This song…reminds me of somebody…a certain somebody that I tend to miss…mostly on days ending in “Y”…and twice on Sundays. (I know - therapy, get some. LOL)

Make it like poetry.

‘Nuff said.

Happy Friday!!

Today is the first day of my new contracting assignment.

I am so very completely outside of my comfort zones. All of them.

Somehow, I think that’s all part of His design.

Ok.

I trust you Lord. (But I’m keeping my eye on the rest of them!! LOL)

To Fresh Starts,
*~* MsJayy *~*

Today was my last day at my first contracting assignment.

It definitely was an experience. While I didn’t learn as much as I would have liked to or as I think I should have as far as the organization goes, I definitely got some “extracurricular” where my personal growth is concerned.

Remember my posts about “Reflected Gratitude: Mirror, Mirror” and how God uses people, places and situations to reflect our own issues back to us so that we can truly see them and work them out?

Think about staring into a mirror of “unpretties” for seven straight months. LOL

Don’t get me wrong - I saw a lot of who I used to be (the ‘not-so-pretty-me’) in other people. I’m grateful for what I learned from that “me” but evenmoreso, I’m grateful that I’m no longer THAT ‘me’.

Without going into a lot of detail, I will say that while it wasn’t always easy, I know I am (and will be) better off for it in the long run. And so, at the end of this day, I packed my “lessons learned” along with my stash of tea and honey, checked for places where I left indelible fingerprints - indelible soulprints - offered up a prayer of thanksgiving…and hit play on this Lauryn Hill track.

Grateful for it all,
*~* MsJayy *~*

It really is the little things that matter most. In so many ways. In all relationships - romantic, career, school, etc.

Do you know what gets me about the “little things”?

How come what *seems* like a “little thing” to me (or to someone else) becomes a “MAJOR thing” for others?

I guess it’s the amount of effort required. Maybe it comes at too high a “price” for that person.
Or maybe it’s “major” because of the wiillingness (or lack thereof) of the other person to step outside of their comfort zone, to take a risk. To compromise.

Must be.

All I know is this:

LITTLE THINGS MATTER.

If enough “LITTLE THINGS” are ignored, they band together and become “BIG THINGS”. And generally they become big UGLY things.

Someone is having a “Little-converted-to-big-thing” moment right now and it is NOT pretty by any stretch of the imagination. I can’t feign sympathy. I can’t. I know myself well enough to know when I’m being clear…and to know that, when I’m NOT being clear, it’s by design.

In this case, I was clear. CRYSTAL. Constantly. Your failure to “hear” me is what’s causing you grief now. Don’t expect a sympathy card from me. As the song refrain goes, “Ya brought it on ya self. Ya brought it on ya self.”

Tend to the little things. That would be my advice.

Tomorrow is my last day on this contract assignment. As is my nature in a lot of cases, I gave in to a few moments of “am I making the right choice?”, “what if I’m wrong?”. Just a few moments. And then, confirmation showed up, in multiples, back to back.

I love the feel of peace against my soul. My mind. Better than silk or cashmere Baby. Trust and believe.

Immersing myself in the “little things”,
*~* MsJayy *~*

*~* QUOTABLE *~*

“What we call little things are merely the causes of great things; they are the beginning, the embryo, and it is the point of departure which, generally speaking, decides the whole future of an existence. One single black speck may be the beginning of a gangrene, of a storm, of a revolution.” - Henri Frederic Amiel

“Sometimes when I consider what tremendous consequences come from little things. I am tempted to think there are no little things.” - Bruce Barton

“Life is made up of small pleasures. Happiness is made up of those tiny successes. The big ones come too infrequently. And if you don’t collect all these tiny successes, the big ones don’t really mean anything.” - Norman Lear

Dive in!
*~* MsJayy *~*

It is being widely reported in all the news media that Senator Barack Obama has been seen traveling the country - nay, the world - ACTING PRESIDENTIAL.

*GASP*

Is this what we’ve come to in 2008? A presidential candidate, the “presumptive” nominee for his political party, daring to “ACT PRESIDENTIAL”?

Oh the shock of it all!

*faint*

SWEET.JESUS.PART.THE.SKY.

Seriously.

Talk about absurdities.

What else SHOULD a candidate for president act like?

Is this the 2008 version of “stay-in-your-place”?

So…what is McCain “acting” like? Cause um…personally? I think he needs to get some of that “Acting” presidential too.

What?

I’m just saying.

“Acting presidential”. Ha!

Getdahfuggouttaherewifdatnoise.

