*grin*

i'm VERY curious to hear from whomever is browsing my lil blog from ut arlington.......it would seem someone has a nice interest, tho admittedly i haven't been a good dread and left this site alone for quite sometime. hope to change that soon.

suffice it to say, i like everyone else am in shock over the passing of michael. having just returned from a week in los angeles, i can only say i guess i'm pleased i was in town when it all went down. i'm certain watching the coverage from here in horrible houston would have sucked, i was thankful i could watch the LOCAL coverage right there.

as i was thinking aloud to some friends of mine, it was seem that only prince is left from that remarkable era of the 80's when it seemed michael, rick (james), and prince ruled the male r&b world. unless u were old enough to remember those days (in your teens or older), it's probably hard to remember how much GREAT music was being produced by those 3 guys all at the same time. and now after evertyhing is said and done, only prince is left standing, and hopefully will be the one to actually live to see a natural end to a LONG life.

in terms of icons, i think madonna would be the next highest ranking icon on the "living" list. and yes, sorry to all the prince fans (including myself) but madonna does now probably rank #1 on the music icon list. i say this b/c looking at all the "living" legends at the present time, i don't think any of them would bring about the attention in passing than say modonna would do. i always looked at michael's death as an example as how important someone was.............by that, i mean whenever someone died, i always wondered "well, that's big, but WHAT might happen if MICHAEL JACKSON died?" and unfortunately now i (and everyone else) knows the answer to that question.

here are a few pics, since i always like to include "something" for those who just like to look at pretty pictures. *lol* see ya next time.

if it wasn't for the fact that mystic and zwele hate all things feline, we would have had 3 all white animals living with us. while i was out taking more pics of birds this morning, this lovely lil white kitty approached me from the other side of a fence. i didn't think he (she?) would come all the way, as most cats in this neighbourhood are skittish and usually run away. but this one came thru the fence and proceded to roll over on its back and let me rub the belly. *lol* it was so damn cute, and it stayed there with me for the entire time i played with it. what was funny was a couple of doves kept careful watch all the time right above; i wonder if they had had problems with this kitty before? *lol* anyway, if i had still be living alone with no dogs, i would have taken this cat home quick and in a hurry. *lol* THEN post signs of "found cat" a few days later.........*lol* the colour of the eyes are just beautiful, ain't they? my hounds just don't know how close they came to having another member of the family. :)

from the looks of it, seems like it was atlanta's time for some surprising snow.................it wasn't that long ago when houston got a couple of inches of the white stuff, making everyone fill with glee. none of that here tho, it was a sparkling clear blue sky in these parts, but too cold/cool for my tastes. it's supposed to be near freezing tomorrow morning, but warming nicely by tuesday again...............droptop weather again. *smile*

anyway, just wanted to share the pic of the cat, time for "eastenders"............gotta get my fix of the brits living in albert square. have a great week!

well, hopefully u can tell i got my new lens (nikkor 70-300mm vr) yesterday via ups, and i'm already pleased with the results. i still could use more "reach", but i think the range on this one will be more than sufficient for quite sometime. it never fails that the minute i get a new "toy", the conditions always go downhill for me to enjoy it. *lol* i remember when i got the z4, and the weeks before the car's arrival the weather had been spectacular, but as soon the car got here from oregon, it rained for the next 4 days or so. *lol* the weather here had been so nice up until last night when a front came thru, knocked the temps back down into the low 60's and clouds clouds clouds. so of course i couldn't really enjoy the new lens b/c it would be best to try it out with bright conditions. tomorrow will be better, but much cooler as well, and birds don't like to come out as much when it's cold. i'll get 'em next time for sure.

i see alot of people still come to this blog from over at nappturality.com...............*lol* kinda funny b/c i've been going out of my way to NOT check it out and "stay outta trouble". *lol* i know my blog might not be as entertaining as it was when i used to comment on what i read over there, but i've been trying to head in another direction, since some people believed their toes were being stepped on. *lol* my lack of "lock-oriented" blog entries does NOT mean i have any less interests or love about dreadlocks, b/c i still have numerous discussions about them thru emails and other sites. this year i will have had my own dreads for 19 years, about 4 years longer than i would have originally believed possible, since mpb runs in my family. so every year that passes by where i have my mane is an accomplishment for me. sometimes i wonder what will it be like to be in jamaica and actually be a "baldhead"? *lol* i mean, as much as i love being there, i will be the first to admit that walking around that lovely country with locks as long as mine is truly a wonderful experience...................i DO believe i get treated differently while there on holiday than i would without locks. but also i hear from people who travel there for the first time as a dread that they experience the same thing. i have often said that charlotte always is treated differently than other "sistas" in jamaica b/c of her beautiful UN-manicured locks.

i will say tho that it's great seeing so many sistas truly enjoying their locks, to see that so many of them whom i "met online" a few years ago still are wearing them strong, and they're getting so long. well-done black women, well-done! keep taking those pics, and posting in those fotki's, and creating those blogs.....................lovely to see everytime. ;) and much love to those sistas across "da pond" as well.............u KNOW who u are. *wink* if anyone has questions/comments about locks, feel free to share them here, and i'll do what i can. if u see something elsewhere, please talk about it here, and i'll do the same. hopefully things have toned down some over "there", and the ignorance has flown the coop, and the gate ain't open anymore. *lol*

have a great week ahead............

not a bad tuesday today. actually, a busy one, but a decent one nevertheless. the days are getting longer now, and so i can spend more time with the hounds after i get home from work. they don't care whether it's light or dark out, as long as they're running around. *lol* i snapped this one of zwele and thought it might look nice in black/white. i'm still learning different/new things all the time with regards to scenery, background, lighting, etc. so u'll bear with me when i share some of these "experimental" shots here with u. *s*

ok, time to watch barack speak to congress...................lets see how much partisan applause the will be.

yes, u can definitely tell spring is somewhere nearby. *smile* i am not a fan of winter after jan or so................it just gets on my nerves, and so i anticipate the coming of spring and the accompanying warmer weather. as u can tell by the pics, i'm still having a great time with the D90, it's a great camera. this lil garden has been around for as long as we've been here, and i've always enjoyed the flowers and sometimes taken the time to have a sniff every now and then. but i never EVER shot any photos of the garden, no matter how lovely it was. not until now. *smile* i can't wait until spring really arrives, and the wildflowers are really blooming...........gonna really enjoy taking the lil z4 out for a trip to the countryside (a-la austin/san antonio) and get some excellent shots of the blue bonnets. sorry zwele tho, there will be no room for mystic, u, nor your stick. *lol*

on this photography forum where people post pics using their dslr's (i'm mainly in the d90 forum), one gentleman posted some pics from a recent vacation in negril. he had some decent shots, mainly from rick's cafe, but what got my attention wasn't the photos, but moreso what his opening comments were regarding the photos he took OR LACK THEREOF. u see, this gentleman was apologising for not sharing more pics b/c he simply didn't take many out of fear of walking around with his expensive camera; fear of it being stolen. now, i know i have been there many many times, and so yes, i've developed a familiarity with the island of jamaica. as long as i've been there, i have never once been afraid while there. i'm not saying it's completely safe there, but common sense goes a LONG WAY down there. yes, there is crime there, but more often than not it's directed towards jamaican citizens rather than tourist. people don't get "mugged" or "robbed" down there.............u're more likely to get jacked walking around houston, nyc, chi-town, or LA than u are in jamaica. can it happen there? of course, under the "right circumstances"................walking around in the middle of the night where no one else is, and yes, something MIGHT happen. but typically, most tourists are hanging around other tourists at tourist places/locales (high visibility), and so it's rare tourists get jacked.

i responded by saying he had taken some nice pics, BUT i would more than make up for his lack of pics when i'm there this summer. *lol* i think it a shame to spend so much money on a camera solely for taking quality photos, and not using it as often b/c of a fear of it being stolen from u while using it. why even bother bringing it? actually, if it's going to be stolen, i would be in more fear of it happening from my hotel room while i'm not there, not having it with me. people will steal, yes, but i'm saying u're less likely to have it taken from u while u're shooting with it than u might have it stolen from your hotel/cruise ship room while u're out and about. i know, i know, someone out there is undoubtedly saying "tai, u're used to be there, what about someone there for the first time?" i s'pose i could understand some "concern", but at the same time i say why bring the darn thing at all if u're that worried about being mugged? i wasn't the only one who chided him either............just about every person who bothered to comment echoed the same sentiments of mine, also adding "that's what insurance is for". *lol* i posted a picture of a sunset i took with the old sony just to show him what i'm capable of using just a "P/S" camera. i can't wait to have this camera with me this year!

