Voyage to Atlantans, the Return of the Kia

Hello everyone,

(By the way, Imperial March is one of the best fight songs ever. It’s just a crunk song…hoping no one ever goes and samples it for some weak record, unless they do a really good job with it…as the light bulb goes off in Jermaine Dupri’s head. Dang it!!!!!!)

(Oh, what is Imperial March, someone just asked in the back. Well, Imperial March is the tune that Darth Vader marches out to in the Star Wars movies, and with that, all of my trilogy/Star Wars/ buzz has been killed. On with the story…)

…where were we…ahhh yes.

THE TRUCK HALTS.

It’s all good, though, truck starts back up and we get on our way.

Now, during the course of this 45-minute journey from…Lithonia, yeah, that’s where we were…Lithonia to Stone Mountain, I got to know a little bit about this guy Andre.

He was a cool enough guy, young brother, 26, dark-skinned with a scraggly beard. Figuring to pass the time, I asked him some things, like where he was from, how long he’d been with the towing service, things like that.

Well, ‘Dre was from the NC-VA area, moved down to the A looking for opportunity, and was ultimately looking to becoming a rapper.

Now, this is the part where everyone puts their head down, and is like NOT ANOTHER RAPPER. I used to be guilty of such an attitude, but as a writer, I believe I understand why so many brothers want to be rappers.

A lot of it has to do with the get-rich-quick desires of the world, and basically wanting to be famous. However, there was something different about ‘Dre and so many young brothers like him.

I think him, and myself included, just want to be heard…and that’s pretty much the only medium a lot of folks see as far as being heard…is rap. The truth is, and I never told this to ‘Dre for a lot of reasons, but there are so many forms of expression, so many ways to be heard, and you don’t necessarily have to be a rapper to express yourself.

At the same time, if you’re good, hey, do your thing.

Anyway, ‘Dre and I got to talkin’, he lit up a cigarette, so I’m figuring he was comfortable within the conversation and just talking things out…and then he also talked about wanting to go to a technical school, or a truck driving school, basically wanting to own his own business.

All of this, of course, deriving from the fact that he hates his current gig (who doesn’t, ha ha ha :- ) , and he also talked about wanting to find something other than his current occupation.

Like I said, we talked for what was seemingly forever (because, people, it was forever, but that‘s another matter), and then we finally got to the Kia dealership in Stone Mountain.

Got out the truck, thanked him for the lift, gave him dap…

And funny enough, some money appeared in his hand and a little glean in his eye.

“Keep your head up, mayne…” I told him as I dapped him again.

Got to Kia, and a wonderful young lady (of Ohioan descent [is that how you say it?] ) named Kim *smirk* let me know that everything was taken care of, and that it wouldn’t be that long of a wait.

Psyche!

Anybody that’s ever been to a car dealership/repair/service facility knoooooooooooooows that’s not how it’s going down, and the boi had to get real stern.

First of all, dude asks me “am I trying to keep the car at Kia overnight?”

Uhhhhh, no.

Next, they ask me what’s wrong with the car, like I haven’t told this story enough to win the Pulitzer.

So they go to work on the car, and I’m sitting there and sitting there…

For an hour. Then I ask Kim to go to the back and check on things…

And she does...

And then I’m sitting there and sitting there and sitting there.

Well, finally (ok, 2 hours) the car is fixed, but they tell me I have to pay.

Ummmm, you mean I have to pay for the negligence of a Kia worker? (nearly verbatim of mighty mighty mighty I)

Yeah, because it’s not our fault, you have to take that up with them (not their words, but mighty mighty mighty clooooooooooooooose)

So I paid (and please believe as soon as I got to the crib I got my money back), and went to pick up the fam, in a different direction that I did when ‘Dre was driving the truck…he kind of took us the long way. Like 15 minutes, but it all worked out for the best, true?

So I pick up the fam from the mall (at least they had fun), and head home…which was an assortment of daydreaming, fighting sleep, and enjoying the journey.

Hope you guys enjoyed it too.

The Good Doctor

Voyage to Atlantans, Part 2

Hello everyone,

(Oh I know a lot of you guys were mad for leaving you hanging, but ha ha, I see you came back.
Always a pleasure to have you guys around.)

…where were we…ahhh yes.

THEN THE OIL LIGHT COMES ON.

It comes on, and I really didn’t panic that much.

I mean, if it would’ve been just me in the car, I wouldn’t have worried too much, but I had the fam, so I had to stop and check things out.

Tried to make my stop, and well…the steering wheel started to stall, and Mom was being…Mom.

Now, if Mom’s ever around when I tell this story, and she says she was under control…she is telling a story.

“I told you that your car was smoking…and so on and so forth.”

For what it’s worth, though, she was aiight…everybody was real cool, because I convinced everyone that I had the situation in control.

Fortunately for us, we pulled off on the Stonecrest Mall exit, and there was plenty of stores around for the rest of the fam to go to while I took care of biz.

