Christmas Time is Over

So today is December 26 and I have officially survived my first Christmas without my Mom, Dad, and Sis.  It was though not to see them and eat the delicious food I'm used to eating on Christmas day especially once I found out they were making my favorites, Pound Cake and Banana Pudding ugh, I want it so badddd. Not going to my Church and hearing one of my pastors great sermon's and not seeing all of the loving faces and receiving the warm hugs.  Most of all not being able play spades with my fam and trash talk with my Dad.  But even though I wasn't able to do those things I have done for the past 25 Christmases This 26th Christmas wasn't so bad.

California was Sunny and beautiful on Christmas day.  The night before I stayed up late and baked White Chocolate Chip and Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies (from scratch).  I woke up with a plan to go to church and celebrate the birth of my lord and savior Jesus Christ and then spend time with family in L.A. and then spend time with an old high school acquaintance  in Long Beach.  And that's exactly what happened..... Well Kyle and I missed church because supposedly the Christmas service was extra short and we showed up extra late.  But that's all cool because we listened to Gospel/ Christmas music in the car. So then we went to house number 1 where we watch basketball and football something we never get to do (no cable) and visit with family. My Uncle Matthew and Aunt Veronica finally got the chance to meet Kyle and the old "when's the wedding"  topic came up again.  But the time their was great, the food was great, and I finally got to meet my long lost cousin Ben, briefly but we met none the less.

Then we moved on over to Long Beach to visit with Danielle and her Husband Deonte.  Oh I just realized they're DD.... Anyways I haven't seen this girl in almost 10 years since we graduated high school. We did talk a few times via myspace, facebook, and text messages.  We realized we were in the same area sometime earlier this year but never got the time to hang out and catch up but we finally did and it was awesome.  Kyle and Deonte got along well and I realized Danielle and I had a lot in common.  I'm so glad we got the chance to get to know each other better and I hope we get to be good friends.

So as you see my first L.A. Christmas without my Mom Dad and Sis, wasn't so bad.  I got to meet my cousin for the first time, my aunt and uncle got to meet Kyle (with whom they liked) and I got to develop and new relationship with an old high school friend. 

God is good all the time..........  Merry Christmas

Now let's see what the New Year holds.

I wish I wasn't a food lover

I just finished eating a bowl of my homemade spaghetti w/ garlic bread and I'm not sure if it was just extra good or if I was extra hungry but it inspired me to write a poem about how much I love food.  I hope you enjoy.

I wish i wasn't a food lover

I wish I wasn't a food lover for multiple reasons

I wish I wasn't a food lover during the holiday seasons

I love food I love food Damn it I love food

It would be okay if I loved cucumbers and string beans

or even carrots tomatoes or leafy greens

Those are all good from time to time

but hamburgers and french fries is want constantly run through my mind

Give me egg rolls and wantons just make sure it's fried

Give me pizza and pasta with crab cakes on the side

And don't forget my friends from south of the border

I’d also love burritos and tacos and queso dip with my order

It's surprising I'm not as big as a house though I could miss a meal or too

But how could I say no to my shrimp etouffee mixed in that good roux

If I loved fruits and veggies, I could lose weight quick

But denying yourself of simple pleasures isn't a treat it is a trick

Ugh I love food I love food Damn it I love food

I wish I wasn't a food lover during the holiday seasons

I wish I wasn't a food lover for multiple reasons

Why Black Men Don't Date Black Women

This topic has come up to many times in the past few months for me not to address. I've read an article in Ebony Magazine, had discussions with my friends, and read a few articles online about Why Black Men Don't Date Black Women.  I think any excuse for that is insane.  I have no problem with a Black man or any man who decides to date outside of his race but to say that you don't date a particular race (your own race) for any reason is disgusting.  I don't know if it is self hatred, weakness, or bad experiences that stops black men from dating black women; but I know plenty of men who are married and have been married to the same beautiful black women for years and have been with them though good and bad times. There are many Beautiful, Educated, God Fearing SINGLE Black women that I know who would be a great catch for any man especially a Black man But some men refuse to even get to know them because they are black, and that is a Damn Shame. 

