I love this place. I don’t know why or how I can ever bring myself to leave. Settle in, because this is a long one.

I realize that I can’t be very objective in saying this, being that it’s 4:15 AM (or something like that….the time fell back), but it was probably the best homecoming ever.

I rode into town with Ericka aka E. Dubb. We arrived at about 7 PM and met up with my boy Panama Jackson. Yes, the very same Panama who I have linked on the side and is taking the internet by storm with his writing. We’ve known each other since June 4th of 1997, the day AFTER I finished High School and the first day of our summer program. Anyway it wasn’t just him I met up with. The homies Manu, Jabri, and Aziza were also in the car. We headed out to Stone Mountain to a dinner party thrown by our friends Enada and Leigha.

I still had on my “traveling clothes” so I had to iron and change, and while doing so, Manu made some great Blueberry Martinis. I drank 5, mostly because I was the only one who liked them, but it was damned good IMO. So yeah, I ate some great Lasagna…one was a regular recipe, the other was seafood (there were two others…chicken and spinach, but I was cool on those). I also drank a few more martini’s until I was nice and toasted.

I saw a few people I hadn’t seen in YEARS, most notable my boy Barry. Me and Barry have a tumultuous history. The only fight I’ve been in in my adult life was with him, but we’ve long since mended our fences. It was really good seeing him. We caught up for awhile. I also briefly saw my boy Adrian which was really good too!

At some point we decided to roll out to the club. In the car I began to talk about my burgeoning alcoholism with Malika for some strange reason. It felt pretty awkward/shameful after awhile to be honest and I don’t know how I really got started down that path. Maybe it was all the drinking I’d done before that.

We ended up going to Visions (my first time going there). There was a Halloween costume contest, and I wished I had brought my Tyrone Biggums get up down, I coulda won that contest too! “Stringer Bell” from the Wire did some DJing there and really lamed himself out in the process. As Dwayne pointed out, an actor shouldn’t go around town as his “character” especially if said character is a drug dealer on an HBO drama. You don’t see the cat who plays Paulie Walnuts DJing at Strip Clubs as Paulie Walnuts from The Sopranos, but I digress. I ran into my favorite TSU grad from St. Louis, Cookie, up in Visions. It’s a really nice club. I even danced a little, and I HATE dancing (more on that later).

We left at closing time and went to Manu’s place to crash. I had a change of clothes and what not for tailgating the next day. Sleeping on air mattresses is underrated! I loved it, no bullshit! I also kind of dig sleeping on the floor to, but if I have a choice in the future it’s air mattress time for me!

So yeah after some of the best sleep I’ve had in years I was awakened by my phone at about 10:30 or so in the morning. I had a look around Manu’s place, it’s really nice. I need a spot like that when I come back to Atlanta. He also had Season 2 of In Living Color on DVD so I got my flashback on. Some of that stuff is dated, but most of it was still funny as all get out.

Panama and Manu took a trip out to Austell (or possibly Alabama…who knows!) to get liquor and such for our tailgating. Pinchback aka The Homecoming MVP aka the most kicking it nigga I know, came through to eventually ride out with us. When Panama and Manu came back Jabri, Aziza, and I went to go grab something to eat and got lost trying to find Metropolitan Ave. from Manu’s place (yes I was ashamed as an Atlanta native). We ended up finding a Church’s Chicken. We also got lost on the way back to Manu’s, but eventually made it.

From there we all piled into Manu’s car. Lots of jokes were made because there were 4 dudes in the backseat, ranging from “mexican” jokes (apologies to any Mexican readers I may have) to butt cheek jokes (I could spend a few paragraphs explaining them away, but I won’t….let your imagination run wild!). So after parking at the Mall West End (which is a misnomer if there ever was, but that’s neither here nor there). We ended up walking to the tailgate. Well actually we first headed to where Barry and company were barbequing. We took a shot of 151 there (still burns) and then headed out into the madness.

