Testing?

I've gotten a bunch of emails saying that my blog was all jumbled - too tiny text on top of overlapping text and pictures, and no way to comment. Let's see what happens with this post....

Hi Sassy.

Puerto Rico, Yo! First Installment...

So, Supa does Puerto Rico, yo!

I mean, Ya Girl been making moves: After the Black Writer's conference in Dallas (updates still coming) , I touched back down in Floss Angeles for a hot hot (heat wave hot) minute, then three days lata I'm throwin' tropical-and-bikini gear into that hot pink suitcase, preparing to catch the red-eye to PR! Like that.

The Supa Crew was leavin' loving hateration messages on her cellie voicemail 'n shit: Oh so you big ballin and jet settin' and 'aint got no time for us field negras no mo and Make sure you bring your fast ass home, don't become no Puerto Rican ho, and Trick be on your best 'cause we 'aint got bail money and Fuck you girl have a wonderful time! Shit like that. They crazy.

Next: Six hour flight. Yikes. But am sooo very happy to report that I sat next to the cutest little 10 year old Puerto Rican kid traveling all by his lonesome - he spoke no english and took his lil' ass to sleep straight away. Lovely. Ya'll know Supa's had enough of the in-flight Baby Terrorism lately. Lawd. The flight was cool though, Supa popped a sleeping pill and thankfully everyone kept their lights off. Don't you hate people who try to READ on red-eye flights? It's two o'clock in the a.m., bitch go to SLEEP.

Random thought: Who hates it when flight attendants wake you up just to ask you if you'd like a beverage? Anyone? Supa does. I mean, that's some real foul shit right there. Like, you see me, knocked out, with the blanket pulled allll the way over my head; how I look thirsty to you? Ignorance, I tell ya.

So. Touch down in Puerto Rico 'round 9 a.m., good and ready to do the damn thang! I just love islands. They have a different energy, I think. Something about not being connected to the mainland just makes you feel differently free. The air is different. Easy vibe. Or maybe Supa just likes to feel new earth under her feet, not sure. Pick one. Don't matta. It's all good.

Okay yeah. Something Special is on point and scoops Supa from the airport, and the adventure (cough cough) begins. Now, remember this map, boys and girls....it shall play a vital role very shortly. But we'll come back to that....


Ocean view from the balcony. Yep. Pretty balla.

Okay, so did Supa even mention that she was there for a wedding? Yeah! And it was a traditional Indian (Hindu) ceremony, which made for a very interesting and unique experience for yours truly. And you know, like these "ceremonies" go on for three straight days and nights, right? I'd heard that before - and Supa now knows it's for real. Like, for real for real. Straight Monsoon Wedding up in that piece. A beautiful thing to witness; with the elaborate setting, beautiful black people (they're brown, but you know..) in traditional Indian dress, ancient rituals taking place, etc.



Supa, watching. Didn't want to be rude, so I just snapped a picture of my pretty sandals and toes.... see? (ha ha)

Shot of my lil' outfit...I'm lookin' slightly cross-eyed, but the dress is cute.... (Note to self: Empire cut dresses make you look slightly pregnant. Heaven forbid.)

After the pre-wedding ceremony was complete, folks started mixin' and chattin', the food came out and the drinks and good times started flowin'. And like a damn script, (sigh) eventually a Something New makes his way over and starts grinnin' all up in a sistas face....one of those aging, hippy-ass white boys. You know the type...probably did a few sit-ins back in the 60's, lived in a commune and smoked hella "grass."... He was ai'ight, but had that sleazy ass grin, like you don't know if he's trynta talk intelligently with you, or peek down your fucking dress...

Dude was harmless, though. And since Supa was on vacay and feelin' lovely, she didn't revoke the charm and put a complete storm on him, but because old boy's wife was somewhere lingering, she just wanted him to back up offa her just a little...I 'aint come to Puerto Rico get accused of man stealing....lol.

to be continued!!!

Puerto Rico: Muy Slow.....

So it's kinda like this...Supa's been having technical issues while in decompression mode - laptop actin' up and Treo woes - which means I don't have access to ALL the purty pictures...

But check it: Gimme a sec to get my supa powers workin' at optimal speed, and by tomorrow the first installment should be ready to drop!

Meanwhile....doesn't everythang look divine....?