According to Blackstate.com in an article written by Matthew Lynch these are the top 10 reasons black men don't date black women. (He surveyed 5 black men and got these answers)

Please read and respond your thoughts ON THE BLOG NOT ON FB...... And don't forget to follow Me. Thanks.......

The Top Ten Reasons Why It's Hard to Date a Black Woman by Matthew Lynch

1. Black women make black men feel under appreciated, unwarranted and irresponsible and regressive.
2. Black women are too aggressive and no longer patient in waiting on the pursuit of a man.
3. Black women are strong headed, too independent which presents great challenges in relationships.
4. Black women are masculine in that they are controlling and like to run the relationship.
5. Black women expect too much. They are gold diggers who will not look twice at a blue collar black man.
6. Black women are hot headed and have bad attitudes.
7. Black women stop caring about their appearance after a certain age.
8. Black women are not as sexually open as other races, especially in regards to oral sex.
9. Black women's tolerance is far too low; they are no longer empathetic to the black man's struggle in white America.
10. Black women do not cater to their men. 
   

Now What?

So the two biggest things I have been working on in the past few months are done.  What are they you ask.... Well I was fortunate enough to have a part in an original play called the Milkman, which wrapped May 1st.  This was a great experience since I've never really participated in something like this before.  I learned a lot and had my stage acting debut.  The other thing was the Awareness Festival which wrapped May 8th.  For this festival I was an Event Manager and this was a great experience.  I got to meet some great people that I worked with that I am happy to call friends as well as some awesome filmmakers who made some great films that were shown during the festival.  A lot of work was but in to making this festival and I am proud to say that I am one of the people who organized it.

So now that I don't have rehearsal to go to or sponsors to look up, I almost feel like I don't have anything to do.  Now it's time for me to get back to writing some new material and revise some old material.  I need to look for festivals to enter my work in and hopefully win something.  I need to look for scholarships, cause school fees ain't no joke.  I need to get ready for summer and find another internship or job.... hell I need to find both.  I need to get back on the apartment hunt (because although it is convenient to not have to drive to school, I really don't want to live on campus anymore).  I need to study for the California Driving test to get my drivers license and pursue my residency.

Humm I think I have more to do than I thought I did.  Okay time to get to work!

Living La Vida Loca in L.A.

Living in L.A. can be really fun if you know what to do.  I have only been living here for 7 months and since then I have been involved in two school plays, gone to the Grammy's, been an extra in a zombie movie, seen a taping of the Mike & Molly show, been to the Craig Ferguson show, been seen in the audience on TV during the Price is Right, been complimented by Shemar Moore, had a brief conversation with Reno Wilson (look him up if you don't know who he is), Crashed an All star party hosted by L.A. Lakers Pau Gasol and am working with my second internship with Heal One World and the Awareness Film festival where I am an Event Manger, oh and I am also in graduate school writing amazing scripts and will be working with some classmates on a webisode series COMING SOON!  Whew, I'm tired just from saying all of that.

In the brief time that I've been in Los Angeles I've been blessed with many opportunities and have made a few awesome contacts.  I learned before moving out here that you have to make the most out of the time you have in this city and in the entertainment business.  In order to make it in this town you have to continuously work so you can have things to show people and get your name out there.  You have to get out of the house (or in my case the dorm) and volunteer, intern, and meet as many people as possible in order to be exposed to more opportunities.

Keep watching for me and praying for me because I will make it.