anywhoooooo, charlotte turned me onto this chick's site in aussie-land a few weeks ago, and i gotta say i'm impressed. her name is scarlet, and i'm usually not into checking out blogs too often, but there are a few i follow regularly, and this should be one of them. if have some time, check it out, i think u'll like it too. i hope to have my blog be similar to hers, photographically speaking, in time, tho i think the land down under is significantly more interesting that houston. *lol* but i won't be doing nearly the "food" posts like she. *lol*

gonna watch the oscars tonight, always do. this year, i can actually say i've seen most of the films nominated, and i've seen many of the actors' performances as well. i know everyone is slobbering over "slumdog millionaire", but i happen to think it's a bit overrated...............a good film, but i'm not sure it should win best picture. really, the only award i care about is the best male supporting actor, which i hope heath ledger wins (posthumously), which i think he genuinely deserves, regardless of his unexpected/untimely death. it was an amazing performance. we'll see what happens (crossed fingers).

have a great week ahead, and if anyone has any suggestions for possible photo shoots or advice/criticism, please feel free to let a dread know.

well, i hope everyone had a nice valentine's weekend celebration. i've never been one big on this day, didn't matter whether i was single or involved. it's one of those events where i feel things done are moreso b/c of a sense of "obligation", as opposed to things being done out of sincerity. in other words, i find it to be a much more commercial event than a "loving" event. but nevertheless, i always try and do something for those i care about b/c it does matter to them. i got some cool stuff tho myself this year, which was a bit surprising. *lol* since i'm really enjoying my new hobby, i got alot of things photography-related. it's a shame no one cared like that when i was deeply into fishing, b/c i could always use a new tackle box or set of mirror lures. *lol*

anyway, i hope this week is better than last week, which was kinda busy/rough. for the first time since the new job, i found myself frustrated with things. i was out a couple of days attending a seminar, and a few mistakes were made, and the next three days i spent trying to get that train back on the tracks after the derailment. i can only hope tomorrow will start off better. sure wish it was a holiday for me............everyone else is lucky enough to be off tomorrow. *lol*

found out that another couple we met from last year's trip to ja is returning with us, actually they will be arriving minutes within the time of our own arrival in montego bay. kinda cool, huh? we had a great time with them last year, and this will be the first time ever that we will actually be there with someone we originally met while down there. and we all leave the same day at the same time to return back home to the states as well. so, expect alot of plans to be made beforehand this year, new places to see and new things to experience.

thanks to those who have commented favourably about my growing locks. this year it will be 19 years for me and my dreads. it's hard for me to remember how i looked in those early months and years, i wish i had been taking more pictures back then b/c there's not much for me to look back at in my photo albums. people today have it made in this age of digital cameras and dslr's. i hope to try some self-portraits with my own camera soon to add more to this blog and elsewhere.

have a nice week ahead..............peace.

well, what can we say???? LAKERS BABY! L-A-K-E-R-S! after a perfect 6-0 road trip, stopping boston's 12-game streak and beating them at their house, and THEN coming to see see bron bron and the cavs at THEIR house where they hadn't lost all season, and dropping an "L" for them too.................who else could be #1 right now? all i can say is we're looking damn good right about now. no bynum? no problem. we've handled the two best teams on THEIR courts and made our statements. period. nuff said.

since i was inside pretty much all day b/c the weather is not nearly as nice as the last few days and i was watching the games (boston got that ass kicked too by san antonio), i decided to mess around with the camera and improve my techniques..............have i said how much i really love this camera? *lol* i find the more i use it, the more comfortable i am becoming with it. i'm learning to maximise the best of this lens (18-105mm), properly utilising the different settings (A, S, M, and P and lots others). and it's just alot of fun. trust, i could post 100 more pics here, but i'm going to send them to the fotki site instead, as well as using flickr. i'm drooling over what i will be able to do with the addition of a couple more lenses.

and yes, for those curious, another one of killer zwele's attempts at showing me just how much she dislikes me. *lol* my mum bought me those house shoes for xmas, and u see how long they lasted. i guess it would not bother me so much if it weren't for the fact that it's ONLY MY THINGS that get eaten. i'm going to do a post of all the items of mine that she has ruined/damaged one time so that u will understand what i'm saying. sad thing is, i'm still wearing them, or trying to anyway. *lol*

anyway, just a quickie post to brag (lakers) and share (photos). it's going to be a busy week for me, but since i love my job, i don't mind a bit. see ya next time.

so, it was a beautiful saturday here in the houston area. with high temps to reach in the upper 70's, and barely a cloud in the sky, i knew it would be a great time to take the car out for a drive and run some errands. with the new camera (nikon d90), i have been wanting to get a new lens (already), specifically the Nikon Zoom Telephoto AF VR Zoom Nikkor 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED AF-S Autofocus Lens, which is retailing online anywhere from $425-683 according some googled searches. there are a couple of places in houston i planned to check out, but have been hesitant to purchase them "in person" b/c the local stores usually charge more, and also i'd have to pay state sales tax (8%), which sucks. anyway, i washed the car (actually this photo was taken a couple of weeks ago), and headed off enjoy the day.
after a quick stop at walgreens to get something, i headed off to run the rest of my errands. but not even a mile away from my house, i eased slowly up on what appeared to be an accident. i saw a large black escalade stopped in the turn median, and another late model crappy toyota that had very bad front-end damage. but on closer look, i then saw a gorgeous burgundy porsche boxster with a tan interior off to the side with a crumpled front hood. i was in disbelief, my mouth wide-open, as i cruised slowly towards the accident, and then i really saw how bad it was.

i couldn't help but pull into a church parking lot and get a better look. i knew i had my new camera with me, and figured i'll take some pics. my mouth, i know, was open for the first 4 or 5 pics, i was just aghast. it wasn't the fact that it was an accident..................i know they happen every 60 secs or so probably here in the states. it was the fact that this car, this beautiful boxster was wrecked with someone driving it who was probably doing just what i was going to do that day, which was enjoy a lovely convertible on a lovely day. in other words, that could have been me! so, i stood there snapping pics, watching the goings on. it seemed that the driver of the other car was hispanic, non-english speaking, and had a little girl with him, who seemed to be fine (thankfully). it was only after looking at pics of the other car that i noticed there was another guy in the front passenger seat.
what was funny/amusing was the fact that one by one, expensive car driving folk would slow and down and sometimes talk with the porshe owner to see if he was ok (remember the escalade i spoke of earlier). it was as if there was an allegiance of the "have's", who had to stop by and make sure "one of their own" was ok after such a horrible event. u see, in this particular part of town, there is a distinct line between wealthy white people and poor hispanic folk, and so on this particular street u're as likely to see a bentley or benz amg riding alongside 80's hondas and toyotas with the 3 lil vent thingies on both front side fenders ( i still don't know what the fuck those things are supposed to mean.........they just look tacky..........) i have to drive up this street too, and frequently find myself using smaller neighbourhood streets to avoid this in particular. but even more noteworthy was that not one person stopped to see how the "other" driver/passengers were doing.

anyway, i was about to leave, but felt the need to also go and speak directly with the boxster guy. so, i left the parking lot, and drove back across the street and parked right in front of damaged ride. when i went up to him, he at first seemed relieved, as i think he thought i had witness the accident. in fact, that was the first thing he asked me was had i seen it happen? unfortunately i had not, i think i got there just about 5 mins or so after the fact. but, when he saw my camera, he asked if i could take some pics of the scene for future litigation purposes i can only surmise. and so i took a few pics from various angles, and listened to him try to describe to me what happened, how it wasn't his fault. now, i'm not sure what happened, but i know he should have been at a stop sign, therefore awaiting traffic to break before he made the turn. however, he says he didn't even see that car coming, conveying the idea that the car was speeding. based on the impact damage, i'd have to agree that the other car may have been speeding. BUT, did the boxster engage in the turn before it was safe? did he really not see a car when he started his turn, but then b/c of the speed of the other vehicle, could not avoid the collision? i wonder if he's worried about being sued, he being the wealthy guy at fault, and the poor hispanics looking to get paid. i dunno. all i know is when i saw his car up close, with all that damage, i couldn't help but say "i'm glad that wasn't me, but it could have been...................."