Man, NOTHING on earth beats tailgating. As was discussed later on (I forget who the involded parties were) if you describe tailgating at an HBCU homecoming to someone who’s never done it, it will inevitably come out sounding boring as hell, but you just have to experiece it! It was warm (actually HOT). There was plenty of beer and liquor to be had. And the WOMEN…..MY GOD the women…..so many, so many!!! Man it was a sea of humanity. The only down part is that I left my camera in Enada’s car the previous night so I didn’t get it until late, and the battery was low because I couldn’t recharge it (that means few pictures….sorry!). But yeah man, I couldn’t begin to list all of the people I saw who I hadn’t seen in forever. But the one that surprised me the most was my long lost friend Will. It really warmed my heart to see him. His parents went to Albany State (who destroyed us 50-15….but who cares about the game at Homecoming anyway?) so he met up with them here in Atlanta. I told him where Barry had set up shop and we all met back up over there. I ran into him while I was with my mother and sister (after I had seen my Dad). I had seen Nina with her friends Mia, Riahnte (I messed her name ALL the way up), and Tara. Nina had a shirt with my mom’s senior picture from Spelman’s yearbook. It’s actually very dope!

So tailgating went on for awhile before I met back up with Adrian, Frank, Enada, and Leigha. We ended up going to Burger King and shooting the shit for awhile before I headed back to Manu’s. Then Panama dropped me by the crib so I could drop off some clothes I’m now washing. And then we went BACK to Manu’s to get ready for the party at Luxe (formerly known as Mumbo Jumbo). Man that joint was PACKED. But a BUNCH of people were there. Some people from my graduating class (including my main man Allen aka AJ) were the hosts. I got a call as I was coming in from my friend Tiffany. Turns out she was like right next to me with her line sisters and what not.

So I settled in to post up and what not. And here is where you will get a quick lesson in some of my idiosyncracies and stuff. First things first at the club, I’m an observer. I’m a post up on the wall kind of guy. I DON’T dance. I may dance occassionally if I’m REALLY feeling either a song, a girl, or the amount of drink I’ve had (or some combination), but more often than not I’m content to post up and people watch. Besides the fact that I love to admire the female form, the explanation is quite simple….I CANNOT DANCE! Tiffany tried to tell me the same thing I’ve heard countless times, “All Black people can dance!” That’s some bullshit. I can’t! She actually MADE me dance once and then tried to ask me, “Why are you so stiff?” To which I replied, “Muthafucka, because I can’t dance!!!”. Then she tried to tell me how women like dudes who can dance (like I didn’t know that already….LOL) and I told her I can slow dance, which is pretty true…I hold my own then. Anyway, I prefer when a girl does like Enada did and just kind of pins me against the wall and has her way with me. I like a girl who can take control of the whole dancing thing….I’m lazy like that.

Another thing about me. I’m a nice guy and all to people I know pretty well, but I’m also mean and could even be classified as an asshole. I’ll elaborate. I don’t go out of my way to speak to people. Especially people who I figured only used to speak to me because I was friends with certain other people and generally wouldn’t give me the time of day. I’m just not a friendly/fake guy like that. I don’t make small talk and shit like that. I talk to my friends. I don’t dap up everybody. If I didn’t/don’t like you, I don’t see the reason for it. I hate all of that. Also it’s pretty awkward when people who a year and a half ago told you that they never wanted to speak to you again all of a sudden come and speak as if none of that other history occurred. So the beef (that I never really started in the first place….unlike some of my other beefs) is dead now….just like that? Strange shit man.

Anyway, in short, I can’t dance and I’m slightly anti-social. Ya’ll knew that already. Anyway, we headed back after the whole club thing (I really had fun, by the way….I don’t have to dance and shit….I just like watching people and talking to a select few). After a stop at Krystal’s Frank and Jabri made it to the crib in College Park which leads me to now.

My dissappointments (besides the previously mentioned camera thing) are: STILL not meeting the Diva Herself (Jen), the fact that my boys Bernard and Eulus couldn’t make it this time, that Little Nikki doesn’t know I’m alive and I didn’t man up and force my existance upon her, and that it had to end!

