Tagged.

Perhaps as a testament to the fact that my blogville family of old has gone away and I am seeking out lost connections, new connections, and generally trying to blog more- I got tagged. I was running around the blogosphere unaware that I was in the middle of a game. I guess I thought the others that were running were wholly distinct and separate from me. So I did not see the connecting lines between us  

But alas, tag number two has come, a few years after the first one and I wonder what has changed.

So, 11 random things:
1. I love dance. Hip Hop, tango, contemporary, salsa... When SYTYCD started all those years ago, I would have sworn the Cable Networks were making a reality show Just for Me.

2. Not surprisingly, music is like my sustaining nectar. I've been calling my tastes ecelctic for a while, partially because they are broad and partially because I'd like to live up to it.

3. I still maintain that the freedom to walk about nude in ones apartment is a high ranking joy in life.

4. I can't really throw a frisbee properly. Sometimes it's straight but my aim is off, or it just wobbles like a small child trying to walk unassisted for the first time.

5. I want to run a marathon next year. I'm going to. Later today I'll go swimming and put that on the list of training workouts.

6. I Love to Swim. Nothing is as peaceful as floating on your back while watching the clouds in the sky roll by.

7. Sometimes I look around me at nature and I cannot understand how people believe there is no God. For me, everything just confirms the fact that He exists.

8. I feel I always tend to be described as strong whenever I'm in the tailspin of some rollercoaster ride gone wrong that has left me shaken to the core.

9. I have what may be an unhealthy affinity for pasta.

10. I love running with a passion. I can't wait to add miles to my ledger.

11. I haven't read a good novel in what feels like eons. I know, the writer in me hangs her head in shame.

Adding a #12 because I'm cool like that.Not a big fan of rules.
12. I took a self guided, solo walking tour of NYC and had what might have been one of the most peaceful and chill days I've had in 2012.

Adding a #13 so I can have a bakers dozen.
13. I love to eat and I love to cook - but I'm not nearly as adept as I would like to be at either.

So, Kiah didn't ask any new questions but offered T-Notes'. I'm going to pick and choose.

3. Proudest body part? Hmm. Everyone says I have a beautiful smile. And even though they are marred, I'd say I love my legs.

6. How many true friends do you have? It's a small number. Else, it wouldn't be 'true'.

7. What are trying to achieve in your life right now? Financial independence.

8. What are you afraid of? Wasting the opportunities I am given.

9. Why (do) you believe in God? He has protected me thus far. And everything around me confirms His existence.

10. If a movie were made about your life, what would the theme song be? There would be no single 'theme song'. The accompanying score would fill two albums.

11. Greatest life accomplishment till date. Surviving and growing daily. Always striving for better.

I think I'll pick some questions from SingleNigerian. Not that he tagged me explicitly, but I think I qualify.

1. Who started this thing biko? The First Ones. 

2. What drives/motivates/pushes you in life.My desire to be free.

3. If you could pick one place on earth to be at the moment you answer this question, who/where will it be. Some senic island somewhere. Floating on a pool raft or drifting down a river in a canoe. 

4. What is your favourite blog, top blog online (Don’t lie, God is watching you). Solomonsydelle. She is wisdom. Wish she'd come back :(

5. If God were to close his eyes for 10 hours and grant you a hall pass, what would you do with it? Dangerous proposition. I would take the entire senario as a test and likely be the best Christian ever for those 10 hours.

6. What makes you happy? (If you tell me God, I will swear for you. I said what, not who) The joy and wonder in a childs' face, a good run, a warm day, an intelligent conversation with friends, a good book, a hearty laugh.

7. Do you have a daughter? If yes, how old? Not yet.

8. Would you let your daughter marry my son? One cannot say how one would react until the bridge is in the foreground.

9. What is the one thing you wish for more than anything else. Peace

10. At a scale of Hulk to worker ant, what do you do when you are angry? I've been told I Hulk out. 'Bee smash' and what not. But it's likely only a notch from the middle. I don't throw things. Also, the Hulk is a child. 

11. What is your favourite animal? Any big cat. Lions. Tigers. Felines are cool. 
Props to SingleNigerian. Those were some fun questions.

So, to the tagging and the asking of questions.

Q1. If given the chance, what event in your life would you want to 'do-over'?
Q2. Do you believe in love? Why or why not?
Q3. What is your favorite song of all time?
Q4. If your life was a movie, what would the title be?
Q5. What kind of stories do you want your children to tell your grandchildren about the type of person you were? 
Rules, if I tag you, do the tag, link back to this blog, state how you found the blog, tag others.

