It Would Be So Nice...

if all my debts were paid off

if my face remained clear no matter what time of the month it is

if my dream husband showed up at my doorstep in the morning

if I didn't get so worn out in the middle of dance class

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if I could read my Bible like I loved it

if I was more secure in my beliefs

if I could be unwavering in all things

if my physical, spiritual, and emotional selves could merge and finally be one

Now Is My Chance!!!

I am finally moving. I've scoured every apartment search website, the Washington Post, and craigslist listing until I found the right fit for me. Several factors went into my apartment hunt, among them were cost, location, and amenities. It seems to me that in the DC area, you have to be making 6 figures to afford the posh flats in the desirable areas. Obviously, I make just a few thousand dollars shy of that, so I had to broaden my horizons. I'm moving to the 'hood!

I'm renting a condo in PG county which, unfortunately has earned a bad reputation for being low-income and unsafe. This may be true to an extent. However, the only way to improve these characteristics is from the inside. After I got over my bourgie-ness, I've decided to take the plunge. This rental has 2 out of three things on my list. The rent is well within my budget and has new appliances. 

The thing I am most excited about is finally being able to PURCHASE REAL FURNITURE!!! Since living in the dorms, I've had two rentals. In the first one, I slept on a borrowed mattress. In the second one, I slept on a foldaway bed. Now I get to get a real one. I'm renting a studio that is a little over 400 square feet. I am considering this the ultimate design challenge. Over the next few months, I will try to post photos of my new space and how I am making it my own through the use of proper furniture arrangement, color, and texture. I might even use this as a portfolio piece. Be on the lookout!

Gas: Full of Hot Air

All I've been hearing lately in the news, on the radio, from my friends and family, is how bad gas is getting. I've even made a complaint or two concerning the price of my Precious 87. It's been floating around 4 bucks lately. Actually, the past few weeks, I've seen prices tumble about 10 cents, but I'm sure they'll be back up. I was so happy last week when I got gas for $3.87. Never thought I'd be glad about that. I was paying $4.13 a month ago.

Anyway, there is absolutely no point in complaining about gas prices. We still drive our cars. We still mow our lawns. We still order stuff online that needs to be shipped by big trucks. And my goodness, some of us still drive Hummers and Excursions. Gasoline will continue to be pumped to our fueling stations as long as there are people in vehicles that will by that gas. While I'm not an over-zealous, Greenpeace, PETA, tree hugging environmentalist, I do consider myself environmentally conscious. Not because I think the planet is going to melt, but becaus I am a believer in God, and I feel I have a responsibility to be a good steward of the resources we've been blessed with. 

So what exactly is my point?

I don't really have one. I was just thinking about gas today because I forgot to get some last night so I went to work on an orange light so I knew I wouldn't make it back home. This wouldn't normally be a problem. However, in and around this nation's capital, it's not that easy to get to a gas station at 5:00 in the afternoon. I think I burned more fuel trying to find a station.

Dance Dance Revolution

About a week ago, I started dance classes. Not just any dance class, but West African on Tuesdays and Brazilian Samba on Thursdays. It. Is. Awesome.

Dancing has always been a childhood dream of mine, something I wasn't allowed to do because of my strict mother and our even stricter budget. I used to want to be a ballerina, pretty and tall, dancing gracefully at an evening recital in a fluffy pink tutu with my family proudly watching me from the audience and bringing me flowers after the performance. Oh well.

I love Samba. it's so much energy, lots of fun. The instructor broke down all the steps and after a little stumbling, I got it. The West African dance is something I thought I'd be a natural at. Well, I was wrong. The instructor was very talented, but he was also very fast paced. I got the basic steps, but I felt awkward and heavy on my feet. I want to keep at it, but I think I may switch to jazz or maybe modern. Perhaps even ballet? I know I'm older and those tender years where ones body is highly capable of being shaped are gone, but wouldn't it be amazing to spend the next 20 or so years of my life trying to do something I love?

The night after my first class, I cried on the way home. It's not just dancing for the exercise or meeting new people or to relieve my boredom. It was all the years of snuffing out the movement inside my soul. All the years of pretending I didn't want to dance just to please my mom. The feeling was comparable to flying.

I Hate Responsibility

Getting into a car accident is annoying enough, but all the paperwork and crap that comes after is really annoying. I'm sick of getting papers in the mail and having to schedule phone calls and why, WHY did I get billed as overdrawing my bank account in Searcy when I thought I closed it? I'm pissed. One of these days, I will be worry free. Probably not any time soon. I am in the car buying process and pretty soon in the real estate buying process which scares the crap out of me. I want to rent because it's familiar and easy. I want to buy because it's an investment and I get to do what I want. The conundrum is with renting, you don't have to have that much up front, but you pay through the nose per month and in the end, you don't get to keep the property. With buying, you have to pay a lot of cash in the beginning, but the monthly payments aren't as high. I'm torn.

He's not dead because he never died.

Now he is and I don't even care.

Painful House

What is the deal with Tyler Perry's new TV show House of Payne? It comes on Wednesday nights at 9 (8 for you Arkansans) on TBS. I kept seeing all these commercials about it and hearing how funny it was. I wasn't really all that interested in watching it because I think the sitcom as we once  knew it died 10 years ago, but I figured, let's give Tyler a chance. Well, I actually tried to watch it and I was greatly disappointed. I mean majorly. It was not good. Borderline awful. There were a few (I stress few) good lines, but they were so poorly acted, that they got washed out. I don't know where they found these people, but they aren't professional at all. It seems to me that Perry found them at church or something and asked them to be in his new show. They all sound like they're reading cue cards. It's just sad because I kept trying to like the show. I kept trying to laugh, I kept trying to make it work, but it just didn't have the gusto. Shame on Tyler Perry for attempting to diversify his portfolio. Even more shame on TBS for over advertising this waste of a summer time slot.

To make matters worse, they're selling the first volume on DVD.

My heart is full...

It's so nice to make connnections when you think there are none. I met a huge group of Christian singles and hung out with them practically all weekend. I can't describe how blessed I am. It's easy to make friends in college when there is an abundance of people the same age as you and at the same station in life as you. But it's hard when you move to a new town and have to start all over with new people.

Thank you, God for answering my prayers.