anyway, after such a horrific start to my sunny day, i went ahead and met some friends for some coffee, and shared my story and photos. lately i've been enjoying one the xmas gifts my brother gave me, this black hat. when i first saw it, i was thinking i don't like it b/c it's not large enough for all my hair. i mean, i have several tams, but only really like a couple of them, mainly b/c most of them are not big enough. but when i put this one on, and decided it was meant to have the hair down in the back, i really liked the look. i haven't seen anything like it here in houston, which is kinda cool, and for a change my brother actually hooked me up. *lol* remember, this is the same brother who had been losing his hair in his mid-20's, and so despises my having a full head of hair even at my old age. and yet, he hooked a brother up.

anyway, after coffee, ran some errands, had sticker shock when i saw the lens i wanted to buy was $540 (plus tax), and so it's going to have to be an online thang afterall.
tomorrow is supposed to be a nice day too, but i'll be indoors all day long watching basketball. how did THAT taste BOSTON, how did losing another winning streak to the LAKERS feel? i know it doesn't come close to making up for that ass-kicking we took last spring, BUT it shows we can muscle up and be physical with them and beat anybody. and this is why i'm looking very forward to tomorrow's matchup with cleveland and king james. the cavs have not lost a game yet this season, so what better thing to do than kick bron bron's ass AND stop their home-game winning streak too? IF odom shows up, and gasol keeps playing the way he has since our beloved bynum went down, i know we can beat the cavs tomorrow.........................i mean, if we can beat boston IN BOSTON, then we should/could be able to beat cleveland, and really make a statement.
peace

i am so lovin' this new camera i bought. *grin* i can't tell u how big a joy it is to be able to shoot any and everything, and get some very nice results. i always thought i had a nice eye when it came to photography, but i never enjoyed the proper equipment to really show what was capable. the d90 i bought came with a "kit lens", nikkor 18-105 vr, and it's pretty good to start out with. BUT, i can't wait to graduate up to the nikon 70-300mm lens. i have been looking at various photography online forums and i'm blown away with what people are able to do with those long-range lenses. i think i do pretty well with this lens, but i know i will be able to do so much more when it comes to wildlife photography, eg as birds, porpoises, squirrels, etc. as much as i'm happy to not be on galveston island anymore, i have to admit that i can't wait to get back down there just to shoot a ton of stuff.

and even better, already made my reservations for jamaica later this summer..........dates are july 31st-aug 10th. there were some really great deals out there with super clubs resorts offering one free night for every 4 paid............therefore i'm staying for 10 nights, but only having to pay for 8! niiiiiiiiiiiiiice! even better, seems like alot of other friends i've met while down there also saw the sale and we're all meeting down there at the same time. i can't wait to be there with the new camera, and hopefully i'll have another lens or two as well. don't get me wrong, i enjoyed shooting all the pics i've shared in my fotki taken with the sony cameras, but they can't even come close in comparison to the new nikon d90!

it truly is the year of the BLACK MAN. of course, barack wins the election. then u even have the GOP electing a black man as the head the RNC (Steele), and now another BLACK MAN has won the superbowl as a coach! it's very nice to be black right about now. *lol* and yes ladies, i know serena won the aussie open too. *wink*

anyway, that's all for now. going to try and take some pics of the moon tonight and hopefully the weather will cooperate later in the week with more cloudless skies as we have the full moon appoaching. i'd share what i've already taken, BUT i want the bigger lens........*lol* portraits are fine. landscapes are fine. action is fine. but i need that damn telephoto lens so i can get really nice shots from far far away. can't wait til i can master all the processing software to make the images look even better. i only wish that the original images i post here were all available to see in the original sizes (if u click on them, u should get the original size), but for some reason only some of them work that way........sorry about that. i'll try and figure it out. any advice or comments are certainly welcome.

peace

no more sucky pictures FINALLY.

pulled the trigger on the nikon d90 as a gift to myself for a xmas and bday present. and so far, so good with regards to satisfaction. i've always enjoyed photography, enjoyed messing around with settings on various p/s cameras, and seeing what happens. but this is the first dslr that i've owned that will hopefully truly allow me to embrace photography as both a hobby and maybe something more. i've got so much to learn, given the fact that the sky is the limit regarding the potential of this camera. but i'm confident that i will be a quick study, with so much information available just a few clicks away, as well as some basic intuitive skills. should anyone out there with some knowledge/experience in photography have a comment/advice, PLEASE free to do so.

of course i'll be willing to comment on a variety of things.........decided to leave the inauguration alone........seemed everyone was saying everything that already needed to be said. suffice it to say, it's a very good time for this nation, and for black people in general. i found it amusing on some online comments i read (from what i assume were white people) where it was said "what was the big deal.................he's HALF-WHITE too". let the record show that if barack was not who he is, i'm certain any cop pulling him over would see barack as a BLACK MAN, and not some "half-white" guy. white people can be funny sometimes.

anyway, time for the spurs/lakers game.............i can only hope the lakers will smack the spurs around in revenge for the loss at sa when they first met........a game they should have won. i hope to post more frequently here now that i can share pictures............it's just not as fun without them.

1-5-3.

yes, i said, 1-5-3.

now i know most of u don't have a clue what i'm talking about. *lol* but, if u were anyone who knew me and my boys back here in LA, u'd probably know exactly what i mean when i say "1-5-3!" it's good to come home and see my family when i come back to the west coast, but i'd be lying if i didn't also say that the majority of the "fun" of being back here is hanging out with the fellas, the guys i grew up with and ran the streets of LA with mainly back in the late 70's thru the late 80's. i met all of these guys thru "jack n' jill", a black social network for kids thru the furst year of college, or something like that. anyway, these are my boys and whenever i come home, we get a chance to re-live old past great memories of growing up in the best city in the world. we all say that when we grew up in LA at THAT time, there's not another place on the planet that we would have rather been.

anyway, we've always been car-guys, from the mustang gt's we've owned, the iroc's, the 66' mustang convertibles, we've loved fast cars and racing them everywhere we went. it was obscene the things we'd do behind the wheel. BUT, since we didn't drink or do drugs, the only issue at hand was how fast could we go and no kill/maim. *lol* and trust, sometimes i'd come home from a night out with them and wonder "did we actually do THAT?" *lol* anyway, enough of memory lane here. the point i was making was that i've already shown what i recently purchased, my LIL bmw z4. well, my boy mike has always been one step ahead of the pack, always had the fastest, the most expensive of the cars between us all. not that the rest of us didn't enjoy what we had, but mike just had a passion for performance cars. it helps when the company u work for has leases vehicles for their top employees. so, the last time i saw mike and the guys was roughly3 years ago, and he had a "nice" 5-series.............i say "nice" b/c all bmw's all good, but some are "nicer" than others. i consider my z4 to be a "nice" z4. however, this time he stepped up big-time, and opted for the insanely powerful M-5, the best 5 series bmw makes. it has more than 500 hp, and i witnessed it in person last night.

on the way home from racing at the K1 indoor go cart racing joint in anaheim, and some grub at a "fridays", we hit it on the 91. he had already shown me the exceptional acceleration on the streets, but it what it could do on the highway that i wanted to see. and sure enough, the car was running 110 and it felt like we were go 50, it was so smooth and so easy. then 120, 130, and 140, and i was thinking i've been this fast ONCE, when i traded cars with my dad many moons ago, he took the mustang and i had his porsche 928. i was with mouth wide open, blown away at the power (and the sound) of the engine, cars being blown by as if they were going in reverse at 100. finally, we took it to the next level, and it hit 150 and topped out at 153. i personally don't know anyone who has driven that fast, and i'm pretty sure most people reading this haven't either. i know that it helps to try such things here in the LA area b/c i just don't see too many cops on the highway late at night. and i swear the average speed of most motorists at night is somewhere near 80! there's no way i could do such a thing anywhere near the city limits in houston b/c the damn cops are everywhere, and since everyone drives so much slower there too, a fast car looks even "faster" when flying by. but hopefully on a road trip to austin or san antonio i MIGHT get a chance to see what the lil car can do!