I tag @flydownfallup, @tsuliena, 'Lara, Kiana, RustGeek,  anyone who comes here from twitter, anyone who reads this :) 

Here's to a great Memorial Day weekend. Remember what the day off is for. 

Day 20

A poem about traveling

Fashionably Late

Which jacket?
Black jacket...?
Blue jacket? Blue.

I think I may have forgotten..
No.
Out the door,
down the steps.

A cool breeze swirls
and the sun is happy to see
me as i listen to the sound
of the upcoming bus.

The bus?!

Change
hurried tempo
to
stilted run
dodge cars
in
intersections
rush
-ing
to The

motionless bus.


Now

where

is

my?Money!OhOk. Here!

The bus lurches and Somehow the
bar beside me steadys my fall.

quick pivot on the
toe of my left boot and
I am seated .

Three stops 'till There.

When aiming for
late, I'm always

On Time

Pressure

If I could have a way
perhaps
to qualify the
feeling

I would say
it's rather like
a pistol cocked
or
a fire catching O2.

On the other hand
if I could draw
the growing, pressing
weight of things -

I'd sketch a mountain
with deadly paths,
sulfuric breezes
and a endless lake of nails.

Were I a dancer:
ballerina, krumper,
jazz -

I'd let extensions do the talking
with negative space I'd dance the
strain- I'd close my
eyes and express
the pain
that'd make men cry.

If I could sing
a song to tell it I would
wake the rafters up

I'd shake the ground
till your soul felt it
I'd make your eardrums
drunk
off of my arias - they would
want nothing
but to soak me in.

If I could paint the mountain song,
with arms and voice and charcoal pencils -
I'd dance a blaze within a blaze
An arabesque would sound like eternity
-the calm before the shot.

If could do any of these things
perhaps it'd be
more

better

but I cannot.

And so I'll sit and stew and pen a verse-
-I'll spontaneously

combust.

Two in One

I'm aware I've fallen behind with NaPoWriMo and so I'm trying to catch up.
Let me know which poem you prefer:

Day 22

RIP Cherry Blossom

The wind blows and my sisters squeal
pushed back by the gentle teasing
smiling at the thrill.

The sun shines and we're all grateful
reaching out to say hello
happy to return its embrace.

The rain falls and contentment reigns
I'm sweeping out dull yesterdays
and laughing at the memory.

Suddenly -

A hand plucks me from my source
and places me gingerly
in curls of hair.

Here Lies:
A snapshot of
gentleness and grace

Day 23

To Blue, In Rhapsody

Deep and ever growing colors
Rich
Colors
roll over the earth with abandon
Colors that crest upon clouds
dart and turn in impossible patterns
Ever Changing and

wise.

Cool hues and fiery ones
reminding me of Dreams long forgotten
lost
Inspiring to try
no - run and strive and push
while
jumping for joy

Your bright yellows calm
me and
lay me to bed
only to Wake me
with the ideas I'm
about to give
birth to.

You dance upon my minds' eye and
take me through a
rumba made entirely of
turns.

Blue?
Yes, the brightest, freest
and the fullest,
deepest Blues

Wrapped in green hopes and dawn tinged surprises

set beside incandescent future memories

Deep and ever growing Colors
Rich

In rhapsody, blue

-Here's to the run I'm about to go on. Yes.
*Day 22 is about a plant, clearly. :P
Day 23 is an ekphrasis about Gershwins' Rhapsody in Blue*

Library Posts

In the spirit of Day 21

Averted Eyes

Ignoring
you to
help me forget.

The last few weeks before finals are something else! Will get to the other NaPoWriMo posts eventually..

Here's to tasting the rainbow. Skittles are awesome.

NaPoWriMo

Apparently there is an awesome site: NaPoWriMo that is having a month long poetry writing contest right now. One is to write a poem each day for 30 days. Sadly, it is already day 21 :(
But I have to give a shoutout to Tsuliena for letting me know about it. She started earlier than I and her blog is here

So Day 21 is a hay(na)ku.

Here goes:

Denial

Frustrating.
False memories
Trump the reality.

So what do you think?
Here's to us all accomplishing something today. :)

Pull

I've decided to write poems again. Here's one called Pull.