My best moments: Seeing all of my old friends, hanging with Panama and Manu and them, seeing Cade and Tamaini, running into Tiffany at the club.

I have some people to see tomorrow so it ain’t over. I’ll try to write again before I leave. Right now I’m going to reload the washer/dryer and then take these contacts out and go to bed. If you read all of this in one sitting you got some stamina…..cuz it took me an hour to write it!

Last night I halfway expected the Four Horsemen of the Apocolypse to swoop down and set me free from this hellish life I’ve been living. I mean the Red Sox actually won the World Series (wink and gun@Saleemah and Liz and any other Bostonians who may be reading this). What else could happen?

Well I’m going to Atlanta this weekend for Morehouse’s Homecoming, and I can tell you without a doubt that my prospects will be looking up.

I’ve been laid up the past two days with a little lightweight cold. Nothing serious, but I did get a sore throat, runny nose, and fever so I drank a bunch of green tea and took some Nyquil tablets. I still have some scratchiness and stuffiness, but I’m better overall.

So….I don’t think I have anymore to say right now. I plan to party hard and drink my sorrows away this weekend. Then push out a few more weeks before Thanksgiving and Christmas and push the reset button in January.

I’ll have more to say from the homestead.

Undisclosed Location in Nashville, TN

The Killa enters with his spokeswomen. Both appear the worse for the wear. The Spokeswoman approaches the microphone.

Spokeswoman: The Killa will answer a few questions as usual. You there.

Reporter: Let’s cut to the chase. How are you holding up?

Killa: Well. My spirit is cool. Emotionally and mentally I’m doing a little better than this time last week. Financially I’m still in a pickle. But I’m still doing my thing….and such

Spokeswoman: Next question….in the back….

Reporter: I heard you came into a little money last night, can you tell us about that?

Killa: I’m glad you asked. Last Sunday I had a brilliant idea. I decided that I’d dress up for Halloween this year. Then I saw there was a costume party that had a cash prize for best costume so I said, what the hell, why not? I have no problem humiliating myself for financial gain. So with the help of a few friends I put together a BANG-UP costume. Ladies and gentlemen I WAS Tyrone Biggums. Long story short it came down to me and Lil John and I ended up winning. I did the voice and everything. I scratched my neck. I said, “My feet are strong.” I did the harlem shake. I won! Twenty bucks in my pocket. I felt like a kid on Christmas….I almost considered actually consumating the whole deal and getting some crack….just kidding…..but it was great! Made my year.

Reporter: Did you take pictures?

Killa: Why yes I did and whenever it is that I get my internet access back at home I will post them all for your viewing pleasure. Which reminds me. I don’t think I’ve ever been explicitly clear. I no longer have a residential phone line or internet access. I don’t know if I will before January.

Spokeswoman: Next question….on the left

Reporter: What about the immediate future?

Killa: Well I’m going to be making a very special guest appearance as myself at Morehouse’s homecoming this weekend. I plan to drink the Diva and others under the table. Then my sister Nina is coming up the next weekend with her friend Mia for TSU’s homecoming. Then I’ll be taking my exam and starting classes after much pussyfooting and delaying. And that’s as far into the future as I can see.

Spokeswoman: Last question….in front

Reporter: How bout those Sox?

Killa: Yeah that was pretty impressive. The thing I missed the most about not having internet access is the fact that I couldn’t read the Sports Guy’s entries as it was unfolding. Hopefully I’ll catch up today, since the Falcons are getting their asses handed to them by the Chiefs and the guy next to me has on a freaking Priest Holmes jersey. I’m pulling for an end to the curse in the World Series! Go Sox.

Spokeswoman: Well that’s all folks. Hopefully The Killa will get access to a computer sometime this week to keep you all informed. Until then keep him in your thoughts and prayers.

