Finally, The Vipress Has Come Back Home!

Greetings from beautiful Los Angeles, California, Y’all!

First of all, I would like to say: Happy 54^th Birthday to my godmother, Susie Douglas (a.k.a. “Mrs. D”). Celebrate it well, celebrate the whole month, and celebrate in style. May God continue to bless and keep you forever and always. Oh, and I love your hairstyle, Lady!

Well, y’all can only imagine how I feel being back at home, and I am so ready to make the most of these three long summer months. And check this out: When I arrived at LAX this morning at 10:30am and picked up my bags from baggage claim, I stepped outside and sat down on a bench. Just that quickly, I heard an all-too-familiar Southern voice call out: “Tasha Renee, get in this car, Girl!”

I looked up and saw Mom poking her head out of the passenger’s side of that grey Toyota 4-Runner, with Dad just noddin’ and grinnin’ away. I hurriedly grabbed my bags and threw them in the back, then Dad treated me and Mom to IHOP. We got home around a quarter to one, and I didn’t even unpack my bags—I just lay them by my closet door and plopped down on my bed, where I took a good long nap.

I only woke up about fifteen minutes ago, and I see that it’s almost 4pm PST right now. Dad’s still throwing me a “Welcome Back” party, so I guess I had better get ready for it. I’m still trying to get back into the Southern Cali groove of things, but that won’t take too long. Heck, I haven’t even called Ray to let him know that I’m back home, but I’ll call him later on this evening. Right now, I’m just gonna relish in the fact that… FINALLY, THE VIPRESS HAS COME BACK… HOME!!!

Well, let me go ahead and close up this blog post… oh, while it’s on my mind, I just want to say that I find it so apropos that the first blog for the month of June and my return to the Golden State coincided with one another—I couldn’t ask for anything more.

In any event, I’ll holla at y’all tomorrow when I come home from church… and tomorrow is Communion Sunday, isn’t it?

Oh, Cali—you haven’t changed a bit.

Until tomorrow, y’all have a good one!

Hugs & Kisses,

Natasha

Officially Seven Days Left!

Hi, Everyone!

We are just seven days away from the greatest spectacle to ever take place in Southern California’s history. No, it’s not WrestleMania, nor is it the Aurora Borealis. Hell, it’s not even my college graduation; besides, that’s not for another three years. Next Saturday, June 1, 2013, is a special day for a wonderful woman—Mrs. Susie Douglas, otherwise known as Mrs. D!

Hahahaha! Gotcha, didn’t I?

Y’all already know that I’ll be returning to L.A. next Saturday—that ain’t really nothin’ new. My Southern Cali return notwithstanding, Mrs. D will in fact celebrate her 54^th birthday, and I would be remiss if I didn’t get her at least a birthday card. I know that purple and fuchsia are her favorite colors, and she also loves strawberries and pineapples… and there goes that lightbulb in my head again! I’ve got the perfect gift for Mrs. D—I’ll just have to ask my mom and dad if they would buy it for me.

I would tell y’all what it is, but I don’t wanna risk the chance of Mrs. D reading this blog—I’m just sayin’!

And speaking of my return to Cali (that’s right—I’m still talkin’ about it), I took a look at my flight schedule, and I’m leaving Memphis at 8am CST, and arriving at LAX around 10:20am PST. Y’all should see me as of late, and Ruby is my witness: I’ve been watching the Weather Channel for about a week now, just to keep abreast of what to wear when I return to the Golden State. I haven’t seen the 10-day forecast just yet, but you know that I’ll be watching this evening. And heck—even if I miss it today, I still have until May 31.

Oh, shoot! Speaking of May 31, I gotta see where I can store my excess stuff, seeing as how I will be back in three months. I can always call Auntie Gladys or Great Aunt Donna to hold some of my stuff—I sure as heck don’t want to leave a burden of stuff on one individual. Oh, and as far as who my roommate will be for my sophomore year, I needn’t look no further than my “sista from anotha mista,” Ruby Jean Hudspeth. That’s right, y’all—we talked all about it all last week. She actually brought it up; she says to me, “You know, Tasha, if I had to choose between you and a new roommate for my sophomore year, I would choose the lesser of two evils.” I knew there was a joke in there somewhere, so I said, “Well, I guess we won’t be roommates come the 2013-14 school year!”

And we both busted out laughing!

Well, y’all—that’s gonna just about do it for today. Incidentally, I may not post a blog on Monday, seeing as how that is reserved for Memorial Day. You will hear from me on Tuesday, though, so y’all just keep it tuned right here. Until then, however, y’all take care and be safe.

Hugs & Kisses,
Natasha

In Another Castle, Tho!

Hi, Everyone!

So, I was on the phone with my Uncle Ronnie this morning, and I was telling him how I am looking forward to my summer vacation, but I have Summer School to contend with at the moment. Uncle Ronnie chuckled and said, “All you need is for that little mushroom dude to come out and say to you: ‘Thank you, Mario… but our princess is in another castle.’”

While I do realize that I wasn’t even so much as an afterthought when Super Mario Brothers came out, I am aware of the reference. Besides, Uncle Ronnie still has his original Nintendo, and I used to play him from time to time… hahaha! Anyway, I understand Uncle Ronnie’s analogy, and why he compared Mario’s search of the fair Princess Toadstool to my much anticipated return to my hometown, especially with so much going on back home. Notwithstanding my friend Becky Morgan experiencing the prom she never had (thanks in part to my cousin Calvin), I am to understand that Gramma Jewel has brand-new neighbors. And I have it on good authority that one of those new neighbors is a teacher at Sapp Elementary. Talk about six degrees of separation—Gramma Jewel is a volunteer nurse up at Sapp Elementary, and her other neighbor Mr. D is a kindergarten teacher up there... I’m tellin’ y’all—the irony is deliciously beautiful (and beautifully delicious)!

And y’all just know that Gramma Jewel and the rest of her neighbors have pitched in to officially welcome the new neighbors to Sapphire Street. Of course, the topper is Gramma Jewel’s super delicious strawberry seven-up cake!

Also, Cousin Calvin will be graduating from Cal State Long Beach on Wednesday, May 22, and y’all know how much I would love to be there, but seeing as how I’m “in another castle” known as Bearcat Country, I gotta miss it. As disappointed as I am, I will at least get him a graduation card and mail it to him.

So much going on in Southern Cali, and I’ve got to miss it! Oh, well—it’s not like I didn’t know what to expect when I accepted admission at Rust College. I knew the rules going into this thing, and then too, I was the one boldly professing that “I’ll go if I have to go by myself.”

I’m not saying that those words have come back to bite me—I’m merely speaking as an individual who is lonesome for her hometown. However, if Gramma Jewel has taught me anything (and she has taught me a helluva lot), it’s that this too shall pass.

Well, I guess I’d better close this blog for today. Until Monday, y’all have a good rest-of-the-weekend.

Hugs & Kisses,
Natasha