I'm Mrs. Extra Extra This Just In

Ever since I was young, I have always loved to talk and have people listen to me. I love to talk about myself (I know that seems a bit vain but it's true): my experiences, my future plans and dreams, my fears, my family, my loves and hates, and my hopes. I am a master with words and expressing myself. I can do anything from speaking in front of people and giving presentations to blogging online and writing short stories. I even gave a speech at my high school graduation. I love being able to communicate my thoughts and feelings with others. Yeah, I'm a journalist and a reporter. Ireport and write about issues close to my heart and that affect me. I talk about what I love. I am so thankful for this gift that God has blessed me with. I have the gift of gab and the stage presence to back it up. I wrote this blog because sometimes we tend to get so caught up in what we don't have or wish we did have, that we totally forget about all the beautiful gifts and talents God has put within each one of us. ENVY NO ONE because you have something about you that is unique; so take that thing and nuture it, build upon it, and use it to show everyone how amazing it is to be you.

Like What

Okay so in my about me and profile I list all the things I love and enjoy, but I don't talk too much about my pet peeves; I do mention I hate racism though. Racism is more of a hatred than just a pet peeve or vexation, do to some very bad past experiences. Anyway, I am going to dedicate this blog to the rest of the stuff I find annoying =-)

1.) I find it so aggravating to be told I look like someone else.
Reason: I don't look like anyone other than Gabrielle....which is who I am supposed to look like. I remember once someone told me that I looked like Star Jones.... Now, I have nothing against Ms. Jones, but c'mon, the lady is like 50 and I don't look ANYTHING like her. Someone else once told me I looked like Gabrielle Union (I think they just said that because we share the same name because I saw no resemblance between us) which wasn't so bad, but I just hate being told I look like other people period. I am an original so I look like only me. So unless you are telling me I resemble one of my parents, (which is understandable since I came from them) keep it to yourself.

2.) I don't like to go grocery shopping (love to eat but not shop for the food).
Reason: It sucks out loud to have to go into a freezing cold grocery store (it always feels like 20 below in the grocery store and always smells like celery), fight crowds, squeeze past people down the aisles with your cart (the aisles never seem wide enough do they?), and then you have to stand in a long line to check out (unless you're shopping in Walmart Supercentre at 3am, which I have done before and there were no long lines...not surprisingly). They never seem to have enough lanes open...and the other employees will see that another line needs to be opened but instead will just walk right by and pretend like everything is fine. That always leaves me fuming. Then inevitably, you get home and realize you've still forgotten to get something...

3.) I don't care for going to the dentist.
Reason: I go to the dentist every 6 months to get my teeth cleaned as recommended by the ADA, but the smells and sounds (and not to mention the taste of the tools and stuff they use in my mouth) completely nauseate me.

4.) Bra Shopping is so annoying.
Reason: It takes a whole damn day going from store to store, trying on all different cuts and sizes of bras just to find that one that 'almost' fits perfectly.

5.) I always want to bitch slap rude, really arrogant, and fake lying ass people.
Reason: Self-explanatory.

6.) It really annoys me when a d.j. on the radio talks over a song I am trying to listen to.
Reason: They get paid to play the music that people want to hear, not talk over the beginning or the almost end of a song. When I listen to a song I want to hear ALL of it, not just the parts you (the d.j.) feel are the most important.

7.) It really bugs me when the light turns yellow and I speed up to try to beat the red light, but the asshole in front me stops when we both could have easily made the light.
Reason: Because I don't like it when people don't know how to drive. If the light just turned yellow and you're less than 5 yards from it then you can keep going....asshole.

8.) It really bothers me when people who know nothing about politics try to comment on politics and political affairs.
Reason: Most people only want to talk about politics every four years, so as a result they know little or nothing about how politics operates. They end up making off base or extremely ignorant comments based on stuff they have heard from watching like 10 minutes of Fox News every night. If you don't have all your facts straight then quit trying to sound smart.

9.) I wonder why telemarketers keep calling your cell and house even after you have hung up on them and cursed them out so many times in the past? They must be extremely resilient people.
Reason: Telemarketers bug me because, if I want a service, a new type of credit card or a trip somewhere or a toaster that works under water, I will go out and get it myself. I don't need you calling me 5 times a week and asking me. I wonder why they keep calling. Even telemarketers from the same company will call me after I have expressed the fact that I don't want to ever speak with them or anyone else from their "company" again. You would think that they would leave each other helpful little notes outside the margin beside numbers where they have had bad experiences to warn their co-workers. "Note: 551-0097-7860= crazy, screaming lady. Call at your own risk. It could be hazardous to your hearing though."

