Fudge Covered Chicken

 Dom and I recently completed a road trip that started in Mackinaw Island, continued into Frankenmuth, and concluded in Detroit.   Dom did mention in the past that he's always wanted to visit Mackinaw Island and Frankenmuth.   So we decided to do just that.

I went back and forth particularly over which hotel to stay at in Mackinaw City.    It's cheaper staying off the island than on the island.    Mackinaw Island's Grand Hotel for example has rooms that at minimum set you back over $1200 a night.   Maybe if Blackberry stock ever gets its act together I'll splurge on staying there.   But I'm not there yet.

So I wound up booking a room at Clarion Hotel Beachfront in Mackinaw City.   The draw to the hotel was the indoor hot tub that some of the rooms offered.   Also the hotel is off the beach which boasted a ocean side view.

The pictures made the place look appealing but the reviews did not.   Of course I didn't see all the reviews until after I booked it.   I chatted with my sister Trina who reminded me of how the hot tub jets would get grimy and lots of sludge came out of it.   She suggested I get some kind of hot tub cleaner to clean the tub prior to using it.  I tried to get a refund but it was non-refundable so I was stuck.

I took 07/18, 07/19, and 07/21 off from work to accommodate the trip.   Dom and I left Thursday mid-morning and made our way to Mackinaw City which was almost 6 hours away.   On Interstate I-196 we hit bridge construction after bridge construction.   At each point, lane travel was reduced from two lanes to one.   Of course a bunch of idiots decided to cut near the merge point.   I hate people.

Our route took us to a couple of rural back roads.   Dom was disappointed he didn't see any cows along the way though there were plenty of horses.   We finally arrived at the hotel and I quickly checked in.  Parking near our hotel building was very tight.   I managed to find one spot relatively near the building we were staying at.

We thankfully were staying on the 1st floor and I was glad there was a ramp since Dom has mobility issues now.   The room was very dated (the decor was from the 70's) and it had a very musty smell.   But we did have the ocean view.   We opened the screen door and directly by us was the beach.   We kept the door open a little bit to try and get the musty smell out.   It never really went away.

The hot tub was right next to the bed.   Originally Dom and I talked about just soaking our feet in the tub but it did not look particularly inviting.    Thankfully it was drained at least.   Also I didn't see any bugs which was a relief.

We had a lackluster dinner at a combo O'Reilly Irish Pub/Dixie Saloon.   The food was expensive and lacking in quantity and taste.   There was a family at the bar with babies and kids crying.   This is at the bar where they serve alcoholic drinks.   Needless to say if we ever make it back to Mackinaw City, we won't be going there again.

Afterwards I dropped Dom back to the hotel room while I ventured off to Mackinaw City's local casino.  It's a small casino called Odawa Casino.   There may have been 500 games in all.    It was less than a mile from the hotel so that was nice.   I didn't win any jackpots but I did like that they had some older Aristocrat games that I can't find anymore.    It was a good distraction at least.

Friday morning we just ate some snacks that we packed for our trip and then made our way to Shepler's Ferry which would take us to the island.    We just missed the current shuttle that was taking folks from the parking lot to the ship.   But it was only fifteen minutes more till the next shuttle arrived.

The ship itself had two levels, one on top and the other below.   We opted for the lower level and had our own row right at the front of the ship.   It was a quick 20 minute ride to the island.

We slowly made our way around the island, checking out random shops along the way.  I spied at least 4 different fudge shops.   Mackinaw is famous for their fudge so I knew I would have to get some and get extra for my sisters.

Dom was holding his own.  It was a bit of a walk around the island but we eventually made our way to the Grand Hotel.   It's a $12 fee per person to go into the hotel itself but they reduce the cost of the buffet by that amount.   The hotel is amazing.   There's really no words.   The buffet was excellent as well.   It was $65 per person.   Interestingly enough they're currently having a sale if you book your stay for 2026 early.   Rooms were going for $440 a night which is a huge discount from the $1200 a night.   You would have to stay in May or June when the weather may not be as nice.    Maybe it's something I'll consider for 2027.

Dom really did love the island.   He even kept saying he wouldn't mind moving there.   

We timed it pretty good for the lunch buffet since it opened at noon and we got there at 11:45 AM.   There was a lady by the door that was part of some other group that was hosting an event there.   She kept talking like she was in charge.   Another group of ladies came in as well.   Dom earlier happened to take a picture of the ladies.    We all greeted each other once more.

So they took off, unbeknownst to us, that we had to register for the brunch.    The other lady that was by the door made a mention that we may have to register.    Dom stayed at a bench while I walked by the registration which there was a small line now.   The three ladies were ahead in the line and I couldn't help but give them the side eye.     One of them b's could've said something to us.   But it was okay.    Dom and I got a great seat by the windows and we were there early enough to enjoy the buffet.

Afterwards we walked around the outside of the hotel and then we had to make our way back to where the ship docks were.   Before going there I stopped at a couple shops to get some fudge and soap.    At one of the gift shops I spied some lilac soap that smelled nice.   Apparently lilacs is a thing in Mackinaw.   

I purchased a couple soaps and a holder for ourselves.   As I was waiting at the register, I spied this hot beefy guy that was in the shop with his girlfriend/wife.    He stretched briefly and raised his massive arms.   While doing so I couldn't help but notice his sexy belly.   It briefly reminded me of a random memory I had when I was 12 or 13 and I went to Mackinaw with my grandma and our church congregation.    I remember I was playing frisbee with a couple folks.   I remember having the frisbee thrown at me and it flying over my head and landing further away.    Hemingway when I ran to get it, this sexy beefy shirtless bear picked it up and he nicely handed it to me.    It was then that I cemented my attraction to bearish guys.   Obviously I was 12 or 13 at the time so nothing was going to happen there.   But the thought made me feel things inside...LOL.   

So yeah back to present time, I was admiring the beefy guy nearby.   The cashier came out eventually and I paid for my items.    As I  was leaving, he and I exchanged glances.   If only...LOL.    But it was a nice moment.  I shared the experience with Dom who got a good chuckle out of it.

I wound up stopping at two different fudge places to get fudge for my sisters and their respective spouses.    It was then time to make our way back to the ship.    We were back in Mackinaw City and then on the road to our next stop Frankenmuth.

If we do go back again, I would probably stay at St. Ignace, which is another city off the island.  I've read that the hotels are nicer there.   I believe they even have a casino as well...LOL.

So the next hotel we stayed at was the worst of the three.   It was a Baymont in Bridgeport/Frankenmuth.    We noticed how ghetto the clientele and some of the hotel staff were.   Thankfully at least we had a room with a higher toilet seat which made it easier for Dom to get in and out of.    Next door to the hotel was a Cracker Barrel.    Dom was definitely feeling the walk from earlier and wasn't up to venturing out.   It was probably for the best since I wasn't really hungry.   Cracker Barrel was okay.

Dom was still tired the next morning when we made our way to Frankenmuth.    I really wanted us to try the chicken and suggested a place to get a light pastry to tide us over till lunch.   Dom vetoed the idea though and wanted a bigger breakfast.     We wound up going to a pizzeria that also serves breakfast called T'Dubs.   I ordered an omelet with hash browns and was disappointed that the omelet was burnt in some places and the hash browns were not memorable.    Dom was tired and just wanted to stop whereever so I went along with it.

We did see the clock show at Frankenmuth Cheese Haus and he found some blackberry jam to purchase while I bought a Dubai Chocolate bar.    It was my first time buying a Dubai Chocolate bar which is all the rage on Tik Tok.   It was $17.99 bar called V-gift Pistachio.   I did enjoy the crunch and taste of the chocolate.   But it's something I would probably buy sporadically.  

Afterwards we drove a mile to the Bronner's Christmas world.   The shop sold everything Christmas.   It was a sensory overload.   It was good to experience it once I guess.    Dom wasn't overly impressed.  

Dom did ask me if I wanted to go back and get some of the famous German chicken to go that we could have at the hotel.   I thought about it but I wasn't feeling having my car smell like chicken for several days and then eating cold chicken later.     The moment had passed. 

