So this day has been one of those days when I would have been better off staying in bed. I did not get half of what I intended to accomplish done because my computer decided to crash several times...thanks to the ever craptastic VISTA operating system (which like all Microsoft products, has an internal self-destruct mechanism timed to detonate whenever I have a lot of stuff to do).
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Monday, February 21, 2011
Confessions of a Bedside Baptist
The BBW went to church yesterday. And thank goodness the earth is still rotating properly on its axis!
Not that I am such the heathen that such a catastrophe would be possible, but there is a reason why my presence at a 7:45AM service was noteworthy--I am NOT a morning person! And I have not attended church regularly in nearly six years. This absence comes after a lifetime of perfect church attendance since childhood (well, ok maybe less than perfect if you count those seven years of college and law school when my church appearances were, shall we say, sporadic).
For the past six years, my Sunday morning routine has been pretty consistent--the CBS Morning Show followed by the political commentary shows, a few minutes of the Good Rev. Dr. Bishop/Prophet/Evangelist whomever, and then perhaps a marathon of whatever else is on TV until dinnertime. That is almost an entire day spent doing abso-smurfly nothing (for on the 7th day, I need a little rest too).
Not that I am such the heathen that such a catastrophe would be possible, but there is a reason why my presence at a 7:45AM service was noteworthy--I am NOT a morning person! And I have not attended church regularly in nearly six years. This absence comes after a lifetime of perfect church attendance since childhood (well, ok maybe less than perfect if you count those seven years of college and law school when my church appearances were, shall we say, sporadic).
For the past six years, my Sunday morning routine has been pretty consistent--the CBS Morning Show followed by the political commentary shows, a few minutes of the Good Rev. Dr. Bishop/Prophet/Evangelist whomever, and then perhaps a marathon of whatever else is on TV until dinnertime. That is almost an entire day spent doing abso-smurfly nothing (for on the 7th day, I need a little rest too).
Friday, February 18, 2011
About the Business
The other day I attended a panel discussion on Capitol Hill for Minority Women Business Owners. I arrived a little late...(ok very late) to find a room full of women and a few men who were there to network and get information to help them grow their respective businesses.
For me, it was inspiring to be in a room full of people who are determined not to let this economy get them down. And so I thought that as a public service, I would share some of the information I received just in case there are any budding Busy Black Women Entrepreneurs out there:
1. When starting out, seek help! There are tons of resources out there to help you get started in your business ventures. Consult these websites before you end up making too many costly and avoidable mistakes:
For me, it was inspiring to be in a room full of people who are determined not to let this economy get them down. And so I thought that as a public service, I would share some of the information I received just in case there are any budding Busy Black Women Entrepreneurs out there:
1. When starting out, seek help! There are tons of resources out there to help you get started in your business ventures. Consult these websites before you end up making too many costly and avoidable mistakes:
- Small Business Administration http://www.sba.gov/
- Minority Business Development Agency http://www.mbda.gov/
- National Association of Women-Owned Businesses (NAWBO) http://www.nawbo.org/
- SCORE (Business counseling) http://www.score.org/index.html
Yes, I Hate Valentine's Day too
This Busy Black Woman thinks Valentine's Day is useless, right next to Mother's Day, Father's Day, Columbus Day and Flag Day. Why do we allow greeting card companies, florists and jewelry merchants to wreak this much havoc in our lives?
My distaste for Vday goes back to childhood when I was the girl who never got anything except made fun of in school. In elementary school, the cards and notes went to the prettier girls. In middle school, they went to the popular girls. In high school, they went to the girls who knew boys at our brother school. In college, they went to the girls who had boyfriends. Thank goodness for law school, when the cards and notes were sent to the smart girls and a few fellas were kind enough to send me something anyway.
Of course, I am a married veteran now and after nearly 15 Valentine's Days celebrated with the husband, I should be over it...yet I still find this holiday to be superfluous. No, I am not still smarting over ancient and long forgotten heartbreaks and petty jealousies (but they know who they are and what they did). Nor am I wallowing in a stew of shoulda-woulda-coulda. I am just amazed at how one silly day on the calendar has the power to make half of the women I know ultra depressed and the other half overly anxious.
My distaste for Vday goes back to childhood when I was the girl who never got anything except made fun of in school. In elementary school, the cards and notes went to the prettier girls. In middle school, they went to the popular girls. In high school, they went to the girls who knew boys at our brother school. In college, they went to the girls who had boyfriends. Thank goodness for law school, when the cards and notes were sent to the smart girls and a few fellas were kind enough to send me something anyway.