(pon de road)

(my view while chillaxin on the beach)

(workin' on tha bronze-ness)
In a minute, Blogger Fam!

Supa on Flics: Miami Vice

Yeah, I know - Puerto Rico details to come!

Quick interjection: Supa peeped Miami Vice this weekend.

Supa was sooo looking forward to this flic. For the usual reasons: She's an 80's child. Loved the original Miami Vice series. And she gets orgasmic anytime director Michael Mann works his magic on the big screen. Like, Heat and Collateral are among her top ten favorite movies list. So yeah. Supa was hella excited. And guess what.

I hated it. (hated it!) Big fucking yawner. Mediocre acting, implausible storyline, deficient back story and character development, uhhh, in layman's terms, the shit was craptastic. And it had nothing to do with the theater being so packed that we had to sit in the second row and could only concentrate on one area of the screen at a time. No. Wasn't it. It was just boring. And the suspension of belief was just too much to ask. I mean, who jumps on a yacht in Miami and zips off to Cuba simply to have a mojito and dance at da club? Okay, that's a helluva balla move, but whatever. Just no. Michael Mann, you owe Supa big time.

That is all. Carry on.

PR exploits on the way!!!

(Kinda) Back, bitches!

So, Supa's back!!! Well, kind of.....

Her supa tanned azz is back stateside, (barely. stayed an extra day) but her mind and soul are still in Puerto Rico.....



Ooh wee. After a delightful vacay, Supa generally needs 24 to 36 hours to decompress, sleep, tend to mosquito bites, reconnect with the Ruff Ryders, and flush all the generous amounts alcohol out of her system. Yesss...

Hope all is well in your worlds, Blogger Fam! Details (and disclosures?) to come...

Adios, amigos...

Supa: On the Verge of a Vacation....

If I can go

contigo
I'll pack my things
soon as you say
Baby vamos
we'll fly away
like there is no
no tomorrow..

So, check it: Supa been runnin’ lately, right? Supa's been stressin' a bit, needin’ a break, a breather, some relaxation, right?

A lil’ vacay, right?

On account of being drained from the dreaded Routine and all the pathiggas in her midst, right? Supa deserves a lil’ funnin’ and sunnin’ and who-knows-what-else’n on a beautiful Caribbean island, right?

So, yo: Supa bout to take her chocolattahazz and be grown-and-sexy for a minute on the beautiful isle of Puerto Rico, so she can slip into some fabulous summatime wear (see above) and sink her pedicured toes into the sand and forget all her troubles while working on her tan and sippin' a strong umbrella drink, right?

(Say it with me…"right"…)

And who knows what kind of rithickulousness Supa’s bound to get into…, right?

Right.

Adios! I’ll be back, bitches……Smooches!

(Meanwhile, take the poll)

Conference Updates....

Tia, Theresa, and Pam: Workin' that conference, yo!

.....are coming!!! Really ya'll, promise. But trust, the workshops were fab, and a great time was had by all. We celebrated Tia's birthday in true diva-licious fashion!

Supa's just been a-runnin' 'round, trynta get thangs in order! Kid-stuff, book-stuff, house-stuff, (yadda yadda), and still trying to maintain in all this heat! Cali is on fire! (in more ways than one)

Click here for some party pics

Catch up with ya in a minute, Blogger Fam!

Dallas Bound...

Supa is...on the move. Headed to the Writer's Conference (and Dallas heat. Lawd..) Updates to come..

Updates:

Okay, so ya girl made it to Dallas and is currently baking in this slavery heat. (high: 104 today). Arrived around 8:30 pm last night, in just enough time to mingle at the reception and then head off to the bar - where writers always end up. Ya'll know that right. Good times! More on that lata. Anyway, TiaStyle is handling her conference biz, and it's set to be an informative, enlightening weekend. Check out the workshop schedule. From "How to Secure an Agent" to "Copyrights" to "Screenplay Basics" to "Marketing and Promotion" - all the information is here, yo. In addition to fellowshipping with other writers - the networking opportunity is priceless.

Now. Lemme say this. I was so tired upon arrival, because once again, Supa was the victim of Baby Terrorism. You heard me. Meaning I was positioned between two screaming ass kids during the entire flight. I knew they were trouble when they sat down. Look.