We drove another hour and some change to our final hotel, the Hampton Inn in Madison Heights, MI.   This one wound up being the best one of the three, with the only annoying thing being our room door bouncing back and making noises every time someone slammed the stairway door which was next to our room.    I wound up putting my bag next to the door which helped reduce the noise.

Dom was not wanting to go anywhere, opting to remain in the room.   I picked up dinner at the sports bar called Twin Peaks.   Apparently the attire of the women working there is similar to Hooter's where their boobs and butts stuck out in skimpy uniforms.   I ordered some wings and a burger for Dom which we both enjoyed.

I later went to the nearby Meijer's to get some more water, plain donuts, small salads, and a Cherry Garcia ice-cream to enjoy in the room.

Sunday morning we checked out and then I drove to Trina's place and then Tasha's.   It was good for Dom to see them since it was about three or four years since he's been.    Tasha's in-laws were in town due to Abe's Grandmother passing away at 107.   I got to interact with them and deal with some crazy but that's family for you.   

We headed back home Sunday evening.   I put about 1000 miles on my car between the various stops.   It was a pretty good trip and I'm glad Dom finally crossed two more cities off his bucket list.   

Put It In My What?

 

This post will be short and sweet.  So this random Diddy came up in a YouTube search.   The title of course gave me a double take.  According to the video, the artist name is Mimi Sinclaire.   However upon searching for the artist name, I learned there's no such artist.   Furthermore the song was generated by AI to sound like something that was sung in the 40's with the most controversial words.   I guess I should've known if homosexuality and racial equality were not the norm in the 1940's, why would I expect talk about taking a dick in the ass to be something that was sung.

This AI is fascinating and scary at the same time.   With just one image, you can make someone do something that they normally would not do or say.    But like it or not it's a part of our lives now.   I just have to continue to navigate through it and hope AI doesn't fool me into thinking something is real when it's not.

R.I.P. Big Ma

 My sister Tasha messaged Trina and I yesterday in the early morning hours to let us know that her Grandmother-In-Law, affectionately known to family as Big or Big Ma, passed away peacefully on July 11.   She lived on this Earth for 107 years which is a wonderful miracle.   As my brother-in-law Abe texted, she was living in overtime to continue to impart her love and wisdom to her family.

When I did see Big Ma periodically over the years, she always had a smile on her face and she remembered that I was Tasha's brother.   She would always talk about her life and want to be part of family discussions.   

During one of my visits at Big Ma's home one Thanksgiving (Big Ma's house is the next door over from Abe and Tasha's), I spied a photo of Big Ma along with a large group of ladies that were part of an Auxiliary group that I can't remember the name of.   Big Ma noted that she was the only remaining living person that was in the photo.   

It's wild to think she's lived through World War I (born in the tail end of it), World War II, The Civil Rights Movement, the 1967 Race Riots in Detroit, Iran Hostage Crisis, 9-11, and Covid among other major life events.   There were 19 different presidents in her lifetime.

I learned from Tasha yesterday that Big Ma moved into her final home on Tasha's actual birthdate.  That was definitely a cool fact.   Abe has three brothers and one sister but has been the primary one responsible for caring for Big Ma and his Mom who is her late 80's.   I can't even imagine the grief that Abe and his Mom are especially feeling.   His Mom had her Big Ma for more than 80 years.   I'm sure in all that time there's been ups and downs (like with any family) but it truly is a blessing to have that amount of time.   The number of memories they had together I do hope does give them a small bit of comfort in their time of grief.

The grief never completely goes away.   Even though it's been almost three years since I lost both my parents, there's not a day that goes by that I do not think of one or both of them.   They gave my sisters and I life and were present for us through the good and bad.

I like to think that among all of Big Ma's relatives that she lost over the years that my parents are among those in the big crowd that will be there to celebrate heaven's newest angel.

I do not know when the celebration of Big Ma's life will take place but it just so happened that Dom and I were planning to be in Detroit next weekend (after visiting Mackinaw Island and Frankenmuth).   It would be good if I was there to pay my last respects.   R.I.P. Big Ma.

Power Played

 I had a customer that was working my last nerve on one of my Severity 1 cases that wasn't really a Severity 1 case.     He was one of those that talked and talked and wouldn't allow me to get a word in edgewise.   Then everything I suggested he was not open to trying.   The customer's homebase was in London and I inherited the case when the customer insisted on wanting to work with an AMER engineer since the EMEA's shift was ending.

To make things worse he would not allow me to get access to review his issue deeper.   Not only that he was demanding I resolve the issue in 30 minutes and get a manager on the call as well.   This customer was definitely a piece of work.

That whole ordeal with the customer lasted nearly an hour.   I did some initial research with the limited information provided.   I spoke to the Sev1 Swarm lead and he agreed to join the next call.   So he joined the call and then he invited a friend of his to join as well.

That call ended up being for nearly two hours.   In the midst of the call, I heard a sound like a soft pop and then my work laptop shut off.   I quickly found my work android and let my swarm lead know the laptop went out and I was going to rejoin by phone.

In the meantime I struggled to get my work laptop working again.   Finally after a couple minutes I got it to come on again.   I discovered that my charger was not working at all.   I did switch back to the nightmare meeting from my phone back to my laptop.   The call finished and then knowing that I only had so much time before my battery would die, I raced to get my General Hand-Off notes together for the two Sev1's, including this nightmare on, going before it died.    This all happened on 07/02.

So when I got home, I discovered that my backup charger was not working on the one Type-C USB port but it worked on the second Type-C USB port.   Then I discovered my work charger also worked on it as well.   So I let the laptop charge for the rest of the day.

I decided I wanted to go in the office for a fourth day this week.   My original intention was that I wanted to work 4 days to get an extra banked day in case I decided I wanted to work two days in the office one week.   But with my charger issue, I decided it would be good to go in so I can work with tech support in case I had issues.   I also wanted to find out about the USB port.

So fast forward to 07/03.   I was in the middle of a team meeting (about 2 hours after I logged in for the workday) when I heard the soft pop and my laptop shut off again.   At that point I decided to meet with the tech support team.   After reviewing the issue, they concluded that the issue was with the charger.   To confirm this he tried it with a different charger and the battery charged fine.   

I was frustrated because I had bought a replacement charger in March 2024 so it only lasted about 15 months before conking out.   Tech support was suggesting I get a new charger (which tech support does not supply).   I also wanted to get a newer laptop.   Tech support mentioned that the laptop would not really be new but rather the same version of my existing laptop.   Plus they would need a valid reason for replacement.

My keyboard letters have faded into oblivion which made it difficult to see what I'm typing.   The guy working tech support was not sure if that would be a valid enough reason.   But after thinking about it, I told him that I wanted to try and get a replacement.   Even if it's not a newer laptop, my hope was that it would be a functioning laptop.

So they went through the process of putting the order replacement in.   I got a confirmation email that the replacement was in the process of being shipped.   I also decided I needed to go home since I only had so much time before the work laptop would die.

It did save me from getting any new Sev1's that day, including potentially getting that nightmarish customer again.   I looked at the case history and the customer was already demanding to speak with me since EMEA's shift was ending again and clearly was not open to the suggestions from EMEA.   I saw that another team member ended up with the customer with disastrous results.   The customer again was being overly demanding and not willing to listen to suggested workarounds.

Knowing that I didn't have much time before my laptop died again, I decided to head back home.  I stopped at a local restaurant a few blocks from our home and ordered lunch for Dom and I.   I got home just before my team meeting.

In the end I was pretty much dead in the water without my laptop.   My manager suggested I just take the rest of the day off.   I decided also to order a new charger for the work laptop even though the replacement should be coming as well.  I want to see if I can at least get a charger that will work again.

Then as if to add insult to injury, my charger on my personal laptop decides to act up as well.   So I basically have to order another replacement cord for that one as well.   Luckily my backup charger actually works for my personal one.   So that's what I'm using until my replacement charger comes in. 

Both chargers are out for delivery and are expected to arrive sometime today.   You got to love technology.

