Hey girl where ya been?

Hey guys long time no see. Yes, I know I've been M.I.A. It's been a while since I've posted anything other than my podcast and I'll bet you are wondering where the hell I've been. Well let's just say, chile I've been living life taking in the bitter along with the sweet. So much has happened and so much has changed in my life since my last blog post. Let me give you quick recap to catch you up to speed. So, 2018 was a rather pleasant year. I finally got in to a brand new vehicle after six years of driving a 1998 Honda Accord and a 1997 Pontiac Bonneville as my back up car. The transmission went out on the Honda and I wasn't about to invest the money needed to get it fixed. I didn't think it would behoove me to do so being that the car was 20 years old. The Bonnie was having way too many issues as well. Both cars became too expensive to keep so I let them go and upgraded to a 2018 Honda Civic. Another good moment that year was, I finally got the chance to hit up the Essence Music Festival on a nice girls trip. I really enjoyed New Orleans and its culture. The food was great, everything I put in my put in my mouth was delicious. The people were nice and the vibe was right. It was obvious that folks were full of good energy, (and some were full of that good liquor) and just wanted to enjoy themselves.

My love life picked up and was moving and grooving along as well lol. Also, I made connections with new family members who are cousins to me on my paternal side. I connected with them through Ancestry DNA. When you do the Ancestry test they show your DNA matches from all over the world. What was so cool about the connection that I made is the fact that they actually reside in my hometown of Dayton, Ohio. We met and really hit it off, needless to say we keep in touch and hang out to this day. They tell me it feels like they've always known me, I say the feeling is mutual. Now, let' talk about 2019. That year I had some highs and my share of some lows. The start of that year I took two big "L's" in the form of death. There were two in my family two months apart. It seemed like 2019 wasn't playing with nobody when it came to deaths. I mean yeah people die every day but that's not my point. What I'm saying is, never have I ever seen it where damn near everyone I know, even those I don't know, had a death in their family all in the same year. It was just crazy. I did have some really sweet good times by the time summer kicked in, I guess it helped to balance out the bitterness. I took a trip to Miami Florida for my cousin's bachelorette celebration and had a good ole funky time. Miami was just what the doctor ordered baby. That wasn't the first time I had been to Miami but I enjoyed myself as if it were. Then later that year I returned to Florida to celebrate my 40th birthday this time I hit both, Fort Lauderdale and Miami. It was another win. The Floridians were good-to-me. They were excited about my birthday just as I was and every place we went showed us so much love. It was just awesome.

Now fast forward to May of 2020 a shift has taken place and a new normal has settled in across the globe. A global pandemic has been declared and this new way of life is called social distancing. We are advised to isolate ourselves from crowds of people as much as possible and to only leave the house if we absolutely have to. If we are out and around other people, we must keep a proximity of 6ft or more. No social gatherings are permitted so graduations, proms, festivals, and sporting events have been cancelled. The root of all of this is a deadly virus called Corona (COVID-19.) Like everyone else, I am in the house on lock down per the government orders due to this virus. This thing has gripped our nation and it has many of us shook. This virus is snatching people's lives and it's scary as hell. Going out for a walk, a trip to the grocery store, the gas station, or to the Dollar General are the most we are allowed to do at this time and it is highly advised that we go to these places with a mask on. Stores can barely keep toilet tissue, paper towels, certain foods. and sanitizers on their shelves. Some people have been laid off of their jobs and so many businesses are struggling. We have seen some deadly viruses and things of that over the years but we ain't never seen anything quite like this.

I miss outings such as going to the movies, dining out at restaurants, and being able to visit with family and friends. I had even just started a line dancing class that I was excited about. This thing is a matter of life and death so if leisure fun has to be put on hold for a while then so be it. Traveling is not recommended at this time either so people had to cancel trips they had planned. Ladies are wearing press on nails due to social distancing, no hair appointments have been made, my edges looking raggedy as hell lol. Celebrities out here doing all they can to be seen online so they can to stay relevant. We are living life with restrictions and limits but it's actually causing many people to slow down and smell the roses. I think it's making people reevaluate their lives and how they do things. It is also serving as the great equalizer causing each and everyone of us alike to be vulnerable. Rich, poor, young, or old, we are all all on the same playing field. This shit is not discriminating and gives no fucks about anyone's status in life. I have a feeling it's not going away anytime soon but I hope I'm wrong.