*****Edit*****

I added pictures from the Halloween Party to the gallery, thanks to OJ and Sunny D for their help in doing so!

I’m still alive….I’m typing this from up at the school….

I can’t front, shit is as bad as it’s ever been right now for me….if you pray, pray for me….

I’ll holla back when I can….

I’m in that awkward zone right now where I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop. At some point the phone people are going to turn my access off, probably at the close of the workday….who really knows….at any rate I’m on borrowed time now, so I might as well make the most of it.

So, last night was the 3rd straigh Meharry Softball Championship featuring the A Phi A/AKA team versus the Que/Delta team. The series was tied 1-1 prior to last night and if you recall, after the Skee Phi team lost last time (two years ago…there was no softball in Mudville last year) Coach Geoff (hereafter known as Earl Weaver) threw the second place trophy in the river.

So yeah the game kicked off at about 6:30 or so. A beer run was made by Rodrell and myself, and we returned just in time to witness a 17 run inning by the Skee Phi team. Earl Weaver was sending everyone with legs home. It looked to be a blowout, but I warned everyone, “That Que team is scrappy….this game isn’t over…anything can happen”. And well, anything did happen.

All told, the game took about 4 hours and it all came down to the bottom of the seventh with the game tied 36-36. The bases were walked loaded and then the winning run crossed the plate Kenny Rogers in ‘98 style (walked in).

There were no trophy tosses this year, everything ended rather anti-climatically. But it was an entertaining game and a pretty good season. It wasn’t even as cold as in past years (although it was a bit crisp and chilly). Afterward a few hardcore drinkers met up at Bailey’s for $2 (and now $2.50??!!?!?) pints.

If I’m still online this afternoon I’ll write again. Think of it as bonus Cal.

I know some of you all are about to be worried about me when I’m not on AIM and such for awhile….and if this site all of a sudden disappears so I’ll tell you now….

I don’t have any money….at all….they (and by they I mean those mysterious white men with suits) are going to completely disconnect my phone line tonight sometime because of non-payment….I can’t call and “make arrangements” because I did that this summer and didn’t hold to my word because I didn’t get the money when I thought I would (and when I did it wasn’t nearly enough)….

So yeah, I’m not gonna be around these parts for awhile unless I can use other people’s computers….ummmm….those who need to reach me and know how can get at me on my cell phone I guess….I keep the ringer off most of the time though….I’ll call you back though, I promise….

Ummmm check out the about section I added 99 random facts about me….

I think that’s all for now….

But I’mma give her an extended birthday shout out anyway.

It was the summer of 1996. It was my first time away from home or my grandmother’s house in Mississippi for longer than a week. I got literally dropped off at Xavier University in New Orleans. My mom helped me bring some stuff up to my room and then while I was at a meeting she and my grandmother went to the Walmart or something and supplied me with some sheets and stuff and then BOUNCED.

I didn’t know ANYBODY, and I have to be honest, the first few days were MISERABLE for me. I knew a couple people there, but my overactive imagination took over and told me I wouldn’t meet anyone or they’d all hate me or something. I ate lunch all by myself the first day.

At any rate, not only did I meet people I made some lifelong friends. I was lucky to be in a group that had a bunch of people who had alot of common interests and values.

I don’t know exactly how it went down, maybe it was in study hall/vocab one morning….actually I do remember. I was telling this girl Dorian about how I was going to name my first born son Raekwon Shyheim (I was a big Wu-Tang fan back then….huge Wu-Tang fan actually) and she was trying her best to convince me not to, when I turned to the girl behind me and told her my plans. She was like, “Please don’t do that to that child.” So of course this was a nice segue to get to know her for the remainder of the week.

Turns out she was a good friend of a good friend of mine, the same girl I’d known since 5th grade and thought of like a sister was one of her best friends from church. And also she went to Mays High School which was the same school as my boy Eulus and where I wanted to go before I ended up at Westlake. I immediately found it ironic that we had to go hundreds of miles away from home and leave it to chance to meet.

