Happy Holidays

Hey, y'all! I just wanted to say Happy Holidays to everyone. I'm going to be pretty busy so I won't be posting until after New Year's. Everyone have a fabulous holiday and I'll see you in 07!

untitled

Hey y'all! Gosh, I can't believe how long it's been since I've blogged. I've had a lot going on recently, which I won't blog about because some of it is work related (I would never blog about work) and the rest is kind of confidential. I will, however, blog about something rather ridiculous that happened to me recently.

As I told y'all, I am working in a clothing store (how a college educated woman with so much promise wound up working retail is beyond me but that's for another time). So I'm building a wardrobe for this customer and we're chatting and whatnot. Out of the clear blue she tells me that I'm such a nice young lady and I would be perfect for her son. Who just so happens to be a Muslim.......that converted in jail. Great times. She tells me that he's not a bad guy; he just got in with the wrong crowd and fell into some trouble. All he needs is the right woman to help him turn it all around.

Now I have several issues with this mentality. First of all, no one would want their "good" son to get involved with a questionable girl. So why would you think it's appropriate for a perfectly decent girl to attempt to reform so loser/criminal/whatever? Not cool. Second of all, where do you get the audacity to approach a random stranger or even someone you hardly know with this garbage? Third of all (yes, I'm taking it there), what's with all the excuses? Grown men don't "fall in with the wrong crowd." And if they do, that's their problem. As an adult, you know right from wrong and should act accordingly or be prepared to face the consequences.
As you may or may not have guessed, this is not my first run in with someone like her. She is the third stranger to tell me I would be good for some troubled male relative. There have also been some friends of the family that have said I would be good for their sons. I could help them get their lives on track, etc. I'm sorry; I'm not your mother or a therapist. I have no interest in helping some grown man get his life together. If you want a chance with me, you better already have it together. Furthermore, if I didn't have my stuff together; no one would want their son to come anywhere near me. As far as I'm concerned, that attitude goes both ways.

I told this presumptuous cow that I had no interest in her son or anyone else with a criminal or otherwise questionable background and that it was incredibly presumptuous and beyond rude of her to even mention such a thing to me. She got offended and told me to come off of my high horse. After all, I'm only working in a clothing store. No she did not go there, no this trick did not just go there. I gave her the coldest look and said in my haughtiest tone, "I'll have you know, not only do I have a college education, I graduated with honors (a bold-faced lie) from a very good university. I am working here for the discount and a little extra pin money. I suggest that you worry less about where I'm working and more about why your son is a criminal. Since you clearly have no clue as to how to behave, I suggest you start by looking in the mirror." Then she's all "you have nerve" and "I won't be spending a dime you your store." I just gave her a look that clearly said I couldn't care less and she put her stuff down and left. I don't care, she presumed far too much and she needed to be put in her place.

Update

I'm back. I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving (or vacation if you don't celebrate).
I know everyone is wondering so I'll just get right to it. He won't do. He simply will not do.
Here's what happened:

I shopped on Friday but I didn't buy anything new to wear for this. I decided against that. I just wore the black wide-leg trousers, a pale pink sweater, a matching hijab, and pearl jewelry. I also decided against going through a lot of trouble with the baking. I just made a marbled bundt cake. I'm glad. It totally would have been a wasted effort. I suspected as much when I saw him at the door but I didn't want to rush to judgment. Ten minutes later, I knew I was right.
He totally acted like he didn't want to be there, like it was all just a big bother. His clothes were kinda wrinkled and he had this general unkempt look, which I totally don't go for. He was wearing chinos that looked like they needed to be washed and ironed and an oxford that needed to be ironed. Sweetie, have a little pride in your appearance. Okay, fine. I guess that can be worked with. A lot of guys need a little nudge in the wardrobe department. There's no need to be "overly picky." Unfortunately, it just got worse. I offered him tea, he asked for coffee. No one in my house drinks coffee so I had to tell him that we don't have coffee. He actually had the nerve to roll his eyes. His conversational skills were practically non existent. I had to drag every response out of him. Example:
What to do you? (I already knew this but he didn't know that)
IT. (that's it......no further details.)
Really? Do you like it?
Does it matter?
Well, of course. I would hate having a job I didn't enjoy.
::dead silence::
Well....What do you like to do in your spare time?
Just.....stuff.
**flash most charming smile** Well of course, but what kind of stuff? Maybe we do the same "stuff."
Mabye.
**waiting, waiting**
Do you like to travel?
Not really.
Oh.
InshaAllah, I'm going skiing in January. Have you ever been skiing?
Um....no.
Have you read any good books recently? I just finished The Last Wife of Henry VIII. It was fascinating.
::blank look::
It's about Catherine Parr, the sixth wife of King Henry VIII of England. She's the only one that survived marriage to him and it's about her life before, during, and after their marriage.
::Hmm::
How was your Thanksgiving?
Fine.
Good.
Yep.
Would you like another slice of cake?
::head nod::

