U/V are for... Ultimate Vision

Ok, so yes I'm cheating. This week has been...draining to say the least. I just didn't have the energy to even think about blogging. So, I ended up getting behind in my posts. To catch up, I have to put a few of the letters together. Mafi mushkila, right? BTW, "mafi mushkila" means "no problem" in Arabic. See, I'm learning a little something something while living here in Abu Dhabi.

Anywho, on to my post...

I'm going to visualize what I want my life to be like...where I'd like to see myself in 10 years. Of course, God has the final say, but He gives us the desires of our heart (if it's according to His will), right? So, here it is. In 10 years, I see myself...

• Married to a wonderful, God-fearing husband who loves and cherishes me. He's the head of the house, but he doesn't mind me being me cos of course, that's who he fell in love with. I see us as sort of a power couple, only for the Kingdom of God. Everything we do, whatever job we have, will be for the glory of God. And people will see Christ through us. Will our marriage be perfect? NO. I have a feeling God is going to send me someone who's the opposite of me, so I'm sure there will be some head-bumping going on. But after all is said and done, we'll work our problems out. I know this can happen cos my parents have done it. 35 years of marriage - 39 years of being together - and my parents are still together...still in love.


• A mother to wonderful children, including twins. Honestly? I'd love to have a set of boy/girl twins and be done with child-bearing. Not so far-fetched considering the fact that my dad was a twin (she died at birth, though). So, it's quite possible one of his children will have twins. I've discussed this with God: boy/girl twins then I'm done. But of course, God may decide to give me more. Or less. My children will not be perfect, but who is? But my husband and I will be rearing them with God's help.


• As Dr. Raenice B. Weakly, EdD. I will finish my doctorate. I'm determined. I had to take a break because of financial hardship, but I will go back. Soon. Prayerfully, if all goes well, I'll be back in school this summer. And since I'm on that final leg of my program - my dissertation - I can be finished by sometime in 2013. My degree will be used more for research purposes. I'd like to research reading education. I'd especially like to research aliteracy, which is when people know how to read, but they choose not to. My main focus will, of course, be on kids - teens to be specific. I've heard of so many tweens/teens who hate reading. They don't do it. Unless they're forced and that makes them hate it even more. I want to research ways to get children and teens into reading. Being a total book nerd myself, I can't fathom people NOT liking to read. I just can't.


• Successful entrepreneur. I'm still panning out the details of my business, but I know I plan to open an enrichment center for youth. I've had this idea in my head since I was about 14 years old. It was an old Cosby show episode - the one with Theo working at a community center - that planted the seed. I saw the kind of work and the difference he was making at this center, I knew that's what I wanted to do. It wasn't until 2 years ago that God reminded me of my dream. So, one of my goals while here in Abu Dhabi is to come up with a business plan and afterwards, start looking for places and funding. Whether or not the enrichment center becomes a franchise, I'll leave up to God. But I plan to do big things and make big differences through my center(s).


• Best-selling author. Notice I didn't just say author. I said best-selling author. I know God blessed me with a gift of writing. Not everyone can create stories - not everyone can create good stories - so, I treasure my gift. And I plan to share it with the youth of this world. I'll start out writing tween/teen novels. Eventually, I can venture out to other genres...mainly women's fiction and Christian non-fiction. Before I leave Abu Dhabi, I have to have 2 novels written and revised, possibly out on agents'/publishers' desks. I've completed and revised one novel, set it aside, and will bring it back out to make changes. I'm working on novel #2. I have a bagillion other stories just waiting to be written. Perhaps, I can even dream that my books become money-making movies?

So, there it is. Well, the gist of it anyway. There are other details, but these are the main ones. The awesome thing is, I can ask God for all of this and not feel like I'm being too picky or selfish. He wants His children to ask for what we want. And I'm sure He wants us to be specific. I love that I can come to Him with my dreams, hopes, and aspirations and He won't laugh at me or think I'm crazy. I can't wait to see what He will do for and through me. He's got something big planned for my life and I plan to buckle up and enjoy the ride!

D is for...Dreams

D is for Dreams


Do you remember the dreams you had as a kid, for your future? I remember mine.