You're cresting on
a downward spiral

of blues and pinks
dark purple, red.

You're riding
on the wave of
maybes
that you've conjured in your
head.

You know the waters
of imagining will fling
you up,
towards impossible -

and drop you

careening towards
reality
10 ticks past
careful.

You know
the harsh ground is
going to rise

You're only seconds
from your fall

Soon you'll trade
the pain you seek for
a pain you
can't escape.

You know you'll inhale bits
of salty-fresh false memories

and sputter to choke while
trying to
breathe in the truth.

But for the moment
you close your eyes

and let the current carry you.

You quiet your
mind and

enjoy

the lies.

Here's to you, thanks for following. Tell me what you think this poem is about.
I hope to post and comment much more often. :)

Image from Getty Images. #86173887

Everyday I'm shuffling.

The day before the day I was to leave, I went to bed at 7pm. Or I tried. I was lucid at 8 and perhaps even nine but somehow, I woke up at midnight. As per my original plan.

I did some last minute tidying and watched a few episodes of one of the oddest programs ever, An American Horror Story. So convoluted. So messed up. Why do I keep watching! I needed a couple hours of awake and it sure did the trick.

Some hours later I got a call and I rushed to meet my friend and her cab. We talked non stop on the way to the airport and the cabbie tried to con us.
"First person pays full price and the second pays half, he said. 'Malarky!' cried I, and we nipped that nonsense in the bud.

I forced myself awake at the airport, crashed during the plane ride, and bolted from the cabin once I was able. I had a bus to catch and I was petrified of misisng it. Who wants to spend two hours waiting for a second bus because you missed the first?

No one.

I found the bus, inhaled a hot dog, got home, exchanged hugs, defrosted a turkey, baked a squash, ate jollof rice, caught up on W6D3 and drove the fam miles and miles and wound up with a sleek suit jacket sans the pants. That last bit was today.

Jerks took the pants.

Just now, I had a mini dance party. Just me, my brothers and the up tempo beats of Party Rock. The youngest and I showed my other brother how to shuffle. Because das how we do.

Did I mentioned it snowed yesterday?

Also, I had a merry Christmas and I watched Its a Wonderful Life for the first time. Best Christmas break ever.

Here's to 2012 being better than the years before it.

Within

Palms sweat.

The crowd of mirrors buzzes

softly
like something half forgotten.

Memory.

Her heart is pounding
shoulda, coulda's

She reaches both hands into the sky

and grabs two fists of hope
with A bit of courage mixed in

hops

left foot
to right. She stops

to think, but knows
there is no use.

Hand spread

she breathes a lung full
of insecurities out.

Laces are set
nothing too 'too'

this is the time for 'just right'

Feet in the blocks
A whistle blows or

is it a gun?

It doesn't matter
Thoughts scatter
Vying for the prize
is all there is.

The distant darkness
shows brightly only
when after she has passed.

The crowd is booing.
heckles, snarks
Verbal and emotional pro-
jectiles fly

Her lungs are burning
'round a bend
Someone's in her
peripheral

So legs keep turning
hoping, striving
seconds crawl as
she rushes through

the air and time.
There is no sound

save the constant angry din

Opens her eyes
The constant racing
doesn't end.



Here's to you, if you stick around. Its about to get much muchier.

Slay the Dragons!

Once, I had two friends come over to my digs so I could change into jeans because my corporate looking slacks were by no stretch of the imagination going to protect me from the cold. I offered them water.

Once, I ate something that I can't even name because its scent reminded me faintly of a rich efo riro** stew. It tasted nothing like it. Twas still good, but not my beloved efo rifo.

I'm looking at the last exam I did in finance and I'm scared I can't top it. Silly. I have no choice. Eeep!

Other things.... I went to a party with curly locs and makeup no one could see.

I went to a holiday party full of executives, ( oh yes. I was the only student), and held my own in conversations.

Feel like I'm running on a treadmill. Every once in a while a kid with a box of doughnuts entices me to get off track. But I'm more on than off these days. Doughnuts a meal do not make.

- This was inspired by a blog I found. Much more random than I.

I've finished procrastinating now. Back to the killing of the things.

Here's to doing what you should, just to get it done.

ps. I don't much like somethings about this new blogger format, but I have no time to worry about that as three dragons* loom and I must cause them to die.

** best type of nigerian stew I ever tasted
* 1 dragon = 1 exam

Giving Thanks

Thanksgiving.