See that little one? She cried the entire muthafuckin' time. THE ENTIRE TIME. And she wasn't just a "waa waaa" baby - she was a halfway talking baby, so the shit sounded like this for three fuckin' hours: "Waaaaa waaaa mommeeeeee i wannna bllmmbblinlgggg waaaaa waaaa cannn I have a pleeeasseeee noooooooo bblllblbbbbb waaaaaa waaaaaaaaa"

The mother would look around at us - all the other passengers who were staring at her - with the "what can I do?" expression on her face.

Bitch, please. Either comfort or threaten. Comfort or threaten.

Make a decision.

Give that damn kid a bottle, a nipple, a hug, a binkie, a snack, a near overdose portion of baby Tylenol, a piece of candy, a chicken wing, something. Or mad dog that lil' fool and tell her you'll knock her teeth out and eat them if she does NOT stfu. (Any/all of these always worked for me.) DO not just sit there and torture the rest of us. I swear that heiffer sat there and flipped through a magazine. ....

On a more positive note - hats off to Frontier Airlines! After being repeatedly traumatized by Janky Southwest, I felt like a formerly abused child now placed in a loving home...why with the personal in seat monitors and HELPFUL and attentive flight attendants and staff, I gotta say the experience was refreshing.

Anyway! It's Saturday, and the conference is off to a great start, and I just moderated my first session: Evelyn Palfrey's "Managing Your Booksigning." Very informative, because she hipped us to some traditional and guerilla tactics as far as promoting and marketing.

And wait - how cool is this: As I walked into the conference room this morning, my eye caught view of a sista and something she had in her hand - it was my book! She'd brought it with her on the chance I'd be there, so she could have me sign it. That made me feel really good. Wow.

So. Headed off to the Town Hall Luncheon: How African-American Authors Can Help Combat the Young Black Male Crisis Through Literature.

Workshops end at five, then the dinner reception, then the after hours party - Tia's Birthday Celebration at Club Che'. Lawd, the foolishness...

Will report back! Have a great weekend!

Countdown to The Remix!!

And here it is. LAWD!!! I'm giving thanks. Publisher says barring anything major, the book should drop first week of August. If you want signed copies, lemme know!!!! Yay!

I'm conference bound! Will give you updates from Dallas.

Peace and Love, Blogger Fam!

Supa Spotlight: Chillin' With GBaby

So there's this real fly chick, right? Sooo talented, with a gracious spirit, and deserving of some love. Trust! Her name is Sylvia Rundles, and she's an artist, painter, and founder of Gbaby Fashions. Supa came across her work about three years ago, while strolling Leimert Park, when she spotted Ms. Sylvia at a booth and hand painting the image of a beautiful black sista on a fly denim hobo bag. Simply fabulous! (And sistas, we know how difficult it is to find bags, Tshirts, business card holders, stationary, etc. with Nubian representation plastered all over it, right? Right.

Search no more.

Well - Fast forward a few years, and Gbaby now has her own fabulous boutique. Supa be posted up and chillaxin' there on the regular. And as a result of coasting through and shopping my azz off after yoga on Saturdays, Ms. Gbaby and I have formed a cool ass fellow artist sistafied type bond. Few months back, when I asked her if she would be willing to design my new book cover she said: "Girl, I thought you'd never ask!"

So. During these hot Cali summers, Ms. Gbaby holds a First Friday's event at her gallery, where folks can come shop, nibble, drink, enjoy the Live DJ, and be blessed with good positive vibes. It's also an opportunity for the local painters, artists, writers, etc. to fellowship and support one another..and oh yeah, yours truly will be doing a Passion, Pride, and Politickin' re-release reading there next month! So all you local peeps - be sure to come on out, enjoy the haps, and support ya girl!

Now, on to the goodies!!!

Welcome to Gbaby Art Gallery...

Sylvia aka "Gbaby" greeting me and Auntie

The Gallery on this month's First Friday event

Some of her fly shit (peep the bags, ladies..)

Supa, modeling a necklace
Tshirts I copped!! (Supa's a Tee fanatic.)

Hope ya'll enjoyed a lil' taste of Gbaby Artwear!!

Go here for more info, and to browse her goods. Shout out to Giovonnie - Sylvia's daughter who is a designer as well!

Gbaby Art Gallery
5428 Crenshaw Blvd.Los Angeles, CA 90043
323.296.0959

Oooh Chile...