Role Call

 I've been a mentor to several newer co-workers during our company's last hiring wave in the summer of 23.    It's been cool seeing each of my mentees grow into the support role and it's nice to commiserate about the crazy cases and customers we have to deal with on the daily.

 In the last couple years our company has also done a lot of layoffs.   Also with the push of utilizing more AI in our work lives, there's the concern that AI will slowly take more jobs away.   Management has been encouraging the teams to cross-train in many different areas.   In other words make ourselves more versatile and potentially more valuable to the company.

But if there's anything I've learned, no matter what you do, if a company decides to let you go, it makes no difference whether you're a star performer or a dud.   They will let you go if it helps their bottom line.

One of my mentees recently interviewed for a different role within my company.   This role seems to be focusing more on honing more business analytic type skills with of course still having that technical acumen.   

So Alan, my mentee who interviewed for the role, let me know that he was offered the role and he accepted.   I was definitely happy to receive the news.   The team he will be joining is a newer team that is being formed.    He mentioned that the customers in the new role will be internal.    Since the team is new, he mentioned that the team was looking for another team member and he wondered if he could throw my name in the ring.

I admit when he mentioned that I was taken aback.   I have thought about looking around for other roles but the thought of interviewing has left little to be desired.   I mean, I've done "so well" when interviewing in the past...LOL.   

But at the same time I do realize I've been in the same role now for 3 1/2 years.   It may be time for me to branch out.   With the departure of Roni last March, I'm the only original team member in my manager's team.   Everyone else either left the company or moved to other roles.   

Am I ready to meet my Achille's Heel, the interview?   I even hated having to give interviews when we were on the hiring blitz and I was on the preferred side.   Also with it being a new team, would I find myself first on the chopping block should another round of layoffs occur?   Even Amazon is letting go of people in their warehouses due to AI so it may not be as easy to even fall back to that (if I had to).   Not that I want that.

I'm not ready but I told Alan yes to give them my name.   At some point I'll need to review my resume and make some tweaks.   I'm nervous about telling my manager about it but I know if they decide they want to interview me, I would need to let her know.   Hopefully she won't be too peeved.   At the end of the day she did say our team needed to be flexible and if new opportunities presented itself to go for it.   If anything comes out of it, I'll keep you posted.    

The Heat, The Heat

 Toni Braxton - The Heat

Intro
Yeah
La-da-da-da-da, la, la
Yeah, yeah, yeah

Verse 1
Where's the sand, I'm set
My body? Thumping, going pitty pat
Getting tan and wet
And when I feel the beat, I lose control of it
Oh baby, I'm feeling you, I must admit
Looking tight and fit
And I imagine you and I in...

Chorus
Summer bodies shaking to the...
Music's going through ya
Can you feel the heat, the heat?
The heat is moving through your body
Temperature is rising
Can you feel the heat, the heat?

Verse 2
Sleeping in till noon
Been naughty, put bubbles in the swimming pool
Skinny dip for two
And as you feel the rhythm taking hold of you
Ooh Papi, I love it when you ooh-eeh-ooh
And I'm hooked, it's true
I imagine you and I'm in...

Repeat Chorus

This song used to be the bomb when Toni Braxton's album titled by the same name came out in 2000.   The song was supposed to depict the hot chemistry between two people that causes things to get hot.   But as I reviewed the lyrics, I couldn't help but laugh at the one line "Been naughty, put bubbles in the swimming pool".    Did the bubbles derive from some farting that was taking place in the pool?  That's definitely not sexy.   I guess as long as you're not pooping in the pool, all is good.   Maybe that's why the chlorine is needed.

Hemingway the song popped in my head due to the unseasonably hot and humid weather that's descended on Chicagoland this past week.    It's days like these that make me long for the central air I used to have in my first home.    When it reaches 100+ degrees outside, the house feels every bit of it.   I completely hate it.

Dom insisted on visiting his Mom this past weekend and wanted me to go.   I really wasn't keen on going but he kept pushing it.    At least he decided to drive this time which was almost a plus.   But his Mom's place was as miserable as ours and I couldn't get 100% comfortable, especially when I saw ants crawling freely in the home. 

While there Ava told me about a product for ants that can be placed outside to eliminate them around the home.   Something called Spectracide Ant Shield Outdoor Killing Stakes.   I honestly was not sure why she was mentioning those to me.   Maybe she's heard Dom talking to his Mom about my aversion to bugs.

I definitely do want to look into it since our area is plagued by ants and they have come inside the house as well.   I see that Terra has their own liquid bait stakes that they sell for outside.   I actually have bought the indoor ones before and they work so well that you stop seeing ants within 48 hours.   So I may purchase that one as well and start planting them along with some granules around the perimeter of the house.   Anything to keep those buggers at bay.

But anyway the heat has been so unbearable.  I feel stinky and sticky all the time.   Going into the office has been the worst as I wind up being sweaty by the time I arrive.    At least I can wash my face up a bit once I'm in the office.   Only bad thing I notice, the water reeks of the Chicago River smell.   But it makes sense since the water is coming from the Chicago River and our office is near there.

I've been noticing I've been pooping a lot more as well since it's gotten extra hot.   Dom told me that is normal when the temperature gets hot.    But I hope it stops.

Summer is definitely in full effect.   Unlike Toni's song, there's nothing sexy about this heat.   It's going to remain in effect for at least another week.   We did get a bit of relief Tuesday but the temps start rising again.

Speaking of the heat, my stock Blackberry has been heating up in the positive again.   They had an excellent Q1 2026 and their main product QNX is proving to be a short-term and long-term money winner.   Total revenue from QNX was 57.5 million which was up 8% year over year.  The price has been rising again from the ashes again as a result.   I try not to get too excited though because it seems BB just can't keep their price momentum going long.    But the company has also been buying back stock (so far they've purchased 10 million shares) which helps increase shareholder value.   I'm very hopeful that I'm in the right horse and it'll pay off in dividends by the time I near retirement.

This post is officially a milestone post.   It's my 200th post since I've started my second blog.   It's not an overly impressive number considering I started this blog in October 2011, so almost 14 years ago.  I did have a six year hiatus where I didn't blog.    However I've made a lot of positive strides since starting up again in 2021 to try and post more about my life.   It's been nice keeping track once more on my highs and lows.     Here's to another 200 posts ahead.  With the pace I'm going, I hope to get there in another 3 - 4 years (God willing).    I'm grateful to continue to have a place to share my thoughts.   Till next time.

I Love Some Molly

When referencing Molly I do not mean the synthetic drug.    I'm referring to the actress by the name of Molly Culver.   I first was introduced to the actress on the late 90's guilty pleasure show V.I.P. that I used to religiously watch on syndication when it aired on the weekends.   The show featured Pamela Anderson as Val Irons who finds herself being thrusted in the world of bodyguarding after a random star meets her at a hot dog stand she worked at and invites her to a Hollywood premiere.   The star gets threatened at the premiere and uses Val as his personal shield.   To save face he tells reporters that Val is his bodyguard.   Meanwhile a struggling bodyguard agency which Molly as Tasha Dexter is part of somehow runs into Val at the same hotdog stand after they see the story on the Hollywood premiere.   They have the idea to hire Val as a figurehead in the hopes of reviving their dying agency which it hilariously does. 

Tasha Dexter is the no nonsense former KGB agent whose hobbies include gun shooting and sharpening her many knives.   Tasha and Val were often at odds with each other throughout the series.   Tasha would get pissed whenever the police would credit Val for solving cases.   Val is the happy go lucky character that dumbed her way out of many situations and the show often played into their frenemy relationship.

I grew to love Molly's character as the series progressed and Tasha quickly became my favorite character.    I even picked up one of her character twerks.   Whenever someone would refer to Tasha's background in the KGB and ask if it's something she picked up at the KGB, she would famously reply with the word "maybe" trying to be mysterious.   I would use that line a lot when Dom would ask me about stuff and I even got him using it to mimic me.

