It's A Celebration B*****s!!

  As I lie here in my Forever Lazy, I'm just replaying last night's events. I've got the BEST friends and family in the world. They threw your girl a New Orleans themed surprise party! They got me, I had no clue. I thought I was going to a singles mixer. I got cute in hopes of meeting some good men. We get to my homegirl's house and folk start yelling "SURPRISE!!" while 2nd line music plays in the background. They adorned me with beads and the decor fit in with the theme. My friends know that while I am not from NOLA, the music, men, food, drinks, the city itself intoxicates me. It was perfect. They even had my parents in on it! They gave my daddy very few details because he and I talk everyday and he definitely would've ruined, it. My mama's job was to make sure I actually went and not come home after work and put on sweatpants, lol. Friends and family came out to kick it with me drink hurricanes, and dance to ratchet favorites old and new. I consider myself an amateur twerk team member especially when I get that drank in me. Just throw on my Waka Flaka weakness and watch me, LOL. Sadly, with all the camera phones no pictures were taken, we have only memories to be  replayed and recalled from last night. Today is my actual birthday and I don't even know how to spend it. Words can not express the gratitude and love that I feel. I'm just turning 26, this isn't typically a birthday that people go all out for. I do feel that since this happened that my year is going to be altogether different. There must be some changes coming. I'm so thankful, and still a bit tipsy, but I feel wrapped in love and there's no better way to greet my new year than that.

*How I felt last night. and I'm sure I made this face . LOL

Back down memory lane...

This time of year always makes me a bit misty eyed. It reminds me of when I started college, and even more importantly when I joined the band. My bestie sent me a video of the yearly merge of freshman and upperclassmen bands and it inspired me to write this. If you don't know, being in a Black college band is like a full time job. Seriously. All night practices, road trips, intense training, etc. It started with band camp in August of 2005 with the full fire heat of the Mississippi sun beaming down on me. General meet and greet with the people who would be the only ones I knew for the next 4-5 months. Then our parents left and the craziness began. Now you must understand being in band in other parts of the country pales in comparison to being in one in the South. I went from being first chair and band president in my high school to last chair before the sun set. Next morning, it got real. I'm dressed in all white standing with my peers before dawn. It was still dark out and the next thing we hear is someone running and then another yells "YOU BETTER  NOT LET HER BEAT YOU!!!" So we take off running, and it begins. A month  full of military style physical training and intense musical rehearsals weeding out the ones not built for The BOOM. It was a challenge to say the least but I couldn't let them defeat me. My parents had allowed me to go school so far away from them and I had made the decision that I wasn't going down without a fight. It paid off, I made it. I had the ugliest and oldest baritone, but it projected every wrong note that I hit, LOL. I couldn't hide. With the help of my crab brothers and sisters I got better. I had to, getting worse and quitting wasn't an option. This time of my life was one of learning, living, discovery, and growth. I became stronger, both physically and mentally. Being in a section that is 99% male definitely changed me. I have so many memories that I could share with you all about this time but I won't, not now anyway. What I will share is a video that I found on YouTube of my first home halftime show against Texas Southern University. I was approached by the lead Drum Major to be apart of a skit and after a couple hours of consideration and discussion with one of my besties, I agreed. With much trepidation, of course. In the video, I'm the one in the middle dancing while the band plays David Banner's Play . My heart was beating so fast and we practiced that skit numerous times (s/o to my CS Bianca she's on the left). I distinctly remember one of the last practices before we performed, I was on the ground in a split and Mr. Murray was yelling and telling me to "BOUNCE IT! BOUNCE IT!" You can't imagine how strange that was. I can laugh about it now. I was only in The Boom one year, but that year changed me forever. I don't look at challenges the same, I don't listen to music the same and I'm not the same girl that walked into that band room so many years ago. Because of band, Jackson State, Mississippi, John Phillip Sousa, Secret Garden (Quincy Jones' version) and The Temptations' Get Ready will always hold a special place in my heart.


CHAIR!!

(You can watch the whole video, but the skit starts around 7:30)

That's me in the center, I didn't get permission from the other people in this picture. I posted this because you can't see my face in the video. They probably don't read this blog anyway though, lol.