anyway, it was cool b/c i did meet a brotha at the restaurant when we arrived who worked there, and his hair looked exactly like my own did when it was less than a year old, and on the way out he stopped me to ask about my own. *lol* i told him my hair was like his now, and that his would get "there" in time, no doubt about it. he had some anxiety about it b/c he was LOW-MAINTENANCE, in that he didn't twist and he did go to anyone either, thus why it looked like my own back then. he was pleased to hear that my approach to growing my locks was the same as he had been doing so far. i wish i had a camera to share a pic of him, but it was cool "looking back into time". *lol*

speaking of cameras, i'm still looking to get the nikon, just trying to figure out the best place for the best deal. one of my boys from last night is a photographer and he said he can take me a few places he knows to get one. i'm really looking forward to getting back into the world of photography, even moreso now b/c i'll be using some serious equipment and looking for professional results. hope to share with y'all early in the new year.

anyway, that's all for now..............have more to share later. hope to hear from u SO CAL people soon, u KNOW who U are. *l*

i know, i know, i know.............................it's been ages since i've been on this thing. and my apologies to those who happen to check in here from time to time to see if i've posted anything. so here i am in RAINY los angeles on holiday visiting my parents, and finally jotting down a few things. it's just that since my nice sony camera mysteriously died while in jamaica a few months ago, it's really no fun posting anything sans photos. i'm actually quite disappointed in sony, since i put so much stock in all their products; three tv's, the home theatre system, the car stereo in the jeep, three dvd players (and soon-to-be blue ray player), the HD camcorder, and one other camera are all sonys (sp?). so, i was very surprised when the camera i've relied on for so many trips/years (1000's of pics shot) suddenly just died. the one place i called about having it fixed said it was probably the hard drive, and that it would cost more to repair it than just buying a new one. well, that's easy to say NOW, but when i bought the camers a few years ago, it cost ALOT of money, and so it's not just going out and buying another camera, but also means i'm wasting alot of money on the deceased camera.

so, i said the heck with it............i'm switching brands completely and definitely stepping up with my new camera. i have my eyes fixed on the nikon D90. it costs quite a pretty penny, and would take me out of the "amateur photographer" realm, and poke my toes in the water of the neo-professional photographer world. it's a start anyway. seems like a fantastic lil camera, the younger brother of the nikon D300, but much much less in price, but still with many of the innovations of the 300. so, once i get this baby for myself, which will be my combo xmas/bday gift to myself, then i'll get back to taking alot of photos again, and probably spur myself into writing more in this blog.

and speaking of gifts, charl gave me an itouch for xmas, and i have to admit i really love it. actually tho, she got me the 120 gig ipod classic, but i realised i really wanted something else. it was never necessary for me to place all or the majority of my cd's (over 700 or so) onto a device such as an ipod, and so i thought i really didn't need something for that price that was simply a storage device. i had been thinking of getting an iphone for the longest, especially since i know a few people now who actually own one. BUT, what i couldn't get over was the price of $100/month or so to be able to enjoy one with their contracts. i could see if 1) i was a college student, always sending emails and online thruout the day, running here and there and everywhere between, and 2) if i was a business traveler, who spent alot of time on the road, away from home, and NEEDED access to the net any and all times. i have access to the net both at work and at home, and so the only times i would ever seem to use the net on the phone would be en-route to and from work, and maybe the weekends when i was out and about............seemed like a horrible waste of money for such limited activity. but, with the itouch, i get the phone with a decent hard drive (16 gigs), and get MOST of the features i need from an iphone sans the price. i can watch movies (did while on the flight here), and can access the net whenever i'm in a wi-fi area, which is all i ever needed. so this lil thing does me just right, no need for anything else at this point.

anyway, it's cool being in LA again................been 3 years since i was last home, and everytime i'm here i find myself missing the place more and more. tho i'm somewhat comfortable in houston, houston will never be LA. not that this place hasn't changed alot since my living here, b/c it certainly has. but, i'm fairly confident that if i was to return here for good, i'd probably be alot happier than i would be back in houston. but who knows what the future holds, eh?

what's weird tho is i've been here for 3 days now, and still have yet to see any dreads. *lol* it's probably b/c i haven't really been "out", i've only been running some errands with my mom, and spending most of my time with my brother, father, and mom. but i thought i would have seen some of them (dreads) somewhere already. i'm sure if i headed somewhere down crenshaw blvd, or somewhere in west la, i'd probably have seen countless by now. but it would be nice if the "fad" locks were slowly fading out. *lol* my mom still asks me when am i cutting them, but i'm always quick to let her know whenever someone has something to say about them when we're out together, like this morning at the dermatologist's office. of course it gets her goat everytime, but at the same time i know she has a lil pride everytime someone is praising her first-born.

anyway, i'm looking around for reggae places in the LA area..............they were far and few to find when i looked online for them saturday......................seems like alot of places are better on wed/thurs/fridays. i used to have a favourite joint called "kingston 12" and it was off the hook.....it reminded me of the clubs back in ja.......low-keyed, lots of rastas and yawdies, and very VERY unpretentious, which is the opposite of what u think of regarding LA clubs. so, if anyone reading this has any suggestions in the LA area, please let a brotha know: natural_locs@hotmail.com i'll be out here only until next monday, kinda sucks, but it's hard staying with the family for an extended period of time when u're used to living alone for such a long long time like me.

anyway, here are a few pics of another instance of how weird this year has been for houston, weather-wise. as most of u know, we had the hurricane ike come thru and blast houston; we were out out of power for 6 days or so.............hadn't been a direct hit on houston since alicia in '85. so, what happened a couple of weeks ago? there was a bonified snowstorm in the city. now, sometimes we get the occasional flurry or two every 4 or 5 years. but nothing like this. now, before u people up north start laughing at me and calling us all kinds of names down here in houston, remember just b/c u guys may have alot of snow every year, i bet u never have had a hurricane! *lol* so, shut up and let us brag about "the great snowstorm of 2008"! *lol* u'll excuse the quality of the pics, but this time i can't blame it on charlotte! *lol* it really IS the camera!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS if i don't get a chance to say so again! peace an' blessins............

NATION ELECTS FIRST BLACK PRESIDENT

nuff said, yeah?

i can't tell u the amount of pride i'm feeling right now as a black man. my emotions are overflowin' with elation, and still somewhat disbelief. who woulda thought that WE would witness the election of a BLACK MAN as the leader of the free world????? i used to think it pretty cool when kofi anan (sp?) was the president of united nations. *s* well, now, that really ain't shit now, is it? j/k!

i got off the phone (one of MANY calls tonight) with a friend of mine, and i was explaining to her what a momentous occasion that this all was.....................something that i feel very fortunate to have been able to witness. i explained to her that black people have been in this country for 400 years, and imagine all of those who lived and died in those 4 centuries, and never had the opportunity to see what we all did tonight. hell, none of my grandparents were even able to witness PRESIDENT-ELECT OBAMA. i'm very thankful tho that my parents were able to experience this historic event. i told her honestly i think for alot of us black people, that we won't really get the significance of it all for a day or more, time needed to really let it all sink in. hell, i'm sure white people are saying the same thing. *lol*

it's going to be weird going in to work tomorrow, b/c i'm gonna really have to try hard to be on my best behaviour, b/c i KNOW most people where i work are/were mccain/palin supporters. i received this funny-ass email earlier today, entitled:

