Still going.....

Ever since injuring my shoulder, I have not stepped foot into the gym. Despite losing 5 pounds of muscle, I'm functioning well physically. I do miss challenging my body and chatting with my gym buddies. I don't know exactly when I'll return. Hopefully before the end of the year.

Editing is an exhausting endeavor. Try as I might, I rarely meet my daily quota (30 pages). Unlike reading, editing is an active process. I do not have a life right now. I keep telling myself that the effort will be fruitful. Although this is my third round of editing, I am still making corrections. It's amazing how much the eye can overlook.

How have y'all been? Feel free to leave me updates. Again, Facebook is the easiest way to communicate with me. Be blessed, as always.

I'm still here

It's almost been a month since I last blogged. Since then, I've suffered a minor shoulder injury that has prevented me from doing any upperbody exercises; therefore, I have not been doing ANY exercises. However, the stiff shoulder has been a blessing in disguise. Anyone who reads the blog consistently knows that I have written another novel. Well, I am finishing my second round of editing, which is a SLOW and DELIBERATE process. You literally make eye contact with EVERY WORD. Since intensifying my efforts, I have made tremendous progress; I should be finished by the first week in September. Once the corrections are made, it's off the the good ole Library of Congress.

Therefore, it is unlikely that I will be blogging regularly. However, I am on Facebook daily. Add me as a friend if you'd like to maintain consistent contact with me. I truly hope everyone is doing well.

I'm good

I need another vacation. If my life remains as it is for another two months, I will likely visit my friend in expensive-ass (so I've been told) California. Oh, how I want to see the Pacific, stroll down the Walk of Fame, visit the Castro in San Francisco, and take pictures while holding chocolate-covered, penis-shaped macaroons. It's going to be fabulous.

I am making tremendous progress with my manuscript; it will be a complete Word document by the end of the week. If any of you are writers or plan to write anything longer than 10 pages, please take this little piece of advice: Type as you write. Otherwise, you will end up with over 100 pages (front and back) to transcribe. It was not fun. For those of you who do not generate hard copies of your documents, do what you do. BTW: I'm seriously considering self-publishing.

Let's see. I'll be getting my annual physical this week, and I anticipate receiving stellar results. I'm still going to the gym on a regular basis. There's this one dude who I think is a total cutie. He, like a lot of the gusy, ALWAYS wears his I-Pod. Aside from the usual head-nod and occasional "sup," I don't interact with him at all. I have not invested too much emotional energy because I am certain he is heterosexual. He's nice to glance at (from all angles; thank God for mirrors). My little brother tells me that I'll have more luck if I go to L.A. Fitness or hang out at Atlantic Station. I love "the girls," but I hate restricting myself to gay-only areans.

Manuscript, work, gym, physical. I think that's about it. I put some new tunes on the site for you guys. Oh, does anyone know whatever happened to this young dude named Aaron who used to have a blog titled "Industrial Love"? A few months ago, he left a message on Twitter that stated he was going to kill himself. Although I tried to reach out to him, he never responded. I hope he's ok.

An Evening of NeoSoul

Where do I start? I got to the Tabernacle about an hour before the concert was scheduled to begin. The venue was definitely smaller than I thought it would be. Standing against a pole, I scoped the place out and observed the people in the room. To say that "family" was in the building would be an understatement; we were well represented. The straight folks were in attendance as well. One couple stood right in front of me and just kissed (repeatedly) for no reason. It was cute.

Anthony David did a good job. I had no idea he was from Georgia. Despite not having followed his career, I recognized at least three of the songs he sang, including "Words," "I'm a Good Man," and "Georgia Girl." All of the musicians were on point, including the guitarist, who wore a pair of jeans that had HUGE pieces of material missing; I don't think he was wearing underwear.

Ledisi. That woman is no joke. Dressed in a canary yellow, knee-length, layered, spaghetti-strapped dress (I think I covered everything), she took to the stage and put in work. She is extremely energetic, even while wearing a pair of red high heels. Not believing the crowd was into the performance, she took of her shoes, ventured into the audience, and made folks dance. Of all of the folks in the house, those in the balcony were the least enthused; they just sat there and looked at her. Not one to waste time, she gave the stiff folks the "I ain't got time for you" look and kept it moving.