10.) I don't care for junk mail or spam.
Reason: They lie, or are computer viruses of some sort, they are pointless, the ones that come through the mail are a waste of trees.

11.) I wish guys wouldn't try to hit on me with me cheesy or lame pick-up lines.
Reason: I am a grade A chick so when you talk to me you need to bring your A game. Oh, and fellas, if you make eye contact with me and I don't return the look of interest, but rather put my head down and pretend to look busy, or start rummaging through my bag...don't bother approaching me. I am most likely not going to be interested in anything you have to say...I will probably even end up hating you for it. Real talk.

Best Days of Your Life

"Cuz I'll be there in the back of your mind, from the day we met to you making me cry. And it's just too bad, you've already had the best days of your life." That is a line from Best Days of Your Life, one of my favorite songs by Kellie Pickler. This line describes how I feel about my ex. I know he misses me and all the little things I did. I was the best damn girlfriend. No lie. I was always there for him. Whether it was financial, emotional, or mental support he needed, I was always there to supply him with it. I would drop everything and make him the center of my world. I guess that is why things didn't work out lol. His reason for breaking up with me was that I was too perfect and he didn't want us to wind up walking down the aisle before we were 21. Excuse me, but isn't the point of dating to try to find the perfect person so you can get married and spend the rest of your life with them? Guess not to him. I was the best damn girlfriend...and got screwed over because of it. And the thing is, he still calls me all the time wanting to hang out and know what I'm up to, still talks to me about all his problems, and still drives and hour to my parents' home just to see me on weekends.....so why not just keep dating me? Lol, I will never get some people. We've been broken up for a little over 2 years now and mutual friends of ours still tell me things that he has said to them along the lines of how he thinks that breaking up with me might have been a mistake, he knows he's never going to find anyone else to do all the stuff for him that I did, and he misses me....duh. While he was figuring all this stuff that I already knew, I was busy getting over him. I don't want him back anymore. Somewhere out there, I believe there is a man with some sense who won't mind me being 'too perfect' for him and will appreciate me and all I will do for him. One thing I did learn from this experience is to never make anyone a priority when is all you are to them is an option. Now, I am out on the dating scene again exploring my options.

Here's the Kellie Pickler Song Best Days of Your Life link:

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewProfile&friendID=62796960

And Somedays...

Oh, don't you just hate those days when it seems like eveything is going wrong, nothing is going to ever change, no one understands, you're always going to be sad and unhappy, and despite all your efforts...you just can't seem to do anything right. Those days when you feel like you have no control over anything and you just want to lie down somewhere and cry your eyes out have a purpose: they show us how strong we are and will make it that much easier for us to appreciate life when things are right. You just have to keep going, grit your teeth and make it through the dark tunnel to the sunshine on the other side. Remember, when we have nothing else, we have hope and faith to keep us going.

Build Yourself

I am sure that most everyone, if not everyone, has body issues. I know I do. Even a person with high self-esteem and confidence will have those days where they look in the mirror and critique their bodies. "I wish my nose was little thinner." "If my breasts were just a little more symmetrical." "I would look perfect if I could just have more defined calves." And so it goes. Like I have mentioned before, I watch a lot of reality TV and documentaries. Well, I was watching one of their shows on plastic surgery that show on the Discovery Health Channel...I think it was Before And After...anyways, it was at the part where the doctor was rattling off all the possibilities of what could go wrong, complications that could arise, and the general risks of the surgery, that I began to ask myself, "Why would anyone go through that much trouble for a surgery that they don't technically need?" Most of the people on these people already look great or really good by societal standards.

I could definitely understand having plastic surgery to correct some deformity or to save your life, but why on Earth risk your life for vain reasons? It's a matter of personal choice I know, but aren't our personal feelings and opinions of beauty a reflection of society and the media have told us? So is personal choice really an individual's choice or the media's? Do people who have plastic surgery to 'better' their looks and be more attractive do it for themself? My guess is no. Saying a comment like, "Fuller breasts will give me more confidence and a better lease on life," is an individual acknowledging that they think that if they get breasts augmentation then they will be treated better and will look more attractive to others which in turn will make feel better about themselves. I for one, think it's sad that people have been so brainwashed that they are willing to undergo major surgery just to "fit in." Where are peoples' backbone today?!

I am sure we have all seen those people who get a little too carried with the plastic surgery and end up looking like something straight out of a horror scene, or at best, they have their friends, associates, and family say things like "She looked better before the surgery," about them behind their backs because no person who cares about you would dare say that to your face after you have spent so much money on looking worse than you originally did.

I believe God makes our body look the way it does for a reason, so I am just going to be happy with what I've got and age gracefully naturally.

EAT ME!

