Dumb as S**T

Everyone has their S**tlist, but this year's is extra-grand. Here are the people on mine. I keep screaming out loud - that person is D-A-S, so here goes.

10. Britney Spears - I am secretly rooting for her, but her special "On the Record," only to be topped by the foolishness she made with her husband Kevin proves to me that she's truly, in a word - dumb.
09. Rap music. Don't hate - it's gotten bad. With the exception of some Lil' Wayne, nothing has been really solid. C'mon, you know you like "Mrs. Officer" as much as I do.
08.Dictators (Robert Mugabe, Hugo Chavez, etc.) Stop killing your own people, go home, get a job elsewhere - people are dying, and it's your fault.
07.Jesse Jackson - Your time has passed, and the Lord let you live to see it. Please take your rightful place in history, no more open mics, no more tears - watch and learn.
06.Amy Winehouse- Put the crack down. I like your music, but your weekly crack sprints are bringing us all down. Go back to signing - it can't be THAT bad.
05.Eliot Spitzer - Seriously? You were governor of New York, fully anti-corruption, and you lost your office for some tail? Bad Move.
04. You. Stop Speinding Money, start saving. Stop buying stuff you can't afford (trust me, I'm included). Fortunately, you also elected a new president, otherwise you'd be Number 1.
03.Sarah Palin - She set the women's movement back 40 years, AND we share a favorite shoe designer - unfortunate. Described by David Gergen as a "sugar high that falls off very quickly," she really killed it this year. God Bless her.
02. Rod Blagojevich - You are DUMB. I don't want to buy a Senate seat, and even if I did, I know where to go. For your reference, see George Ryan, your immediate predecessor, who is serving jail time.
01. George W. Bush - Yeah, you can dodge a shoe, but I firmly believe that Barney the Scottish Terrier has been running the country, and you've had better things to do. Now, I'm jobless, hopeless, and broke - and not better off than I was 8 years ago. Doin' a heckuva job, Bushie.

The X-Box killed my Christmas. Yup - it sure did. After freaking out about losing/quitting my job, carrying a disproportionate part of my six-person family's stress and after years upon years of taking on the whole bunch's cooking, cleaning, and coordinating - I refused to do it this year. I didn't have the mental space, resources, or desire to mediate all the disputes in a family whose median age is 33.8.

Therefore, we all did as we usually do - tried to escape. The trip from DC to Atlanta was instantly complicated because we had my brother's friend riding with us. Then, the trip was delayed for a day (I needed to chill - last day of work was Friday, still emotional), so brother #3 left with a friend instead. Suffice to say, things have gone from bad to worse. I don't know if it's the latent chauvanism in my male-dominated family or our lack of respect for each other, but there is no middle ground of communication, respect, and agreement. No zone of possible agreement.

While we were preparing dinner, I asked my brothers to turn down, stop playing, find some Christmas music instead of playing "Gears of War." Mind you, they played this game for about 14 hours during Thanksgiving while I slaved in the kitchen and, given our limited time together, it was really a waste of precious hours. After asking continually to turn the game down, I flipped. Please turn it down and put on some Christmas music. I know that all four men heard me when I asked the first five times, and until I scream, no one listens. Not only did that turn the attention from the game, but then I was made to be the crazy one. At 8pm on Christmas Eve, I need some Christmas, chainsaw-wielding, mercenaries are not related to the Baby Jesus, and I'm not flexible on such things. I don't know how else to get through, but I am excited that four of us will be heading to Hilton Head, South Carolina tomorrow for some R&R.

It's much needed. I know your holiday is just as crazy, but you don't want to admit it. It's ok. I won't tell anyone. Your secret holiday hell is safe with me.

It's been a long time coming.

So, I picked up my Essence magazine this month with the beautiful Barack Obama on the cover - The black woman's bible, as it were. And, then I cried. As black people, we have been waiting a long time for change. Now it's here, but what does it mean. My life has changed in that I quit my job (kinda), and I'm concerned about saving money. The economy also shed 500,000 jobs last month. Great. I'm not worried. I was, but after my awesome friends have told me how awesome I am, I feel much better.

I also discovered the virtue of Shopper's Food Warehouse. Don't knock it until you try it. More than anything, I'm trying to find my way in the world. When people ask me what I want to do -I just don't know - give the world a cookie, heal once child at a time. The answer, do good and do well. I'm just not, at this point in my life, going to kill myself. I think that's totally fair. Now, after a year and a half of 10-12-14 hour days, I'm just left with myself. I hope I can put together the broken pieces and move forward. Change - yes, it is coming.

Oh yeah, my old blog- Damsel in DC, is done. But I'm going to be changing this name here soon. Should it be. 1. Afrobabe - 2. Georgia Peach -Fresh. Ripe. Juicy 3. Auctoritas -nah, I'll save that for my consulting business.