Making Waves

Whenever I’m in the mood for a nice drink and a great meal, it’s critical that I find a restaurant that can deliver both well. And that’s exactly what happened when I checked out a local spot in the area called Whiskey Kitchen. The name of this place was a huge draw for me, and my dining experience was nice too. I enjoyed the setting, my meal and my drink, the customer service, and the COVID-19 precautions that were in place during my visit as well. Dining out and ordering out is different now, but if you can support your local restaurants and businesses, do it. If you’re in the Hampton Roads area and looking for a chill spot to grab a bite, head into Whiskey Kitchen and enjoy!  

Confession: I’m a Black woman who doesn’t like the n-word. Whenever anyone else who’s Black uses it in front of me or around me, I cringe a little inside. Especially if and when there are non-Black people in the room. The word and its use have been a source of controversy for a while, yet many within the Black community are perfectly fine using it as openly and proudly as they please. Within the Black community, the word is sometimes used as an initial greeting or term of endearment when interacting with others who are also Black. The unspoken rule within the Black community is that it’s okay for   us  to say and use it amongst one another, but not okay for other races to say or use it.   An even bigger issue comes into play when people outside the Black community feel as if they can say it if we can, and that if the n-word is used in the media by rap/hip-hop artists, popular Black comedians, in films and television, or anywhere else, then what’s the big deal? The big dea...

So far, my first year of teaching middle school literacy has been busy.     Some days are more challenging than others, as almost everything is new to me. I’m currently teaching hybrid classes and have been tasked with making sure my online students and in-person ones are keeping up with the class material each week. Before this, during the first semester of school, I was teaching virtually and asked by my administrators to also take on a special education class, as there was (and currently remains) a teacher shortage to cover different classes that need more teachers. I accepted taking on the additional class, which was honestly great as it allowed me to gain more teaching experience.    Along with being a first year educator, per my contract, I’m also assigned and required to have an experienced teacher mentor. And while teaching’s been going well, my relationship with my mentor has been interesting and honestly uncomfortable at times. There have been some conflict...

Ariana Grande’s   Positions   album is fire, and it’s one that’s been heavy in rotation on my playlist during this pandemic. It released last October, and I just happened to stumble across it one evening while looking for some chill music to vibe to. I honestly haven’t heard an Ariana Grande song I didn’t like and it’s obvious that this girl is clearly talented. I’ve listened to   Positions  from beginning to end multiple times and I love that I can chill to it, workout to it, and even put it on when I’m heading out for a coffee run. Ariana has an incredible voice, a signature style and presence, and isn’t shy about what she wants, which collectively makes   Positions   an enjoyable listening experience. It’s fun, playful, and all kinds of bold. Plus, it’s the perfect album to kick back to just in time for both Valentine’s Day and Galentine’s Day this month. If you’re checking for some cool music, press play and check out Ariana Grande’s   Positions ...

I was 22.   And I fell apart when the guy I was talking to ended up ditching me for another girl who had me beat in the booty and boobs department. I learned of her bodacious bod (and seemingly wonderful life) after doing the one thing I warn other women not to do, which is to creep on another woman’s social media page, especially if and when she’s with the guy you were with. It’s just not something you want to do. Trust me. For the record, I absolutely love the body I have, but back then I was struggling. At the time my self-esteem wasn’t the best. I also didn’t have a lot going for myself either, so having a guy in my life made me feel good and seemed like the next best thing. And when things didn’t work out and he moved on with someone else, I didn’t handle it well. I mean, I was real upset. Like, ugly crying, recklessly posting on Facebook, and everything. Not one of my proudest moments, but we all evolve, right?    From what I could see during my regretful social med...