Don’t let my smile fool you. That was forced. Her smile was genuine as you can understand based on the outcome. I could easily accept defeat and be a good sport, but that’s so unlike me. I hate the Redskins. I’ve always hated them and that’s never going to change. She’s not gonna stop singing Hail To The Redskins or talkin’ trash regardless. If I hug her and say “Y’all got it”, she’ll scream it louder. Thus, I’ll just continue to tell her “You’re bad luck” as I have after every Skins-Boys games we’ve been to when Dallas has lost each and every one of them.
I’ve been besieged since the clock hit zeros. I’m sick to my stomach. Having to endure her and other Redskins fans celebrating in my face is the worst. The feeling I felt leaving Boston Garden after the Celtics beat the Lakers in Game 2 of the NBA Finals was an awesome feeling. This is the exact opposite. But you know what, I talk the talk so I’ll walk the walk. I owe a few lunches back at the office and I’ll pay up. Lord knows I’ve collected my share over the past few years. Win or lose, I still ride with my squad. I’ll state as I’ve always stated since I was old enough to throw a football…. DC stands for Dallas Cowboys!!!
Now, for the long flight home tonight and the Excedrin I’ll need the next few weeks until the Boys get a chance to get revenge on those joker Skins. All in all, we did have an enjoyable anniversary weekend here. We stayed at the Ritz Carlton in downtown Dallas, dined on some fine foods here at the hotel and even hit up a Whataburger while here. We attended a Skins-Boys afterparty for a few hours after the game and that was an event in itself. I’ll post the rest of the pics and vids when I’m back in town.
It’s that time again. At least two games per season the wife and I are directly at odds with one another. Now don’t get it twisted, we love each other as husband and wife. But this love/hate thing with regards to our respective football squads is true to life. I hate the Redskins and she dislikes the Cowboys. I say dislikes, cuz I don’t think her level is one of hate as is mine. Each week we sit and root against each other’s team. It doesn’t matter who they’re playing. We cheer and pump our fists when the other team loses or laugh when they make a bad play on the field. It’s deep seeded within each of us. We approach a time when our teams play one on one versus the other. This is what it’s all about. We’ll hug about 5 minutes before the game starts and from there the ice grillin’, scowls and trash talk begins.
We’re now entering the 4th football season since we began dating and we’ve never missed a Redskins-Cowboys game together. We’ve either been in front of the TV or there live. I keep trying to tell folks that my wife is a trooper. She loves football as much as I do. It’s a perfect complement to a relationship. Two of those Redskins-Cowboys games over the course of the past 3 seasons we attended at FedEx Field. On both of those occasions, the Redskins won. Thus, she has the upper hand. Nothing is worse for me than having her gloat in my face that the times we went to the games to see the rivalry, her team came out victorious. Plus, I can admit to being a big baby when the Cowboys lose to those bums and sometimes zoning out for a few hours without uttering a single word.
I’m looking for some good karma this go round. We’re flipping the script this weekend. We’re headed to Big D for the game. This is the last Redskins-Cowboys game at Texas Stadium and you know I did everything in my power to facilitate this trip. Being that this is also our anniversary weekend, we’ll do some other cool things while in Dallas as well. Best believe I’ll have a ton if pics when we return…. hopefully with a Cowboys victory!
What idiot came up with the bright idea for married folks to eat the wedding cake on their 1st year anniversary???? That joint is frozen for a year and we’re actually supposed to eat it??? That’s tradition??? Go to bed with a stomach ache or maybe something worse??? Well, it took me like 10 minutes to unwrap the thing with all the foil and Saran Wrap. I don’t know who wrapped it, but whoever it was needs a job at Planned Parenthood.
Without a doubt the cake was good during our wedding reception and for a few weeks thereafter. But last night??? Nope. We both took a few crumbs, about a finger full of icing and tossed that sucka in the trash. To think my wife told the waiter at the restaurant we didn’t need dessert cuz we had dessert at home. I knew I should’ve ordered some cheesecake or somethin’ sweet while we were there. Oh well. Such is life.
