Me and Flat Randy

So, Knockout Zed sent me his homie Flat Randy and asked me to show him a good time around the city of Cleveland. Yesterday, on my lunch break, Flat Randy and I took a stroll around downtown. Here are the pictures:

First, we went to Willard Park. Randy had heard about the Free Stamp and he wanted to see it in person. He jumped right on it and I took the picture.

He was ready for his closeup.

Next, he wanted to visit the War Memorial Fountain across the street in Memorial Plaza. He had heard how beautiful it was when it was lit up at night and definitely wanted to add a picture of it to his photo album.

I convinced him to take a picture standing near the fountain although he was afraid of getting his curly 'fro wet.

Next, we visited the world famous Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum. Randy first took a picture with the sign:

Then he jumped in the bushes and took a picture in front of the building.

Randy went inside the Hall and rocked out with his cock out. When he came out, he thought he was a superstar and had me take a picture of him playing a guitar.

By this time, my lunch break was over and I was ready to go back to work. Randy wanted to continue to kick it so I left him to his own devices and we parted ways. I'm not too sure where he went.

Heh.

I would have taken pictures with Randy but that whole windswept hair thing is not a good look on me. It was windy as hell yesterday. This was pretty fun and damn if I didn't get some exercise walking around the city.

So, who wants Randy next? All you have to do is take pictures with him around the city you're in, post about it, and then send him to another blogger. Let me know in the comments!

Updates and Such

LOL! I know...how do I go from saying I'm gonna post every day to...this?

Let me explain. The reason I've been away for so long has to do with the j-o-b. I'm able to share with you what is public knowledge but I ain't tryna get fired so...that's all I got.

So...I work for a global gaming company. We primarily provide services for state and country lotteries. We build the lottery machines that you see at the corner store near you, we design the games and instant tickets, etc. I believe that we are the vendor for most of the states that my readers are from. I know we are in Georgia, New York, California...

Anyway, my company has been the vendor for my state's lottery since the early 80's. Every 10 years or so, the lottery has to decide whether they will renew their contract with us or go with our competition. This is not just because I work there, but I really do believe that my company is far better than any other company out there. We only have 2 major competitors but they mostly do foreign lotteries. They don't really have a foothold in the U.S.

The contract was up for renewal this year. We submitted our bid (our competitors did as well) and we were pretty confident that we would win.

Well...we didn't. And that shit has everyone shook! For good reason. We all basically have about a year to find another job. I'm not so much worried about myself. To be honest, I was sorta looking anyway. Me and my boss aren't jiving so much and since we work so closely together, it just isn't a good situation.

Example: When I was hired, I was a II level Admin. There was a Regional Coordinator above me. She was my boss. We got along great! My current boss was her boss. She didn't jive so much with him either so she moved to Marketing. That left her position open. I was promoted into it. In less than a year. *popping my collar*
Anyway, she was supposed to move out of the Admin office and into a cubicle. I think my boss was sorta scared of her so he never made her do that. I had my little office and she still had her office. I was fine with it.
Not too long ago, she left the company. I was expecting to move into her old office. It is where a person in my position usually sits. It wasn't a HUGE deal because I have an office but that one was bigger and all the employee files were in there. Sorta stupid for me to continue to sit in my office and have to walk down to that one, unlock the door, get the files I need, lock the door back, do what I need to do in the file, go back to the office, unlock the door, put the file back, lock the door and go back to my office.
So, one day I pulled my boss aside and asked him if I would be moving into the bigger office. Now, we haven't been getting along for a while. I sorta think he hates me. He asked me what I needed to be in there for (wtf?) and I told him that is the Coordinator's office and all the employee files were in there. He said he would think about it. What there is to think about...I don't know.
Oh, but I knew that following Monday. I walk into our suite and there is the big ass filing cabinet with all the employee files...sitting in the area outside my office.
LMAO! Instead of just letting me sit in the office (that still to this day is vacant as hell) he put the filing cabinet where it would be more "convenient" for me.
Right...that's the type of asshole shit he does.

Anyway, like I was saying, I'm not so much worried about me. I'm more worried about the people who have been there for 15, 20 years and are making tons of money. It might be hard for them to go to another company and still make that much.
Since I am my site's HR contact, I have been getting a massive amount of phone calls EVERY DAY about this stuff. Everyone is really panicked. Yes, you have a year to find another job but it's not that easy for everyone.