Yeah, that about covers it. There was a little more one sided conversation and whatnot but this was pretty much it. I won't say he was completely rude, even though it seems like it. He was more socially awkward. I mean he kept clearing his throat, like he had this tic or something. He mumbled and kept his eyes averted most of the time. I wasn't sure if he was looking away out of respect or because he was nervous. It was just very trying. I mean, talking to him was like pulling teeth. He never even asked me one thing! Clearly, he had no interest in me or perhaps the entire marriage business. I don't know and it's irrelevant to me. I can go the rest of my life without ever seeing him again. I mean, it's one thing to be shy but another to be so socially inept that you're borderline rude. Also, his table manners were seriously questionable. He ate that cake like it was going to sprout legs and walk away. And he chewed with his mouth open. Ew. So wrong. I could never be married to someone that couldn't carry on a conversation and had bad manners.

My mother was not impressed. She thought his behavior was appalling and that he showed an obvious lack of home training.

At least I tried. No one can say I didn't try.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!

Hey y'all! I just wanted to say Happy Thanksgiving. I won't be posting tomorrow or probably at all until like next week. My mom will be holding me (and the rest of us - minus my brother) hostage in the kitchen tomorrow. We've actually started some of the cooking tonight. The sweet potatoes are being baked for the pies, the bread is being toasted for the stuffing, and the cornbread (also for stuffing) will be going into the oven soon. Tomorrow, my niece (Big M) and I will get up and watch the Macy's parade like we do every year. Then we'll watch the dog show with my mom. It's one of our traditions. Another tradition is having Thanksgiving with family but that's not happening this year. We have to go to VA next week so we're not making the trip this week. InshaAllah, we'll host everyone here next year.

Friday, we're hitting the sales. Well, I'm only hitting a few because I have to work all day (stinking retail). At least I don't open or close.

Saturday, I am meeting with a prospect. We're meeting at my house so I've got to clean and bake something. Shouldn't be a problem but I can't decide what to make. He's American so I know he won't want any more pie after Thanksgiving. I could make cookies but they don't show off my fabulous baking skills. They really are fabulous but cookies just don't do them justice. That being said, I don't want to seem show-offy (such a non-word) by making something really fancy. I'm also trying to avoid making anything super sweet or heavy, which kind of rules out a frosted cake (one of my specialties). I'm thinking of making either mini fruit tarts, a coffee cake, or a bundt cake. I'm strongly leaning towards bundt as I write this but that could change. And yes, I know that I'm over thinking this but it's about more than a good impression. I hate to put people in the position of either declining my cooking or having to eat something they don't want or like. There's no avoiding it sometimes but I try.
Another problem I'm having (ladies this is for you) is what to wear. I'm going through this thing right now where I hate everything in my closet. It's because I haven't gone shopping in a while. I do need/want some new stuff but I have tons of really nice clothes. I know this. Still, that doesn't stop me from having a closet full of nothing to wear. Here's the what's going on:
All of my fall skirts are short (like mid-calf) because I wear them with boots. I can't do that in the house; we don't wear our shoes inside.
I only have two fall/winter dresses that aren't too dressy. I have tons of spring/summer dresses. One of them is a basic black dress and the other is really cute but short (mid-calf again). I'm not really crazy about wearing the back with the pearls and whatnot. It's giving me a dowdy vibe. I could wear it with super trendy jewelry but it doesn't seem to work without the cute boots to punch it up.
Next up, we have trousers. I've got really nice black widelegs (like three pairs) from a French catalog. I'm thinking of wearing them with either a cream turtleneck or my grey twinset. It's very ladylike, and I do look great in the trousers. But I just feel like maybe it's boring. **NOTE**One of my girlfriends keeps telling me that nothing in my closet is boring or dowdy so I should stop the madness. She says my style is "very Anne Hathway in the Princess Diaries 2."**
Anyway, I've lost a little weight so both pairs of tan trousers are too big (they're both from Gap). I think my red trousers are too flashy (my mom would die if I wore those). My navy trousers could work but the hem came out of one leg so they're out. I mean, I'm sure my mom can fix them on Friday but I'm still, eh, about them. I've had my eye on these gorgeous cream trousers that I think would be so cute with either my red turtleneck or this plum twinset that I so want. I'm also looking at these grey widelegs with silver pinstripes. I want to wear them with a hot pink turtleneck. That'd be so, so cute. And yes, I have a huge thing for turtlenecks. I also love twinsets and pearls (perhaps, I'm a little prissy). Moving on.... for the last two outfits, I would have to buy something new and that seems so superficial. I mean, what I'm going to buy a new outfit every time? I couldn't possibly. But I really want to this time. It's a combination of wanting to look good and really wanting new clothes. It's really difficult because don't want to wear anything too trendy. I always like to start out with the updated classics. It's my best look. Anyway, we'll see but I think the grey and pink ensemble is calling me.