I've had a chance to reacquaint myself with the series since Roku TV has all the episodes available.   I remember being so bummed when the show was cancelled after it's fourth season.   But I imagine it got expensive to produce after a while.   They had a lot of celebrity clients guest star as themselves over the years including Jay Leno, Morgan Fairchild, Marie Osmond, and Erik Estrada (used to have a mad crush on him).

I believe what drew me to Tasha Dexter was her no nonsense approach to handling conflict.  She could hold her own in a bar fight.   Her dominant personality is what drew me to her as a gay man.   It's that whole complex I joked about in the past in my infamous Star Jones roasts.   Basically my attraction to Molly is due to her character's no nonsense personality.   Tasha was strong enough to take no flack from anyone but there was a shortage of eligible straight men that wanted to deal with the drama.

Molly Culver's career however didn't really take off after the show ended.   She's had very few roles after that and no breakout role which is a shame.   But she had her greatest role from what I read being a mother to her only child, a son Sonny.   

When randomly searching on Molly Culver, I came across a random site that hosted an interview that her son did on his Mom.    It's a voice recorded one that sounds like something that may have been done for a school project.

https://archive.storycorps.org/interviews/molly-culver-interview/

It was such a short and sweet interview where Molly reiterated that the most important event in her life was the birth of her son.   Towards the end she teases that she hopes Sonny has lots of grandbabies which reminded me of my favorite show Half & Half where Phyllis would tease Mona about wanting grandbabies.    Speaking of Phyllis and Mona, both actresses I believe had a reunion on a Netflix comedy Family Reunion that Telma Hopkins occasionally guest-starred on.   I still haven't seen the episode yet but I'm almost at the end of that series and I believe that episode is near the end of it.   It's a cute show though it's not one of my faves.

But I'm happy to see that Molly Culver seemingly is in a happy marriage and raised a family.  Her son was born in 2006 and is actually a young adult himself now.   Time does march on.

I'm so glad I'm able to watch V.I.P. again since they only released Season 1 on DVD years back.   I've been watching an episode on Saturdays and I get to share it with Dom...LOL.   Watching the show definitely takes me back to my late 20's when I was living single in my first home in the Northwest burbs of Illinois.   The whole cast had great chemistry but I'll always have love for Tasha Dexter.

Sunday Follies

 Dom as of late has not had any energy to do anything outside of staying at home.  His neuropathy has been pretty bad and it takes all his energy just to get upstairs and shower and get dressed.   He usually needs my assistance to put his socks and shoes on.   But Dom had a rare moment this past Sunday where he actually wanted to get out of the house.   He even suggested us going to the casino together where I can play some slots while he walks around the casino.

There was one catch though.   Dom does not believe in me losing money and is of the school that if I'm even up $10 I should leave.   I keep telling him that there is no guarantees of winning.   I would say 95% of my casino trips are ones where I've donated (nicer way of saying I lost money...LOL) to keep the casino's electric bills paid.   If I'm honest, it's closer to 99%.   Leaving with a decent sum of money is a rare thing and days like I had last Thanksgiving is extra rare.

It's rare that Dom accompanies me to the casino.   When he does, we're usually out of the casino in less than 30 minutes since he's bored once he makes his lap around the casino.   But I noticed an interesting thing when Dom goes with me.   It seems that my odds of leaving a winner increases.  Yesterday was no exception.   We went to the Four Winds Casino in New Buffalo, MI.   Pretty much these days it's the only casino I go to (mostly because the Indiana casinos are smoke filled and the Illinois casinos are money pits).   Plus Dom likes the layout of Four Winds better.

The first machine I went to called Brazil I was playing on $40 free play on.  I managed to get two bonus games on the machine and scored a quick $180 win on.   I moved around to a Wings Over Olympus game.   I have not had any luck triggering the bonus on that game at all in the last couple years.   I'm not sure why this time would be any different but I decided to give it a try.

Dom found me while I was playing machine #2.   At the time I was up $160.   I knew the minute he found out I was up he'd want to leave.   He didn't disappoint.   I was able to play it down to $150 without scoring a significant hit.   It was then time to go.   Dom is like my conscious sitting on top of my shoulder telling me it's time to go.

I will say I do not enjoy my hobby as much when he's with me but I looked at the bigger picture being grateful that he wanted to go out.    He wanted to check out the beach and possibly get a walk in.  We weren't able to find free parking so we kept on going.

We were hungry and wound up stopping at Shoreline Brewery & Restaurant in Michigan City, IN for a late lunch.   I had an interesting moment when getting seated where I saw a gay couple sitting at a high table.   I caught one of the guys checking me out and then having the other guy check me out.   That guy didn't seem thrilled that his guy was looking at other guys and gave me a nasty look.   The two left soon after Dom and I were both seated.   Sadly Dom was oblivious to what was happening when I tried explaining.   Nonetheless it's nice to know that I still can occasionally turn heads.   I also had an encounter with another guy when I accidentally opened the door while he was coming out.   He was sadly straight...LOL.

We had a good dinner though the winner for both of us were their onion rings.   The batter they use on them is very good and crunchy.   It's quite thick and doesn't easily fall apart which is a plus.   Dom wanted an extra order which we took to go.   

Overall it was a good day.  I was glad that Dom wanted to venture out.    He wound up being tuckered out once we got home and napped the rest of the day away.    I may have drifted in and out as well.    It's so much fun getting old.

1st Of The Month

 

I remember when 1st Of Tha Month first came out in 1995, the radio stations would religiously play this song on the 1st of every month.   Of course they played it every day after that as well.    I will admit Bone Thugs N Harmony made some great jams but I struggled to understand every spoken word they said since depending on the artist, the enunciation wasn't clear.

Nonetheless the "first" 1st Of Tha Month since it's release was September 1st, 1995.   It was actually my first 1st living in the Washington D.C. area.   I was newly living on my own in my first apartment.   Sally was there along with Blanche, whom I talked about in a previous blog entry, and was our 2nd Mama while out there.   

I remember waking up to 1st Of Tha Month playing and it hit me especially when the day actually was the 1st.   Each month does give us a new "starting point" to begin anew with new and existing goals for the given month and year.   At that time I was struggling with my new role and learning about the expectations the client "Bell Atlantic" had for us.

With each subsequent 1st of the month, things got better and I was able to navigate through different obstacles that were thrown at me, mostly from the first company I worked at.   I still remember when my initial contract with Bell Atlantic ended, I used that time to travel back to Detroit and purchase my first car (a 96 black Chevrolet Cavalier).

When projects ended we were in a phase called being "on the bench".   Consulting companies in the 90's used to still keep their consultants between projects and paid them.   You would use the bench time to train and interview for other roles.   These days consulting companies place you and pay for you while on projects (if you get the job after interviewing) but once the project ends, you no longer were considered an employee of the consulting company and would have to start over again.   It's almost like you're a free agent with no support.   I experienced that first hand during my brief 6 month role in 2018 after being laid off.   I was disappointed that the consulting company didn't reach out to me at all during my time to possibly present other roles.   I didn't realize how good we had it in the 90's even in the midst of all the bullshit.   

But anyway while I was in Detroit, the project manager called me and wanted me to interview for a project in some other state that I don't remember.    I had to tell the project manager that I was Detroit which I remember she was peeved about.   She asked me if I had a suit with me if they were to pay for a flight to go to the interview and I told her no.   She was so mad but she said okay as she quickly hung up.    I did end getting my car and then I drove it back to D.C.

That period in my life was crazy.   I was worried after that incident that they would fire me (they didn't).   I was so glad I had Blanche, Sally, and the other ladies that were in the same boat as well to talk to and get advice from about our various experiences.   It was a coming of age moment for me.   And no doubt 1st Of Tha Month was one of many different songs that came out during that time period that brought my levity.

Here's to a new month and at the end of it, half of 2025 will be behind us.    I'm hoping we're all one step closer to reaching or accomplishing our goals.

Moore Than Alright

 

Dom and I had a great time attending Chante Moore's concert in Joliet's Rialto Square Theatre.   The inside of the theatre itself was very beautiful with interior architecture that reminds you of what you'd see in Italy or Spain.   We had good seats near the front of the stage which allowed me to take some great pictures.   Dom hadn't heard much about Chante before even though I have played some of her stuff here and there over the years.   But he was thoroughly impressed and enjoyed the performance.   