According to the young me, I was going to be married by 25. By 35, I'd be a mother of 4. As far as careers go, I'd either be a dancer, singer, actress, teacher, writer, pediatrician, pediatric nurse, entrepreneur or a combination of any of the above. I'd be living in a massive mansion, have the world's best behaved and smartest kids, own a vacation home on the beach, and my life would be all kinds of awesome.


Did my life turn out the way I'd dreamed? That would be a very big, HA! At 35, I'm still single with no kids. I do not live in a mansion nor do I own a beach house. Out of all the careers I wanted, only 3 of them have already or will come true: teacher, writer, and entrepreneur. I'm currently a teacher with dreams of owning my own business (enrichment centers for youth) and becoming a published (best-selling, ahem) author of novels for preteens and teens.


Does that mean my life isn't all kinds of awesome? Nope. I still believe I have a wonderful life. I'm still looking to get married and have kids, but I'm in no rush. That will happen when God says it'll happen. And the huge mansion? I still want a big house, but the massiveness, not so much. I don't have a beach house, but I do live in a high-rise apartment only a 20 minute drive from the beach. As a matter of fact, I can see beaches from my window.


So, yeah. All my kiddie dreams may not have come true, but I still consider myself blessed. And at 35, almost 36, I still have dreams that I'm working on to see come true. Hey, you're never too young to dream!

D is for Dreams (and Aspirations)

How many of you remember the first thing you wanted to be when you grew up? I do. A Solid Gold dancer.For those of you who don't know what it is, Solid Gold was an 80s music countdown show. The difference between the music countdown shows of today like BET's 106 and Park, or VH1's Top 20 Music Video Countdown is the fact that Solid Gold had dancers. Oh, how I wanted to be one of those dancers. I was so addicted to that show...and I was only 5 years old. Thirty years later, I still have my love for dancing, though my Solid Gold dreams ended with the show.

As I got older, I went from wanting to be a dancer to wanting to be a teacher, writer, actress, singer, lawyer, doctor, nurse, and child psychologist (not at the same time, of course). My wanting to be an actress and singer was quite laughable cos I was painfully shy. I mean, getting in front of my family or even in front of my church was fine, but in front of thousands, maybe millions of people. Nuh uh. Not me. Wanting to be a lawyer was laughable too cos...well, it just was. I could've been a doctor or a nurse, but, thanks to my sister breaking her toe (I was the first one to see it...*shudder*) and my dislike of needles, well, I decided a career in the medical field just wasn't for me. So, I became an educator...and I don't regret the decision. I LOVE working with children and teens, whether I'm in the classroom, tutoring, at church...wherever. Children and teens are AWESOME!

Now, at almost 35, I still have dreams and aspirations that I'm trying to achieve. I have 3 that I'm working on now: author, entrepreneur, and doctoral candidate. I've always wanted to become an author, but I put it to the side to concentrate on school and becoming an educator. about 6 years ago, I came up with an awesome book idea and decided to use my God-given talent to write books for youth. Though I haven't become a published author yet (my time is coming, I believe that), this journey is AMAZING. I heart writing so much...coming up with characters, figuring the plot, everything.

I'm in the process of writing up a business plan for my enrichment center. A few years ago, I knew the classroom wasn't my last stop in the educational field. When I asked God about where to go, He brought to mind the fact that, when I was 14, after watching an episode of The Cosby Show (where Theo worked at a community center), I decided I wanted to have a like of enrichment centers that offered some of the stuff the community center offered and more. So, I'm working to have the dream come to reality. And in a few years, I'll be known in academia as Dr. Raenice B. Weakly, EdD. With this degree, I plan to do more research on both reading education and aliteracy, which is when people can read, but choose not to. There is so much research on illiteracy, but not enough on aliteracy.

So, what were your dreams/aspirations as a kid? Are you living them out? Or do you have new ones?

Random Thoughts Thursday

I sure wish I knew how to interpret dreams. I've had some crazy dreams. Like seriously. And all my dreams fall under one of the following 5 categories: (1) I Don't Remember; (2) WTH; (3) Ooh, God! Can you make it happen?: (4) The scary, "gotta -keep-my-lights-on" kind; and (5) Unexplainable. Dreams that fall under category 1, I won't even waste my time cos I don't remember...duh. Dreams in category 4, I don't even want to remember.