A time of turkeys, pies, mashed potatoes and relatives. A period of jolloff rice*, moin moin* and party-cut plantain* fried to perfection. Its a day full of discussions about new boots, new news and sitting around to say what you're thankful for, while relatives grumble about hunger pains.

This Thanksgiving, I have a number of things to be thankful for. Sure, I am alive and I have food to eat, a roof over my head and full use of my faculties. But I'm also in a drastically different situation from that of last year. I'm in school, an answer to a prayer I've been beseching God for, for a few years. I've finally gotten over my hangups about needing a buddy and I started running. Sure, the Couch to 5k program is kicking my butt and at times limiting my ability to breathe... Still, though I've only just finished the third week, I'm feeling more grateful every time I run. More productive, more like a person who is striving towards the life she wants to acheive. We'll see what I say when it starts to snow.

There are many more things that I am appreciative for, but I'm not going to broadcast them across the internet. I've learned that anonymity isn't really as the word means and the best way to keep something a secret, is to resist the urge to talk about it.

I will say that my life isn't all roses. I procrastinate more than I ever have, likely from one silly, irrational fear or the other. But I'm working on it. I'm killing that habit one day at a time.

I met new cousins I didn't know I had and was given a day pass into their lives. I've gotten over wishing I was someone else. I've realized that being the best version of myself is a blessing, so I've tried to be that La Reine. Procrastinate-y or Angry or Whiny La Reine needs a stern talking to and needs to find her seat.

I don't wear a crown to hide it under self induced imperfections. I wear it in the sun, so it can shine.

-Here's to being thankful, being prayerful and realizing just how blessed you are.

*Just a sample of the great Nigerian food I had this Thanksgiving

The Vexing

All cold and no heat make Bee go crazy...

She's only smiling because the cold is Outside

This is November.
I recall a freak snow storm that excited students who had never seen snow before so much that they reached out to touch it.

I was freezing back in September.

Coming from a part of the world that's practically next door to the equator, and starting school on the east coast in the Fall was in a word, Difficult.
I've been wearing layers since I got to school and I still have classmates who wore just a T-Shirt to school this morning. I get it. I'll acclimatize eventually.

For now, at the very least, I'd appreciate some heat.

In my apartment, heat is included in the rent. For the first few months, I got over the lack of heating and took the fact that I was uncomfortable as my body's cells yearning for the caress of the sun. But Now, with snow around the corner? Me thinks its time for a wee bit of warm.

The day the radiator first rumbled and the heat started, I must have been the happiest happy room owner in the land. Spaces were thick with radiator love and I was feeling it. What I was not feeling was the way the radiator sounded like it housed a large man with a wrench and a vengeance, gunning for me-life. Similarly, my roommate wasn't feeling the leaking radiator on her side of the apartment, or how it caused the floor beneath it to buckle.

So we called maintenance. And in a Mighty Mouse-esque display 'In the maintenance man came to save the day' He brought new knobs and replaced old ones. He spoke radiator-speak as we danced a 'no more problems' jig and thought all was well.

Until the evening. When we realized that we no longer had heat. A quick call told us stories of a backlog and a wait-list, I guess when some people fail, they like to fail all the way. My roommate slept in a wool sweater that night. I opted for an oversized sweatshirt and a cocoon-like sleeping arrangement.

The next day, I woke up and rushed out with more that half a thought to the looming cold that swirled around me and took me captive when I slept. I went to school and cut through the weeds of classes and team meetings and felt like I barely made a dent. Exhausted, I went home to practice my part of the presentation my team was working on. I kept my coat and scarf on.

As the night went on, I started to shiver, and trudged away at my task. By 1 am my leg was practically ricocheting on a hinge, in a failed attempt to kept me warm. When I could no longer concentrate for lack of warmth and excessive movement, I went to bed.

By this I mean I simply removed my scarf and coat and dove under my comforter, boots and all, in a last ditch effort to not freeze. I can comfortably say it was my most miserable weather related to date. Sweating bullets in Naija* has nothing on a night on the east coast without heat in November.

A Day Later we found out that the 'heaven sent' maintenance man forgot to reset the boiler.
For the entire building.

Apparently the other tenants are from Siberia.

Here's to fleece and wool, without which....

*Naija, if you didn't know, is slang for Nigeria. The country.

October 15th! - Day of Awesome

Its 11.04 and October 15th is nearing its end.
I managed to kill some tasks, wound others and eat some baked squash and crunchy fried noodles.