Chante puts on a great show and her band also did their thing as at various points in the show as she gave her bandmates a chance to shine.   Chante sang a lot of her hits from her first two CDs and others from her other CDs (8 in total).   She also sang a couple songs from her forthcoming album which will be her 9th.   She also has two additional albums that she did with her ex Kenny Lattimore.

There was one song I prayed that she wouldn't sing called Bitter off of what I call her "attempt at being more urban" project Exposed.   I winced everytime she sang the N-word in her recording of the song.    But Chante knows most of her audience and did sing it.   But instead of saying the offending word, she had the audience sing it.   I couldn't bring myself to sing that but I was singing along to everything else she performed.   She also did snippets of other artists songs like Tevin Campbell's Can We Talk, Quincy Jones In The Garden, and El Debarge's All This Love among other songs.   Overall we really did enjoy the show.

The journey getting there was interesting as well.   Since the show was in Joliet, which was about an hour and some change from us, we decided that we would eat something beforehand.    Dom of course had a hankering for Chinese so to appease him I tried to find some places along the way that served Chinese.   I looked primarily in Matteson, IL since our route was mostly along Lincoln Highway.   

I found a place but surprisingly Dom turned it down after not liking how the food looked in pics.   So we decided just to do a random stop (which I knew would mean a fast food place but it was alright).   Dom spied a Subway and we decided to stop there.

We ordered our subs, I did a 6-inch and the bread looked like it was smaller than that.   Dom opted for the foot-long.   We decided to eat inside the restaurant.   Fifteen minutes into eating this "homeless" guy came in begging for change.   Dom immediately went into attack mode but I foolishly thought I would give him a dollar.    I didn't have anything but a $5 but of course the guy was like I have change.   So he puts change on the table and after I give him the $5 he proceeds to take the change back and saying that he's homeless.  

All I could do was laugh and say 'ok, you got me' as he proceeded to walk away.   I resigned myself to being conned but treating it as my "good deed" for the day.   Dom did try to stop it but I had to be foolish.  I saw the Indian folks in the restaurant looking in at us from the back area.    They clearly had that character come in before.   We also couldn't help but notice they had a bunch of chairs strategically placed to block direct access to the restroom.  I'm sure they've had issues before with non-paying customers wanting to use the restroom.   Needless to say that is the experience of doing and patronizing business in the hood.  

It also reminded me of how blessed I am.  I don't know if I would survive out here in these streets hustling to try to make a buck.   I am blessed that I managed to hold a job and was able to save and find an affordable place to live.  Aside from my blood pressure, my health is fine.   My old car is still running fine.  I don't take any of that for granted.

As we drove on, I was annoyed as I saw other places that we could've stopped at to eat that would've been better.   But the Subway did provide sustenance so it was alright.

Parking itself was another issue.   It was mostly street parking with a few garages sprinkled in.   After circling the streets a couple times, I decided to park at the local casino Harrah's garage.   I did freak out when walking out of the garage as I saw a sign mentioning towing cars away that weren't patronizing the casino.   But Dom told me it'll be alright.   I did feel bad because Dom and I had to walk a few blocks to get to the theatre and Dom isn't able to walk as quickly.   I did wind up walking back to get my car (which thankfully was still safely parked in the garage) and resisted the temptation to go to the casino.   I then picked him up from outside the theatre.

We decided to visit the IKEA in Bolingbrook the next morning so we stayed at a local hotel in Bolingbrook for the night.    I got us a handicap room so we had a higher toilet seat and wider hallways to make it easier for him to navigate around.

The next morning I went to pick us up some continental breakfast to enjoy in the room.   I got us some Belgian waffles and a banana which tided us over till we left for IKEA which was 15 minutes away.

Dom saw a Michael's craft shop in the same area as IKEA so of course we had to stop there first.   Well Dom did and I was along for the ride...LOL.   We then made it to the IKEA just after 10am.   There weren't too many folks thankfully as we went through the aisles and ultimately spending just a little over $200 on various knick knacks and snacks.   We even stopped for some Swedish meatballs and mixed veggies for lunch in their cafeteria.

We then made our way back home but not before I made a quick stop at a Sunrise Health store in Lansing, IL to get Ice Cream For Bears, a natural brand of ice cream that is only sold in a few select stores.    Then we made it home.   

Thankfully I have a day off from work for the Memorial holiday so that gives me one more day to relax before getting back to the work grind.

Future Mini E

 Sometimes I find myself reflecting on my life and I feel sad.   Don't get me wrong.   I have lived a great life with a mostly good career, decent finances, plenty of travel and adventures, and I did later find love with Dom.   But the one thing I did not have were children of my own.   A part of me wanted to experience the ups and downs of fatherhood and hope that I did things right with my kids.   Dom and I actually expressed how we wished we had met 20 years or so back.   He himself wanted to have a family but didn't have anyone to have it with.   But would we have been right for each other that time?    We'll never know.   But I do feel that we were meant to be in each other's lives one way or another.  I shudder to think how our lives would've been had we not met.

2002 was around the time I began thinking of kids.   Part of that was my guilt of being the only son and not having a male child to carry on the family name.   But at that time too I was just beginning to figure things out about my sexuality.   I remember doing research on different surrogacy programs and hearing about one in India that for $20K upfront and an additional $20K afterwards, provided an Indian surrogate who would carry your baby in her womb and then after the baby is born, you would have to go through the process of bringing your child back into U.S. soil.     One of the interesting (and prejudicial after I gave it more thought) options they had was that for an extra fee, you could opt for a Caucasian lady surrogate.   Heaven forbid a white person wants to have a Indian lady carrying their fetus.

The cost pretty much stopped me from going that route.   Plus I didn't have a partner at that time so I would have been the sole parent.   Had I still lived in the Detroit area, I may have thought about a bit more as I would've had my family nearby (though I'm sure my parents especially would have a thing to say about that option...*LOL*).  As an aside, I confirmed last year that my current company offers money assistance for surrogacy support if a person wants to have a child.    If only that was a thing 23 years ago when I looked at the surrogacy program.    Who knows if I would've had an adult child now?   Obviously now I'm past the point where I want to have the responsibility of caring for a child.   If I were to start now, my future E would be born in February 2026 and by the time they turned 18, I would be 71 or 72 years old (God willing).

The second time I recalled wanting to have a child was when I was dating Rock back in 2006.   Rock and I of course had other issues but I did discuss the possibility with him.   Rock was in his early 40's and in his mind he thought it was too late to entertain the thought of having kids.   That probably was a good thing too since we wound up breaking up in 2008.

I didn't give up on the dream entirely after that hoping that perhaps in a couple years I would find a like minded individual.   That never did happen.   I met Dom in September 2014 and when we discussed kids he told me that he was not looking to start a family as he was too old (early 50's...where I am now).   I decided that I may not find the right person and just see where things took us.   Almost eleven years later, it took us to living together (2016) and marriage (2022).

I don't regret it though once in a blue moon, I think of what could've been.   Once my sisters and I leave this world, our specific branch will officially end.    But obviously it won't be completely gone as my parents' siblings had kids who had their own kids (and I'm sure some of those kids may have a kid...LOL).   So barring the end of the world, the family name will live on.

But it got me thinking that I wanted to reach out to Sally and no_the_game (who I haven't chatted with in a while) to see if I could gift the children in their lives with a small investment in some stocks or ETFs that will hopefully appreciate in price by the time they grow up.    Sally is the proud grand-aunt of three beautiful grand-nieces and no_the_game has a handsome son that's about to turn 11.   It would just be a way of leaving a small legacy and perhaps by the time they're adults, the shares could turn into a car fund or help pay for groceries.   I would not expect anything in return.   But I think it would be a nice thing to do.   I'll have to save up some cash but I think it'll be a good thing.

To my future Mini E, I'm sorry that I didn't get to meet you in this lifetime.    But perhaps as Erykah Badu would say, maybe I'll see you Next Lifetime.