Well we hung out and stuff, not to any extent more than I hung out with everyone else, but still, we had alot in common. She sang a solo when our group had to perform for some kind of talent competition that summer (the beginning of “Joyful, Joyful” from Sister Act 2….I did the rap if you can believe that!!…I meant to write about this awhile ago as a matter of fact). She was with the big group that went to this old raggedy ass theater on Canal St. to see Fled. In short I felt she was one of the coolest folks I met that summer, and exchanged numbers and stuff since she lived so close to me.

We kept up with each other during our senior year of high school. She ran for Miss Mays and did other wonderful things, and I ummmm…graduated. Then I found out we had ANOTHER connection. Turns out her little sister and my sister Nina were friends from elementary school or something and then she ended up transferring to Westlake. So all during college, while she was at Jackson State, we’d still manage to keep in touch through our sisters.

Our sisters took a limo together with their dates to the junior prom and she was there with me, keeping me from being the crazy overprotective big brother. If not for her, I could have ruined alot of days/nights for a lot of people.

As we’ve gotten older and become college graduates we’ve still managed to keep in touch. One of the best parts about coming home nowadays is seeing her. She’s a working woman now, I’m really proud of her. She’s really grown to be exactly the woman I expected her to become way back when I met her. She’s always been a very steady, level-headed, and consistant person. She’s very optimistic. She’s a beautiful woman. I’m so glad I have her in my life, because I don’t possess enough of those characteristics.

So I say all of that to say….HAPPY BIRTHDAY LYNDSEY!! Don’t work too hard today! Enjoy yourself, it’s a celebration!

Yep….that’s what it was….I had fun though….

Yeah….so in the last episode your hero was headed to the first Birthday Party of young P.J…..

I have to say that whatever way you slice it, it was a success. Little kids are funny man, especially little boys. Little Trey (son of Chip and Jermeliah) never met a toy he didn’t like. He already has alot of personality and stuff as well. He would eat a lime and make the funniest faces. When PJ was opening his presents (which reminds me, I’m going to have a 1st birthday party next week! Homie racked up!), he was trying to show him how to work each and every one. Little Jamal (son of Cherise and Jamal) is a little older than the other kids, but that didn’t stop him from trying to get at EVERY SINGLE little girl at the party. From young Jordan to the twins and all the ones in between, he was a little junior mack in training. It was hilarious. At some point, someone had the bright idea of putting all of the kids together for one big “Meharry Kids” picture. Man that was a MESS. But we got a bunch of good pictures out of it after a little work. I took about 150! They’ll be up soon….I promise….along with some other galleries.

After most of the guests left we watched the rest of the SPANKING Georgia administered to LSU (where you at Herb????). Then we played Madden. Geoff finally joined in, losing 14-10 to Julian. Meanwhile I choked away a 17-3 lead and lost in OT 20-17 to Eman. After that we watched a bit of the Tennessee trouncing (yeah it’s sad in Mudville!!!) before heading to Dave’s to watch the Trinidad-Mayorga fight. I really thought Mayorga was going to win man. Trinidad deconstructed that man. He put on a clinic. It was awful.

In the meanwhile, we had smashed about 36 beers altogether so I ended up crashing on Geoff’s couch that night and watching the first half of The Empire Strikes Back.

I woke up Sunday and finished the best of the Star Wars movies. Then we ended up over Dave’s to watch the NFL games and the race. Yeah, I hear you laughing about the race, but it was actually damned good. Dale Earnhardt, Jr ended up coming back from 10th after a caution with 6 laps remaining to win and Elliot Sadler took another Talladega tumble. At any rate, the Falcons are still undefeated. And despite what the casual fan/Vick haters want to believe, it’s been more defense than Vick. Now I’ll admit, Vick makes teams play very tentatively and he has a DEFINITE impact in the game and how teams approach the Falcons offense, but the DEFENSE is the key. Peter King agrees with me.