A few weeks ago, I had a "WTH" dream. The city was being attacked by a giant, slobbering diaper-wearing baby. I know. WTH, right?

But wait...there's more.

The baby shot pellets out of its butt. The pellets looked like hockey pucks.

But wait...there's more.

When pellets hit the people, words like, "POW" or "BAM" would appear along with stars. Kinda like the old Batman TV show. While people fell out - whether from the force of the pellets, or the smell - the baby laid on its tummy, with its behind tooted in the air, giggling and clapping. Yeah, that look you have on your face now is probably the same look I had on my face when I woke up.

I've had two recent "Ooh, God! Can you make it happen" dreams where I wrote a Grammy-winning song...two different dreams; two different songs.

My two recent "unexplainable" dreams are kind of in the same...area, I guess you can say. They both were so real, I could feel the touches of the people in my dream. In the first dream, I'm in bed and I open my eyes to see a precious little girl staring at me. Creepy, right? She's crying. She says, "She's not answering me. Why won't she answer me?" Then, a few more kids surround me, crying and nudging me. They keep asking me why won't their loved ones answer them. The dream me knows why. The kids are dead and their families can't see or hear them. despite knowing that a bunch of dead kids are in my room, dream me isn't scared at all...just tired, as if she's tired of dealing with dead people. It felt so real. Like, I could feel myself being shaken by those kids. Needless to say, I woke up with the covers over my head, wondering if I'd really been visited by a group of dead kids.

In my most recent dream, I held a conversation with my grandmother, which normally wouldn't be so weird but she died four years ago. I don't remember the conversation, but I do remember having an awesome peace. My grandfather, who died seven years ago, was there too, sitting in the background. They both looked young and very happy. When I reached out and touched her, it seriously felt like she was there. Again, I wasn't scared about being with my dead grandparents.

So, were these two dreams real? Or were they just dreams? That is the question. Let me say, I do believe they can be real. Do I believe there are such things as spirits and stuff like that? Yep. Spirits/demons/angels are all in the Bible. Besides, God sent the spirit of my great grandmother, GaGa, to save me when I was a baby. That's another blog post, though. *smile*

So, have you ever had weird dreams?

Random Thoughts Thursday

Ugly Betty. OK, I'm kinda over the demise of one of my fave shows, Ugly Betty...kinda. It was weird not watching it this past Wednesday. I liked how it ended, tho. Glad they left it with the possibility of a Daniel/Betty relationship and didn't just throw them together. At the end, the title, Ugly Betty, came up, then Ugly faded away which just left Betty. Could it be? A new show called Betty coming out in the future??? Am I the only one who noticed that? I get the whole "Betty isn't ugly anymore so she's no longer Ugly Betty, she's just Betty" deal. I guess it's just wishful thinking. And what's this I hear about a possible movie? It's only a rumor, but I would definitely be in the theater opening night if they decided to go with it. I'm SO gonna miss this show. *sigh*


Writing/Business. So, I haven't had the chance to really write much of anything these past few weeks. My family and I are starting a family business and the time has been spent mostly on researching and getting things ready for our business plan. I'm SO excited about this business. It's an awesome idea that God put on our hearts. When - not if, but when - Weakly Family Ministries officially opens, I just know it'll be a blessing. There's no doubt in my mind that it will be...we're in the will of God with this thing. Here's to making a huge impact on the kingdom of God.

It's time to get back to writing, tho. I miss it. I find that, if I go days, or weeks, without writing, my world isn't right. I have to write, whether I'm writing fiction, letters, or just journaling, I MUST write. Now that things are kind of settled with the business - we're waiting for word on our business plan - I can get back to my writing. This means that my novels and blog can once again become a focus. I can finally write/blog consistently. My poor Writing Wednesday story was pushed waaaaay back on the burner. Not sure if anyone was reading it, but no worries to those who were. It'll be back in June with a few changes.

Dancing With The Stars. I wasn't as excited about it as with other seasons, but I love DWTS, so I can't not watch it. I'm so glad Kate is gone. I have nothing against her, but she is not a dancer. Seeing as though this is a dancing show, I'd think only the best would win (but you never know with fans voting). Am I the only one annoyed by Pamela Anderson's 'sex kitten' poses? Who am I voting for? Hmmm. Nicole or Neicy.