Wisdom Recovery

I don't have much of an update today.

I made it through the oral surgery and I officially have my remaining wisdom teeth removed.   Dom took me on the 5th and thankfully everything went well without a hitch.    One of the positives is that I no longer have the bad taste in my mouth with the cavities.   I took off this week from work to recover from the procedure and am currently on my last day.

I thankfully haven't had a lot of pain.  I'm just trying to take it easy and I've been watching many Youtube videos on how to survive wisdom tooth extraction surgery and have been trying to follow the rules as far as steps to a quick recovery.

So that means I've been eating lots of soft foods like soup, applesauce, cottage cheese, and ice cream.   I just introduced some slightly more solid foods like peanut butter and jelly to my diet.    My plan is to ease my way back into solid foods by next week.

The time off gave me some time to write to Mitch as well.   I received a letter in the mail from him yesterday expressing concern since I hadn't written him since last August.   I didn't realize it was that much time but I do remember that he called me on my birthday.    Then my intentions were that I would write him but then life was life-ing.   So time went by.   

I'm glad that I was able to write him.   I just need to mail off the letter which I plan to do sometime this weekend.

I also had a chance to play with my stocks, hoping to get rich.   That didn't happen but I did sell one of my stocks for a 30% gain and put a portion of that towards more Blackberry stock.   LOL I swear I hope that one pays off someday.   They did recently announce that they are looking to buyback shares which will hopefully help the price go up some.

I also will work from home on Monday as well before easing my way back to my schedule which involves me walking to and from the train station.   I want to make sure my body is ready for me to resume physical activity again.

So much fun.   At least I should be ready for my concert in two more weeks.   

Sashay Chante!

 

Chante Moore - As If We Never Met

VERSE 1:
The world going by my window
Doesn't mean nothing to me
Why do I feel the way I do
Why am I still so lost in you, I wonder

VERSE 2:
Watching you sleep each morning
Brushing the hair from your eyes
Why do we give ourselves away
Till only emptiness remains

REFRAIN:
Was there a reason you came and changed my life
Cause it won't change back
I'm trying to forget
But I can't act as if we never met

VERSE 3:
The world going by my window
Doesn't mean nothing to me
Why do I feel the way I do
Darling, I'm still so lost in you

REPEAT REFRAIN

I was listening to an early Chante Moore single titled As If We Never Met while trying to minimize work distractions.   Chante's voice was so pure and earnest as she processes losing a love and wanting to forget him and the pain his leaving her has caused but realizing he made an impact of her life and isn't someone she can just forget.  The song stirred emotions in me as I listened repeatedly to it.   It made me think of past loves that still stay on the mind long after they're gone.   It's such a beautiful song by a beautiful lady who has been sharing her talent since 1992.    It's not the first time I've mentioned Chante in my blogs.   I did a review of her 2008 album Love This Woman and expressed my continued love of Chante in a brief snippet.

I still remember walking over to a local record store not far from the college I attended classes in and buying her CD.   It took me awhile to figure out who Chante was when they played her songs on the radio.   I always seemed to miss the mention of her name.  This was before the internet took off so it wasn't like I could just do a Google search.   I still remember my excitement when I finally heard her name.  I couldn't get to a record store fast enough.

I'm excited about the upcoming concert on May 23rd at Rialto Square Theatre to see Miss Chante perform.   It'll be my first time seeing her perform in concert since Tasha and I went to a Luther Vandross concert in the mid-90's at Fisher Theatre in Detroit when Chante was his opening act.  I went for Chante, Tasha went for Luther.   This time of course, Chante is the headliner.   I've been listening to Chante's songs in preparation for the show.

I'm trying to decide whether Dom and I should stay overnight in Illinois.    We had talked about going the next morning to the Japanese market Mitsuwa in another part of town.   Dom changed his mind though wanting us to get home.   However we were also talking about going to Ikea which we haven't been to in almost a decade.   I've been wanting to go there to get a dresser and small computer desk for the spare bedroom/future home office.

But first I have to get through my oral surgery to remove my remaining wisdom teeth coming up on Cinco De Mayo.   I sent the remaining payment for the procedure two weeks back.   I'm still annoyed about paying for that upfront but am hopeful I'll get reimbursed from the insurance company within a couple weeks.   I took a week off from work to recover from the procedure.   I'm hoping everything goes well and I'll be recovered by the time the concert date arrives.   I've been drinking pineapple juice which is supposed to help with pain.   Dom will be my designated driver to the procedure.  I need to give him the address to the location.   Maybe we can do a practice run this weekend (if I can get him out of the house).    He tends to hibernate a lot these days.

Darn Mucilage

 In my quest for being healthy I'm always looking around for the latest news on items that will be beneficial for me.   My blood pressure has been the bane of my existence.   One of my first blog entries was a boring but important entry tracking my blood pressure readings.   High blood pressure has been something that's plagued me since as far back as 2005 and I'm sure much earlier.   

I remember going to the ER because of it a couple of times.   I remember feeling faint like I was going to pass out.   But somehow over the years I've dodged being prescribed blood pressure medication.    Both of my parents had been taking blood pressure medication for more than half of their lives.

I've tried so many different things for it with marginal results.  Apple cider vinegar, grape seed extract, l-citrulline, ubiquinol, miracle greens, magnesium, cucumbers, watermelons, hibiscus, green tea, garlic, and onion among other things.   But there hasn't been that magic elixir.

So I was checking out Dr. Bobby Price's latest video where he was singing the praises of okra water.   I do like okras so I was definitely intrigued by what was being said.   The heart of okra water is the mucilage which is a mucus like substance that the okra secretes.   That mucilage is said to have many health benefits.    These include improved digestion, reduced blood sugar, reducing inflammation, boosting energy, immunity, promoting weight loss, and flushing kidneys.

Hearing about all those benefits made me curious to try it.  I decided to check other videos which touted a lot of the same information.   So I decided to buy some okra this past weekend.

The benefits of blood sugar is particularly something that could benefit Dom since he has type 2 diabetes.  Dom is old school though and isn't one that looks for alternatives.   So I knew he would not be open to trying it.    Whenever I try something unorthodox, he always says "why do you hate your body so much"...LOL.

So I prepared the okra water as instructed the evening before.  By early morning the water became an icky mucus like substance similar to the videos.   I slowly drank the water and I will say I felt full after drinking it.   I'm not sure I felt any more energetic than normal.  I actually felt a little more constipated so not sure it really helped me with digestion.   I noticed my poop became light green as well (almost the color of okra itself).

I drank it for two more days and then as I was doing more research, I found a side effect of drinking okra water that stopped me in my tracks.    One of the side effects is that it could cause kidney stones.  This is because the mucilage is high in oxalates.   Folks that have had kidney stones (like me) are highly at risk for developing them.

I guess everything has it pros and cons.   But I don't want to do anything that could cause kidney stones.   Those are no fun to deal with.   Consequently yesterday evening I was feeling the urge to pee a lot with hardly anything coming out.   That of course got me freaked out that I may have blockage already.    I guess I need to drink some more barley water...LOL.

So it's back to the drawing board.   The one positive is that my going to the office 3 days a week gets me a little more exercise.   My numbers still aren't where I want them to be though.   The quest continues.

Feeling Taxed

 Tax time has creeped in again.  With the way the Orange administration has been wrecking havoc on the Federal government, it's a wonder we still have a tax system.    Dom decided to do his taxes in early February in case Orange did something to mess up refunds.    He also already had that money spent on his favorite hobby.   I managed to finish my taxes in early March.   My refunds are not nearly as high as they used to be when I lived in Illinois.   Then again my property taxes are not as high as they were when I lived in Illinois.   Unfortunately though property taxes in Indiana have been steadily creeping up since I moved here.  I need to think about opening a separate saving account to deposit enough money to pay the property taxes once I finish paying off the mortgage.