Oh. Check out this OpEd piece from the New York Times:
How Obama Became Acting President

Shaking my head,
*~* MsJayy *~*

Monday, July 21: Received phone call from a consulting company looking for a Business Analyst. Third call I received that day. (What can I say? Business Analysts are in demand) I’ve talked with lots of consulting companies in the last year but this one was a “newbie” to me. Position sounded very much up my alley — definitely more emphasis on the “business” side of things, not the technical. Recruiter sends me “job specs” which amounted to six dotpoints (Facilitation, process mapping, etc.). And salary. I email him to reitierate that I’m interested but at the proposed salary would mean leaving a CHUNK of money on the table. A.BIG.CHUNK. Not sure I want to do that BUT, I send him an updated resume and say, let’s play it out. He calls that afternoon saying the hiring manager wants to interview me Thursday - I need to get back to them with viable times.

Tuesday, July 22: Recruiter calls & we land at 3pm Thursday for an interview. One other person from their firm is interviewing at 2pm. Cool. I speak to his boss. Recruiter sends interview details and we talk money. He’s weilling to see what can be done but reminds me that if I’m brought on permanently, my salary would go back to their original. I laugh and tell him by the time my contract ends, they’ll be so enamored of my work, they’d pay be more. LOL

Thursday, July 24: After “taking a tour of the 700 block of Broad Street” (translation: searching for parking), I find my way to the lobby of the building and meet with the account manager and the hiring manager. I get a good feel for the hiring manager. We head up for the interview - which no one told me would be a panel. *sigh* (Breathe. Adjust. Bring it.) Personally, I thought the interview was over WAY too quickly - even with me asking more questions than they did (cause I am NOT trying to get hemmed up.) I get in the car, say a prayer, let it go, then head home to remove the remnants of the day and unwind a bit before meeting FavCus#1 & child for dinner. Recruiter calls and asks about the interview. We chat briefly and then talk money again. He tells me what he thinks he can get for me - especially since it’s downtown which means I’d have to pay my own parking costs (they pay parking for FTEs). Most lots are $10/all day…that’s $50 bucks/week. Hmmm…somebody might have to park-n-ride. I tell him I like the direction he’s heading in and we’ll just play it out.

Friday, July 25: Recruiter calls me @ 9:30am, asking how I’m doing. I tell him that it depends on what he has to share with me and caution him - it’s “Feel Good Friday” and I’m ONLY accepting good news. Ahhhh, what a segue. Good news indeed. The job is mine. And I’m only leaving $1040 on the table. Yes!! We talk start dates. How ’bout they wanted me to start Monday? As in July 28th? As in today? LOL Now you know that is serious. LOL Makes me wonder what I’m walking into. LOL

I tell him I can’t do that. While my contract is pretty much “open-ended” (even though they tell you it’s 6-months, nobody really writes in end-dates), I was asked to stay until 7/31. I figure I could have a week before starting right? Um. Not if I want benefits before we enter my 3rd month of employment. Hmmm….ok. Fine. I’ll start on August 4. That will have the same effect as starting August 11 since benefits kick in on the 1st of the month. DANG!! *sigh* Fine, I’ll start Friday, August 1st. Um…the hiring manager would really like me to start Thursday, July 31st. Cool. We set up a time for me to come in and do all the paperwork, etc.

I call my current consulting firm to share the news. They’re happy for me (*ahem*) but, need to ensure that my leaving “early” (by one day) doesn’t leave my current assignment in a bind. I laugh. They ask me to work out the week and honestly, if it wasn’t for the benefits angle, I would. Besides, exactly WHY do I need to stay the entire week? I’m not working on anything critical and what I do have can be turned over to somebody via a simple email. Seriously. I wasn’t “actively” searching for another assignment although, based on the…um…”anamolies” (and absurdities) with my current assignment, I probably should have. Actually, I get anywhere from 2-6 contacts per week from consulting firms. Nope, not bragging at all. Just that business analysts/business systems analysts are a hot commodity right now. Which definitely works in MY favor.

At any rate, we’ll see how this plays out. ‘Specially since my manager wasn’t in Friday. He doesn’t know. Yet.

It’s gonna be pretty innuh-resting round the old water cooler tomorrow. Yep, pretty innuh-resting indeed.

We shall see.

Loving the thought of “something new”,
*~* MsJayy *~*

Ok. You can stop sending me links to the Wendy Williams show. You know - the episode with Omarosa as her guest.

LET.IT.GO.

SERIOUSLY.

I didn’t watch it. I’m not going to. The show doesn’t air in my area and if it did, I wouldn’t watch it. I’m not a fan of either of those ladies. Congrats to them on getting their hustle on and keep pressing. I’m not a fan of controversy for the sake of controversy (or publicity), on any scale. But hey, I’m busy doing me my way …and letting other folk do them their way.