Let me Google to see where this crazy tradition originated. I need to know where this foolishness started and by whom.
in the words of Tony! Toni! Toné!… “It’s Our Anniversary”
I have a lot to be thankful for and at times I’m guilty of taking so much for granted in my life. Nothing that’s worth having comes easy. By the grace of God I can say that I’m blessed to have such a beautiful woman as my wife. That doesn’t mean that we don’t have our days when things don’t go as we would like them to go. But we’re making it. People are selfish and superficial. What makes them happy today, irritates them tomorrow. Love does not equal happiness, love equals commitment. Within the commitment you will experience happiness, pain, sorrow, disappointment and joy. Love is when you make the choice to endure hardship together. Love is truly a very beautiful thing.
Had the opportunity to check out Mos Def last night at the Kennedy Center. Yeah, that’s right… the Kennedy Center. DC Metro folks know that the Kennedy Center is not a typical venue where you’d expect to see a rap concert. You’re more likely to catch an orchestra performance or an opera there. However if you’re not aware, Mos Def is one of hip-hop’s most introspective and insightful artists. The performance last night showed just how talented the brother really is. He came to town with his big band Amino Alkaline Orchestra – The Watermelon Syndicate and they rocked the Kennedy Center from start to finish. Mos was backed up by the RCDC Experiment comprised of keyboardist Robert Glasper, saxophonist Casey Benjamin, bassist Derrick Hodge and drummer Chris Dave. This is the fourth time I’ve seen this dude perform. Back in ’99 (I think) for Howard U’s homecoming, 2 years ago at the 9:30 Club with Talib Kweli, Jean Grae and Pharoahe Monch on the Breed Love Odyssey Tour and just this past July at the Rock The Bells Festival. However last night was truly one of the best overall.
My man put on a show, ya hear? The versatility that he displayed was incredible. I mean, I know dude was a great hip-hop artist and could sing, but he expanded upon that. The show opened his band 25+ piece band (horns, keyboards, guitar, drums, strings, and DJ Preservation) hitting the stage while a video was shown on the screen. It was that of Petey Greene eating watermelon. If you’ve never seen this clip, you’re missing out.
The show was a mix of hip hop, jazz, and R&B. Imagine hearing a live band hit cuts like Ghostface’s “Iron Man”, Isaac Hayes “Walk On By”, De La Soul’s “Stakes Is High” and for my Go-Go folks he hit JYB’s “Sardines”. If you’ve attended a Mos Def show, you know he almost always does his version of the Star Spangled Banner. Yep, he did it again last night. The highlight of the night might’ve been when he did BBD’s Poison. When Mos started singing that joint, the crowd went wild. Hell, I was amped myself. I’m telling you, his live jazzed up version was off the chains!Click here to listen to Mos Def’s Poison
As always you got a few unruly Negroes in the crowd. Folks yelling from balconies and what not. Now, I’m not sure if that part was staged though. Tyler Perry does that during his plays where things appear to be random, then when you talk to someone else about a play they went to, the exact same thing occurred. When I checked reviews from Mos Def’s NYC show at Carnegie Hall in June, there were some comments about folks hollering too. Regardless, it was still funny. It’s real easy for the man on the mic to shut em up.
Now, for a good part of the show this chic (who came late) right behind us was making a rack of noise. She was sitting down and dancing in her seat, the bangles on her wrist sounded like a damn tambourine and on occasion when she talked, the raspy-ness of her voice was slightly irritating to my ears. Then when Mos hollered something bout Chicago, she got all hyped like he had shouted out Brooklyn. It was dark, but as Black folks tend to do when someone is kciking their seat in the movies, I peeped back for a second to give the “ummmm… can you chill look” and then turned back around. They took a 15 minute intermission and the house lights went up.
Right before the second half of the show began, she was talking to the girl next to her and would not shut up. I couldn’t help but to listen ya know. I heard her mention something about paparazzi and there needing to be some kind of law against what they’re doing. At this point I figured I’d turn around to see who this fool was. Maaaaaaaaaaaaan, if it wasn’t Michelle from Destiny’s Child with her skinny tail.
If you don’t know who Michelle is, she’s the other girl on stage with Kelly and Beyonce. Just as a refresher, here’s a GIF of when she fell on 106 & Park. A classic moment on live TV if I may say so myself.
Anyway, back to the show. I couldn’t figure out for the life of me why she was talkin’ bout some paparazzi??? Obviously she was at the show sitting behind me and my wife (with no security or bouncers) and I didn’t hear one person say a thing or see anyone come up to her the entire night. I don’t even think the folks in her row knew who she was.