So far I'm still on track to have the mortgage paid off by June or July of 2026.   I'm definitely excited about that one.   I'm peeved because the oral surgeon that I'm having my wisdom teeth removed requires me to pay the entire balance of the surgery which will run me $2100.   Apparently I will get it back from the insurance in two weeks (they claim).   It's such a racket that the surgeon gets their money and I'm the one that has to deal with the insurance.  Luckily I am also getting a bonus from work this week that should cover the $2100 I have to pay up front.  I just need to notify my credit card of the upcoming charge so they don't put a freeze on my card.

My original plan was to use the bonus as an extra payment for the mortgage but I'll need to wait till I get the money back from the insurance company to put it towards the mortgage.   I should have some more of the bonus available, it may come out to around $4000 (apparently the company had a great year).   So I can still put the remaining amount towards it.

My surgery is scheduled for Cinco De Mayo.   As I mentioned the oral surgeon is a lady and her staff are all women as well.   There's nothing wrong with that of course.    But they couldn't hire a guy or two...LOL.

I'm nervous about the procedure but I know it needs to be done.  I probably should've taken the other two out when I did the first two.   I just never got around to it.   Of course the oral surgeon was already trying to sell other products to me.   I was thinking I'll be damned if I get anything else since I have to pay for that upfront too.   I'm annoyed that my dentist chose this oral surgeon but she seems to know her stuff so I'll have to put faith that it'll all work out.

I pray that everything goes well with the surgery.   Dom will be taking the day off school to take me to the surgery.   I'll be knocked out during the procedure (I don't remember if I was knocked out when I had my first wisdom teeth removed).   But I already put in my time off for work and decided just to be safe to take the whole week.   They mention limiting your physical activity that first week.

In other news a member of my current Church family received some bad news today healthwise.   He was on a journey to ditching his CPAP machine for good and was in the final stretch of confirming that he could use Inspire as a mask-free solution.   He had to lose more than 20 pounds to be eligible and along the way had to deal with health issues.   He lost the weight and was in the doctor's office taking a test to see if he would be able to tolerate the device.    While they did a CT scan on his throat, they found a 6mm mass on one of his lungs.   He will have another CT scan on Thursday on his lungs.  I feel so bad for him and pray that he doesn't get dire news.

Mitch has also been on my mind lately.   He's reached a new milestone.   He officially has less than 3 years left in his prison term.   I've been meaning to write to him but have been so busy with life.  I'm hoping that he's hanging in there.   He's made a few strides in preparation for life outside of prison.   By the time he gets out, he'll be 65 years old.    He was able to find a new home that his children will be living in while he does his remaining time.   He pretty much will be at retirement age but he may look to do some part-time work.

Whenever I complain about my lot in life, I always find myself reminding myself that at least I do have freedom.   I pray that Orange and his cronies don't take that away from us.   It truly is a scary world out there.  I shudder to think where this country will be not just in four years but even another month from now.

There's No Place Like Home

Stephanie Mills - Home

Verse 1

When I think of home, I think of a place
Where's there's love overflowing
I wish I was home, I wish I was back there
With the things I've been knowing
Wind that makes the tall grass bend into leaning
Suddenly the raindrops that fall, they have a meaning
Sprinkling the scene
Makes it all clean

Verse 2
(When I think of home)
Maybe there's a chance for me to go back
Now that I have some direction
(Maybe there's a chance I'll get home)
It sure would be nice to be back at home
Where there's love and affection
And just maybe I can convince time to slow up
Giving me enough time, ooh, in my life to grow up
Time be my friend
And let me start again

Verse 3

Suddenly my world's gone and changed its fate
But I still know where I'm going
I have had my mind spun around in space
And watched it growing
And oh, if you're listening, God, please don't make it hard
To know if we should believe the things that we see
Tell us should we try and stay or should we run away?
(Should we run away?)
Or will it be better just to let things, let them be, oh
Living here in this brand new world might be a fantasy
But it's taught me to love, oh yeah
So it's real, it's so real, it's real to me
And I've learned that we must look inside our hearts to find
A world full of love like yours, like mine

Outro
Like home
Like, like home
(When I think of home)
My friends smiling down on me
Giving me their energy, oh
(When I think of home)
I think of a peaceful world and joy all around me, yeah
(When I think of home)
And love that we share can never, never, ever be taken away from me, yeah, yeah, yeah
(When I think of home)
I just sit down and think
And gets on down in my bone, bone, yeah
(When I think of home)
I can hear my friends telling me
"Stephanie, please sing my song"
I wanna sing, I wanna shout
I wanna tell you what it's all about, yeah
(When I think of home)
Yeah, yeah, yeah

For better or worse I think of the place in Detroit where I grew up as home.   The story of my childhood home began when my Dad immigrated to the United States in 1957.  He lived with the man I knew primarily as "Uncle" in that home.   Home was a duplex with two three-bedroom units downstairs and two three-bedroom units upstairs.   I believe our home was built in the 1870s.

Uncle at the time owned the house and was a landlord renting each of the bedrooms in the house to different patrons.   My Dad would end up renting the room that at first would later be my first bedroom as a small child and later Trina's bedroom when Tasha wanted independence from sharing a room.

My Dad would say how he got his first job and would save money so that he could paint his bedroom.   He spoke with pride how he got his own Encyclopedia set.   Papa said Uncle had an Encyclopedia set but became upset if my Dad held on to a specific volume too long.    That was when he decided to get his own set that he stored in his room.    All of my Dad's possessions were in that room.  

I'm a little hazy on the history but at some point my Dad moved out of our home and was living in another home with my "Grandma" in a place that was nicknamed Mt. Elliot.  There may have been other people living there as well.   That part was not clear.    I'm guessing it may have been around the time he got his job working at a Sherwin Williams plant.   That job would be a blessing and a curse for Papa. 

My Dad with his new wife, my Mom, would come back in 1976 to live in our childhood home once again.   Uncle by then was no longer a landlord and was in his last years of living.    The story was that Papa purchased the duplex for $6000 from Uncle.   With the way home prices are today, it's crazy to think homes used to be that cheap.

One of the few early memories I had as a small child was running with Tasha around the side of the house.   I believe both of us may have been excited by the extra space and we did what kids do.   My grandma (who was really my Dad's first cousin) would end up living in one of the upstairs units with her husband who I don't have any memories of since he died when I was 6.

Growing up in our childhood home had it's good and bad times like any home.   Since it was just the six of us living in the home (Trina would come along two years later in 1978), we all had free range to venture anywhere in the house.

As I mentioned my early years I had the bedroom that Papa used to stay in.   I later ended up moving to another bedroom in the back unit of the duplex.    I would wind up being by myself in that back area though we all used that space to live in as well and it was the path we took to go into the backyard and then the garage.

We had questionable neighbors that lived around us.   Our next door neighbor to our left also had a similar style duplex that was owned by a man I knew as Mr. Wick (changed the last name slightly for privacy purposes...LOL).   Mr. Wick also rented out parts of his home as well and some of those patrons were questionable.   There was a harmless guy named Hobo who spent his days sitting in the front porch just randomly laughing to himself and drinking alcohol.   He clearly had mental issues.   He was harmless though compared to Mr Wick's nephew Streek.

Streek was evil incarnate.   He along with his cronies broke into our home sometime in 1981 when we were at church one Sunday.   We returned home to find the front door wide open and chaos everywhere inside.   I remember feeling violated after the fact and I know it upset the rest of the family.   After that happened Papa hired a company to install bars on all the lower level windows.   It was the beginning of the end for the neighborhood as a whole.

Streek wound up going to jail after numerous other break-ins and spent close to a decade in prison (though I don't know the exact timeframe).   He was released from prison in the early 1990s sometime.   His next foray was selling drugs on the block.   We would be witness to random shootings that would happen between rival gangs.

It seemed the police was in on the drug drama as nothing would be done to get rid of the bad element.  Sometime in 1997 there was a shootout on the block with Streek ending up being shot to death right in front of our home.

I had moved out in August 1995 and had just moved to Chicago from living in Washington D.C. for a  new job.   I remember Mama calling me to give the news and how it traumatized them.   I felt so bad for them.