Of course, I am a married veteran now and after nearly 15 Valentine's Days celebrated with the husband, I should be over it...yet I still find this holiday to be superfluous. No, I am not still smarting over ancient and long forgotten heartbreaks and petty jealousies (but they know who they are and what they did). Nor am I wallowing in a stew of shoulda-woulda-coulda. I am just amazed at how one silly day on the calendar has the power to make half of the women I know ultra depressed and the other half overly anxious.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Getting it In (Mostly)
This weekend conference confirmed one undeniable truth--BBWism is exhausting! I thought that I was going to be a beast by attending this conference all day every day; and attend a couple of parties in the evenings when we were free; and rise early on Sunday morning for the ecumenical service; and accompany a friend to the airport; and zigzag across town with my mother; and push through the remaining two days despite the fact that there was little, if any time built in for eating...
Apparently, my body had other ideas. On Sunday, I hit the snooze button and barely made it back to the hotel for the afternoon sessions. The next evening, I literally started babbling in the middle of a conversation before the husband came to rescue me. I actually do not remember anything significant about the Superbowl. And I missed my chance to be immortalized on film for the iconic photo on the steps of the Capitol by about 20 minutes. Oh well.
If this had been any other weekend, I might have been frustrated by my slowness and sleepiness, but this was no ordinary weekend. It was both great and ridiculous to have all of that stuff packed into four days. As soon as I got home yesterday I crashed. I woke up, participated on a conference call, ate dinner, and then crashed again.
How do our more seasoned BBW icons get it all done? Is there some special energy tonic I could drink or magic beans I should eat that would help me to keep it moving without falling apart near the end?
In all likelihood, there is no such thing as getting it all in, so I am going to settle for 85 percent. I attended the conference. I skipped yoga today but will be in ballet class tomorrow. I am preparing for Saturday's round robin of meetings and rehearsals. I am getting it together to teach this class coming up at the end of the month. A 36-hour trip to NYC is no longer as taxing as it once was. I am getting more fiber in my diet.
Perhaps the key is practice...and a personal staff that includes a driver, an assistant, a stylist, or I could settle for a Star Trek transporter. Whichever comes first.
Apparently, my body had other ideas. On Sunday, I hit the snooze button and barely made it back to the hotel for the afternoon sessions. The next evening, I literally started babbling in the middle of a conversation before the husband came to rescue me. I actually do not remember anything significant about the Superbowl. And I missed my chance to be immortalized on film for the iconic photo on the steps of the Capitol by about 20 minutes. Oh well.
If this had been any other weekend, I might have been frustrated by my slowness and sleepiness, but this was no ordinary weekend. It was both great and ridiculous to have all of that stuff packed into four days. As soon as I got home yesterday I crashed. I woke up, participated on a conference call, ate dinner, and then crashed again.
How do our more seasoned BBW icons get it all done? Is there some special energy tonic I could drink or magic beans I should eat that would help me to keep it moving without falling apart near the end?
In all likelihood, there is no such thing as getting it all in, so I am going to settle for 85 percent. I attended the conference. I skipped yoga today but will be in ballet class tomorrow. I am preparing for Saturday's round robin of meetings and rehearsals. I am getting it together to teach this class coming up at the end of the month. A 36-hour trip to NYC is no longer as taxing as it once was. I am getting more fiber in my diet.
Perhaps the key is practice...and a personal staff that includes a driver, an assistant, a stylist, or I could settle for a Star Trek transporter. Whichever comes first.
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Down Time
So I'm at a conference for the weekend and right now at this very moment, I am suffering through my own private Purgatory--unscheduled time. I HATE being idle. Really.
I am sitting here with no laptop; no book, old magazines or even a newspaper; no iPod because I loaned it to the husband; and no one to talk to. And now, the room where I sought solace from the crowded lobby is now filling up with a gang of chatty Cathy college students. I would scream if I knew it wouldn't make me look crazy.
And I just realized why I was surrounded...session starting for a group to which I don't belong. Relocating now. So far this day has been swell.
Actually I mean that. I just figured out how to blog from my phone!
I am sitting here with no laptop; no book, old magazines or even a newspaper; no iPod because I loaned it to the husband; and no one to talk to. And now, the room where I sought solace from the crowded lobby is now filling up with a gang of chatty Cathy college students. I would scream if I knew it wouldn't make me look crazy.
And I just realized why I was surrounded...session starting for a group to which I don't belong. Relocating now. So far this day has been swell.
Actually I mean that. I just figured out how to blog from my phone!
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