The woman has a beautiful voice. Additionally, she does not exert a lot of energy or strain to hit the appropriate notes. Unlike some singers, you won't see veins popping out of her neck and forehead. She also does a lot of improvisation and scatting. It was easy for me to see that she was heavily influenced by old-school R&B, gospel, and jazz. Oh, she also did a little preaching. Did y'all know that the song "I Think of You" is about God? I so didn't. However, the lyrics should have been a dead giveaway: Everywhere that I go, every day and every night. I think of you. You're the air that I breathe, you're the love of my life. I think of you."

After two wardrobe changes and a few more songs, it was time to go. I know she's going to be in Dallas next. If you're in the area, GO TO THE SHOW.

Speaking of neosoul, I finally discovered who sings this song I hear on the radio periodically. Enjoy.

"On the Ocean," by K'Jon

Ledisi in Concert

Ledisi will be performing at the Tabernacle (Atlanta, Georgia) on Friday, June 19, 2009 at 8:00 P.M. I personally will be attending. Tickets can be purchased here.

NY Trip: Final Installment

I never visited the World Trade Center. Ever. Perhaps I, as a native New Yorker, always believed that the towers would always be there. Additionally, I never had the confidence to explore the city. In any event, on May 27th, my sister and I rode the E Train all the way to lower Manhattan. Emerging from the subway, we observed that area where the towers once stood was completely fenced off. After following the crowd to an information center, we were directed to the 9-11 Memorial Museum.

For some reason, I was not saddened looking at the artifacts, such as a window from one of the hijacked planes, a steel beam, and the pictures of the missing/lost. The mood was very respectful. The replica of the towers was very nice. Additionally, items -expressing grief/sorrow/solidarity- from all over the world were displayed on the walls. For people who are more sentimental, they have boxes of tissues all over the place. Downstairs, they have an area where people can write messages onto cards. The cards are placed into a box and eventually stored in binders, which are available for review.

When we emerged from the museum, the sun was shinging and the temperature had inceased by about 10 degrees. Hopping back on the E Train, we transferred to the F Train, bought overpriced McDonalds, and ate in Washington Square. From there, we caught the 1 Train and rode to Christopher Street. Having never been to the West Village, I instinctively knew to look for the piers. While I was removing my jacket, this older black man looks at me and said "I know where you're going. Don't worry. They're all down there." As we proceeded down Christopher Street, we stopped at an intersection and saw none other than Mr. Bruce Willis. I kid you not. He was in a black Navigator with tinted windows. The windows were rolled down, of course. All I could say was "Oh, shit, that's Bruce Willis." My sister was as dumbfounded as I was. He just laughed and repeated what I said. The light turned green before I could take a picture.

Aside from me having to check three lesbians for hitting on my sister ("She still got a fat ass"), nothing really interesting happened at the pier. People were jogging, exercising, dancing, and enjoying the day. From what I hear, the area doesn't really start popping until the night. By then, we were on our way to Battery Park.

Determined to catch a close glimpe of Lady Liberty, we rode the 1 Train to its final destination: South Ferry. Hopping on the Staten Island Ferry (which is free), we stood near the open windows and took as many pictures as we could. It was crazy being surrounded by all of that water. After staying in Staten Island for 15 minutes, we returned to Manhattan and rode the trains back to Long Island.

I spent the remaining four days hanging out with my dad and visiting a few family members. I even went back to the fast-food restaurant I worked at when I was in high school. Three of the people who worked with me from 1993-1995 were still there. I even kicked it with the dude who took my best female friend to his prom; he's gay. Before I knew it, it was time for me to head back home. Oh, my favorite cousin, the one I stayed with for two days, had the nerve to call me Saturday morning and say she couldn't get me to the airport. Fortunately, my uncle got me there with plenty of time to spare.

I don't know when I'll return to NY; probably sooner than I expect. My next planned destination is San Francisco. I hope to go in August. Stay tuned.

P.S. I am really feeling this new Raphael Saadiq (sp) song.

"Never Give You Up," by Raphael Saadiq ft. Stevie Wonder and C.J. Hilton

Closer

Y'all already know how I feel about gospel music. In 2004 or 2005, I heard this song while I was on my way to work. I don't remember the station, but this song was the last one they played before going off the air each day. On one particular morning, feeling helpless and certain nothing positive would develop from my existence, I meditated on the song's lyrics and started bawling. Right there on I-285. I didn't care who saw me. By the time I got to work, I was good.

Try as I might, I was never able to determine the song's origin, until today. This, in my opinion, is one of the most powerful gospel songs ever written. Enjoy!

"Closer," by Lamar Campbell ft. Spirit of Praise