And am I the only one who thinks Erin's dance partner, Max is a cutie?

Random Thoughts Thursday

Challenges. I like challenges...the kind that get my brain synapses fired up and adrenaline pumping through my veins. The weird thing is, the older I get, the more I like them. What's the number one way to challenge me? Tell me I'm limited in what I can do...especially when it comes to my race, ethnicity, gender, or even size. Tell me I can't do something and I'll work hard to prove you wrong. Sometimes, I'm the one who needs to be proven wrong. One of my favorite scriptures is, "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength" (Philippians 4:13). I don't take that scripture lightly. If Christ is the one providing the strength, I believe I can do it. So who are you to tell me I can't?

So, with that being said, let me tell you about a challenge I've decided to take up. About a month ago, I began training for a half walkathon. It was going well until I really thought about it. Why should I stop at a half marathon (13.1 miles), when I could go for a full one (26.2 miles)? I love to walk. Seriously. All I need is my iPod and I can walk my behind off (literally, if I do it long enough...not that I want to lose my behind). A 13 mile walk would be a lot of work, but would a challenge? Not so much. A 26 mile walk, on the other hand, is definitely a challenge. So, I've decided to go for the whole shebang. My goal? Participate in the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer April 2011. We have two choices: (a) walk 26.2 miles - 13.1 miles on Saturday and 13.1 miles on Sunday; or (b) walk 39.3 miles - 26.2 miles on Saturday and 13.1 miles on Sunday. Guess which option I'm going to try?

Even if the going got so tough that I had to do option a, at least I'd be able to say I tried. I'm now realizing (at the ripe "old" age of 33) that I don't want to go through life wondering "what if" cos I was too darn scared to go for something. When I look back at my teens and 20s, I see that, I chickened out on some things. I also notice that there were a few times that I went for it. I participated in a beauty pageant (during a time when I was working on my body image), a scholarship pageant (I won), and kept working during my first year of teaching, even though it was difficult (peeps were surprised I came back). I also got my first tattoo (my brothers challenged me when they said I wouldn't do it) and climbed to the top of a mountain in Mexico. I'm now looking to challenge myself a little more - go a little further out of my zone. Participate in a 39 mile walkathon. Go skydiving. As an author of kids' books, become one of the few people of color that reaches the same heights as J.K Rowling and Stephanie Meyer. Become a successful entrepreneur in spite of a wavering economy.

Oh, you may not have told me personally that I can't do these things, but, society, as a whole, has. And, with God's help, I plan to prove them wrong! Don't think I can do it? Watch me!

Random Thoughts Thursday Part 1

I've spent most of the day outside enjoying Houston's beautiful, breezy fall weather. Now, I'm paying for it cos my allergies have gone haywire. Ugh! Anyway, my thoughts for the week:

ABDC. NOOOO! My top groups went home Sunday! BOOOOO! It's bad enough this season isn't as good as the previous ones, but now, one of the best groups is now gone. *sigh* So, here's my pick for the remaining three: 3rd place, Afroborike (really, they shouldn't be here over Rhythm City, but whatever); 2nd place, Massive Monkeys; and 1st place: We Are Heroes. I guess we'll see. I'm so disappointed...

VMAs. This year's show was very interesting to say the least. To me, the best parts were the MJ tribute, Beyonce's performance, and Jay Z's performance with Alicia Keys (minus Lil Mama...wth was she doing on the stage). Lady GaGa was mildly disturbing all night from exiting the limo with Kermit as her date (Publicity stunt, I know...I refuse to think she's really that cookoo) to her choice in outfits (What was up with that red number?).

And her performance? *shudder* I totally get what she's saying about the paparazzi, but, gah! That ending...smh Can you say nightmares?

And let's not forget about Kanye taking the mike from Taylor Swift during her acceptance speech and declaring that Beyonce's vid was the best of the year.

While I agree that Beyonce's vid was better - I mean, I LOVED Taylor Swift's vid, but it wasn't better than B's - I don't agree with what Kanye did. Poor Taylor. At least winning her first VMA will be memorable. And what Beyonce did at the end was classy. Say what you want about Mrs. HOV, it was really big of her to give Taylor Swift a chance to finish her acceptance speech on her (B's) time.

