Up with Road Trips

Thanksgiving weekend, I filled Dee-Dee up with gas and headed south, bound for the Garden State and later, a stopover in Do-or-Die Bedstuy.

The reason for the trip (though a lot of great things happened because of the trip) was hands down the chance to see one of my best friends, J. He lives in Virginia, but was visiting family in New Jersey for the holiday a mere 3 hours away.

So on Saturday, down I-95 I travelled.

When I got to his aunt's house in Roselle, N.J., I feasted on sweet potato pie and a fried catfish sandwich. Then, we set out on the official Roselle tour. We hoped in his aunt's cherry red Deville and looked for cruising music before we left the driveway. We flipped past the Mighty Clouds of Joy and other random gospel CDs before one got our attention: R. Kelly's The Chocolate Factory.

"Word," J said. I couldn't agree more.

We cruised to "Ignition" and "Heart of A Woman," while J gave me a tour of his childhood home. We visited his old schools, the chicken shack and his old church. We were driving around a local park J frequented as a child when my song came on.

"Ahhhhh, not 'Step In the Name of Love,'" I squealed. "Dance with me."

J looked at me with a smirk that asked if I was serious, but was hesitant to find out the answer.

He pulled over. And we danced.

I bit my lip and started stepping and hustling the best I knew how. A family walked by and looked at us strangely. A guy across the street ignored us and continued to paint the scenery. There were a couple of missteps, but I do believe we cut a rug - or the concrete parking lot as it was.

We got so into it, J even kept dancing after I stopped to get my camera. Here he is doing his patented two step that I have seen too many times before.

I have to say I was surprised he actually stopped. J never ever humors me. Ever. He's always first to shut down my hopes and dreams when I think of some random activity. Not this time. I'm chalking it up to the fact that I hadn't seen him in over a year because I know if I was in the 757, there would be no hustling, stepping or dropping down to get my eagle on of any sort.

After our dance, we went to the mall and shopped, trying on jackets and hats we both knew we weren't going to buy and talking about the shoppers we passed. We did that until I got tired of being around people. We headed home where J's aunt had cooked a Thanksgiving feast of ham, turkey, yams, mac n cheese, peas and rice, green beans with turkey necks, fried okra, johnny cake cornbread and a pound cake. We ate our vittles in the basement while we watched The Temptations movie on VH1.

"Because there is only one David Ruffin. And without him, the Temps ain't nothin' but a group in SEARCH of a David Ruffin. "

Yeah, that was a good movie.

Back to the trip.

Anyway, I don't want to get too sappy because I know how much J hates that, but I'm glad I made the trek because it gave me a chance to kick it with one of my favorite people in life.

So, up with cars that will handle 300 miles in two days;
Up with well-meaning aunts who always send you home with leftovers;
And up with spending time with your favorite people, no matter how short the visit is.

Just call me Betty Crocker

I already had my speech planned out.

"So, first," I'd begin, "let me explain the holes."

This is how I began my first foray in to baking.

Historically, I'm not a baker. Fried Chicken, roasted potatoes, lasagna, collard greens - I 've got them all on lock. But hand me a mixer and flour and I'm at a loss.

But seeing as how I'd volunteered to make a sweet potato pie for Thanksgiving at a friend's house this year, I figured I should try it out lest mine be the dreaded pie that sits untouched at the end of the table.

So last night, I set about making this pie, and it was no easy task. It took me about two hours, from boiling water to cooling pies, but I think it made me stronger. I even broke out a mixer that I bought for just this recipe. Now I have to think of something else to use it for...

Anyway, so I had these two glorious pies that looked good, but now what? I didn't want to take it to my friend's house and it bomb, so I did what anyone in my situation would do: I took it to work.

As we all know, journalists will eat anything. Even still, I felt the need to give my disclaimer to my coworkers, who promptly dismissed me and cut into my pie. I am happy to say that my pie got the thumbs up from the lone other black girl in my newsroom, and it also got rave reviews from my other co-workers. It even got a stamp of approval from my boss' boss who, apparently, has fond childhood memories of sweet potato pie. Go figure.

