Post Food Fest

This Thanksgiving, I didn't eat myself into a coma.  Please congratulate me.

What's more, I actually enjoyed the dressing.  I managed to relax. I made a delicious dessert. I enjoyed the day -- and the company. Somewhere in my recent past, I realized that I don't love roast turkey as much as everyone else does,  so oversleeping and inhaling leftovers in my underwear doesn't happen anymore.  After wandering through The Met to see the latest exhibits and having jasmine tea in the Balcony Lounge, MPB and I ambled home to nosh on world class Mexican food (alhambres!) for dinner and watch a movie on Netflix.

*GASP* Could it be that my "relationship" with food has finally taken a back seat to the rest of my life?  Let's see what develops...

Future Gratitude

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Here's the top ten things I did today that the future me feels truly grateful. (The truth is, I do most of this stuff every day.)

1. I did my morning pages. I don't know why/how that sets everything right creatively but it does.
2. I used exceptional products on my skin, as usual. I've been borderline obsessive about my skin since college and the payoff has been nothing short of immeasurable. More on that later.
3. I used plenty of excellent sunscreen.
4. I used exceptional products on my hair -- an argan oil 7-in-1 leave-in conditioner, to be specific -- which is growing like crazy.  (Gotta love Curlbox.)
5. I gobbled down my daily supplements: biotin, collagen, calcium and a powerhouse 
6. I didn't eat any garbage.
7. I pulled out my guitar and wrote a pretty cool rock and roll song.
8. I had a great consultation with my periodontist. After two years of x-rays, cleanings, implants and bone graftings, Invisalign, here I come! (Finally.)
9. I put in ten miles on my bike. I know that doesn't sound like much but it's way more than the mileage I would have clocked from my couch.
10. I worked on rewrites.

okay, this is more like it...

i understand why this music -- and sly stone in particular -- is so mindblowing, especially now. so many teens and twenty-somethings have absolutely no idea who he is. my cousin still thinks he's that freak that outfreaked everyone at the grammys. when i played this song for her and told her that it's where janet jackson got her song rhythm nation, she actually got interested.

playing an instrument in the wonderful world of r&b isn't as commonplace as it used to be. and neither is songwriting. or singing. or performing without being surrounded by what visually amounts to a mini las vegas floor show. if an r&b act has a band, it's a gimmick, a novelty item. it isn't par for the course. can you really do r&b nowadays if you don't have a stylist?

what are we expecting when we go to see a show? the majesty of rock? the mystery of roll? what is r&b, anyway? is it "urban"? is it hip-hop incognegro? is it black pop music? so many producer-driven hybrids, so little time.

one thing is for sure. unless more of us start taking the time to learn how to play and develop our own ideas, r&b by whatever name you call it will continue to eat itself -- head first.

there is much to be learned from the past, and knowing your rock and roll history as a musician is always a good idea. that's why videos like these matter so much. i love this one -- the feel of it, the way it shows the stage turning and opening up to the audience, what their gear looks like, how enthusiastic everyone is. the band is so in sync with each other, and the music sounds as good as the best of anything that's out right now.

video wednesday!

this is just one big thank you, isn't it?

thankful n' thoughtful

for some strange reason, i'm doing NaBloPoMo this month -- like i'm not busy enough: auditioning hither and yon; working on new songs and other material; scouring the apartment and donating old clothes and whatever else i can get my hands on, for the year-end tax write-off; decluttering for the holidays and the get-togethers that may happen at my place; working out everyday (and seriously thinking about doing a triathlon in february).

this month's theme is thanks. when i had a moment to give this some real thought -- what am i thankful for, anyway? -- this is what immediately came to mind.

1. God's presence in my life
2. God-given favor
   
3. God-given talents
4. my intelligence
   
5. my good health -- physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually
   
6. my permanent boyfriend
7. my family and my friends who are my family and my soon-to-be family
   
8. my place in the south
9. my southern upbringing
10. my ability to make things with my hands and to make things grow

and then there's other stuff:

1. a strong sense of personal style
   
2. the steam room and the sauna at NYSC on 125.
   
3. freakin' FAIRWAY, and all the incredibly delicious stuff in it. (and so nearby...)
   
4. i've lived in the same 2 bedroom apartment in west harlem since 1999. (wow.)
   
5. i can play the guitar now. never thought that would ever happen.
   
6. i've never been arrested/i've never spent the night in a jail/prison/holding cell or hospital.
7. great ideas come to me all the time. i don't have to look for them. they come to me.
   
8. my hair in its natural state
   
9. my permanent boyfriend's appreciation for my natural hair
   
10. and last but not least...those crispy fatty duck rolls from my favorite spot in chinatown. oh, heck. chinese roast duck, period.

i'm sure i'll be writing about more of this stuff in detail. but for now, this is what jumped out at me.