And the hoopla about President Obama calling Kanye a jack***...#1, the convo was supposed to be off the record, so it shouldn't have been tweeted (but from what I read, they say it was a misunderstanding). #2, The pres only told the truth. Sunday night, Kanye West did, in fact, behave like a jack***. I know he's since apologized, but that doesn't take away from the fact that he went too far. President Obama only said what other peeps were feeling.

Jay-Z. Made history with his 11th album, Blueprint 3, which pushed him past Elvis Presley as the solo act with the most top albums. Jay Z + Hip Hop = Pure Awesomeness! I guess you can tell I'm a MAJOR fan of Jay!!!

Random Thoughts/Fitness Friday

Friday, the 13th. Beware of the Friday, the 13th curse! Mwahahahahahah! That, in case you're wondering, was my evil laugh. Sends chills down your spine, doesn't it? Anyway, I don't believe in the whole "Friday, the 13th=bad luck" deal, but I do love a good scary movie. I hadn't really seen one in a while, though. The Ring? Not scary to me. The only scary part was @ the end when she walked out of the TV. The Grudge? Uh uh. Do you know of any scary movies? In honor of the release of an updated Friday, the 13th movie - which, really, could they just leave the 'franchise' alone already -I'm listing my top 5:

5. Child's Play (1988):

You must understand, the thought of a homicidal doll coming to life to terrorize its owner was creepy for someone who collected dolls. I was that someone. After the first one, though, Chucky became funny instead of scary.

4. Nightmare on Elm Street (1984).

Yep, had me a little afraid to go to sleep. But after the first one, Freddy Kruger, like Chucky, became comical. I stopped watching after the 3rd or 4th one.

3. The Shining (1980).

I was but a little girl when this first came out, but I did watch it years afterwards. I never got a chance to see the whole movie, but what I've seen...pretty scary. The pic says it all: Jack Nicholson did his thang.

2. It (1990).

I swear, this movie has turned me against clowns. I can't even see a clown (especially Ronald McDonald...he's creepy by himself) without seeing It. That clown haunting those poor boys...CREEPY!

1. The Exorcist (1973).

I still can't watch the whole movie...at least not by myself...and definitely not at night. Maybe early morning - like, say 8 or 9? Just to give it enough time to leave my brain by the time I go to bed. This movie terrifies me...like, if I were to watch it now, I'd be a 32 year-old woman sleeping with the lights on. I think this one scares me the most because, as a Christian, I know that Satan/demon possession is biblical and real. I'm not scared of being possessed by demons because I know, as a child of God, they can't touch me or my soul. But to witness it? OMG, I wouldn't want to witness it. Were Jesus's disciples creeped out when they saw someone demon possessed? I mean, yeah, they had the Son of God by their side, but come on. They had to be at least a little frightened.

Plane Crashes. On to another topic...Man, what is up with the plane crashes? After the happy ending of Flight 1549 on the Hudson River, we have the sad ending of Flight 3407 in NY. My heart and prayers go out to all who were affected. So sad. And the weird thing is, last night, I dreamt I witnessed a horrible plane crash in a residential neighborhood that ended up in fire, then, this morning, my sis tells me about Flight 3407. Seriously, I'm creeped out.

Fitness Friday. Nothing really to report. Maybe in a week or two.

Random Thoughts Thursday

My Agent Search.

When, oh when, will I get an agent? So far, I've received 22 rejections out of the 35 agents I've sent queries to since May. Five other agents have never responded, so I can add that to my rejections. I'm still waiting on answers from my 2nd round agents (who I sent queries to at the beginning of this month). It's hard not to get discouraged, but I'm not giving up. I know, with no doubt, that God gave me a talent to write. I also know He gave me this talent to share with others. And I have to stand on those beliefs. I will become a published author of children/teen books. It's just that, patience has never been a virtue of mine...

My Dissertation.

I am SO ready to be done with my doctorate program! July 25, 2009 can't come soon enough for me! Enough said.

Sarah Palin.

http://www.slate.com/id/2202658/?GT1=38001 and http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/news/politics/story/aa55049aa6a3a6bf862574ea00136ad6?OpenDocument. I mean, really?

