Kitchen Kaper

Decided to finally make two new dishes.

Meatless stuffed Spanish style red peppers and steak tostadas with an avocado/tomato/olives/lemon zest topped with feta cheese.

Learning to cook for my future partner and children. However, in the meantime, I am enjoying every delicious moment.

Goodbye 2010 --- Hello 2011!!!

It's that time of year again. A time to re-evaluate the year, re-evaluate where one is in life, it's that time to decide if you are going where you want to be or if you have remained stagnant in your life. Well, this 2010 I have learned a lot. I learned that one can not get over heartache by replacing the pain with another soul. Learned that soul after soul only created patches. Eventually the stitching in the patchwork gives when put to the test. Eventually you must deal with the truth and work through it. This year, I dealt. Finally dealt with it all. I can see how much I have grown from it. I also wanted to get closer to my family. My mom always says how you start the new year is how your year will go. As you can see from the picture, I started my 2010 with my family. I can definitely say that I chilled more with my family this year. Grew closer to people I have always loved. This year I plan to ring in the new year with my family and new someone (very new and a special addition to my life). I also hope that this year those relationships prosper as they did this year. As 2o1o leaves, I also have some things I would like to do in the upcoming year. More volunteering. I want to be more involved. I want to make more of an impact on others that I know. At one point in my life I used to be so OUT. OUT ...Proud... un-Closeted. College was like liberation. I shed many inhibitions and just became myself. Then post-college, I have slipped back into Closet mode. Not that I will deny it, I just don't talk about it now, or I am not as out or open. I want to get back to being open; more like open in the community. Doing positive things for the community as a whole. I see 2011 as a continuation of 2010; a rebirth of sorts. I don't believe in New Year's resolutions. I just see the new year as a continuation; a continuation of my life. What I choose to do with it, is always evolving. I just pray that everyday I move forward and not back.

Happy New Year!

Parody - smiles!

The things that make me smile - enjoy the giggle of my life

Monroe College Graduate - IDIOCY

Ok so I wrote about how individuals need to go to college and receive a college education.  Well, as I stated earlier going to school does not MEAN you are more intelligent from those that did not.  Here's an example of an idiot that went to college and graduated. There is this girl out there that has graduated from Monroe College and is suing her alma mater for 70k (her tuition) and 2k for compensation (72k in total for those not so quick with the math) for not being able to find a job for the past 3 months.  She is upset that with her 2.7 GPA (and perfect attendance) that she can't find a job and that the school didn't help her FIND ONE.  (Check out the link for the full article: http://tinyurl.com/mkduox)

Dear Miss Trina Thompson of Bronx, NY –

First off, I would like to congratulate you for obtaining a degree in IT.  Good job, clap clap, wonderful! Celebrate!  Secondly I would like to ask you WHERE IN YOUR RIGHT MIND DO YOU THINK THE SCHOOL HAS AN OBLIGATION TO MAKE SURE YOU GET A JOB.  Have you NOT been watching the news?  WE ARE IN A RECESSION!!! I believe the unemployment rate is approximately 10% and increasing.  I am not saying I have THE BEST GPA in college, but I also didn't come out thinking that solely my GPA was going to carry me to another job.  Girl, you had a 2.7 GPA.  Not so great actually.  Have you not thought that in this time and day that you need at least a 3.0 or higher plus experience, ie internships?  The school provides resources for you to use for your job search, however they are NOT OBLIGATED to provide you employment.  We are all out here trying to maintain.  How about you get out there like everyone else and keep applying?  No one wants to work at McDonalds or payless as you claim; but please don't think you are ENTITLED to a damn thing in this world.  Everything you receive you need to realize doesn't come without hard work.  So keep looking like the thousands of other people out there.  I had a friend that graduated with a MUCH higher GPA in Mechanical engineering and couldn't find a job post graduation; you know what she did…SHE WENT TO GRAD SCHOOL.  So stop complaining and let go of your bitter lil lawsuit and look at your options.  If all else fails, get a job at payless, McDonalds, who ever will hire you because truthfully ANY money coming in is better than NONE coming in. 

Have a Nice day!