Things are gonna get easier...ooh chile, things'll be brighter...

So okay. Yesterday Supa was in major need of some love & support and went to go chill and try to crack the meaning of life with one of her Supa Friends, and while munching on her veggie fried rice and sippin' some Riesling - Supa opened her fortune cookie and it said "Everything will now come your way."....

And this was after I'd already cried the night before and gotten all puffy eyed and snotty and had a good talk with Something Special. After I'd gotten on my knees and brought myself down before God and the Goddesses to please help me with this shit that weighs so heavy on my heart...after I did some release journaling....

....after I got up the next morning and made an emergency phone call to have my cleaning lady come over and help me get this household in order. Yyes, I helped her AND paid her!! (Note: a wise Supa Sister know when to ask for HELP!!!!)

...this was after I fed and gave the RR#'s hugs and explanations that Ms. Mom loves ya'll to infinity, but sometimes (often. reguarly.) just needs some time to herself (I was on closed door mode the most of Sunday eve.).....this was after I got a slew of supportive phone calls and emails from the people in my life who know I'm going through some shit and yet love my crazy, ranting, often hard-headed ass regardless.

So. That little stupid fortune cookie might know a lil' something...

Anyway. Feelin' a tad lighter. Now, Supa's on full decompress mode and just gearing up for the Black Writer's Reunion and Conference being held in Dallas come Friday. (So many worthwhile workshops and speakers - peep the link) I'm gettin' my mind right, dusting off my pitch ideas, organizing my promo material...and of course, working out my outfit selections. (Tia said she gonna show us how to party and parlay in her city...) I'll be blogging in real time from Dallas, so stay tuned.

Some day, yeah / We'll put it together and we'll get it all done / Some day when your head is much lighter / Some day, yeah / We'll walk in the rays of a beautiful sun / Some day when the world is much brighter ~ The Five Stairsteps (makes me wanna go watch Boyz in the Hood..)


Be well, Blogger Fam! As always - thanks for the encouragement.

Creative Mourning & Other Life Shit...

Finishing a book is like taking a small child out in the backyard...and shooting it.
~ Truman Capote

Needless to say, I've been in a strange sort of mood lately...no doubt directly related to the send off of my final book proof. (Yay? I always get a lil' screwy in the head after releasing a writing project...)

But, man... I've had this anxious, wacky kind of energy...kind that has me wandering into the backyard to have clandestine bong out sessions at midnight (read: smokes de marijuana); kind of mood that has me near breakdown tears while scanning the Net and I can't locate the quote I'm looking for fast enough...(finally found it - see above). I'm having crazy ass vivid dreams....been anti-social (uhh, more than usual)........been watching writing-related movies like Sideways and The Hours and crying like a big ass baby......been waxing melancholy on the days when Clinton was Prez, hip-hop was worth a damn, and the biggest decision I had to make was what I was gon' cop off the ice cream truck.

Lawd. Supa's got a case of the weeps!! Or some sort of summertime, heat-induced existential crisis. Hell, maybe she just needs some a this. I'm gonna bet on all.

And, otha day, I got a call from the Victim's Advocate assigned to keep us informed about my sister's murder case. When I saw her number, I picked up the phone and simply asked: "Is he dead yet?" I was hoping to get some delicious news about a brutal prison rape and subsequent fatal shanking. But no. The news was nothing like that, and I won't even get into it. But the fact that three years lata and I still have waking nightmares and explicit revenge fantasies on this dude, it reminds me of the healing that is still very much "in process." Still seems like some impossible shit to me.

So.

I've had some time off work ya'll, and believe me, seems with all the catch-up I've been doing (long over due phone calls, doctor's appointments, kid's activities, car repairs & other issues, going through my pile of always accumulating mail, checking in with friends I haven't been able to sit down and have a decent conversation with in months, etc) - it just hit me: How the fuck did I ever do all this while working 8 hours a day? I mean, shit, man. That's a scary thought. So many roles. So little time. Need to do like Brand Nubian and Slow Down.

Because really, it's an impossible life, yo. Always rushing, multi-tasking, emailing, squeezing the shit out that thing we call time - trying to hold it down in the corporate world and still attempt some kind of quality life at home. Plus, for extra kicks, if you're blessed with ovaries - (and you happen to be a mother) - you've got about fifty other roles to add on to alla that - chauffeur, cook, maid, question answerer, problem-solver, personal assistant, mind-reader, ego-stroker, yeah. you. get. the. point.