So here's the deal: I have been on a diet for about 8 months now and I have loss over 40lbs. Yay! I am so proud of myself and my progress. Although no one could tell it, I weighed 279 lbs. at my heaviest. Whenever I tell people that (people like those who have always known me), they are so surprised and say things like, "I would have never guessed you weighed that much," or my favorite, "You certainly didn't look it." God blessed me with a very well proportioned body. Even though I have always been a thick chick, I have never been that FAT chick.

I decided I wanted to lose weight last summer when I had my first ever anxiety attack. It was so scary that I rushed myself to the hospital (yes, I did drive myself lol)....twice. Even though there was nothing physically wrong with me (thank God), I saw first hand the effect that stress, poor eating habits, lack of exercise, and extensive worrying can have on your mental and physical health. I then started to exercise, eat right, and visit a Bariatric center (weight loss center). I also get special shots from there that help my body's metabolism burn more calories. Don't worry, they're completely safe and my doctor is great and I always research EVERYTHING before I do anything. It's not like something from those seemingly shady weight loss infomercials you see on the tv late at night.

I am on a 1,200 calorie a day plan. It isn't too hard to stick to because I get to eat every four hours (as long as I make sure that I stick to the 1,200). I eat my one egg, two strip turkey bacon, and St. Thomas English Muffin breakfast or oatmeal or Raisin Bran. I eat again four hours later but this time only one of my snacks (i.e. fruit, rice cake, veggies). Then I eat my lunch/brunch about four hours later which is usually a Healthy Choice or Lean Cuisine Meal. Then I snack on healthy stuff, then dinner (another Lean Cuisine). I snack four hours later on more veggies and fruit (free food=no cals). I don't always eat Healthy Choice and Lean Cuisine. Sometimes I eat my mom's cooking or I eat out, but I just have to make sure I portion it out right so I can stick to my calorie count=) However, most days, my diet does consist of the regiment above. Oh, and I haven't had salt or soda since last summer either. Salt leads to water retention and soda is just bad for anxiety. Now, I am human, and I do mess up a little sometimes. It always seems to be my sweet tooth that does me in lol. Those sweets always seem to scream, "Eat Me!" when I'm trying the most to be good. I love chocolate and ice-cream, so sometimes I eat a little f that bad stuff and try to make it up the next day with some extra exercise or eating a little more veggies. *Gabe smiles and looks up sheepishly* What is good though for the sweet tooth are smart ones desserts in your grocer's frozen food section. They're like only 150 cals.

Overall, I feel I have done amazingly well (I have even surprised myself with how well I have been doing) and I also believe that I will reach my goal of 160 lbs. before August of this year. I'll keep ya posted babes.

Lions, Tigers, and Bears! Oh My!

Okay, I am a bit of a reality TV junkie. I watch everything from the now in syndication Fear Factor to America's Next Top Model to my favorite, MTV's 'The Hills.' I also love House Hunters, Man vs. Wild, Solitary (really cool show about how humans react when isolated and under stress), Survivor Man, Caught on Tape, Busted on the Job, Cops, Speeders, Myth Busters, Man vs. Food, etc. I know that some aspects of 'reality TV' are obviously not so real. Sometimes things are staged, pre-written, pre-determined, pre-tested, scripted, etc. However, for the most part, a good portion of it is actually live and real.

I was watching Cops on the boob tube last night when I began to wonder what our elders must make of all this so-called 'reality' TV nonsense. Isn't the whole point of television (besides keeping you informed via news stations) to escape reality for a few hours. For example, if you were say a cop, when you come home after a long, hard day on the job, do you really want to see on your television what you were just out battling less than an hour ago? The answer is probably no. The same thing is probably true if you're an educator like a teacher or principle. After a long day at school do you really want to come home and see 'The Principle's Office ( This is a relatively new reality show that with each episode, follows different school principles to see how they govern their school and deal with various issues that arise within their school. The show also follows various disciplinary issues at each school so viewers can see how they unfold)?

Back in our grand parents and great grandparents' time, when all people had to listen to was the radio with their little commercials, story lines, news, and special broad castings, there was no such thing as reality radio (except maybe the news), where some person came on the radio and told listeners about people being in simulated real situations. When the television appeared on the scene, people would come home and relax on the couch to watch fun and family oriented shows like Leave it to Beaver, I Love Lucy, The Andy Griffith Show, and so on. Shows where your mind could rest and relax and just enjoy....not where you were constantly wondering things like: "What was he thinking?" "Why did she say that?" "OMG!?" "Did they really just eat a mouth full of slugs?!" "This guy must be crazy to do this even for money."

I have to wonder sometimes, are really missing the point of the television and it's purpose?