NOVEMBER 5TH ETIQUETTE

They'll be watching us on November 5th (the day after the election) for signs of the end times.
To keep the peace and keep a lot of folks from getting nervous, I think we should develop a list of acceptable celebrations and behaviors we should probably avoid – at least for the first few days:
1. No crying, hugging or shouting "Thank you Lord" – at least not in public
2 No high-fives – at least not unless the area is clear and there are no witnesses
3 No laughing at the McCain/Palin supporters
4 No calling in sick on November 5th. They'll get nervous if too many of us don't show up.
5 We're allowed to give each other knowing winks or nods in passing. Just try to keep from grinning too hard.
6. No singing loudly, We've come this Far By Faith (it will be acceptable to hum softly)
7. No bringing of barbeque ribs or fried chicken for lunch in the company lunchroom for at least a week (no chittlings at all) (this may make us seem too ethnic)
8. No leaving kool-aid packages at the water fountain (this might be a sign that poor folks might be getting a break through)
9. No Cupid Shuffle during breaks (this could indicate a little too much excitement)
10. Please no Moving on Up music (we are going to try to remain humble)
11. No doing the George Jefferson dance (unless you're in your office with the door closed)
12. Please try not to yell----BOOOO YAH!
13. Just in case you're wondering, Doing the Running Man, cabbage patch, or a backhand spring on the highway is 100% okay.
If I've missed anything feel free to add to the list. I just want to make sure we're all on the same page when Obama brings this thing home on November 5th , God willing

now, u know i was too thru when i read this. *lmao* i ain't gonna do ALL THAT tomorrow, but i will walk around with just a lil more swagger in mah gait, that's for sure. there was this white chick at the lab today with a "barack the vote" t-shirt on, and do u know SOMEONE in the joint complained about it being against policy, and so she had to wear it inside-out???? i'm like wtf? so tomorrow, i might wear my "REVEREND WRIGHT DASHIKI", locks flowin' all wildly all over the place, with a big-ass pick stickin' out the top, give "black pride" fist-in-the-air jabs to everyone. what? WHAT? the election is over, i can represent all i want now......so fugg 'em.

naw, seriously, it's a momentous time, and i'll be very proud come tomorrow. the number one task at hand will be accumulating as many front pages of national and international news publications as i can get from the book store (that's what charl suggests). i have an entire file cabinet (well, actually it's only a box) of historic happenings in newspaper print. i honestly don't think any of them will come close in comparison to what we will be reading tomorrow.

so, congratulations black man. congratulations black woman. and congratulations to everyone else who supported this man who came from nothing to become the most powerful elected official in the world. never will it be considered silly or unfathomable when a black father or a black mother tells his son (or daughter) that he (she) can be president of these united states of america.

u will always get those fuggin' loons who continue to keep their heads buried in the sand, always blaming "YT" for everything wrong in the black community, with their spelling "AMERIKKKA" blah blah blah. well, let the record show that "YT" can make the best decision, the right decision, and it was NOT only the black vote that got barack into the prez office.

with so much at stake, we must pray for obama to be successful, so that it can't/won't be said "see, this the shit that happens when a black man is on charge????". he's taking over a country with a shit-load of problems, i don't think it's been anytime lately that this country has been this bad for an INCOMING PRESIDENT. it needs to be stated early the status of the usa BEFORE be took office, so that people can understand he can't work miracles, and positive change won't come immediately. i can only hope (and pray) that people will have some modicum of patience with regards to expectations for him and his presidency. BUT, at the same time, BARACK HAS TO COME STRONG. he's made ALOT of promises, and he MUST do everything in his power to try to keep them, make them happen. at the very least he must create a feeling within the us citizens that the RIGHT DECISION was made by electing him to office. i've got the faith in this BLACK MAN. at least we KNOW he can't be anywhere near as bad as BUSH. *lol* things can and WILL only go up from here.........................................we have a BLACK MAN in the WHITE HOUSE.

BLACK PRIDE NEVER FELT SO GOOD.

what a spectacular weekend it has been for me so far regarding sports! well, from a vantage of loving all things los angeles and hating all things texas, houston in particular, it's been excellent. the longhorns were upset by the red raiders (bye bye title hopes UT!). the texans lost today, and best of all, SO DID THE SORRY-ASS COWPOKES! *lol* now, throw in victories by my lakers and trojans, and it's been a perfect weekend.

today was another beautiful day in houston, weather-wise. but b/c there were some good games on the tube, i didn't even think about driving around like i did yesterday. however, i did manage to still do somethin' with the car in mind. *lol* not reall, j/k. BUT, i did manage to download alot of music, particularly house music. for those lovers of all things house, u should check out this site b/c it has some excellent FREE downloadable mixes, and seems to update them all the time. b/c the cd player in the z4 plays mp3's, i can put ALOT more music on a regular cd as data files, instead of the space-hogging music file format usually needed to play in audio cd players. for instance, i also created an old school cd of many of my favs from cds i already had, and i was able to put 80 songs on it, at 192 kbs, which is just fine for my needs. alot of people do it at 128, but i want better quality than that. so, tonight while watching EastEnders, i hope to burn more, this time an 80's alternative cd (the smiths, the cure, skinny puppy, ministry, etc). and yes, i love "eastenders", even have to do the stupid ppv since bbc america dropped it from its programming. hey, i'm allowed a vice or two..........*lol* my only other much watch shows are:

heroes
24
californication
entourage
true blood
ghost hunters
lost

that's about, and of course throw in alot of sports. *lol* if u look at it like that, this means i really only spend about6-7 hours /week on must-watch shows. otherwise, it's usually just in the background. admittedly, i also watch ALOT of cable news too, but of course that's got everything to do with the election season. i used to watch fox news (o'reilly, hannity/colmes, greta), but as the election campaign wore on, it became harder and harder to watch them bash obama on a nightly basis. but thank goodness for "countdown" on msnbc with keith olberman.......he cracks me up b/c he absolutely HATES o'reilly, or "billo the clown" as he refers to him all the time. and he feels the same towards that whiny bitch sean hannity as well. tho i would prefer a lil more "balanced" new show, i admit i do LOVE to watch keith stick it to those bastards over on fox news and their so-called "fair and balanced" bullshit. cnn is ok too, but sometimes they're a lil too wishy-washy for me. it seems like it wasn't so long ago when my grandmother was alive, and i'd wonder why she'd watch so much news on the tele............now, some 20 years later, here i am doing the same thing. *s*

so, yeah, i watch alot of tv, but at least it's not composed of:

anything related to bet
anything related to mtv
oprah
the view
any court shows
no game shows
no reality tv shows (except for "so u think u can dance" and "american idol"
no top model
no top chef
no top designer
and NO desperate housewives!
NOR grey's anatomy either!

not that u guys give a rat's ass about my tv viewing habits.......*lol* ok, time to rinse the conditioner out of mah head and get ready for eastenders, so i'll catch u later this week. peace.

so, last week i was in toronto for an ASHI national conference/convention. to be honest, i had mixed feelings going back to t-dot b/c it was in that city where i had first met an ex-gf i had met online many many moons ago. it was great while it lasted and thru that relationship i had many new "experiences" that i don't think i would have ever had if it hadn't been for that brief 2-year relationship. so, being back there made me reminisce (sp?) about alot of those times, and funny enough we shared more than a few emails last week talking about what we used to do there. thoo the breakup was a difficult one (for reason i won't divulge with all y'all's nosey asses.....*lol*), i tend to think all things happen (or don't) for a reason, and we're still very close all the da same.

anyway, here are a few images i took from on the ground looking up at the tower, as well as a few while in some of the various observation areas they have set up. all the many times i've been to toronto (previously mentioned -ex, and a few caribana celebrations) i had never had been to this building. i don't tend to do touristy stuff when i go places. but i'm glad my co-workers i traveled with convinced me to join them b/c it was alot of fun and impressive to say the least.

i really liked this particular view, where u can stand on a glass block/plate/whatever u want to call it, and see straight down to the ground. more than a few people were afraid to even walk on it, tho walking on it was the very reason it was creater. *lol* i tried to have pics taken of me laying on top to look i was floating, but tho i can do it for others, people are always bad at reciprocating my stellar photographic techniques. *lol*

as u can tell from these pics, the views from way up there were fantastic, and they say on a clear day niagra falls can be seen from the top of the tower, some 1465 ft. tall or the equivalent of 147 stories. i took alot more pics, but i won't bore y'all with anymore! *lol* well, just a few more. *lol*

remember how i was saying people don't take good pics of me, like i do for them? well, here's a great example of what i was talking about. *lol* this was one of the posters i presented at the conference, which was titled "WHEN TO RESOLVE HLA TYPING AMBIGUITIES IN CLINICAL PRACTICE". as u can tell, i'm a bit blurry, but what can u do?!?!?!?