About the guy:
He's the son of a friend of one of my mom's friends. Said friend is kind of sponsoring us into society down here (where to go, who to know, etc.) so I kind of have to meet him. He sounds like a nice guy and this is the first guy I'm meeting down here. I'm kinda nervous, which is making me really chatty. Hopefully, I won't talk to much in front of him. I did that once; it was the first time I did anything like this. I was super nervous and I talked too much and scared him off. I haven't done it since but "since" has only been two other times. So here's goes nothing.........

Marriage of Convenience

Okay so on Friday, something really bizarre happened. There is this Arab Muslim lady that works in our local Target. Well, my family and I went in there on Friday evening and she starts talking to my mom about how her and her family (minus a 20something son) came over here from wherever almost five years ago. He couldn't come over because he was 21 and apparently if you're 21+, you've got to find your own way into the US. So she starts asking my mom all about me and my sister and talking about how we seem like such nice girls. Awww.....not so much. She starts asking specifically about me and if I'm single, what I do, etc. Then she proceeds to tell my mom that she's looking for someone to marry her son and sponsor him into the country. WTH?! This cow tells my mom that she's willing to pay us for the trouble and that the marriage will only last a little while. After which we are both free to move on. So, of course, my mom gets completely pissed off. Not only could she not believe the audacity of this woman but my family is super sensitive about the whole immigration thing after my sister's first marriage. He only wanted a Green Card and no one knew that. Anyway, my mom went off on her. Told her that she should be ashamed of herself; temporary marriage is wrong in Islam and marrying someone for money in exchange for getting them into the country is a crime. She threatened to report her. She asked her where she got her nerve, we weren't some dirt poor family that she could take advantage of. We didn't need or want her money. She told her however her son gets over here is not her problem and she doesn't care if he never makes it over here. Go mom! My mom totally rocks. You should never try to mess with her or her family. She's totally going to come after you. I just don't know where people get their nerve. I mean, she's hardly ever spoken to us. Frankly, my sisters and I avoided her because we thought she seemed a little off. How right we were. Not only is she off, she's a CRIMINAL. A wannabe criminal anyway. Which is just as bad.
Oh, the things that happen to my family. We are weirdness magnets.

Princess Perky

That's what one of my co-workers called me yesterday. Awesome. I kinda bounced into work and she was like, "well if it isn't Princess Perky." I just started laughing. Some people can't take perk in the morning, or any other time of the day. Too bad, so sad. Then said she wanted to hate me but she couldn't. "You're so damn friendly." I'm loving it. Like what else am I going to be? I don't know anyone well enough to dislike them. I'm friendly until I'm given a reason not to be. This is my first week there and so far, so good. It's a women's clothing store (second job to hold me over between temp assignments) and the customers really seem to like me. So does the manager. She thinks I'm sunny. She asked if I've ever considered being a manager. Oooh. I'm going to talk to her about it because I'd rather do that than temp while I get started in event planning. I'm so over temping.