Medicine Side Effects.

Don't you just love hearing/reading the about the side effects of the same medicine that's supposed to help you? The medicine commercials are hilarious to me. It'll help you sleep at night. Oh, and there's the little issue of it causing a stroke. So, because I have HBP, I have to take a pill everday. It's basically a water pill whose name I won't even attempt to say. Anyway, it helps lower my blood pressure BUT, the side effects are: dizziness, lightheadedness, headache, blurred vision, loss of appetitite, stomach upset, diarrhea, or constipation. I may also experience: decreased sexual activity or sensitivity to the sun. This medication may cause dehydration, dry mouth, thirst, muscle cramps, weakness, fast/irregular heartbeat, nausea, vomiting, severe dizziness, unusual drowsiness, unusual decrease in the amount of urine, fainting, confusion, seizures. These are unlikely, but serious side effects: numbness/tingling of the arms/legs, and joint pain. These are rare, but serious side effects: signs of infection (like fever, persistent sore throat), easy bruising/bleeding, stomach/abdominal pain, persistent nausea/vomiting, unusual/persistent tiredness, yellowing eyes/skin, dark urine, unusual change in the amount of urine. They were nice enough to warn: This is not a complete list of possible side effects. Are you serious? Thankfully, I'm not experiencing many of the side effects, except sensitivity to the sun (and I've always been sensitive to the sun). One annoying side effect I've been experiencing is, after I take my pill, I seem to have to go to the bathroom EVERY HOUR. I'm told that's a normal side effect (it's a water pill and supposed to help your body get rid of excess water, blah blah). Whatever. I feel like a little kid who can't hold her water.

The DDR Phenomenon.

In my previous post, I mentioned that my sis and I have been working out. One of our workouts include playing Dance Dance Revolution (something we became addicted to while working at our church summer camp 3 years ago). Now, don't laugh...DDR ain't no joke! There are 4 levels: Beginner, Basic, Expert, and Challenge. We're only on the Basic level - Expert and Challenge are too scary...all those arrows *shudder*. We only do slower songs for warmup/cooldown, which means, most of the time, we're jumping up and down and moving our feet to songs in the 170 - 225 range (225 is the highest).Yesterday, we did DDR for an hour. Can we say, "workout"? Today, my legs are feeling my efforts. It was a MAJOR workout, but we had fun. I wonder what we're doing tomorrow (today is strength training). Oh, by the way, I lost 2 more pounds. So, I have 13 pounds down and 17 to go. Yay, me! In honor of DDR, I'm posting a vid of my 4 year-old nephew playing DDR this summer. Too cute!

Rae's List

About 2 weeks ago, I finished reading a book called, Lilah's List, by Robyn Amos - a good (romance) book, by the way. The main character, Lilah, made a list of things she wanted to do by the time she was 30. She started the list at 16, forgot it after college, and came across it again 3 weeks before her 30th b-day. Lilah only had about half her list crossed off, so, she decided - or rather, her bff decided for her - to attempt to cross off what's left in 3 weeks.

This novel has inspired me to create my own list. Obviously, I can't do a "Before I turn 30" list because I've already past that monumental birthday. My next "big" b-day is 35. Actually, I was going to make it a "Before I turn 40" list, but my parents and sister are of the opinion that I need to change the age to 35. The fact that this only gives me 3 years to cross of my list items didn't matter to them. So, my list is "Rae's List of Things to do Before 35" or "Rae's List" for short. *NOTE: list is not in any order of importance.