Now, the ghetto G. Mo would’ve pulled out the camera phone with the quickness and snapped a pic, just to piss her off. But I had to remember where I was and who I was with and kept it chill. I just made brief eye contact with her, gave a smirk and turned back around without incident. I mentioned it to my wife and basically said “If that aint Michelle behind us making all that noise, she’s got a twin sister”. The show proceeded, she continued to party, but the wife and I enjoyed the show without major interruption. Now, explain to me why Michelle jetted out during Mos Def’s finale, like someone was gonna ask her for an autograph when the lights came back up.
EDIT: 20 minutes after I initially posted this entry, I did some Googling and look at what I found. Sorry Michelle, I guess you were right about the paparazzi. LOL
Of course, Mos finished up with “Umi Says”. But not before he asked the projectionist “Can I please see Mr. President” and a picture of Barack Obama hit the screen to thunderous applause from the crowd. The brother definitely is skilled in his craft. He was out there having a lot of fun and we partied right there with him.
(pic is from Mos Def’s NYC Show)
Here’s a recent interview done with Mos Def as he discusses the Amino Alkaline Orchestra – The Watermelon Syndicate
As my man Mos Def finished up the show, he took a lap around the Kennedy Center auditorium like he was being introduced at an NBA All-Star game. So you know as my man came down my aisle, I had to dap him up. The performance he gave was incredible.
First off, I want to thank the person who nominated me for this honor, Ms. Veronica Wright. Keep on doing what you’re doing over there with The Ups (and downs) of Being Wright.
(click pic to view her blog)
From the bottom of my heart I want to thank you all. To the many folks who’ve stopped through occasionally and read my rants and rhetoric for just short of 4 years, I hope I’ve kept you entertained. I don’t know how to accept an award for just speaking the truth. That’s kind of odd to me. I say what I feel and feel what I say. I do however want to thank my mom for providing me inspiration to write at an early age. Through poetry and diaries in notebooks from as early as the 3rd grade, I learned to express the growing pains that I encountered as a kid in a more constructive ways versus venting aloud about life challenges.
In accordance with the honor bestowed upon me, I’ll continue with the rules set forth.
1 – When you receive the prize you must write a post showing it, together with the name of who has given it to you and link them back. 2 – Choose a minimum of 7 blogs that you find brilliant in their content or design. 3 – Show their names and links and leave them a comment informing they were prized with ‘Honest Weblog’. 4 – Show a picture of those who awarded you and those you give the prize (optional). 5 – And then we pass it on!
In looking over other blogs and those who’ve received awards, some have chosen to add more honest tidbits about themselves and some have refrained. I can’t say that I have anything additional to add that I haven’t already said before. Plus, adding more info was not part of the 5 rules. Thus, I invite you to read past blogs or check out my favorites on the right under My Favorite Blog Entries.
I’m looking over at a few folks I read regularly and I suppose I can come up with 7. So here they are.
First off, you know I’m amped up cuz my ‘Boys squad came through last night. But one thing about this game continues to make me laugh. It was the boneheaded play by the Eagles WR DeSean Jackson. He’s a very talented playmaker, but what the hell was this fool thinking as he entered the endzone? It was something perfect for a new Southwest Airlines commercial indeed. But wait, it isn’t the first time me did something completely ridiculous when going in for a touchdown. This clown did something just as idiotic a few years ago during a HS game.
Last night’s ‘smart’ move
Score FIRST… then celebrate. He’s REAL lucky that none of the ‘Boys D scooped up the ball after he did that foolishness. He’s fortunate that the Eagles scored on the next play. Bryan Westbrook bailed him out big time. When Plaxico Burress did that craziness his rookie year with the Steelers, the Jags took the ball all the way back for a TD. He had caught like a 40 yd pass and got up all pumped and spiked it, but no one touched him. The Jags DB picked it up and took that joint to the house.
Regardless, the Cowboys were victorious in a very hard fought game 41-37. Obviously neither team played much defense until the Eagles last possession when my boys stepped up. Loved the play of Felix Jones and Marion Barber though.
I’ll take the W though. Best believe that I’m in a real good mood today. How Bout Dem Cowboys!!!???