You're enough to make a brother forget he's supposed to lower his gaze.

So I was going to post about this really fabu memoir I read and how more non-famous people should write them. Instead, I'm going to post about something that happened to me the other day. But before I do, I just want to say I don't know how or why this kind of stuff happens to me but it does. Here goes.........

Okay so I was in the "Muslim" part of Raleigh, which is near NC State University. There are all the usual suspects; cafes, shops, etc. I go into one store (a grocery w/ deli counter) and as I'm looking for this spice a brother comes up to me and says: "You know sister, you really ought to cover a little more. You're enough to make a brother forget he's supposed to lower his gaze. All that beauty (i.e. booty) shouldn't be on display." Cue open mouth and (mildly) shocked look. "Excuse me?" (said with much attitude)
"I'm just saying, if I was your husband, I'd be tempted to keep you veiled or at home."
"Yes, well, you're not my husband."
"Do you have one?"
"If you'll excuse me, I have shopping to finish."
"InshaAllah, I'll see you around." (this was said with a little smirk that I didn't care for at all)

Awww, sweetie, what led you to believe that this would be cute? Does your brain not filter things properly?

"Veiled or at home?" WTH???!!! I mean, get real. Now, I'm a hijabi. I may not wear an abaya but I do cover (somewhat). I wear jeans and other such but nothing really tight, nothing low, nothing sheer. In short, I'm leaving plenty to the imagination. Now granted I'm a curvy girl (a Beyonce build) and our shape shows a little (a lot) more, but I wasn't all out there. I was wearing a cream colored turtleneck sweater and Levi's. Neither one was tight. Close fitting but not tight. I didn't even have my jeans tucked into my boots. Now I'm pretty, I'll admit it. I could be better but I could be worse....a lot worse. Some days, I'm a knock out ;). My girlfriends tell me I'm sexy. I don't see it but Lord knows men have been seeing it since I was 13. However, there would never be a need to keep me locked in the house. I mean, really. I'm sure this was his weak, very weak, attempt at flirting but it just didn't do it for me. I wanted to be charmed and flattered but it just wasn't happening. Maybe I was too hard on the brother but there was just something smarmy about him.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

Apparently, down here in Raleigh, Christmas starts early. Right after Halloween in fact. I found that out the day after Halloween. There I was cruising down 70 and I switch on the radio. What do I hear but Sunny 93.9 playing "Do You Hear What I Hear". Um, why? So I'm thinking it's a fluke. This can't be right. So I wait for the next song......"Jingle Bell Rock." Hmmm.....this isn't going as planned. I thought the regular music would start back up. Not so much. In fact, a lovely little announcement came over the radio saying that they've kicked off the holiday season. They will now be playing all of our favorites....24/7. Great times. As the day wore on and I flipped through other stations, most of them were playing at least some Christmas music. At least three of them are playing it all of the time. Like non-stop. The stores, malls, plazas, etc. have all of their decorations up.

Hello? It's the beginning of November. What's going on here? Is this happening anywhere else? In VA, at least the part I'm from, the decorations and music don't start until the day after Thanksgiving. I loved that. It was like an official kick off to the holiday season. A little "fall's over" memo for the general population. Now, I've got nothing against the holidays, in fact, I love the holiday season. I love the music, the shopping, the good cheer, all of it....even the crowds (for the most part). It just feels like we just jumped from summer to winter. Only, the weather says it's fall. It's like the vibe is winter but the weather is screaming fall. I'm so confused! LOL I want to be in fall mode but holiday vibes keep creeping in. Yesterday, I found myself singing along to Christmas Shoes by Newsong. That is a serious Christmas song. Hey, if you can't be 'em, join 'em.

But as much as I love the holidays, it's a bittersweet time. It signals the end of the year is near and there's so much I wanted to do that I haven't done. I mean, Lord, I don't even have a real job yet. Plus, and I do try not to whine about this but it's a fact, I hate being single during the holiday season. As much as I love the holiday parties, family dinners, celebrations, and even shopping; I hate doing it alone. I'm tired of being asked when I'm going to bring someone home for the holidays and if I'm bringing someone to the company party. I want to be in love with someone that loves me too, I want........well, I could go on and on but I won't. Being single (for Muslims especially) sucks but I don't believe in dwelling. It just brings you down. This year, like in the past, I refuse to allow the fact that I'm ::sigh:: alone (at least in the romantic sense) ruin my mood. Besides, the new year brings new beginnings. Another reason to love the season ;).