I gave myself a pat on the back for this one.

Okay, I chicken noodle souped after my pie was validated.

Want to do the same? Here's my momma's recipe. Enjoy!

Sweet Potato Pie
(Makes 2 pies)

5 lbs of small/medium Yams
1tsp Nutmeg
2tsp Vanilla Flavor
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 Cup Brown Sugar
1 1/2 Cup Sugar
1/4 Cup Can Milk Carnation or Pet
2-3 eggs (3 eggs will make fluffier)
1 stick of butter
( I also added in a pinch of clove -about 1/2 to 1 teaspoon- to my filling, so you can feel free to add it also)

Boil Potatoes with peeling then peel off skin while still hot and mash with milk and butter, then beat everything else in until fluffy. Taste mixture to make sure sweet enough and tastes OK. Should make 2 pies. Bake 375 45 min-1 hour (less if you have an electric oven) check after 1st 30 minutes by sticking a toothpick in to make sure it ocmes out clean. Once done, rub butter over crust to keep flaky.

**Disclaimer: Blogger is on my hit list. I had to write this entire blog over because Blogger erased it after I tried to spell check. So if you find some grammatical errors, kick rocks. I tried.**

Loss of a Legend

I can't say I was one of those kids who ran to the television to watch "60 Minutes."

Even as I grew older, I never really got into the program. I'd flip through the channels and watch it if I came across it, but it was never on my weekly list of shows to watch.

I'm sorry now that it wasn't.

By not watching those shows, I missed out on seeing a legend in action. There was no denying the impact of Ed Bradley, one of the show's correspondents and a pioneer for Black journalists.
By missing those shows, I missed out on seeing a legend in action.

Browsing through the coverage of his death yesterday, I came across a series of clips from interviews he'd conducted. One that sticks out in my mind was when he was confronting what seemed to be a white relative of someone involved in the Emmitt Till case. Bradley, with his smooth voice, didn't back down when the guy got irate in that whole southern-racist kind of way. He quipped back at the guy with the kind of gumption and wit I wish I had. I couldn't help but smile. He let the Philly come out of him.

I think his willingness to be real is what some people loved about him. I know that just from watching his clips, I grew to love that about him, too. I just wish I had grown to appreciate it sooner.

Ten95 Tribute to the Legacy of Ed Bradley

CBS News: Best of Ed Bradley

Grand Theft Blog

It's been a rough week. I needed some nonsense to help me through. And, of course, Jarrod never lets me down.

Three Names You Go By: Talia, Buford, Thelma (and many more)

Three Parts of Your Heritage: Black, Native American, and some more black

3Three Things That Scare You: insects, guns, complacency

Three of Your Everyday Essentials: singing along to the radio/CD player, writing in my journal (though I've been slacking lately), and talking to a friend or family member on the phone

Three Things You Are Wearing Right Now: Pumas (yeah I'm at work, my pumps are in the car), purple sweater, watch

Three of Your Favorite Bands or Musical Artists: Outkast, Jill Scott, the Fugees (vintage or Lauryn Hill)

Three of Your Favorite Songs: At Last (Etta James), Luchini (Camp Lo), Anything by Outkast

Three Things You Want in a Relationship: Comedy, Passion, Sincerity

Three Physical Things about the Opposite Sex: eyes, smile, nook (more specifically, the way I fit into that little space)

Three of Your Favorite Hobbies: reading, writing, singing

Three Things You Want Really Badly Right Now: for Nov. 8 to come, a day off, a fatter paycheck

Three People You Would Like to See Do This: anybody who feels so inclined to do so (I don't like pressuring people)

Three Non-Physical Things About the Opposite Sex: sense of humor, personality, does their smell count? if so, I want to say smell because it lingers and triggers emotions. If not, I'll say their drive and commitment

Three Favorite T.V. Shows: 24, Grey's Anatomy, Heroes

Three Songs that you have listened to while completing this meme: None. I did this at work.