My man Emmitt Smith has a number of perennial achievements under his belt. He is the only running back to ever have won a Super Bowl title, the NFL MVP award, the NFL rushing title and the Super Bowl MVP award all in the same season. He’s the NFL’s All-Time rushing leader with 18,355 yards.
He won Dancing With The Stars.
He scooped up his lovely wife Patricia who had been previously married to Martin Lawrence
He believes in change.
He also does a great amount of charitable work in the community. But my man Emmitt is definitely not a candidate for ESPN’s Commentators Hall of Fame. As a diehard ‘Boys fan, he’ll always be my dude. But when he’s in front of the mic… my ears bleed.
Just last week he said that the Giants gave the rest of the league the ‘bootprint’ on how to beat the Patriots. Yeah, you heard right. My man said ‘bootprint’, as in Timbs. Not blueprint. Every week he seems to outdo himself with more gaffes and errors. It’s painful to watch sometimes. Okay I’m lying, it’s painful to watch all the time. He’s competing for the worst announcing slot currently being occupied by Eric Dickerson and Tim Hardaway. If you ever heard those two guys talk on mic, my condolences. So for the good of all mankind, please stop bruh. Please!!!!
However, here’s a collection of his comedic errors.
The man you see pictured above unleashed irreparable pain and suffering upon me on Friday evening. The threshold of my hearing was infringed upon. He caused damage to my nervous system and violated my nasal passages. Let me explain. I was standing outside Border’s in DC on Wisconsin Avenue across from Mazza Gallerie. I was posted up while waiting for my partners to come through so we could grub at Maggiano’s. I was just chillin’, making a few calls and such. Out of nowhere I heard this loud MERP MERRRRP MEEEERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRP thunderous tuba-like sound come from nowhere. About 3 seconds the nastiest smell of a waste and sewage ever imaginable was present in the air. I looked over to the left and there he was… a homeless vet.
He was knocked out with a book in his lap and legs spread wide open. Perfect position for launch. Dude let loose a chorus of flatulence along with a wave of nerve gas that almost debilitated me. As the reflex of regurgitation took over, I slowly staggered away from the scene of the crime to a safe location… at the bar.
There I detoxed myself from the punishing power of pew with vodka and cranberry. I don’t know what his name is, how old he is or what he did in the military… or even if his note about being a vet was true, But in my eyes, he’s the Unabomber. I’m lucky to be alive folks. Continue to pray for my safety folks.
I’m gonna make this real quick. Maxwell is coming to DC. The man has decided to climb outta the cave and grab the mic again. Ladies… get a glass of ice water and calm down. Y’all be getting excited about this dude like lil’ girls running after Michael Jackson and his sequin gloved hand gripping that Pepsi can in ’84. I don’t get it, but anyway. Fellas, I know. It aint up to us to decipher. Just man up and take ya lady. I saw Maxwell back when I was at Howard U sometime in ’96 I think. He opened up for Groove Theory & The Fugees. Yeah, that long ago. If I recall, the admission was like 5 bucks. I remember ere’body in Cramton Auditorium laughing the dude’s attire before he even sang a note. His hair was wild, he had on plaid bell bottoms and some platform shoes. When I say cats were laughing, that’s an understatement. I recall hearing “Look at this bamma” more than a few times. I saw Maxwell again at this Vibe Magazine party in NYC in ’97. He’s aiiiight though. A good performer in my opinion. He’s been absent for a minute though and this is the brotha’s first tour in 6 years.
Now of course I got tickets. I’m not giving the tickets away, so no offers of face value or $3.77 on top of face ya dig? Ticketmaster does murder me with all the stupid charges ya know? Hell, I’ll probably just post the link to my seats on StubHub and then it’ll be easier for all parties involved. This is my hustle folks. This is what I do. As with all events, you can attempt to get better, more ‘economical’ seats through Ticketmaster if you desire. But I’ve got them… in hand! How do I continue to do this you ask? Ancient Chinese secret. Ha ha.
Maxwell with Jazmine Sullivan Black Summer’s Night Tour DAR Constitution Hall, Washington DC Monday November 17 at 8:00pm
For this show, I’ve got box, orchestra and tier seats. Box seats are always good for a much better view with decent legroom and space. However, you may elect to sit in the orchestra or tier. Your choice. If you’re interested feel free to shoot me an email.