P.S. Before anyone gets all up in arms, I don't celebrate Christmas. But because my parents converted, most of my relatives are non-Muslims.

Sanctimonious Sue

Lord help me now. My niece, Big M, has become a Sanctimonious Sue and it's driving me crazy. Her big thing right now is the plight of little people (dwarfs as she insists we call them despite the fact that "little people" is a PC term) and people with various deformities. She's always watching specials on Discovery about little people, children born without faces, conjoined twins, and all sorts of other things that I just don't have the stomach for. I can barely stand the sight of blood, much less any of this other stuff. I understand that she wants to be a doctor and she finds this stuff interesting but there's just no need for the attitude. I mean, her little sister made a face and she went off. She tells her mother that she should stop her from making faces like that because there are people that are born disfigured and it's important to teach her not to make fun of them. She's a baby! She doesn't know what she's doing. A few days ago one of my sisters said her short, obnoxious co-worker was a midget with a Napoleon complex. Off went Big M on one of her rants about little people and how dwarfism is very serious and nothing to be joked about. Then came a lecture on the various forms of dwarfism. If that's not bad enough she's always trying to force us to watch these specials. She will put the same show on every television in the house. I've lost track of how many times I've had to tell her not to touch the television in my room.

I don't even have hope that she'll grow out of it because my younger sister went through a similar phase and she's still going through it. She will just lecture you to death and try to force her views on you. I refuse to be drawn into these conversations with her. I mean, there are things that I'm passionate about but there's a fine line between expressing your views and harassing people. I'm trying to teach that to M but I don't think she's there yet.

It amazes me how she can be so shallow and yet so caring about the plight of others. She's such a complex child. I don't want complex children. They're too much trouble

Eid Mubarak!

I hope everyone that celebrates it is having a fabulous Eid! I'm trying to get through my first Eid away from all of my peeps in VA :(. Not really. It's a different experience but it's not bad. I will say this though, Eid and Ramadan are not as nice down here as they are in VA. I think it's because the masjids are smaller so they aren't doing things on as grand a scale. But at least they're doing something and I give tons of points for trying.
Now I'm off to bake cupcakes with Big M......she's trying to hold me hostage in the kitchen.

Seven Things

Alright y'all, I'm doing this for my blogsister TwennyTwo and because I think it's really cool.

Seven things I hope to do before 30 (InshaAllah):
1. Get Married
2. Travel to England, France, Italy, and Greece
3. Learn to speak Arabic and French (I've studied both.)
4. Perfect a signature look
5. Start my own wedding planning business
6. Learn to ski (I can't and I really want to.)
7. Be debt free....for the most part

Seven things I can't do:
1. Lie (I'm so horrible at it, it's not even funny.)
2. Draw (all of my siblings can)
3. Math (How did I graduate?)
4. Get depressed (there have been times I should have been but it's like I just can't)
5. Give the silent treatment
6. Forget
7. Stay angry

Seven things I love:
1. My family
2. Romance novels
3. Chick flicks
4. Southern men
5. Weddings
6. British accents
7. Dessert

Seven things I want in a spouse (maybe if I put it out there, I'll get it ;) )
1. Religious but not in an extreme or sanctimonious way
2. Good looking (I know, I'm shallow)
3. Considerate
4. Family oriented
5. Smart
6. Strong
7. Romantic

Seven movies I'll never stop loving:
1. Breakfast at Tiffany's
2. An Affair to Remember
3. Pride and Prejudice
4. Barefoot in the Park
5. Pretty Woman
6. Father of the Bride
7.The Notebook

Seven authors I love:
1. Jane Austen
2. Brenda Joyce
3. Eloisa James
4. Lori Foster
5. Candace Camp
6. Sophie Kinsella
7. Marne Davis Kellogg

Seven stores I can't resist:
1. Coach
2. Tiffany's
3. Sephora
4. Bath and Body Works
5. Pottery Barn
6. Things Remembered
7. Brookstone