Understand now, it’s July. Hotter than July, if there are any Stevie Wonder fans out there. Anyway, Target was about a block, so I footed it in that direction while Mom and the gang went shopping.

I figured the only problem was that the oil was low, so I went to buy some Castrol GTX to put in the car, and get on my way.

On the way back from Target, I’m feelin’ real good about myself…feeling like a breadwinner, the son that made good on everything the ol’ man taught in.

I pour the oil in, and I’m like ‘awwwww yeah, we finna go home’…

And the oil is coming out from the bottom…all over the tires and everything.

I’m sunk, and eventually what happens is that Mom comes back, gets a number and calls Kia Roadside Assistance for my brand-spanking new 2005 Kia Spectra.

Arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrgh…

But let’s look a little deeper into that engine…

Now, all of this was especially surprising to me, since I got an oil change exactly seven days ago from my local Kia dealership, Kia of Augusta (that’s right, I’m telling you right now never go there. Ever.)

Turns out the guy that changed my oil filter and all forgot to cap the filter, so guess what?

And the oil is coming out from the bottom…all over the tires and everything.

So, I was kind of hot, but not as hot as the asphalt or the engine, and I’m kind of fortunate that I’m still driving that Kia, for what it’s worth.

Anyway, the verdict is that we have to get the Black Sheep (name of the car now) towed. So…Mom and the gang go shopping while I wait with the car.

Tow guy gets there after about 45 minutes, and it turns out the closest Kia is about 45 minutes away, so here I go with this tow truck guy…

Named Andre. Cool enough guy, but the truck he’s driving is kind of busted…and it stalls a little bit at first…

And then it stalls a lot. And then…all of a sudden…

The truck halts.

And that, my friends, is why Voyage to Atlantans is a trilogy (don’t be too mad, I’m posting tomorrow!)

The Good Doctor

Voyage to Atlantans, Part 1

Hello everyone,

Yep, KB has been to the A, as well.

Rewind to about…well, almost a month ago.

After a long Sunday at work, rather, a stretch where I worked about 9-10 consecutive days of work, I decide to pull, of all things, an all-nighter before heading down to the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta.

Why, you ask?

Who knows…could’ve been the adrenaline build-up from working all those days in a row, but truthfully, just wasn’t tired, and I was kind of in anticipation for the aquatics.

Growing up, I always though life under the sea, rather, underwater was pretty cool…I guess it has a mysterious aura, yet it seems to work out so well. You have an assortment of sea anemones, crabs, whales, starfish…all of that stuff.

Anyway, we got up early…well, not I…I took a 45-minute catnap before the 2 and a half-hour trip to Atlanta, so mom, the brothers and I went to the GA.

Nice trip down, wasn’t sleepy at all…I guess I was excited to be able to go somewhere with family, and of course, to make kid bro happy.

So we got to the Aquarium, and well, it’s a really nice place, and KB is lovin’ it off the top.

Mom graduated with the Masters in Science, so she’s diggin’ it too…younger brother thinks it’s alright, and well, I did what I usually do when I go somewhere that I’ve never been before…

My mind races.

Like I said, I like the aquatic life, so I went into verse after verse of rhymes and things like that…that’s where Bubble Love was born, pretty much…

Anyway, we enjoy the aquarium exhibits…got there about 7, so we left there about 10-11...and still had all day to visit the A.

So we did what most visitors of the A do…go to Lenox to window shop, then keep it really real and spend your loot at South DeKalb in Decatur, yezzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzur!

South DeKalb Mall was wonderful, I mean, wonderful. Usually, I don’t go on about shawty this and shawty that, but it’s nice to go to a place and be able to feel the vibe. My mind would’ve raced about the vibe, but then the lovely patrons kept smiling as I went by…which YB had to commemorate the occasion by yellin’ ‘Cake Cake Cake’. All laughs, all laughs.

But yeah, I was loving the whole atmosphere…low prices, hospitable folks with Southern demeanors, and the smiles and styles to match.

So we head back to SC around…eh, we’ll say 4...figured I’d get back and enjoy the rest of my off day…

Riding back on I-20 Eastbound, Mom says the car is smokin’.

I’m like ‘Ma, the car can’t be smokin’, it’s a brand new car…’
Sure enough,
The car is smokin‘, ya’ll.
Yeah, so I pull over, and check things out…no big deal…figure I’ll get some oil and rectify the issue.

Then the oil light comes on.

And that my friends, is why this story needs a second part.

Ya’ll be cool,
The Good Doctor

Makin' Moves

For a dream cometh through the multitude of business; and a fool’s voice is known by a multitude of words.
--Ecclesiastes 5:3

Hey e'rybody,

Truthfully, part of me was even hesitant to write this blog…yeah, the part of me that seems hades-bent on holding us back.

Yes, us. Oh, you guys thought I was crazy looooooooooooooooooooong before this post, so don’t go acting surprised if I say ‘we’ or ‘us’ during the course of this conversation.