So, this is why I have been away. Tons of meetings, working late at night...it's just been crazy. And the last thing I wanna do when I DO get home is blog.

Shit! I have an appointment in 15 minutes. I'll try to update again soon. No more evil messages!!! *side eye*

I know, I know...

I am awful. I haven't posted shit in days...
It's just really crazy round these parts lately. Job stuff, boy stuff...jeeeez!
I am off tomorrow so I plan to post again then. Love me, forgive me.

Muah beetches!

Details!!!

I have none. I didn't go.

Ha!

We had set it up for Saturday. Friday night I went out, drank too much, my BFF sprained both her ankles somehow so we didn't do the charity walk that we were scheduled to do that morning. J.R. called me around 11 and asked me how the walk was. I told him that I didn't do it but that I still planned on coming. I told him that I had a few errands to run and that I'd call him back. Well, I called. And called again. He never answered. I chalked it up. He called me back later that night, around 10:30 pm. I asked him what happened and I can't even remember what he said. Some lame excuses about how he took my response about errands as me not really wanting to come visit. *eye roll*

So I asked him what was up with Sunday. I told him I'd go chill with my mommy for a while and then I could hit the road. He said that was fine. I told him I'd call him when I woke up, when I got to my mom's and then before I left.

I called him at 10AM. Talked to his brother but not to him. I called again at 1PM. Talked to his brother but not to him. At this point, I figured I wouldn't be seeing him. I was right. He didn't call me and I certainly didn't call him. Haven't heard from him since that other night. I'm not really sure if he'll call. He'll probably wait a couple days...give me time to cool off. Or if he really has balls, he'll call me tonight.

How do I feel about this? Well, I know J.R. and I know how flaky he can be. He probably made these plans with me knowing that he'd just ignore my calls anyway. To be honest, I'm pissed. I CANNOT STAND this passive aggressive, flake shit. Because I know him, I should have known better.

I won't stay mad for long. He doesn't deserve that. But all the excitement I felt about seeing him and rekindling that friendship...gone. If I happen to be in Columbus and he happens to be free, maybe I'll see him. But as of right now...eh.

And I know what you guys are thinking. Yes, I know it was Mother's Day. But their mother passed away over 10 years ago. I have visited him before on Mother's Day. And really, if he didn't want me to come or he wasn't prepared or WHATEVER, all he had to do was say that. I would have been ok with it.

Oh well.

:::

Yesterday, when I was over my parent's house, my mother told me that she had a dream about my uncle who just passed. So far, me, my mom, my brother, grandmother and father have all had dreams about him. And in each one, he is cutting up in Heaven and saying over and over that he's ok.

I really do believe that loved ones who have passed visit you in your dreams so this was good news to me.

:::

Jas, I will be in NY this weekend. On an oh-so-hood-rich shopping bus trip. I think our first stop will be Canal Street and then we hit some different areas. I know our last stop will be Sylvia's in Harlem. Feel like making a trip to the city and meeting your mostest favoritest blogger in person??? Email or text me...

:::

Rah, just an FYI, you can use that whenever you want. ; )

If you don't, I will divorce you.

:::

One of my VA boys, Smurf, is in China right now for work. Imagine how freaked out I was when I read on Yahoo's homepage about the monster earthquake they had today. Thank God, he is ok.

:::

Yeah so...I got some jewelry this weekend. As a "gift". That I can't keep. It's so my style...I guess he was listening all those times. *sigh*

:::

GO CAVS!!!!

That is all. LOL!

Hello, my lovelies!

I am back. And so glad to be able to sleep in my own bed. I don't care what anyone says...those Sleep Number beds are some bullshit.
I enjoy being out of the office but I'm not so sure I'd like having to travel a lot for work. Besides not having the comfort of home, when I do return to the office, I always have a shitload of work to do. I take my laptop when I travel and I do have remote access to my email but I don't have access to our server which is where a lot of my daily work is located. Headache, much?
Anyway, because I am swamped, today's post is all about the pictures. Enjoy!




Remember the 23 cent pizza debacle? This is the government cheese-like line that formed around the building at the location on Lakeshore Drive. From what I heard, that parking lot and all the surrounding parking lots were packed. Has it ever been that serious for a one topping pizza? Ever?