Mo  

My Little Secret

I've been thinking and thinking about something to write about since I am a terrible blogger.  For some reason I fell like I can only blog when something interesting happens to me. This time it's different I think I will just tell you guys a little secret..... What for it..... What for it......I wear wigs!  Okay I got it out and it's only a secret to some of you but the closet people to me already know.  Some might ask, So why do you wear wigs Monique? Well, I love my natural hair.  It's bushy and nappy and fabulous, but I also like to change my look a lot. The best way for me to change my look and not damage my hair with weave and glue and flat irons and color is to wear wigs. If I'm feeling curly I'll wear a curly wig. If I want a short bob, then I'll wear one.  If I want Beyonce hair, then "Ring the Alarm" when you become "Speechless" after you "Check up on" my long blonde locks.  Then you can have "Sweet Dreams" with this "Suga Mamma" about when you "Get Me Bodied" hee hee hee.

N E Ways like I was saying, wigs give women the opportunity to change their look and be as sexy or as classy or as professional as they want to without damaging their own hair.  So just for fun I thought I would post a few pictures of my different hairstyles over the years.  Enjoy!!!

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The pictures aren't at all in order of style but who cares you get the point.  Let me know which style is your favorite. Thanks for looking.  

Mo

Behind the scenes at the Grammy's

Hello all, as many of you already know I had the privilege of attending the 53rd annual Grammy Awards on Sunday February 13, 2011....... for free he he he.  It was so much fun once I actually got in the building and I went from not seeing any celebrities in L.A. to seeing a whole slew of them; that's right I said slew.  I saw the cream of the crop of music celeb's up close for those of you who are still wondering how in the heck I even went; I was working as a seat filler.  A seat fillers job is to sit in empty seats when someone leaves, goes to the bathroom, gets up to present/ perform, or maybe they just didn't show up.  The producers of the awards shows want to make sure that from the beginning to the end of the show every seat near the stage is full, so that when the camera pans the audience it doesn’t look empty. So I was there working, but working at the Grammy's is wear work and fun meet.

After checking in and waiting for 2 hours, all the seat fillers had to walk through a crowd of protesters to get to the Staples Center.  The protesters were holding up signs saying “God hates Ga Ga" and "Read your Bible" and some random guy saying how Jewish people stole some bodies music.  I didn't know what in the world he was talking about but it was very weird walking through my first protesters group.  Once I got past that, we had to wait about another hour before the show actually started.

We finally got into the arena and sat on the floor in the "seat fillers holding section (SFHS)" behind this very large structure that was blocking the stage.  I was hoping that I wouldn't have to stay there for the remainder of the show, so whenever I got a chance to move up to the front I did, or at least I tried.  See what would happen is the guy would run to the SFHS and say “Alright I need 5 people or 8 people or 3 people" and when he said that you had to get up and move.  Sometimes the seats filled up so fast that if you didn't get there quickly you would have to go back to the SFHS.  

I made 3 attempts to move to the front before being turned around because I wasn’t needed.  But finally I got to the side of the Staples center, it wasn't a great seat but at least my view wasn't blocked by a large black structure (that's what she said).   I realized that towards the middle of the show a lot of people were starting to leave. If a celebrity was nominated for an award but didn't win they would just leave so that was the perfect time for me to move up if I wanted to.  I took initiative and moved up on my own and ended up sitting in the roots seat. When B.O.B and Bruno Mars left seat filler and I decided to move up into their seats which was right next to Janelle Monae.  I spoke to Janelle and she is really nice and pretty.  I sat in that seat for the remainder of the show which were pretty damn good seats.  It was 3 rows behind Beyonce and Gwyneth Paltrow and Russell Brand and Katy Perry were diagonally to my right about two rows up.  I had a great seat for Rihanna and Drakes performance which I really enjoyed.  

Some of the celebrities saw up close was:

The Roots
Cee Lo Green
Gwyneth Paltrow
Beyonce
Janelle Monae
B.O.B.
Bruno Mars
Paramore
Dr. Dre
Cindy Lauper
Lenny Kravitz ( who is really short)
Rihanna
Drake
Russell Brand
Katy Perry
Jennifer Lopez
Mark Anthony
Lori Ann Gipson (choreographer)
Jimmy Jam (Producer)

This was a very fun experience and I would defiantly do it again, it just sucks that we were.