January 17

Everybody has a story behind their "Innanets Name." I'm no exception to that. Amymay is something that Mr. Man used to call me back when we first met. And his birthday is January 17. Thus: amymay117. It started out as my email addy. Then as my username on the myspace... and so on.

Back in 2004 the 117 part took on a new meaning. My mom died on January 17. I remember standing in the hospital, saying my goodbyes, trying to wake up from a living nightmare... and thinking how inappropriate it was that Mom was dying on Marc's birthday. Thing is... we weren't even together at the time (and hadn't been since 2001), but he was always part of my consciousness. I kinda felt guilty, thinking about him when I should have been thinking about her.

When we got back together, January 17 rolled around for the first time, and that guilt fell away. See, I never really believed in coincidence, and I still don't. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that my mom chose this date to cross over. I'm saying that Mr. Man's birthday being on the same date helps me to remember to celebrate. Celebrate her life rather than mourn a loss. Celebrate his bornday. Celebrate the way that lives converge, even when it seems that they have taken seperate paths. Celebrate love, and family, and beginnings, and life.

So that's the story of my online name. It's kinda dramatical, but that's how I roll!
Anyway... Happy Birthday, boo!! And, Mom, I love and miss ya!

Well it's a new year and whatnot...

Lots of things have been happening in my world lately... well, in everybody's world to be sure, but I'm self-absorbed right now, so we'll be talnbout me, #thenkyavurrrymurch.

So this is a post purely to say that there are finna be changes coming, to my blogs, in my life, and in my goals. Don't worry (all seven or eight of y'all that be checkin' for me) it's all for the good. I'm regrouping, refocusing, readjusting and all that kinda stuff. So there will be a brief continuance of my semi-hiatus, and then I'm coming back, all serious and shxt.

In the mean time, can someone explain this to me please?

Wait... Let's let Red Foreman explain it......

Thanks, Red.

Hi, Neighbor! Can we talk about your dog a minute?

Today I have a "Sternly Worded Letter," (as my eHomey Luvvie would put it) for my neighbor in the brick house across the side street. Sometimes she stays doing the most...

Not FooFoo, just remarkably similar

Dear NeighborLady,


Hey, how you doooooin'? We have been on wavin' and noddin' terms for going on five years now. And we have both had our dogs for about the same amount of time. I must admit, your lil' Yorkie is the epitome of adorable.
He really is. And I don't blame him for the smelly, steaming messes he leaves in my yard. After all, he's only doing what dogs do. However, I have a couple of issues with YOU. 

See, the way I figure it, a dog who is housebroken will only do his business wherever he is allowed to do his business. 

Can you teach FooFoo how to do this? Or at least teach him how to Dougie?

That's where you come in, dear lady, being the dog owner and all. For the most part, I haven't said much over the years as I have watched you walk past my home, on the sidewalk, and your dog has lifted a leg on my trees. I have kept my mouth closed as I watched your precious lil' froofroo cop a squat on the curb side grass, and then watched while you walked away and left it to biodegrade in its own stinky time. Even though never ONCE have I, nor any of my family, taken Roger the Rat Terrier to defile your immaculate lawn.



Lately, though, you have been pushing the bounds of my kind and understanding nature. 


First, I noticed you come out of your house with the froofroo dog, cross the street, allow your dog to poop in my yard, and then immediately return to your house and go inside. 
Your dog toileting in my yard while you were walking him is one thing. Purposefully crossing the street with the intent of letting your Yorkie use my lawn for a latrine, though?


REALLY??


Today, however, you have surpassed all limits of patience and tolerance. My kindness and understanding came to an abrupt end at about 4:15pm.


It was then that I happened to look out my front window to witness you, dear lady, walk your pooch up my sidewalk and allow the hairball to lift his leg on my kid's bicycle!
To say I am aggravated, irritated, angered, or incensed is to drastically understate my level of pissedoffitude. 


See, here's the thing... I know I don't have the best landscaped lawn on the street. I know I have an eight-year-old that leaves his toys and stuff in the yard. I know my house is starting to need a coat of paint. But that doesn't mean I don't care at all. It means I'm a working mom, and when prioritizing my life, spending time with my kid takes precedence over yard work. It doesn't mean that I welcome your snookywooky's little biological care packages. 


It damn sure doesn't mean that I'm going to tolerate the blatant disrespect and unneighborliness you displayed this afternoon.


MY SON'S FREAKIN' BICYCLE, FOR THE LOVE OF SOCKS!!
NO MA'AM!!


See, I can't even let my son see how truly irate I am right now. Why?
Well, because you're a teacher at his school, and I'll be damned if he ever says a disrespectful word to you. 
Despite the fact that you let your dog defile his favorite toy.


I hope you're pleased with yourself, Mrs. A. I hope you are pleased. 
Again, I borrow from Luvvie... You, Ma'am, are a classless wonder!

Contemptuously Yours,
E's Momma

Reblogging Coz Luvvie's feelin' the Spirit today...

I posted this over a year ago (close to two now, I guess). Anyhoo, Luvvie's been all up in my newsfeed and on my dash and in the timeline in a blessed and highly favored kinda way today, and she made me think of this convo and of this post. So here it is for ol' time's sake!