• Become Dr. Rae Weakly, EdD
• Get counseling license
• Go sky diving
• Go para sailing
• Go jet skiing
• Swim with dolphins
• Go bungee jumping
• Go cliff diving
• Stay in a hotel (or beach house) on the beach
• Stay in a resort
• Stay in an expensive hotel for at least one night without worrying about price
• Learn Spanish - be able to hold conversation with native speakers & my sister
• Learn a 3rd language (Portuguese, Italian, French, or Japanese)
• Learn to play acoustic guitar
• Shake hands with a celebrity
• Become a published author
• Fall in love
• Get married
• Have a child
• Travel to other countries/cities/states - Puerto Rico, Hawaii, Brazil, Holy Land, St. Thomas Virgin Islands, Italy, Spain, Japan, Cuba, Columbia, Tahiti, Philippines, Virginia, Washington D.C., Las Vegas, Phoenix, Jamaica
• Become owner of THRIVING business, AYM Enrichment Center
• Learn to belly dance
• Learn to Salsa
• Learn to dance Hip Hop
• Get a professional makeover
• Go to a spa
• Get 3rd tattoo (I even know what and where, just not too fond of pain)
• Ride a motorcycle
• Learn kickboxing
• Fly first class
• Have at least one of my novels optioned for film
• Wear shorts in public (I'm self-conscious about my legs...haven't worn shorts in about 12 years)
• Wear a daring (yet tasteful) dress
• Start research on what makes other countries' educational system work & what America can do to catch up
• Comfortably wear a swimsuit without cover (no shirt over it...no beach pants to cover my legs, etc)
• Participate in a walkathon
• Run a mile
• Go white-water rafting
• Go skiing
• Try a fruity alcoholic drink
• Sing at a karaoke bar
• Learn sign language
• Become debt free
• Buy first house
• Buy my Escalade EXT
• Approach an attractive guy (if only for conversation. Even @ 32 I clam up around cute guys)
• Attend a Superbowl game
• Go to an awards show
• Get nose pierced
• Climb the Statue of Liberty
• Eat @ an expensive restaurant
• Set up a foundation for kids (still thinking of what it'll be for)
• Become a motivational speak/mentor for young girls/teen girls
• Play basketball without dying
• Buy my parents their dream house
• Spend a whole day doing absolutely nothing (take a me-day)
• Donate a substantial amount of $ for a worthy cause
• Learn how to play piano
• Plan a camp for girls and/or creative kids
• Experience Las Vegas (or Atlantic City) gambling once
• Research both sides of my family. We have a whole side of French and Native American (my great great grandparents on both sides)ancestors that I know nothing about. I also want to research our ancestors who were slaves.
• Read the whole Bible, from Genesis to Revelation

So, that's it...so far, at least. Long list, right? Now that I think about it, it'll probably be more interesting, more exciting, to try to accomplish these things in 3 years as oppose to 8. I created this list on my 32nd birthday (last Sunday - September 28th). How fitting! Every once in a while, I'll update my list, crossing off things that I've accomplished. Let's see how many I can cross off in 3 years. Ready. Set. GO!

Excitement in the Air

Okay, so a little over a month ago, I blogged about the choice I had to make between full-time teaching and my own business (see "Let the Games Begin"). I had been leaning toward my own business, but wasn't so sure. About 2 Thursdays ago, I really couldn't sleep. This decision was weighing heavily on my mind. Trying to sleep was pointless, so I got up to think and pray about this decision.

I missed teaching - actually, I missed having my own group of kids...not the "technical" part of teaching (lesson plans, IEPs, meetings, etc). Teaching also brought about a guaranteed check (in the early stages of my business, money may not be as good). I'd felt that, if I didn't go back to teaching, my time and money (and school loans) would have been spent for nothing. Then, I got to thinking about having my own business. I get to be my own boss! That's cool enough for me. I thought about my degrees and the fact that I would actually get to use them. I'd still be an educator (using my Bachelors in Education), even if I'm not in the classroom; I'm thinking about getting my LPC license so I can add counseling to my business (using my Masters in Counseling) and I'll continue to do research in reading motivation (using my EdD in Teacher Leadership). So, what's stopping me from going for it (my business)? Nothing but fear. Anyway, by the time I'd finished, it was 2 AM and I'd made my decision...expand my business.

So, I've totally stopped thinking about full time teaching. My focus is now on everything I need to do to make my and my sister's business happen. I was reminded that, when I was 12, I'd decided that I was going to have a chain of enrichment centers across this country. I even made a business plan...well, the kind of plan a 12 year-old could make anyway. Over the years, I'd gotten rid of the plan and even forgotten about the chain. I'll be looking into making AYM Enrichment a full-fledged business. Yay!

In other news, I've gotten my 12th agent rejection yesterday, but I'm not giving up. I will become a published author and my books will be best-sellers.

To end today's blog, I must say...GO CELTICS! I soooo wanted them to win. They weren't my first choice, but I'm not a fan of Kobe Bryant. Congrats!