Ashmo and I went out a few weekends ago and she sent the pics to my email last night. LOL @ this pose. It's not quite Banana Pudding-ish but still hot, right? Do not mind the deoderant in my pit. It could have been worse. There could have been some funk there. Instead, I was so fresh and so clean.

Me and my boy, Cheech. He was tryna look hard. He failed.

Ashmo, Shannon (one of the VA boys) and myself. Parking lot pimping.

Ashmo, Cheech and myself. Yeah, don't ask cause I dunno.

The end of the night. Smooches!

*hiccup*

I meant to tell yall that I am in Pittsburgh for the next two days for training. Blah. There's nothing here but Steelers fans. *vomit*

Anyway, I won't get a chance to post again until Friday when I'm back in the office. I am going to make an attempt to read blogs now but...I've been drinking and I can't guarantee that my comments will be coherent. Forgive me. LOL!

Byeeeeeeee! *burp*

Continuation

Where did we leave off?

Ah, yes...

"When I got home I sent J.R. a heated email about how he dogged me, how I held him down for 3 years, and how pissed I was that he had another chick. He wrote back an equally heated email. But I knew it was bullshit. I knew he didn't mean a single word. Despite that, though, we didn't talk again.

Until this past Tuesday night."


During the time that J.R. and I weren't talking, I'd sometimes Google him to see if I could find any info. I was no longer angry and I just really missed him.
I never found anything and just chalked it up. He was always in the back of my mind, though. I'd wonder how he was, how his family was, his daughter...
About a month ago, I decided to stop searching for his name and search for his sister's. I remembered that back in the day, she was in law school and she was very active in the community. I can't tell you how many walks she had me doing for this cause or that cause whenever I'd go visit.

I Googled her name and found a few interesting things. I was able to see what she'd been up to lately (Google is a bitch, ain't it? LOL) and then I hit the jackpot. I found a community law firm website. I KNEW it was her. And I was shook. All her contact info was there. I could easily pick up the phone and call this woman who I'd been so close to in the past. So what was stopping me?

I went back and forth in my mind for a few hours. I emailed TomGurl (love that chick!) and asked for her advice. We discussed the situation and she told me to go for it. That was really the last little push I needed.

I called. I got the receptionist. Sis wasn't in the office but she'd be back later. I left a message with what I was calling for and my cell phone number.

And then I waited. And waited. And waited. I complained to TG and waited some more.

And then last Tuesday night my phone rang. It was a 440 number. I thought that maybe it was one of my field techs. I considered not answering but then I figured if they were calling me that late, it had to be important.

"Hello, this is Monie."

"Damn, I'm impressed by your detective skills, Marie."

I knew instantly who it was. We'd been calling each other by our middle names since we'd first started writing all those years ago. The thick NY accent gave it away as well.

After my initial shock, we caught up a bit. He was fine, his family was fine. His grandma, Nonnie, was still alive. His daughter is turning 13 in September. He still worked for the same company. I asked him how he was calling from a 440 number and he told me he'd been living in Columbus, OH for about 3 or 4 years. Columbus is only two hours from me! All this time, he'd been right under my nose! We made plans to talk again the next night.

I called him Wednesday night and didn't hear back from him. I called him again on Thursday and didn't hear back. At that point, I figured he was having second thoughts about the whole situation and was taking the easy way out. I wasn't mad...just a bit sad.

I cried to TG and she told me to buck up and just see what happened. I waited it out over the weekend and finally caved this morning and called him. This time I left a message. I told him I understood if we couldn't talk but that I'd enjoyed hearing from him and knowing that he was doing well. I left my number and told him that if he wanted to call, he could.

He called me back this morning as soon as he woke up. He said that of course, he wanted to keep in touch. He told me that he'd just been really busy.

I'll take that for now. LOL!

We chatted for a few minutes and he asked me to come visit him. We made tentative plans for this coming Saturday.

After we got off the phone, I immediately emailed TG. Hahahahaaa! I feel nervous but excited at the same time. I cannot wait to just...hug him. I may have mentioned in my other post about J.R. that he gives THE BEST HUGS EVER IN THE HISTORY OF HUGGING.

I will, of course, update about this if the meeting takes place. Fingers crossed!