A new gang took over the drug trade after Streek was killed and the neighborhood continued its decline.   They even went so far as to loiter in front of our house and hiding drugs under our welcome mat.   Many of the neighbors moved out and my parents ended up being one of the last remaining residents until another shooting this time specifically targeted at our house happened in 2013.   

For years my sisters and I implored Mama and Papa to move and find somewhere safer to live.   My Dad decided to find a place on his own.   It was a two bedroom apartment in a senior citizen apartment.

Despite the issues with the neighborhood, it did serve as our home and we had many memories there.  For example, I smile as I recall how I used Papa's encyclopedia to do various book reports (even though the data was outdated seeing that the set was from 1960...*LOL*).    Various extended family members visited us over the years as well.    We had many family dinners in the kitchen and dining room.    We celebrated birthdays, holidays, and other life celebrations as well.

Since my parents moved away, the home became abandoned and was destroyed by both human and nature.   Papa still paid the taxes on it for a few years but decided he didn't want to deal with that anymore and gave the home to Tasha.   Tasha was not able to pay the taxes on it and the home eventually was taken back by the city.   Before that happened she tried putting it on the market but there were no takers.

The thing about home ownership that trips me is that even if you pay off the house (which Papa did when he bought it in 1976 for $6000), you truly do not own it free and clear.   You can still lose the home if you don't pay property taxes on it.   It's even worse when you live in a condo with association fees (like I did for 16 years).   If you continue to pay the mortgage and do not pay the association, the association has the right to take the home away from you.    That seems so unfair.

So the house was on my mind and I decided to check out Zillow to see what they have listed for it.  I was on the train on my way to work last week when I did this.   I was surprised to see that the home was no longer standing and now it's a vacant lot.   Ironically Mr. Wick's long abandoned duplex is still standing.   The lot currently is on sale for $25,000.

It feels surreal seeing that the home I once grew up in through thick and thin is no longer standing.   I don't recall Tasha or Trina mentioning that it was torn down.    Then again they may not know either.   But it truly is an end of an era.   Next time I'm in Detroit, I may do a quick drive-by to check the area (if it's safe).

The Case For AI

So one of the things my job has been pushing for the last year or so is for our team to pick up on their AI skills.   We've been required to take a lot of training so we could keep abreast for any issues customers may be experiencing.   I saw the writing on the proverbial wall during my company's quarterly all-hands meeting in April 2023 when the predominant topic was all about embracing Artificial Intelligence in our day-to-day lives.   I studied to obtain Salesforce's AI Associate certification and was able to achieve it in September 2023.

When I got that cert, I was ahead of the game with our team being one of the first to obtain it.  Almost a year later, they required everyone of the team to have the AI Associate cert.   In addition they wanted us to get the next level cert of AI Specialist which is having a name change to be Agentforce Specialist in conjunction to Salesforce's rebranding of Einstein GPT.    They required both AI Associate and AI Specialist by the end of 2024.   I studied to obtain the AI Specialist and was able to achieve it in November 2024.

Now there's a push to have our team get the current highest level AI Salesforce cert of Data Cloud Consultant.   I'm scheduled to take my first attempt at this cert on 03/22.   To top it off I'm taking some additional training on learning about Email Deliverability troubleshooting and I still have to handle existing cases and probably still assist in other engineer issues.

It does seem like there's a lot left for me to learn as I continue through what I call my 2nd and final act in my working career.   I wish I could just lay low and collect my check.    But if I want to keep my job, I need to stay open to learning more and more.   Even that of course is no guarantee that I won't be laid off from my current role down the line.

It is interesting reading up on the history of AI which has its earliest mention in the 1940's.   It started with the creation of the first digital computer which of course was a humongous machine.   There was a workshop at Dartmouth College in 1956 where the future leaders in the research of AI were in attendance.   But it seemed the next couple decades proved to be a challenge in any advancements from the U.S.

The Japanese took the lead in AI advancement in the 70's which reinvigorated the U.S.   Investment in AI hit the billion dollar mark by the 80's.   Investment continued to boom and one of the first real cumulations of it came in the form of ChatGPT in 2020.

I've actually used ChatGPT to research various topics and it's interesting the responses that I receive.  Of course ChatGPT is only as good as the information that gets fed into it.   Who better to ask how ChatGPT gets its information then to ask ChatGPT itself?

I asked ChatGPT the following question:  "How does ChatGPT get the information to be able to answer any questions we may have?"

It's answer: "ChatGPT gets its information through a process called pretraining, where it learns from a vast amount of text data, including books, articles, websites, and other publicly available written material. During this process, it learns patterns in language, concepts, facts, and general knowledge.

However, it doesn’t have real-time access to the internet or any proprietary databases after training. So, while it can answer a wide range of questions based on the knowledge it learned up until its training cutoff (which in this case is September 2021), it doesn't "know" things that have happened after that time, unless provided with that new information during the conversation.

In short, ChatGPT’s answers come from the knowledge it was trained on, which covers a huge range of topics, but it's not always up-to-date with current events unless it's connected to specific tools (like a web search) or if you give it the latest info. Does that answer your question?"

It's crazy how AI has taken over the fiber of our world.   There is a fear that AI will be the cause of a lot of tech workers losing their jobs.   I will admit I do have that concern sometimes.   But I am open to learning what I can about it.   I do hope it's enough to keep me employed while I continue to work towards my goal of financial independence.     We shall see.

 

From Rags To Riches To Rags

 Last month I posted about one of my favorite girl groups of the 90's En Vogue.   The world learned that former member Maxine Jones was returning to the group effectively having 3 of the 4 original members back together again.  A lot of folks myself included wondered if the 4th member Dawn Robinson would also come back.   But I figured that bridge had been burned long ago.   For now it still is.

There were no comments from Dawn regarding Max's return to En Vogue.   But last week Dawn was back in the news herself.   She announced that she's been homeless and living in a car for more than three years.

She mentioned that she made the choice herself to do car living after researching it online.  Prior to living in her car, she was living with her mother.   She said that they had a disagreement and wound up moving out.   When watching her video, it was interesting to hear she had a dog named Max who passed away.   Max of course was her bandmate in En Vogue.   So that was interesting she used that name for her dog.

It was sad hearing how someone who was once part of the most iconic girl group of the 90's now finds herself living in the car.  Dawn definitely has had drama over the years with the two groups she was a part of.  She was my favorite member of En Vogue (still is) so it crushed me when she departed just when the group was blowing up.   I do agree in principal that if they truly weren't getting paid what they deserved, all four of the members should've been fighting more.   But that ship has literally sailed and prior to Max's announcement, the remaining members Cindy and Terry have been keeping the En Vogue name afloat though not with the success they had in the 90's.

A small part of me couldn't help but wonder on the timing of Dawn's revelation.  Could she have announced this to put rain on her former group members and stop any momentum from the reunion news?   The natural inclination is for the media to ask the remaining ladies how they feel to hear Dawn's news and whether they should reach out to try and help her.   It'll be interesting to see if there are any new stories of the other member's reaction.

There has been quite a reaction to the news as well from the celebrity circles.   Her ex-husband Dre Allen was said to have offered Dawn a job.   No word yet whether she accepted or not though I'm guessing she won't.   She did say she was living in her car by choice.  It sounded like she had someone who was giving her money for a hotel to stay at and they were teasing her about an apartment but she got tired of being strung along which led her down her current path.   Jermaine Dupri expressed skepticism about Dawn's story stating she had an assistant working with her.   Interestingly enough Dawn did mention she was documenting the experience and I imagine she would be open to selling her story to the highest bidder so it can be made into a documentary or reality TV series.   So Dupri's skepticism could hold merit.   I read that Kandi Burruss of Xscape fame was also asked about the situation but she quickly changed the subject.   I can't say I blame her as she has enough dealing with her own group's issues.

Whether the circumstances it is sad to hear the news.   It will be interesting to see what comes next for her.  She has the world's attention for now.   But social media is a fickle character so she better take advantage while she can.   Looking at the comments from her video, she does seem to have a lot of people that want to help her.  Whatever happens I hope she can turn herself around.