Oh, next Wednesday, I leave to the beautiful Cuernavaca, Morelos (in Mexico) for my month-long vacation. I am in major need of this vacation. I'm looking forward to fun in the sun, relaxing, chilling with my sis (who's lived there for the past 2 years, but is now moving back), working on my espanol, etc. Here's a pic from when I visited her last year. This was taken in Acapulco (also beautiful). I don't leave 'til next Wednesday, but mentally, I'm already there!

Let The Games Begin

I haven't been blogging as much as I'd like to. I've just been sooo busy - mainly with work, school, and writing.

Work: Okay, so I figured, since I'm almost finished with school, I could go on and go back to full time teaching for '08/'09 school year. My preference is 5th - 8th grade (more like 7th or 8th grade). Call me crazy, but I happen to love this age group. So, anyway, I attended a job fair in hopes of prevailing over hundreds of other qualified candidates and snagging a job. In my mind, despite the fact that I only have 1 year of full time teaching experience, I still have experience working with and teaching children. I've been substitute teaching for the past 5 years and, before that, spent 2 years as an Educational Coordinator (directing an after-school/summer program). Add those experiences and the fact that I'm about to get my doctorate in education and I thought I'd have a chance. Things went well. I did get to interview with a few people, which, not everybody got to do. So, I'm happy about that. I even went through 2 interviews for one school (the team leader interviewed, then sent me to the principal, which is a good thing). The only problem? It seems that the fact that I only have 1 year of full time teaching is what's causing people to hesitate to hire me. I'd have more teaching years, but I decided to go back to school and get my Masters and, now, my doctorate. I'm thinking, how will I ever get more experience with full time teaching if no one will hire me? *Sigh* Alas, I don't know if I'll be full timing it next year. At first, this fact hurt, because I miss the classroom. But, then, I thought about it. My sis and I had started our own business, AYM (Advancing Young Minds) Enrichment Program, where we tutor as well as other things. Within the last 2 years, we've both been working it as an afterthought...like a second job (she's been doing it in Mexico). If I'm not full time teaching next year (*sigh*), then I'm going to keep subbing (so I can have $) and completely focus on taking AYM to the next level...making it my primary job. The more I think about it, the more I like this idea. I can make my own hours and be my own boss. During the weekdays (school year), my hours won't really start until after 3:00 because kids don't start getting out until 2:30. This will also give me more time for my writing career and research. At first, not teaching felt like I would've went to school for my two extra degrees for nothing, but I know that, with AYM, both my Masters (in Counseling) and EdD (in teacher leadership) will come in handy. So, alas, I am no longer upset at the possibility of not teaching full time. Of course, I'll continue to be financially strapped for a while longer (you think teachers don't make enough $...try substitute teaching), but, it'll all pay off when AYM becomes a full fledged business.

School: So, I won't be graduating this October. Not that I couldn't. I still believe that, if I'd put my mind to it, I could've been finished by then. I made the decision on concentrating on graduating in February 2009 instead. My brain is already fried and tired of school. Trying to graduate in October would only stress myself out. I want to take it easy and work at a little slower pace, so...I'm graduating in Feb. It's only 4 months longer. I'll get over it. I'm glad I made the decision because now, I don't feel rushed. I still feel the stress, but it's not as bad. I'm so excited that I have less than a year before I'll be Dr. Raenice Weakly. If I don't full time teach, I still have options of what I can do with my degree. Research is the main thing...and my topics of choice are #1) reading motivation and #2) hip hop and education.

Writing: So, I've completed the manuscript, written the query letter, and braved the synopsis. I am now on the part where I send my letters to agents. I've sent letters to approximately 17 agents (so far). I've gotten back 7 rejections (nice ones, though). I'm not discouraged about the rejections (at least not yet). I'm actually excited because it kind of cements the fact that I'm doing this...I'm going for my dream. Plus, at least the agents spent time to send a letter - whether it was a form letter or a little more personal - since they're so busy. So, as I wait for the agent to contact me and tell me she (or he) loved my letter/manuscript as much as I do (if not more), I'm concentrating on my dissertation and, eventually, my second novel, Who's Got Da Moves. Believe me, when I've snagged an agent, everyone will know!