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I have decided that I need to get more exercise. I can’t do anything TOO strenuous, but light walking is not going to help me with my weight, because it doesn’t burn enough calories. So, I did a little digging into what activities burned a lot of calories in a small amount of time. To my surprise, roller skating is one of the highest calorie burning activities, with a forty-five minute session burning over 1,000 calories!

I used to roller skate my behind off when I was a kid. That was the thing to do in my hometown in the 80s, especially on the weekends. So, I have plenty of skating experience, and I know that leisure skating on a smooth surface is as easy as taking a walk. Except in this case, it burns more calories. So, I decided to buy a pair of skates and find some places to put them to use. I’ve learned a few things over the last couple of hours:

1. Roller skates cost more than I thought. Especially a good pair. But, there are ways to save $$. Hello, eBay.

2. Different wheels are required for rink skating and outdoor skating. (That explains a lot of childhood falls, lol)

3. Wheels are interchangeable (and inexpensive), so you can do both types of skating using the same pair of skate boots.

4. There are such things as skate clubs and skate marathons. Marathons?! Who knew?

There are different kinds of skates available now. We all know about inline skates (aka rollerblades). But, then there are quadlines, off roads, and LandRollers. Wow. I’m going for a regular, inexpensive pair of skates (called “quads”) and adding some outdoor wheels and call it a day. This is cheaper than buying a pair of skates that are marketed as being outdoor skates and therefore are more expensive because they are “specialty” skates. :rolleyes:

Needy MEN irritate me. I try to be understanding, but it’s really hard. I’ve been through A LOT. By the time I turned 18, I’d been through more than many adults. I’ve been out here fending for myself since high school graduation and I didn’t have anybody’s shoulder to cry on. I didn’t have anybody to tell me it was going to be okay and to encourage me. If I didn’t keep a roof over my own head, I had none. Nobody protected me. I had to be all of those things for myself. And, I managed to do it without resorting to drugs or ever going to jail. I never sold my body, and even though I was betrayed many times, I still can forgive easily and I still have love and tenderness in my heart (I’m just more guarded). I had a lot of junk to clean out of my mental trunk, and I’m a totally better person because I didn’t run away from the hard work it took to do it. And somehow during it all, I managed to graduate from college with a bachelor of science degree. I had two choices presented to me early in my life: sink or swim. So, I swam (sometimes it was doggie paddle, lol).

So, I really don’t have patience for needy, whiny, clingy men. Men were first in line to try to take advantage of my vulnerability. Yet, even with all of that, I still tried to hang in there for my brothers. But, I’m getting the short end of the stick because what used to be right is now wrong, and what used to be wrong is now what’s sought after. Before I got sick I used to be thin, and I didn’t have any better luck. I got more attention, but it was the wrong kind of attention. I didn’t dress provocatively, and I didn’t hang out in clubs or around other questionable women. But, 90% of the time when a brother approached me, it was to proposition me or an attempt to seduce me. So, being thin and having a nice figure is not a guarantee of getting a man.

So all this talk about if women were “fit” and et cetera is just word play. I’ve always been athletic (I earned letters in 2 sports in high school) and I was in the Navy for crying out loud. I know what fit is, and when I was fit I was hit on for sexual purposes, and then cursed out, followed and threatened, when I politely refused the advances. So, I’m not buying that “fit” excuse. A brotha is really going to have to come very correct and have his ish together – in all areas of his life (and that does not mean be loaded with money) – to get me to turn my head and consider rearranging my life and priorities, at this point. Hell, if I’m tougher and stronger than him, and he’s supposed to be my leader and protector, then really – what can that man do for me?

I think overcoming a “hard knock life” has ruined me. I’m tired now, and I don’t have anything left. So, now that I’m finally in a good place in my life and I’m comfortable where I am, I’m not inclined to do too much to find, accommodate or keep a man. Let me just tell the truth and shame the devil. It’s going to take one hell of a man to make me be willing to step aside for him to lead, because if the best he can do for me is maintain the status quo I already have established, what would be the point? He would get all the benefits of having a wife and I would get what?

This is dedicated to everyone missing their mothers.

Today was warm, but not uncomfortably so. It was a good day to go outside and be active, and that’s exactly what I did. Now, I’m not supposed to be in the sun unprotected, and I might pay for it in the next few days, but today was just too right to be sitting “all up and through” the house, LOL. So, I slathered on SPF 60 sunblock on skin that wasn’t covered (including my face), grabbed a Powerade and my camera and hit the bricks.

I took almost 250 pictures and didn’t even leave my neighborhood. I went to two places, Pioneer Park and Park of the Canals. Pioneer Park is a tribute to the Mormon pioneers who founded Mesa in, I think, 1878. It’s located across the street from the LDS Visitor’s Center and the Arizona temple of the LDS church. I took a lot of pictures of the different colored flowers and roses in the small botanical garden they had. I’m going to go back and actually take pictures of the temple grounds and architecture; I’d have done it today but I wasn’t sure it was allowed, and I just found out that it is. So, standby for those.

In the Park of the Canals, there is also a botanical garden, but it’s 100% desert plants and flowers. Don’t let that fool ya though, because some of those plants had beautiful colors – who knew cactus came in colors besides green?

Don’t forget to check out my photoblog for more pics.

Update: I started a photoblog to showcase the pics I take. So, I took the pics down that I had in this post, because they’re now in their own home, properly displayed.

My birthday was Friday, May 2nd. I treated myself to a digital camera. I bought it Saturday night and got to play with it after church Sunday. There was a Greek festival held at the town lake in Tempe and I thought I’d get some good pics, so I grabbed my neighbor and we hit the street. That festival was so LAME that I didn’t take any pics inside (and I understand why admission was only $2). Got several good ones outside of the festival area, though.

Here’s a pic of my camera.

U.S. among most Bible-literate nations: poll

Non-Christians just need to accept it and stop trying to force their
religions down our throats. We’re the majority, yet we turn ourselves
into human pretzels trying to accommodate other religions. It bugs me
because I know we wouldn’t be accommodated if it were the other way
around.

Last night, I found out a friend of mine from Atlanta has been doing the dang thing with his music. I knew Kenny could sing (we were in the church choir together), but I didn’t know he could bring it like THIS. I am so proud of him because not only does he have an enormous talent, but he’s one of the kindest, sweetest people I’ve ever met.

Dang, I remember when neither one of us had a pot to _____ in or a window to throw it out of just 2 years ago. Y’all, I’m telling you, it pays to serve God!!

So, without further ado, I present to you Ken J. singing his cut Beautiful {crazy applause}. You can buy his latest CD here and also listen to clips. You can also visit his MySpace page if you’re feeling him.

Clinton won support from 2 out of 3 white voters without college degrees and around the same number of white voters from families making less than $50K a year.

Nobody hates a well off black person more than a poor white one. Best believe.

I love breakfast. It doesn’t matter what time of the day or night it is, I will eat me some breakfast. Today, I’m going to have breakfast for Sunday brunch. On the menu is something I don’t think I’ve had, together, in the 15 months I’ve been living in Arizona: scrambled salmon, grits, cheese eggs, and homemade biscuits. (I didn’t bake any biscuits, but I did the next best thing… bought them unbaked and frozen from the grocery store. They really do bake up, and taste, like you made them yourself, a few minutes ago.)

At any rate, I’m in for some good eating today. Over the lips and past the gums, lookout stomach cuz here it comes! LOL!