-Gemnye

Education Rant for July 31, 2009

There's this poll going on my friend's page (www.jerzi.wordpress.com) to determine the AG (Stud) of the week. I submitted for the fun of it maybe see what the outcome will be. I am not telling people to vote for me because I do not want to influence the vote; though it may put me at a disadvantage. All in all, I began to read the bios for the individuals and the ages of the other two "competitors." After reading I found that it triggered a chord in my body concerning a topic that bothers me time to time. I have spoken to some of my close friends and co-workers about this and many do agree with me and others just tell me that life path is not meant for everyone. So here is my gripe… How are you 25+ years old (or damn near close to it) and you are still trying to be a "rapper" or you are still trying to "hustle?" How are you 22+ years old and you do not have a college education? I am not even asking for a lot of college education. I mean I wouldn't date you but even an Associate's degree in SOMETHING. I would rather see someone in the 25+ years old having Bachelors in something but let's not get too carried away. So we have two topics here: 1) Still chasing the dream of a teenager, i.e. being a singer/rapper and just "tryna make it" and 2) Lack of Education. DISCLAIMER: I am not discounting your intelligence if you did not pursue a degree past High School. I am just stating a fact. Your education STOPPED at High School. When you fill out an application and it stays to put an X in the spot of your HIGHEST Level of Education, you check High School.Topic 1Why are you still chasing this "I wanna be a rapper/singer?" Do you not realize that in the industry you are already considered OLD? Record labels do not want you because you are not young and marketable. I'm already 27 and don't look it and they wanted to change my "age" to 21 or younger. I have been down that road. I will admit I can sing and at one point I wanted to be a singer; however, I had enough sense to go to school, get a degree and get a real job. So I have done the meetings with different movers and shakers in the industry. But I am one for stability and though the job market isn't THE BEST right now, I would consider my job more stable than trying to "make it." Maybe I am not still stuck on the "dream" because my mother gave me 2 options when I was thinking about college. I said I wanted to go to school for MUSIC!!!! My mother turned and said to me, "if that is the case, you better find a way to pay for it because I am not." So then I went to the NEXT BEST thing, "I want to be an engineer." Her whole reasoning is go for something that is solid so that any hiccups in life I would still have a solid career to plant my feet into and still be able to live and take care of myself. Back to these hustlers and wannabe musicians, look truth is, what are you going to do when you are 40 years old and you are in the SAME place you were when you were 25? By 40 years old, anything you try to do from there (if you decide to FINALLY GET a DAM DEGREE), upon graduation, your counterparts/peers already have a good 15 – 20 years of experience on you in that field. I also understand that NOT all of us are made to do "big" things in our lives. We need all walks of life for this world to "go-round." Someone has to clean the toilets I piss in. I also know that stuff happens in life that is out of one's control; there are many people with degrees that are homeless. I guess it frustrates me to see where I am standing at 27yrs old/female/single, to see that the majority of this lesbian community that I come across is still in this hustla mode. When do you grow up and realize it's time to grow up. Being an adult, in my eye, is more than your possessions it is a mindset and I guess at times I feel like I am standing amongst a lot of children. Topic 2This one will be short- Lack of Education in the community (at least in my experience). It goes back to topic one, but all I am saying is HOW do you just graduate High School and you think it is okay to just not move on to something else. By something else I am referencing community college or a university. Where in your brain did it not connect that High School is the end of schooling. Again I am not staying you are not intelligent. However, if you are so intelligent why didn't you go on to higher learning? Statistics show that getting a degree not only help you out but help out this country. It raises the Education Level of the country. It is your duty as an AMERICAN CITIZEN to help and not hinder the Education Level. Don't tell me you don't have the money – that's what grants and loans are for. I am still paying back my school loans and I will still be paying them until I'm 40 probably. WHO CARES? It's education debt. I gained debt because I wanted to better myself not buy a new pair of sneakers or be the "best" dressed in the neighborhood, etc. Beauty fades as does the ability to keep up with the new trends…but education does not. You can always build upon it. Yes experience takes you far but the one with the experience AND the degree to back up that experience goes even further. And again, I understand the entire world isn't meant for this "life path," however I do think that the bar needs to be raised MUCH higher than what it is.

Trapped!

Oddly enough my last blog was about my friends stuck in an elevator.  Last night, I dreamt I was stuck in one.  It wasn't the most pleasant dream.  It wasn't because I was stuck.  It wasn't because people were freaking out because I was totally alone.  There wasn't call button for help, there was nothing.  The more I think about it, there wasn't even a door.  I just sat there; stuck between the 22nd and 23rd floor.  I decided to research the meaning behind the dream.  I found that a dream of being stuck in an elevator symbolizes that your emotions have gotten out of control. The same is true if you dream about an elevator that is out of order.  What has me more interested in this is that this morning all that has been on my mind is how I am totally emotionally messed up.  It's starting to get difficult to control how feel.  It's not cool when I begin to break down at work.  It's now seeping into my subconscious mind because I don't even notice when I zone out.  Last night my mom asked me if I was crying.  I wasn't.  But in some way I think I was.  I no longer release tears.  Think of it as recycled tears.  I cry backwards.  My eyes will become filled with tears, then the tears flood away but not down my cheeks.  I'm drowning now. 

What Kinda KRAZZIINESS IS THIS?!

Ok. I was out with my friends last night...Had a WONDERFUL TIME!!!

We drank, we danced, we drank some more...jello shots...and open bar...

it was at this place (more like apartments) called THE LOFTS in Philadelphia.
I didn't get the photos of the people with body paint...I wasn't really all that concerned...

Finally I got out of the house and had a chance to hang out with my friends. Once I knew of the company I would be with...the night had easily given way to the possibility of being a night I wouldn't forget...either drama would ensue or memories would be created... there was no drama...but the memory of THIS night will live on forever... THIS HAS NEVER been something i had to experience...or knew would ACTUALLY HAPPEN... the universe wanted to play ...and last night was the night...

it was approximately 3am... and the party was dying down...

We were all ready to leave (more like 2 other people were really ready...but Jai and Day were preoccupied with their own musings).... and we were all walking to the elevator and I got slightly distracted... 2 of the four people i was walking with disappeared. So I went to find Carmen. After a few moments with Carmen and Steph, we began walking toward the elevator to leave the building. At this point, I really started to wonder where my other friends were.

As we get closer to the elevators, I hear mumbling in the elevator. I knock on the door and hear Jai screaming in the elevator, banging on the door and more screaming and a hint of giggling. Then there came the buzzing... they couldn't find the help button and all you could hear was the ringing in the elevator. Although it was only about a 15 min ordeal.

its ok carmen and steph...i cant believe it either....

here's a few photos of the before moments....Poor Carmen and Steph! We were so upset they were stuck...just thinking how does this happen. Few guys were walking out saying mayn that must really suck. Who gets stuck in an elevator? We all looked at each other and were like in one glance... our friends! :-)

Then FINALLY help came to our friends desperate cries for help. Panic attacks consumed one person in the elevator...

and poor Brit...tired and ready to go.... had her head wrapped up and was only thinking ...WHAT .... THE.... FUCK... And they still have to drive another hr to get home...

Luckily...as you will see below, no one was hurt in this ordeal....and we have video to really capture the moment...

VIDEO OF THE AFTERMATH!!!