thinking "wow, Miss Mox has unbelievable musical taste!"? (thank you kindly)
Whatever you are currently doing, please do not forget that today is Election Day. Whatever you affiliation is, please exercise your right to vote. Please remember, I am NOT going to listen to any complaints of non-voters!! If you don't vote, you can't complain... Clearly, I vote in EVERY election! :)
Why hot, black and bitter?
It all started out as a corny punchline to a joke. Someone asked my dad how he liked his coffee, his response? I like my coffee like I like my wife-- hot, black and bitter! Little did he know that also accurately describes me and my lovely personality! :)
I am just a regular midwestern young lady. I was born and raised in Columbus, Ohio, ventured to the big city of Chicago, made a few other stops and now I am back in the large metropolis of Columbus. I write about politics, music and whatever else is going on in the world today. Slightly opinionated and always right... welcome to my world! :)