today (saturday), since it was such a nice day, i took the car out and just "drove around" for a bit...........i think it's called, ummmmmmmmmm, let me think...............oh yeah, "cruising". *lol* anyway, there's a predominantly black upper-class neighbourhood called macgregor, and while driving thru it i saw an estate sale going on. i had never been to one, so i figured "what tha hell, why not". i entered and immediately knew this person had unbelievable taste in EVERYTHING. i mean, his library was literally filled with autographed/signed books (i purchased "X" by spike lee), he had at least 50 brimmed hats (too bad for my locks), and his clothing was exceptional. the only thing wrong was that he was a small-framed man, and so i couldn't fit most of what he wore (much of which was never even worn, still with the designer labels attached). but i did manage to find a very nice sweater that only needs a dry-cleaning and i'm good to go. i picked up a couple of paintings and a vase, and that was it. i wish, i say i WISH i had had my camera with me to take pics of ALL the other stuff, and i can only lament at what i missed b/c today was the SECOND DAY of the sale, so who knows what i missed yesterday. it turns out he was a very well-to-do black attorney, who had passed away in '07, and his wife earlier this year, and so his daughter (who wore gorgeous locks) was selling everything, including later this huge home. when i asked her why was she selling the home (it also had a 2 story apartment in the back), she said u can only have/need so much wealth in this life, and that she and her hubby were more than happy with what they already had...............................and that was more than enough reason for me.

so, i joined the emailing list of the people who were actually running the estate sale b/c they do it all the time according to them, and it looks like a great opportunity to grab some really "cool" stuff every now and then. that might be a part of my new weekend-to-do-stuff. we'll see what i get in the future.

gotta tell ya, i don't think there's a better choice for me regarding the z4 in terms of what i was looking for. i absolutely love the car, and i'd be lying if i didn't also say i like the looks people give it when they see me in it. it's like some kind of club u join when u have a convertible, especially on days like today when it's gorgeous outside. people driving them look at each other all the time, and that now includes me. *lol* my "dream car" costs substantially more than the z4, but i'll be happy with this car for more than a few years, when i'll finally get the dream car. oh, and for those who asks, i tell them her name is "anna stesia" named after one of my favourite prince songs. i recently downloaded his concert "one nite alone" recorded in LA (of course), and it was off da hook, and the finale was of course "anna stesia"..........excellent.

anyway, it's 7pm, and time for the huge UT/TECH game, and i got a few beers to drink with a longhorn neighbour as i root for the red raiders. so peace!

well, i have had the car officially for almost a week now, and i can safely say that i'm very happy so far. in fact, i can't tell u how much more pleasurable it is driving around this city. it arrived late last sunday evening, so late in the day in fact that i couldn't even really see it. but it looked like it arrived safely without marks or blemishes after the long 2200+ mile trip from oregon to houston. i have to admit that i was worried b/c u never really know what's going to happen when u're placing your property in a complete stranger's hands. i had friends telling me, "tai, u know those guys trucking it here are going to stop in some places and drive/dog the car before they drop it off to u!" *laffs* so, of course the first thing i checked was the odometer to make sure no additional miles had been placed on the car beyond the supposed 10 or 12 miles it had on it originally. THANKFULLY it appeared that no one had driven the car beyond on and off the truck. *lol*

anyway, i love the car, love the colour, and love the look of it. it's a small car, definately not one for the claustrophobic, but once u're inside, there's actually alot of interior room, it's just like being in a cockpit. all the two-seater roadsters are the same. i mainly considered the porsche boxster (couldn't afford the extra cash to get it), but also looked at the 300 z, and also the audi version as well. but i really liked the distinct look of the z4, but its looks are so "quaint" that people seem to either love it or hate it, based on some of the online reviews and impressions i read about the car. needless to say, i like it alot b/c it doesn't remind me of any other car.......it stands out on its own. i will say tho that i think it looks alot better with the top down, the lines more appealing. the hardtop coupe is gorgeous, but u don't see many of them on the road at all, at least not here in houston.............i have yet to see one on the road.
of course, since i received the car on sunday, the weather here deteriorated rapidly from monday on thru thursday. *laffs* it's funny b/c houston hadn't received ANY RAIN since hurricane ike struck like a month ago, the weather had been beautiful. so, i had to be patient and await clearing skies to really enjoy the car, and finally on friday (5 days after i got the darn thing) it stopped raining and i drove it to work. everyone there was happy for me, since the only thing they've heard from me the previous few weeks was "when i get my damn car.............blah blah blah", and now i could finally shut up. *lol*
this weekend's weather has been phenomenal tho, with not a cloud in the sky, high temps in the upper 70's/low 80's, and so u know i had a ball driving it all over the place yesterday. everyone who was driving a convertible had their top down, and for a change i didn't have an ounce of envy in me on one of those "california days", and yes, brunsli, i know u can definitely relate. i wish i could have found that alfa like your own bebe. *smile* i wish the weather here in houston was as nice everyday as it is back in LA.
so today, it's back to more mundane things, like watching football and house cleaning, and dealing with the dogs. zwele is still in heat, and so mystic is still miserable. but i think there's only about a week left of this mess if i have my calculations right, and then things can get back to normal. just like with having the convertible and wanting good weather, it's the same also with the dogpark......................it's most enjoyable taking them there when it's not too hot or not too cold, like it is today. sit back with a cooler (a few heinekens), and watch them run all over the place with other dogs. but the LAST THING u want to do is take a female in heat to a park with alot of other dogs, they'd be bothering her the entire time, and i ain't got time to beatin' other folks' hounds off of mine. *lol*

ooooops, the day just became even better b/c them DAMN DALLAS COWBOYS lost AGAIN! *lmao* now, "HOW 'BOUT DEM COWBOYS?????", eh? *lol* it's so nice to see them humbled AGAIN! and they lost to ST. LOUIS????? THE RAMS???? *LMAO* now, if i can only get those damn UT longhorns to lose sometime SOON, so my beloved usc trojans can get back in the title game mix again. after that 69-0 ass-whoopin' they put on washington yesterday, it would look like they're again ready to be the best college team in the nation.

anyway, hope everyone is having a great weekend, and i promise this will probably be the last time i speak on the car. i admit i'm excited about it, but i also know 99.9% of everyone else doesn't "GIVE A DAMN"...............*lol* i'll try and restrict my elation and keep it to myself. i've also decided not to be a member/visitor of that other natural hair site based on a number of reasons, most notably it's not really the most useful site for me, nor does it offer what i was seeking in an online community for black people with dreadlocks. it was basically more or less a "beauty site", which is cool, especially for women who are interested in natural hair STYLES, and not so much specifically about the history or social background of dreadlocks. it's not so much a "pro-black" site, but more like a "pro-natural hairstyle" site, with emphasis on the "hairstyle" aspect. and honestly for me, that has little relevance in terms of importance to what i was looking for in an online community. so, tho i feel i had some things to offer in terms of knowledge and personal experience with growing and living with dreadlocks, i can't offer much in the way of more "commercialised" or "fad" aspect of starting them and styling them, with the tints, and dyes, and spritzes, and updo's, etc etc etc. i'm from the mantra of the least complicated, the better; the simpler, the better the outcome. it's not about how the dreads look, it's more about who is wearing them and why they chose to do so. and more often than not, the answers to those 2 simple questions as related to the members (and admins) of that site became more and more disassociated (sp?) from what i consider as "me and mine". so, i've the site off my "favourites" links, so that i won't be even tempted to click the site just to see what's going on there.............................i'm done with it, so i won't be commenting any further on it. of course, if anyone sees something there or has a question about some posted there and want to hear my comments or thoughts, feel free to drop whatever it is right here and i'll expound for ya! *lmao*

aight, let me go and get some stuff done. also have to fit in washing this hair sometime today, and u know how time consuming that can be. have a great week ahead, and thanks for all the congrats and kind words. guidance.

