50 THINGS THAT DIDN'T SUCK ABOUT 2009

With the new year quickly approaching (2010?? I never thought i'd see the day) I figured i'd enter it with a little positivity. Its very easy to recount the bad, while the good remains unremarked upon. I know i'm guilty of this all the time. See: 95% of my entries.

Anyway i figured i'd try something new, as im in a ridiculously good mood. These are the first 10... I'll be posting the rest in the upcoming weeks.

Let us begin:

1. My bank account: While never a spendthrift per se, Once i got my first decent paying gig - i fell into the bad habit of indulging myself. ALL. THE. TIME. I had a nice wardrobe, but my bank account was smaller than meager. Now i've learned to balance my needs and wants. And wants vs. wants. Now im not embarrassed if the person behind me sees my receipt from the atm. lol

2. My hair - I go hard for natural hair. In fact, i always have... but for other people. I used to be too shy to wear my fro to work. Strictly a vacation, slumming look. Now i'm wearing it all the time and loving it.

3. My nephew. I'm like a real grown up now, because i have a rugrat calling me - ok he aint talking yet - aunt. (well tia to be exact) He's the illest.

4. People. Ok... people did suck in 2009(as they did every year before that) but serendipity kissed me on the forehead and blessed me with meeting a few (emphasis on few) that did NOT suck. Even moving into the echelon of my favorite people/persons. Its refreshing to genuinely like someone. Three cheers for kindred spirits!

5. Battlestar Galactica.

6. Celebrity nude photo "leaks." - I'm sure we've all seen the Rihanna and Cassie photos. If you haven't, google using the keywords "rihanna nude". And while that sucks for them, it was a boon for me. Why? I saw what they're working with and realized that yeah... if i had the publicity machine behind me, i'd be killin em too. They look great, but, not to toot my own horn, so do I. And for that matter, so do you! It was all a matter of putting things in perspective. And though i may never be as taut as beyonce during her world tours, it doesn't mean i look bad. Somebody gon' like it!

7. Leggings. I did them in 89 and again in 92. I fought the trend hard when it came back around, but now i can say im a believer. They're comfortable, allow ease of movement, and if youre in decent shape, make you look good too. lol

8. Gone with the wind (as long as im making lists, i will find a way to put this on it. lol)

9. Esperanza Spalding - You know how people tell you to check out an artist, and its like "meh?" Well from the moment i heard her version of Ponte De Areia, i knew i was going to be a fan. She is now my bass playing muse.

10. My skin. Finally like, no zits! Of course the years when i was the young debutante who could have USED flawless skin are behind me, but better late than never I suppose. Finally a face not marred by blemishes! Ok, i got one the other day but even its like not social life threatening (the measuring stick by which i monitor all my skin conditions is: "will i go out like this?") Who am i kidding? I don't go out. But if i did, my skin would surely the barometer...

Eddie Kendricks - People... Hold On