I got back to my house about 8 PM and really tried to make an entry/upload the pictures, but I was so tired. So at any rate. Look for those pictures within the hour, I’m inserting the memory stick now.

*edited to add*
THE PICTURES ARE UP…. (if you don’t know already go to the top of this page and click PHOTOS (or here) and then go to th gallery to see them) if you were there and you want one e-mailed to you E-Mail Me.

Understand that the pictures are big as far as i-net files go, and if you request a bunch of pictures 1) expect it to take awhile to upload and download and 2) you should have a BUNCH of space in your e-mail account awaiting the pictures! If they bounce back to me, it’s not my fault, delete some of that spam!

- Beer does wonders for the BG’s….at least until the next morning….

- I realize telling people you have the BG’s is TMI….

- One of the more underrated parts of the Meharry experience (even though I’ve written about it before at least once) is the Fall Softball League….I’m glad they brought it back after a year hiatus….

- So this low mental capacity nut named Jamille (no link for you douchbag!) has threatened my life in someone’s comments….the internet is wild and weird….

- While I was in Atlanta my mother brought home some Moe’s Southwest Grill for me….I’d seen the place before but never tried it for some reason….BOY was it good….

- If this was her shout out, think she’d know it?….does she even read this?

- That was very “20 Questions”-esque….I always wanted to do the 20 Q’s for the Maroon Tiger, but I wasn’t quite “in the know enough”….

- Doing that quiz was fun, I enjoyed seeing some of the choices people made….

- Crustache was actually this dude named Ben from Frisco…so named because of his crusty mustache and the faces he would make…..

- I may not have ever written about my usage of Mackadocious and it’s subsequent theft before, but it’s a short story that goes a little like-a this:
The Killa Cal was forced to take Art in 7th grade in order to get out of the hell that was Camp Creek Middle School….in said art class taught by Miss Ball was a dude named Chris Kelly who I thought was kinda weird, but then I was weird too…you take friends where you can get them….anyway buddy had braids and such and lived in my old (and soon to be new) neighborhood (shout outs to the Loch Lomond Posse!!!)….at the time I had a penchant for making up words and stuff and used the word “mackadocious” several times….yadda yadda yadda….I hear it in a song later on….the end

- Who knew Arie paid so much attention to all of my gibberish and such….way to go!….and she didn’t have to take it twice *clears throat*….

- That quiz also brought a couple people out of the woodworks that I hadn’t talked to in a minute….good to know you are still alive….

- I could sit and listen to music all day and be perfectly content…..

- I think the Falcons are going to win tomorrow….

- I think the Falcons could win 12 games this season…..they could also only win 8 just the same…..it’ll probably even out around 10….

- It’s not so much about Vick (although he puts the fear of God in opposing defenses) as it is the defense and specifically the front 4….those guys are monsters….and people thought it was just the Madden ratings!….

- ….do you need some time all alone?….everybody needs some time on their own!!…oh don’t you know you need some time all alone?!!….I know it’s hard to keep an open heart….when even friends seem out to harm you!!…but if you could heal a broken heart!…wouldn’t time be out to charm you??….

- MONSTER BALLADS!!!!

- Can we all agree that Throwback and Superstar make Usher’s Confessions a ghetto classic by themselves??

- Ever heard Rosanna by Toto?….did you know it was about Rosanna Arquette?…me neither….

- I tried to play the Sims last night again….I suck at it…that’s all there is to it….then again he was just like me….didn’t clean up after himself, hated working, alienated his friends….maybe they were onto something….I don’t piss my pants though!!…that’s where I draw the line!…get ahold of yourself man!

- yeah I think that’s enough random for now….if you made it this far….

I stole this from Max…

Also a few things….most, if not all of the answers to this quiz have been written about either here or on my livejournal….I catered it to you online people who may or may not know the answers….also a pop up ad or 11 may pop up depending on the number of pop-up blocking devices you have on your raggedy e-machine….I have the google blocker myself and one got through….

so yeah HERE IS THE QUIZ let me know how you do!