well, it certainly took long enough to get things straightened out! *laffs* it would seem that i will FINALLY get my car all the way from oregon this weekend (sunday) after waiting what would seem an eternity. *grin* i actually had all the paperwork and moneys (sp?) completed about 3 weeks ago, and so all that needed to be done was getting a trucking company to bring the car to me. to make a long story short, the truck had engine problems on its way down from vancouver to pick the car up in oregon. then there was a mixup between the dispatcher and the trucker (driver) in communication, whereby the dispatcher thought she was in touch with one trucker, but somehow was speaking with an entirely different trucker, and they couldn't seem to get the itineraries in sync. problem was, the original truck was STILL be serviced days after it was supposedly fixed and on its way. u can't imagine how frustrating it was to have "bought" the car, but not able to "get" the car. thankfully i was working with a great saleman named rene at the CARRERA dealership in bend oregon, and he was always trying to keep me updated as to the status of the entire process.

u see, as i said before in another entry, unfortunately this is the last year of production of the z4 as we know it. it will undergo a fairly sizeable change for the 2010 year, and so they aren't making any 2009's. therefore, the only z4's left are those 08's that are still unsold right now. now, if u are seeking an entry-level edition, to a fairly-loaded z4, there are still plenty 08's out there to get. BUT, if u wanted one a certain colour, with a certain interior, and loaded to the hilt with every conceivable option (like what i was looking for), there were ONLY 2 or 3 left in the entire nation. and so this is why i had to reach out to oregon to get one that i was looking for. so, when dealing in such long distances, it really pays to be working with someone who can understand the difficulties of setting up a sale of this nature, the sending of paperwork, and scheduling the transportation of the vehicle. although i knew the car was "mine" once the check was sent off and then subsequently accepted, i still never felt at ease until just today when i received the above picture of the car being loaded onto the transportation truck for delivery. NOW i feel like the car is MINE. *grin*

as a good "dread" friend of mine knows, who also drives a convertible back in cali, the weather out west is nice for drop-top driving all year round, whether it be summer or winter. however, down here in houston, it gets crazy hot in the summer, and can get very cold (as a californian here in texas might think) in the winter. so, with it being fall now, the weather has been almost spectacular here, a tad bit warm, but u know those 70's and low 80's" are right around the corner. and so of course everyone with a convertible here in this city has been driving around with the top down, and all i can do is drool at the thought of how nice it will be when i get my own delivered down here. the guys in oregon tho say the heated seats in the z4 are so "hot" (3 settings) that even in the dead of winter way up there they often drive with the top down and are still very comfortable. bottom line is i can't wait to get the car this sunday! i'll have pics (of course) when it arrives.

otherwise, things here in houston have settled down appreciably. we were without power here from friday night (when ike hit) thru the following thursday, a full 6 days, and i have to tell u it's NO FUN. i love storms, the more severe the better. BUT, after the storm is over and all the ooooohing and ahhhhhhhing over the winds and rains is over, u're left with the crap of not having any electricity. and as they say, u don't miss something until it's gone, and boy was i missing electricity. fortunately a neighbour had a generator and allowed us to use a few appliances here: i tapped up the refrigerator, and the home entertainment centre so i could watch tv. *laffs* and i have to tell u, having tv made all the world of difference b/c even tho it was HOT for the first couple of days, at least i could relax and be entertained, which was alot more than many other people i knew were enjoying. power for everyone who works in the lab was not restored for the last person until a full 2 weeks after the storm hit. but now everything is pretty much back to normal.............there's still alot of debris all over the city, but little by little it's all being removed. i've never been more grateful to not be living in galveston anymore than i am right now; it won't be anything near "normal" for months or more to come, that's for sure!

anyway, that's about it over here...........................not much else really going on. can't wait to get the car. the dogs are doing well; zwele's paw is just about healed up and she barely limps at all now. i think in another week or 2 she'll be back at 100%. hopefully she's learned her lesson about chasing cats, and maybe i've learned my own lesson too about not always walking her on a leash. i hate walking them on leashes, even tho there's a leash-law in effect here in houston, mainly b/c since they're inside dogs the only excercise they get is when i let them run around while going to the park, at the park, and then on our way home from the park. so now i'm alot more leary about her off the leash and i pay more attention to what she's up to when she is running around.

thanks again for all the well-wishes about the storm; i gotta admit if we don't have another direct hit for a number of years, it might be ok with me.

just a quickie update and a VERY SOUND THANK U for all those who have been concerned about me. i'm doing ok, thankfully. needless to say, IKE was a complete mess. i knew it would be bad, but didn't have an idea it would be this bad. we lost power sometime around 11pm friday night, and it got really bad around 3am, when i think the winds were gusting to near 100mph. it was even worse once on the other side of the eye wall, when the winds switched around from the south.

i took alot of pics of the aftermath later saturday morning once things settled down, and the destruction is incredible............i've never seen so many trees down in my life, and i've seen a few storms before. thankfully we didn't get alot of rain that night, but sunday morning was a different matter altogether, with heavy flooding rains that came with a much welcomed cold front. it was stifling hot, particularly at night, and since there's no power, there's no AC! grrrrrr!!!!!

so, currently on day 6 without power, and it's been OLD for me after the first 3 days or so. it's been reported that it might not be until monday that we get power restored, which i hope is wrong on the "too long" side. thankfully one of my neighbours has a generator and has been kind enough to share, so there's at least refrigerator and satellite tv in our place. *smile* gotta have the priorities in order. *smile*

anyway, i'll write more at a later day when i have access to the net aside from here at the job. thanks again for all the kind sentiments, i really appreciate the comments and emails.

guidance.

well, looks like i got out of galveston at the right time last year, right? *lol* i mean, i remember three years ago when i had to pack everything i had in mah jeep and evacuate that island b/c of hurricane rita. when i left at that time, it took me 4 hours or so to make a usual 45 min drive to houston. and tho i didn't own alot, it was more than enough to be a major pain in the butt to pack it all up........tv's, cd's (600+), clothes, stereos, computers and other electronics, etc. i mean it was a pain doing all that myself and THEN having to drive for so much time AND it was 93 degrees too?! and of course, the darn storm went further to the east, and so it was all for nothing.......thankfully i was only heading to houston, and not much further way like all those other fools. *lol* i heard some stories of people taking 20+ hours to reach dallas!

so, fast forward to today, and here we are all over again. this time, it's hurricane IKE, and he looks like he's making a bee-line to galveston and then onto houston. i'm actually excited b/c i enjoy such freakish weather happenings, but also thankful i already live in houston now, and so i didn't have to do all the packing up and stuff like before. i'm sitting here watching what's happening in galveston, and it's already bad there in many places due to the rising waters..........no rain yet, so it's ALL saltwater coming up from the gulf and bay. i really think it could be pretty devastating this go around. they say even the city of houston could have winds up to 100 mph even up here. too bad the worst is going to happen in the middle of the night instead of the day time b/c it's going to be eerie with the winds howling, and not being able to see much, especially if power is lost. i still don't have my camera fixed, so it's going to be all about the video, but i'll share what i can.

the other great thing is it's all about the timing. *laffs* i'm finally getting my "dream car", and it's being shipped all the way from oregon. i had been waiting for awhile to get this model, thinking if i didn't get an '08, then i'd just get an '09. however, to my utter horror, they're not making any of them for the '09 year! they are re-doing it for the 2010, some body changes for sure, and so for whatever reason they opted not to build any of the present model for 2009. so, what does that all mean? it means that since we're at the end of the '08 year, most of the cars with the specs i wanted are already SOLD! *lol* i mean, i shouldn't say most, i should say they're all gone! of all the bmw dealerships in the nation, i was able to find ONE vehicle that was what i wanted, and it's all the way in oregon! i'll talk alot more about it when i actually have it in my possession, but the point i'm making is that i am glad i don't have it right now with this storm coming. one less thing to worry about. i'm so excited about it tho, i've been wanting a convertible for a long long time. *s*

anywho, i'm pretty much ready for whatever the storm brings tonight, got some supplies, the car has a full tank of gas or so, and we'll just have to wait and see if we lose power. that's my main concern b/c then don't have refrigeration, and so u're stuck with ice in coolers, etc. i've got some movies i downloaded awhile ago that i haven't seen, so i'll watch those, and then of course later, we all will start the hurricane party; charl, wally and martin, rene and oscar, ryan, and everyone else here in these townhouses. none of us left, so we'll all be here together. and no, i didn't forget about mystic and zwele either! *lol* we'll all be partyin'.

dats about it. thanks to u guys who stop by here, and also those who share comments. i appreciate them all. see u on da other side of ole ike!