Annie Vision

For those of you not in the know, Annie Vision is all Annie all the time. Annie the movie, that is. Little M, all of 20 months old, has taken to watching Annie all day everyday. Yes, it's as bad as you imagine.....maybe even a little worse. The entire household now knows every song and most scenes by heart, including the scene with the Camille movie clip. Little M sings and dances her way through the entire movie. Then she sings and dances some more when it's over. Good times. She watches this movie about three or four times a day, everyday. Some days she doesn't even want to leave the house because she's watching Annie. You try putting something else on and she turns off the TV and screams for Annie. I'm so glad the portable DVD player is broken because the only time we get a break from Annie is in the car. Words cannot express how sick I am of this movie. Hopefully, she'll be ready to move on soon. Or I'll have a job and by the time I get home, she'll be her mother's responsibility. I guess I've just gotta hang on till tomorrow.
:)

Hooray for Fall!

I'm so excited. It's finally chilly down here. I'm talking mid to low 60s all weekend. I can finally wear my sweaters and boots. Yay! I mean, it's raining but I don't care because it's not hot. I absolutely love fall. The weather, the fashions, the festivals, all of it. It's the best time of year. Unfortunately, during the week the temperature is shooting back up to the 80s. But it's supposed to be chilly again on the weekend so, yay! I'd like to take a scenic drive this fall but no one else seems to be up to it :(. I really must get a car.

The way you start out........

Is the way you'll finish. That's what my grandmother used to say. And she was right.

A girl I know is getting married, mashaAllah, but it's not off to a good start. All of the things she's always wanted, he can't currently give her and has encouraged her to put off until later. He can't afford a wedding, so they're not having one. They're just going straight from Nikah to living together. They can't even have a honeymoon. He swears they'll have them later but that almost never happens. He can't afford her Mahr so he's going to pay it in installments, sometime in the future. I'm thinking (and so is her mother) that bills and stuff are going to get in the way and she's never going to see it. I mean, I don't know how much he's supposed to be giving her but paying it in an undetermined amount of installments doesn't seem right. There's other stuff too but these are the big ones. I mean, she's young (like two years younger than me) and it just seems like she's sacrificing a lot of things. He, of course, is not sacrificing anything. I don't think that bodes well for the future of their marriage. Marriage is a two way street and when one person starts out making all of the sacrifices things probably aren't going to improve. Besides, you really shouldn't have to sacrifice so much in the beginning. I could be wrong but I have a bad feeling about this.

The countdown is on

Well folks, it's almost Ramadan and I am actually starting to get excited. I've signed up to volunteer at the mosque during iftaar and I'm volunteering with a Muslim women's clinic. Now I'm starting to feel like a productive member of society again. I can't go to tarweeh during the week but I'm going every weekend........no excuses. Also, like every Ramadan, I'm trying to swear off bad behaviors and such. I'm giving up romance novels (I really don't have much time to read for pleasure during Ramadan anyway) and gossip. More importantly, I'm going to work on not letting people push my buttons as much. I may not say much to the person but I'm cursing you out in my mind and that just won't work during Ramadan. My goal is to ignore, ignore, ignore. Hopefully, this will carry over into post-Ramadan life. Wish me luck!

Home Sweet Home

I'm so glad to be back home. It's funny but in the last few months, Raleigh has become home. On the way back it hit me, I felt like a visitor the entire time. There are all of these changes that I didn't know about and no one mentioned to me, for obvious reasons. Changes have been made to my old stomping grounds (Mason). I didn't even have time to see everything. Hopefully, I'll have time for a good look around when we go back for Thanksgiving. Fortunately, the trip wasn't as bad as anticipated so going back for Thanksgiving is an option for me. Here's what happened in a nutshell:

PROS
Got my granola bars from Wegman's (This may seem like a small thing but I love them and they are a convenient and healthy snack. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find them anywhere down here.)

Got to see the family and all engagement rings up close and personal.

Now that my uncle's fiance has moved in, the house is totally put together. There were even enough beds for all of us. Good times.

Didn't have to deal with too much drama.

The dogs had so much fun playing together.
(wow is that it?)


CONS
Drama the minute we walked in the door (We got there late, my uncle wanted the dogs to go outside but our dogs are indoor dogs. There was much drama and lots of me and my sisters talking about how we wanted to and should have stayed at a hotel. It was so bad even my mom was thinking about leaving the very next day. Drama.)