Take aways:
If you’re going to go shopping with a shopping list, don’t leave your shopping list in the car.
Music is still awesome and good music is Choice.
If you break a set of tweezers in half you can pry a penny from the thingie we all plug our car chargers and gps's into, and have just enough room for your daughter to pull it free.
Mom wants nothing to do with a scarf that actively tries to mess up her hair. Take note Infinity Scarves.
When in hunger, the nearest Chinese restaurant will do and the first thing on the menu shall be delicious.
One’s rental car should be checked for compatibility with ones Nuvi or Garmin or other GPS directional aide.
Explaining why your smartphone isn’t smart is hella annoying. (You see, I can piggyback on wifi, but...)
All boots were made for walking, and mine made my feet hurt.
If you aren’t going to sing along with the department store jams while dancing as you try on clothes in the dressing room, don’t get mad if I do.
Elizabeth and James. Feather light dresses and tops. Yes.
Two lost, hungry women in a car with warm sweet and sour chicken requires at best, a decent radio station.
Aint nothing like a bed with two chocolates on the pillow after a night of turtleneck shopping, life hugging and being lost for 30 minutes, 5 minutes from your destination.

Is it weird that I’m seriously considering banning myself from writing to do lists? I think I’ll make To Kill lists instead.

Here's to organization.
*says the 2 week late blog post-er*

Hug All the Things

That vision of yumminess is the Red Kuri Squash I baked at 11.45pm Friday.
Tastes delicious.

Oh the things!
I read a hilarious blog post about procrastination. It was essentially a cartoon strip and one panel had the main character skipping merrily, doing chores and eventually screaming 'Clean All the Things!' I have yet to get the turn of phrase out of my head and I do believe I will say it until its good and dead. :D

Today, though it is getting towards 2am on a Saturday and I'm looking at a to do list of homework that I'm about to finish Killing, is shaping up to be an awesome day. I woke up slightly crooked yesterday and threw a lavish pity party all morning. I did somehow surface to attempt to cheer up a friend, who was having his own pity party. After failing to assist in any way I said to myself, 'Hey Self, this pity party is Ova!' (said in the manner of Barney Stinson)

I clicked away on my computer, surfed waves on the Internet and thoroughly neglected to do any work. Indeed, Friday the 14th was a day of grand procrastination. Sure, I got some things done. But I also watched a excessive amount of YouTube videos, spent way too much time attending to my Tweet Deck and I read more useless articles than you could shake a stick at.*

Naturally at 9.55pm, the Sit and Whine Pity Party reared its head again. After acknowledging the beautifully dank whole I had dug myself into, I eventually got over it and set at the Squash. Somewhere mid seed-scoop, my mother called to let me know she was downstairs. Oven pre-heating I leapt down the stairs like a gazelle** and carried a moderately luggage back up.

Lo and behold, the contents of the luggage were mine. Shirts I knew, skirts I missed and suits I need were nestled snugly together and I dug in as though there would be no end. Eventually there was an end and I reached the bottom luggage. Exhausted with travelling and the riveting tour of my apartment, my Mother said goodnight and set off for her hotel.

As I cleaned up squash bits and scrubbed the baking pan back to perfection, I couldn't help thinking that today was going to be awesome. Or, Legen.....
....wait for it...
...
...
Dary. :)

Its like Christmas and my Birthday had a baby. And that baby is October 15th.


Here's to new faces and places. And hugging the living goodness out of life. Somebody has to...

* Really, what does this even mean?
**If the gazelle was a bit awkward and almost fell three times.

0 to 6 miles

I had a birthday, my locs are a year old and I started grad school. #milestones

I'm in a new climate, new time zone, trying out new places and meeting new faces.

Of course, this in no way stops me from doing silly old things.

Like attempting to run with people who have been running for years. For a 4 to 6 mile trail. I didn't even make it to the 1.4 miles I 'ran' with my brother. They were leaving me in dust practically before the word GO! One of the seasoned marathoners dropped back to see if I was alright. When I told him my ...situation, through wheezes and gasps for air, he said "So you tried to go from 0 to 6 in one day?" Honestly, smart people get dumb moment passes. I think.

I feel I have no choice but to find a plan that helps me pace myself. Lord knows I don't know what I'm doing.

I want to run, not die trying.



Here's to time management. I'm going to need it.