I don't know why, and really, does it matter, but I woke up feeling like a Blessed and Beloved child of God!  So I did what I do with most of the random thoughts and feelings I experience... I Tweeted it.  This started a short exchange between me (@amymay117 on Twitter) and one of the coolest bloggers on Planet Earth, AwesomelyLuvvie (@LuvvieIG on Twitter).  It went a lil sumthin like this:

me:  Feeling blessed and loved today! Yea, I know it's not my usual kinda tweet, but ya gotta give God praise and gratitude, too!

Luvvie:  @amymay117 YESSS Amy!!! You betta SAY DAT! The Big Man Upstairs rocks my socks. And he fights for my tights so I don't have to. *waves fan*

me:  @LuvvieIG I woke up feeling (dare I say it) Spirit Filled today!! I've reached out to some old "friends" *ahem* and put down some baggage...

me:  @LuvvieIG Lemme quit... I'mma be testifying on Twitter here in a minute!!

Luvvie:  @amymay117 Gurl u gon have me singing "This Little light of mine" on Twitter. Giving glory to God (passa, everyones, everyones)

me:  @LuvvieIG I'm on the second verse of "What a Friend We Have in Jesus"... the Choir can't keep up!

Luvvie:  @amymay117 LOL! You besta SANG!!! The Qua (choir) Director in his Sunday Best is gon love you

me:  @LuvvieIG I heart you for appreciating this mood I'm in! LOL! God is Good!

Luvvie:  @amymay117 I appreciate some Lord-thanking anyday (b/c He is great). It's the Bible thumpers that make me go o_0

me:  @LuvvieIG The ones who carry the Book, but never open it??? Them folks ya mean?? mmmmmhmmmmmm.....

Luvvie:  @amymay117 And I'm talm bout the folks who u can't have a convo with w/o them shouting bout them being sanctified. Saved McHolysons

me:  @LuvvieIG Especially when their "ad campaign" isn't backed up by their actions....Loud McTalkerfaces

me:  @LuvvieIG OHHHH!!! What about the ones who act like being on the Church Board is a social accomplishment instead of a chance to Serve God?

Luvvie:  @amymay117 Some folks take their Head Usher duties VERY seriously. Them white gloves don't wear themselves!

me:  @LuvvieIG Let me keep my mood... I'm not perfect, just grateful and blessed. And that's a reason to say Amen!

me:  @LuvvieIG LOL! Them white gloves don't WASH themselves, either!

I know I don't always come across as someone you'd assume would be lovin' her some Jesus, but I am.  I know I'm cranky, sarcastic and a professional at profanity.  I had a child out of wedlock, ain't married to my man and I've got tattoos.  I'm a hot mess, an the Lord knows it.... but he's far from done with me.  And there's material there for Him to work with... I believe, I love, I care.  I may not wear Sunday best everywhere I go.  Maybe I don't always let people see the part of me that knows I'm nowhere and nothing without my God.  But it's in my heart every day, and I tell Him thankyou every day, and I have faith that all things eventually come to His Glory.

And Luvvie, you truly are Awesome! Thanks for sharing that little moment with me today and letting me be who I am (even if it is just on the intrawebs).... glad I eStumbled into your lifespace! You and the rest of the ePosse and the IGs are the Bees Knees!

World AIDS Day... And I'm Tardy!!!

I have a good excuse for being late... really!! You see, I'm doin' the most right now, and it's almost the end of the semester, and I'm old, and I'm tahd!!  So I'm recycling the post I wrote this past March for National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. I promise you, I'll blog on semester break... I have a couple of wonderful stories about how I almost murked a chick in my Research and Practice class...

But in the mean time... here's the rerun.

Ok, this post is late in the day.  Blame my laptop, coz it's trippin'.... might be time to upgrade to that Apple I keep thinking about.  But that's a post for another day....

Today is National Women and Girls' HIV/AIDS Awareness Day.... and it's time for my periodic rant a discussion about the virus again.

However, today instead of my usual statistics, facts and examples, I wanna say a couple of positive and personal things.  I have always said that my motivation to be involved with the Red Pump Project and HIV/AIDS awareness stemmed from my profession as a nurse.  Weeeeelllllll..... yeah, but naw.

A big part of it is that a friend I met about 18 years ago, and loved well, died of AIDS related pneumonia in 1998.  But here's the thing.  She had a daughter.  Her daughter was born before HIV was part of the picture.  However, she was still left to carry on with the stigma that "Your mama died of AIDS."

She didn't get resentful or bitter.  She started advocating.  She started talking and educating.  And she started doing this at about 16 years of age, when it is really not the easiest thing to do to go against the opinions of your peers.

She's an inspiration to me.  She went on to get a Master's in Social Work, and lives in Northern California, working as a family therapist.

The moral of the story, there is life after HIV.  Not just for the loved ones who lost someone to the virus, but especially for people who are infected and managing the virus.

Follow the links below for facts and examples!

Much love and blessings to all.  Get tested, know your status and protect yourself.

http://www.awesomelyluvvie.com

http://www.theredpumpproject.com

http://www.raelewisthornton.com/

http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/

http://www.aidsbeacon.com