Was forced to swap rooms with Little Sis and wound up sharing a bed with mom. Of course, the joke was on her because her bed was super uncomfortable and mine was a comfy, king sized bed. Also the room had tons of nice accommodations and hers was just bare bones. Serves her right for trying to be a brat in the middle of the night.

Didn't get to see one of my cousins (she flaked as usual).

Didn't get to see any so-called friends (ditto).


InshaAllah, next time we'll stay in a hotel and I'll be able to rent a car of my own. I'm not deluded enough to think I'll have my own car by the time Thanksgiving rolls around. For that, I would need a steady job.

On the road again

That's folks, we are hitting the road again. Actually, it's been awhile since we last went to VA. It is, however, our first trip with the dogs. Oh, let the good times roll. Already it's been a logistical nightmare so I can't wait to see what will happen when we hit the road tomorrow. In all honesty, I'm not even looking forward to the trip that much. I don't know why but I'm not. I think it's just because there's already been so much drama anticipating the trip, I'm expecting more. InshaAllah, it'll be fine but I just can't muster up much excitement. Whatever. I'm going to try to enjoy my last weekend before Ramadan. We'll see how it goes. In the meantime, you won't be hearing from me as I will have little to no internet access. I'll be lucky to check my email. We'll be back on Sunday so I'll talk to y'all then.

Remember

Instead of posting about myself, I'd like to dedicate this day to all of the victims and hero's of 9/11 (including the little ones and the four-legged ones). You are loved, you are missed, and we will never forget. I could have lost my big sister that day but due to the grace of God I didn't. Others were not so lucky. My heart goes out to the friends and families left behind. Please, everyone, take the time to remember those that lost their lives in those attacks, as well as the aftermath. Let's stop the hate and start the healing. United we stand, divided we fall.
God Bless America.

P.S. I would have done this sooner but I havn't been home all day.

And so it begins

The Eid madness has started. In light of the fact that Ramadan is later this month, Big M has come to me with a Eid list. A three page Eid list, complete with Coach items and a tiara. I got her a very nice tiara last year from Silver Dolphin in Springfield, VA. She would like a replica Miss Teen USA tiara this year but no one seems to make one. Of course, my sister/her mom hates the entire beauty pageant, prom, cheerleading, "I'm a princess" thing. She's very against it. My sister is so anti-girly things. She thinks it's all very shallow. Whatever. It's fun. I have no problems buying a tiara but really. The girl's handing an unemployed person a three page wish list that includes designer items. Not cool. I told her that I will happily buy a tiara and/or a Coach bag if I have a job and if I can't, no attitude. She agreed so I don't anticipate any problems. However, I have told her that she cannot add to her list unless she takes something off. My brother is completely different, he hasn't even thought about what he wants.

I can't even believe that it's time for Ramadan already. I'm so not ready. God, before I know it, it'll be during the summer. I really won't be able to handle that. Really. I wonder if it's wrong to hope that I'll be married and pregnant by that time? Obviously, I need to work on my deen. Wanting to be pregnant to get out of fasting is not cool.

My friend likes you

That is what some fast-tail little girl said to my baby brother in PetSmart today. Her friend was a very scantily clad blond girl with too much make-up on. Not....gonna.....happen, sweetie. He is meant for a nice Muslim girl, not some hoochie in a very short skirt, a low cut tank, and too much make-up. I'm just glad she wasn't overly bold. I mean her and her friends were chatting up my nieces and older sister while sneaking looks. They thought they were soooo slick. Asking Big M if he was her brother, telling her how pretty she is and how cute her dogs is. All of this while fishing for info on my BABY BROTHER! Grrrr. My mom is so done. Her and Big Sis are losing it over this. I told them, this is only the beginning. And I know we'll see Miss Thang again. This isn't the first time we've seen her in PetSmart and it won't be the last. Although, to tell the truth, the entire thing is sort of funny after the initial shock wears off. I remember those days of "my friend thinks you're cute." Ahh, memories. Anyway, aside from her clothes she wasn't too bad. She was polite and pleasant to everyone, at least. Very pretty, too. Life is about to get very difficult. Towing the Muslim line is much harder for boys than girls, especially if they're good looking. Kid doesn't stand a chance.