Duh. No wonder we're all wound up and crazy and angry and anxiety-ridden and pissed and disappointed and road raged. Shit, when do we have time to stop - breathe - reflect - dream - be - catch a quiet moment? Don't know about ya'll, but I'm finito with making my "TO DO" list equal "MY LIFE". Fuck all that. Did it really take losing my mommy, sister, and friend to stumble upon this epiphanomenality? Sadly - yes.

So, hey. I'm yellin' uncle. Supa's in the midst of striving toward a healthier..more balanced...less hectic...more fulfilling lifestyle.... Everyday. Not just on the weekends. Or on vacation (which I desperately need), or whateva. Gotta be more present in my life, and my loved ones lives. Gotta be more disciplined with my next project. Gotta write more fearlessly. Release the lioness; tap into that wild woman gene the world tries to beat out of you. ("Ms. Celie, I knows what it like to wanna sing..and have it beat out of you" ~Sophia, Color Purple. lol. "Alls my life I hads to fight!")

Gotta remember my little-girl dreams and do it Big Girl style...I mean, just peep that photo up there..(no crackin' on my shirt, the shits was hella fly back then)...see that thick-haired gal with the fire in her eyes? I'ma start checkin' in with her more, on the regular. Got a feeling she could clue Supa in on some real shit...

"You sit here for days saying 'this is strange business'..You're the strange business. You have the energy of the sun in you, but you keep knotting it up at the base of your spine...You're some wierd kind of gold that wants to stay melted in the furnace, so you won't have to become coins."
~ Rufi

At any rate, Blogger Fam - hope ya weekend was cool. 'Bout to go bong out and finish being weepy...'cuz Supa got some otha raw funny shit to share, and 'aint no weepiness needed for alla that.

Until then!

Supa, out...

Update: Tomorrow's the full moon. Ohhhh, no fucking wonder!!!

Weekend Wrap-Up: A Photoblog...

Wass gwaan, Blogger Fam?! Yes, Supa knows she's been M.I.A. fo' a quick minute...miss me, bitches? Awww, Supa loves you too!! As Tam pointed out, Mecury is in retrograde (and Gemini's get it the worst...) so shits been kinda haywire in Supa's world...nothing traumatic, just the general snafus with trying to juggle creative stuff, the household, them kids, a social life, then the holiday (4th of a Lie), keeping track of my Hansen's, etc! PLUS, it's been HELLA hot out here in Cali. Like, straight up rithickulously hot. A sista been drained....

So! Last weekend, in the effort to flee the hot ass 'hood, Supa and her girls (RR#2 and The Pooch) escaped to the cooling breezes of the Pacific...

Sidewalk cafe'-ing, Supa's favorite.. (feet kicked up with a frozen margarita by my side...)
The Pooch waiting for some food to drop...(yes, we can have our doggies, as long as they sit outside...this is Cali, after all.)

Chillin' & people watchin'.... Peep the Save the South Central Farm protest...yes, there is/was a farm where citizens could establish a plot and grow their own food, in the 'hood of South Central Los Angeles, one of the community "efforts" established after the '92 Riots (learn more about the farm here.)

Always remember - Clowns are evil.
You can take the Pooch off the street...but she'd still rather sit in the dirt and bushes, even while rockin' her cute little pink sundress...
The Pooch, getting all the attention.....


My two little girls!
Wo' out after a day at the beach....
A beautiful sunny hot ass Cali day...
Went home to chill with a mojito and the hammock!

And oh yeah - Supa kinda went shopping. Totally unplanned! (ya'll believe me?) Got drawn into a little boutique, and HAD to cop this bag! Burnt orange calfskin leather (feels like butta!) - the shit is supa fly!!! Mwabi - this is my substitute for the otha bag we were fiending over. (for now)

Supa, out! (bout to check in on all ya'll's foolishness)

Summer Daze...

So Supa and the Ruff Ryders are chillin' out at the pad, straight raggamuffin style, sippin' homemade lemonade in front of the fan, watching the 72 hour Twilight Zone marathon. (Shout out to my girl P!) And yeah. It's hot...


Hope ya weekend was all that, Blogger Fam. Supa loves these lazy summer dayz...Weekend wrap-up to come....