Someone said Omarosa appeared on the show for “publicity”. Wow. Really? Of course she did. That’s the exact same reason she was invited to appear as a guest. I guess what gets me the most about this whole thing (beyond the fact that so many folk either watched the show, watched the clip online, or passed it around to others) is the fact that folks are seriously lining up in support of one of these ladies vs. the other.

* Sweet Jesus part the sky!! *

Why is anyone “surprised” as to how this episode played out? Based on what I’ve seen and/or heard of these two, what took place is their basic, every day MO - it appears to be how they operate. What were people expecting? Hearts and flowers? That they’d pull out their blackberries & plan a “Sistahood Spa Day” on the spot? Puhleeze.

Folks keep talking about how irritated they are that folks act this way and it’s a representation of ALL Black women.

Newsflash: AIN’T NONE OF THAT CRAP REPRESENTATIVE OF ME AS A BLACK WOMAN. Nor does it represent 99.5% of the women I’ve ever known. So don’t come at me with that ‘representation’ line. I’m not trying to hear that shiggidy and I’m not accepting anybody telling me that it is. Ugh! (’Scuse me…my teeth are itching. LOL)

And that whole “B*tch-Switch-Inner-B*itch-create-an-’empowering-acronynm-using-the-word-b*tch” thing? I don’t buy into that either. I think too many of us have fallen victim to that mentality, that whole “let’s flip the script, use the word in positive ways”. Um, no thanks.

I know I blogged about this before (in terms of “These Three Words: B*itch, Ho & the N-word”) but it bears repeating:

If you think I’m a strong woman, say that. Using those words.

If you think I’m intimidating, say that. Using those words.

If you think I’m aggressive, say that. Using those words.

If you think I’m being overly defensive, say that. Using those words.

See, what might happen if you chose to go against MY grain and use the “B-word” (whether you intend it as a compliment or otherwise)…a B*tch will probably meet you at the end of whatever sentence you’re forming.

Fo’ sho’.

So, um…what have we learned here today Boys & Girls?

1. Stop sending Ms.Jayy links to anything about Wendy Williams, Omarosa, and/or the B-word

2. Ms.Jayy (and millions of other women like her) are NOT represented by these ladies.

3. MsJayy ain’t knocking nobody’s hustle, she’s just clarifying her boundaries. Do you Boo! Full throttle!

4. Calling MsJayy a b*tch is pretty much guaranteed to push her past “teeth-itching” level and that ain’t good.

Keep living,
*~* MsJayy *~*

Have you ever seen a commercial or movie where a person is being held “captive” in a car and as the car is pulling off, they mouth the words or hold up a sign that reads “HELP ME!”?

Picture me sitting at my desk like that today…with a frightened look on my face and mouthing the words “HELP ME!”

Why?

One of my “lab mates” just asked me this question:

“Who do you think would win in a fight between the Kool-Aid man and the Pillsbury Doughboy?”

And they had the “nerb” to ask me why I wanted my desk situated the way it is. Like I’m REALLY gonna turn my back to any of these folks. Puhleeze.

LOL

Sitting by the door, scanning the room, practicing my throat choke…
*~* MsJayy *~*

**UPDATE:

As of 12noon today, they’ve brought the Michelin Man into the rumble.

Lawd! And that dude had the ‘nerb’ to ask me why the lemon pound cake I made was off limits to him. Dude - YOU do NOT need sugar. NEVER. EVER. EVA.

Um…have you ever been in a meeting and wondered to your self, “Da hell am I here for? What in the sam hill are they talking about?”

I mean the kind of meeting where folks are pontificating all over themselves, making sure they sprinkle their conversation with all the latest business buzz words (If one mo’ person talks to me about “vetting” anything, I will NOT be held liable for my actions!!), looking for synergy, yada yada yada…and all you hear is this: “Wonk wonk wonk. Wonk. Wonk wonk. Wonk wonk wonk wonk.”

Sweet Jesus part the sky.

Ever been in one such meeting AND been the deisgnated “notekeeper”? And can’t muster up enough interest to even FAKE being attentive?

She who does not believe in “signs” recognizes this malady for what it is: TIME.TO.G-O.

*SIGH*

Neva mind me…I’m just asking….

They are truly “killing me softly with this crap…killing me softly….with this crap…ruining my whole life…with this crap…killing me softly…with this crap.” (Take it to the bridge now ya’ll!)

Me soooo bored right now,
*~* MsJayy *~*