sooooooooooooooooooooo, i'm sitting here, enjoying a very nice first nfl sunday, with 2 lazy dogs underneath me, minding my own business. *lol* i've been fairly busy as of late, mostly with work. i'm not complaining b/c i actually enjoy the increasing responsibilities being thrown my way. i haven't enjoyed a job this much in a long time.

but also i have had to deal with ms zwele, who cut up her left front paw pretty good while, of course, chasing a cat, her arch nemesis. while chasing this cat, which dashed thru a fence, the pup was unable to stop in time, and slid her paw underneath a fence, which had a metal rod extending down and slit her paw. i could see tendons and ligaments and shit. *lol* that was more than a week ago, and we've been keeping it wrapped and changed daily. oddly enough, she didn't get stitches b/c the vet said she'd just open it again with her usual active motion. so, his advice/instructions were to flush the wound daily with water, and then (get this) pack the wound with ordinary table sugar, cover it with gauze, and then wrap it up with an ace bandage. the sugar is supposed to absorb any fluids that might be produced in the wound, which would be good for bacterial growth. and low and behold, it's working! it's healing well, and no infection at all. i would have taken pics to gore u out with, but i still have no camera, i haven't had the other one repaired yet. i think she'll be just fine tho in another couple of weeks.........................she's already chasing mystic around all over the place at the park.

the other thing is that i'm pissed b/c i may have waited too long to get my z4 bimmer. i hadn't been in a hurry b/c i assumed if i didn't get an '08 model, then i could go ahead and get an '09. wellllllllll, guess what? they're not making ANY '09's AT ALL, they're remodeling it for 2010! so what does that mean? that means even tho i'm looking for a totally LOADED machine, those that had everything are now far and few in bewteen. i certain demands with regards to the colour schemes. i've been bumming since then. my other options are the porsche boxster, or if i'm still wanting a bmw, it will either be the 135 or the 335 convertibles. the issue is, i REALLY wanted a two-seater, and not a 4-seater, which the two bmw's are. it sucks. but there's supposed ONE z4 in oregon that's still available, so i'm awaiting word on it, and to evaluate the fences i have to jump over to get it as far as transporting here............is it worth it?

anywhoooooooooo, as i said, i have been sitting here, mindin' my "online biz", and i get a comment from someone named "ofo" on my latest blog entry. it would seem she's one of those people i quoted from a recent post of hers on another site. nevermind the fact that i posted that entry weeks ago and she's JUST now responding. everyone is entitled to respond on anything i say here as they deem fit, i won't be the type to edit or delete comments simply b/c they don't agree with me. however, i do ask that people at least be willing to spit the truth and be "current"............don't wait forever to say something.

the gist of her post was that she didn't agree with my "colourful" language in describing how i felt about her original post on another site, and that she believes there's nothing wrong with wearing locks out of "convenience". hmmmmmmmmmmmm, well, actually she was correct on both counts, in that i wouldn't expect her to enjoy my calling her words "bullshit", AND she's free to wear locks any way she wants, for whatever reason she may want. i have yet to EVER tell a single soul u CAN or u CANNOT wear dreads...........it ain't mah place.

however, i CAN state whether i agree or disagree with someone and their rationale for growing them, as we ALL are free to do. i and others have made no secret of how we feel about the current popularity of dreadlocks, and all of those who grow them now. it's been done so frequently to the point now where i simply don't care.

it also does NOT help when a site that's supposed to be all about free expression of thoughts and ideas really does not believe wholey (sp?) in such things that they censor u thru either your words or your links. that site allows everyone to say pretty much anything, as long as u fall within their rank and file member beliefs and creedos. people have links to their blogs, their fotkis, their other personal websites, their progress on losing weight (chuckling), and how far along they are in pregnancies. and yet, b/c i openly call people out on some of the things they post over there on this blog, one (or more?) moderators took the wimp/coward road, and repeatedly censors my blog/fotki sites in my signature b/c her feelings are hurt. boo-fuggin'-hoo!

my complaints to the site owner were to no avail, and i have realised that if something as insignificant as my blog's link in my signature can make a moderator wet her panties, then maybe i shouldn't post there at all and save them the effort of always having to remove my blog site from my siganture. i have the utmost respect for that site's owner, but none whatsoever for that moderator who wets her depends evertime she sees me posting with my blog in my signature.

in my time away from that site (actively posting), i've come to a few conclusions..............

it IS primarily a WOMAN'S site, and therefore some things will never be seen eye-to-eye based on gender-related differences. i think initially i saw that site as one that was more "pro-black", more "pride in self", more "african-enlightenment"-oriented. i figured it would be cool to hang out someplace where black people were getting together to show pride in their natural hair, and especially so in a forum directed solely for dreadlock issues and topics. and tho there are MANY members whose posts/comments definately were enlightening and inspiring and informative, there also is a higher/huge contigent of people who are simply there because it's another "beauty site". and there's nothing inherently wrong with that, b/c a site is was its members make it to be.

it's just that my purpose for joining and participating over there was not to be in a "beauty site". i don't need beauty tips, nor do i need to know how to put up mah hair, or how to dye it, or how to spritz it. in fact, since i don't care much for the "popular style" aspect of dreadlocks today, it has been a more frustrating experience than a thought-provoking and empowering activity participating in many of the discussions. in one aspect, i'm happy as a pig in mud about sistas being so comfortable with their natural hair b/c that's what i love seeing most sistas doing........wearing their hair proudly NATURALLY. however, when u see the same ole mentality regarding locks as just another hairstyle, AND the concommitant discourd between those "style-first people" with those who liken dreads to a "deeper" meaning, that gets OLD with me very quick. it's hard debating with a woman (personally) b/c i tend to not do so with kid gloves. i say what i say, regardless of whether i'm speaking to a man or a woman. also, i can NOT and will NOT be "lectured" by someone who has only had locks for a couple of years at most, and/or on the 2nd, 3rd, 4th set. it just ain't gonna happen. and it just gets worse if someone is trying to be LOUD and VOCAL with me with a head of sisterlocks, and "wookin' for nub" talkin' about "i'm proud of my frizzy stage", and yet opted for a method that was as anti-natural-lookin' dreadlocks as possible? GTFOH with that ish...........doesn't work here.

i will continue to check that site out, in the hopes of seeing the occasional informative or thought-provoking post. i just don't expect them to happen as often as i initially believed. a list of first page titles includes:

Are Ur Locks Fake
Lock Loops Hairdo
What To Wear To Bed
My Locks Are Not Perfect
Was Anyone Else Afraid Of Their Locs?
Am I The Only One......-----------------------this would be another of the posts by the aforementioned person.
Please Recommend A Shampoo Loc Sistahs
Listerine - The Secret Weapom
What's In A Name?
Faux Sisterlocks
How Do Your Locs Feel?
I Am Finally At Peace With My Starter Locs
Hot Combing First?

that's just a summary of some of the posts currently available, and what i have concluded is that really, i mean REALLY, do I have anything to offer on any of these? not really. and that's not the end of the world......................just enlightening to me in that my not posting isn't adversely affecting anyone. in fact, IF i was to comment on more than a couple of those posts cited above, i'd be hard-pressed to NOT so in a mocking behaviour.

that site can be a wealth of information for MANY people, and i have referred many a person, both online and in person, to that site for advise, opinions, and answers to questions people may have. it's far from a USELESS site. but, at this point in time, with the current type of members most "visible" and most "type-happy", it's not the most USEFUL for me in terms of what i desired in that particular site. and it certainly doesn't help when a moderator (W) is then fuckin' around with my siggy. *lol* so, i'll hang out there, in anonymity every now and then, and when i see something "good", i'll respond. otherwise, tho, i'll save my comments and opinions of BULLSHIT (and i mean UTTER BULLSHIT) right here, so that some people may know their words can be read THERE and sometime HERE too. *lol* sorry if that freaks u out ofo, but i'm sure u'll get over it. it's not like u're a "bad" person, just someone who has "bad" ideas and views, imho. u will get over it. *lol*

anyway..........back to the games, hope your teams are winning. i'm sure my RAIDERS will let me down again, as they have been inclined to do over the past several seasons! GRRRRRRRRRRRRR!