Anyway, let’s talk about him. Yeah, him. He’s always tired…he’s the one that does just enough to get by, the one that doesn’t mind coming up short just because everyone else does.

He is me.

Well, not me. I don’t know where he came from; I figure maybe he’s a bi-product of my failures, my anger, your failures, your anger, all of those things formed into one collective.

He flares up a lot mostly after I leave work, or when I see unkept children, or a young single mother, or when I want to write ANYTHING, not just a blog…pretty much when it’s time to get to gettin’.

And well, I’m kind of tired of that guy, because he’s really heavy, and I gotta get him off my back…

So here we are. I must say I’m kinda pleased, because that lil’ monkey usually latches on pretty tight, so…either he’s gettin’ weaker, or I’m gettin’ stronger…

Let’s see…it’s about 2:30 a.m. … actually talking to a good friend of mine that’s looking to make moves.

I first of all want to say that I pray and hope whenever a friend offers to share their ambitions with me, because I truly hope that God gives them the desires of their heart.

But then sometimes it seems I’m forever talking to someone that’s just…well…talkin’ about making moves… but not really doing anything, and that frustrates me, because…

Well, it reminds me of me.

Yes, me. Oh you guys knoooooooooooooooooooooooow I’ve said I wanted to do things on this website, and the list of things I haven’t done that I said I was going to do…well, in about 60+ blogs here on the site, I could make a blog or two about the things I haven’t, ha!

Why am I saying all this, you ask?

I don’t know. This is Black Love, One Growth, and well, I figure with all this time spent, it’s been time to do some growing. So this is where I am…

The last few days have been great, because I haven’t made any lists or put stuff down or said I was going to do something, because I didn’t want to even give myself the chance to not do them.

I just did them at the point of thought, which is how I’m doing this blog…no posturing, no clever wordplay, just inhibited ME.

Well, us. There’s that US again, but I’m not so crazy this time…because I want to change.

But I’ve already said too much, according to 5:3.

And well, dwelling on the past is about as useful as a closed bible.

I just want to do.

I’ll holla at ya’ll later,

The Good Doctor

Bubble Love

Hey everyone,

Just finished enjoying a Wednesday and Thursday off…leading up to the big Football Friday Night extravaganza, but had to tell you guys about this new joint I dropped…

Normally, I would’ve just written something and posted it here or shared it with friends, but this one I decided to do a little something extra with.

Jig and I actually did a collaborative effort on this song…put it on wax, so to speak...he did the beats and production, where I provided most of the lyrics. It was cool to do, because I really haven’t done too much open mic, let alone drop a verse. At any rate, here was my contribution to the song…

Hook:

Based on a true story
About mermaids and manatees
Meaning that everything ain’t what it seems
But you haven’t seen anything yet
Time to get wet…

1st Verse:

Submerged in this verse
I make my descent
But I can’t tell up from down
So I take a look around
I enroll in this school
Of fish, and there’s so many in this pool
There was one who blended well with the coral
And this is where we get the moral
Of the story, story, story
Normally folks would call this puppy love
But for the sake of this song we’ll call it guppy love
An aquatic frolic seemingly the same
But through a different world like Whitley and Dwayne
Wade in the water
Think in the drink about the things that I aqua
Do to prove you I’m concerned
Nice to see you do the same in return
So we explore the reef
Things begin to get deep
Learn about the rock she came from under
Why did my momma name me Plankton she wondered
But as sure as we start to synch
Things begin to stink
We start to lose our porpoise for swimming’
And the once-clear water is startin’ to tint and
I’d rather not end this on a bad note
So I concur with her so hope floats

2nd Verse:

Now some of ya’ll listen and glisten
At the innuendo that I’m spittin’
But I only rock the boat to keep it afloat
You can ask my boy Yancey
I live to enhance, not to be chancy or fancy
Then again, I don’t care what folks think
Just so long as me and her don’t sink…

--Break--
Don’t pop/don’t drown/don’t pop/bubble love
Pop-gurgle-/don’t remember what it was…
--Break--

Extra Stanza:

She didn’t want me no more/So I wash up on shore
*Cough cough* and all the sand dollars in the world
Can’t buy me back into the sea
Can’t buy back that feeling for me…

Kind of a tragic story, but it worked out for the best…got the motivation for this one after my trip from the Georgia Aquarium…I don’t know, though…maybe a re-recording or two, maybe I’ll get up the courage to leave a track on the site for you guys to listen to…I’m sure that would be interesting. Talk to you guys soon…

The Good Doctor

Lil' Panther

Hey Mom,

First of all, I just want to say, if kid brother hurts his ankle or has
something going on with his feet because of those Michael Vick
(sacrilege...) shoes you bought him, you're going to have one mad
Panthers fan on your hands...

19.99...blah, blah, blah...

I'm just playing. I love you Mom...

The Good Doctor.

Hey everybody,

What's happenin'...told you guys D was having the best month ever...and in an attempt to clinch the award for 'best brother of the year', yours truly and the Prodigy went to...

Carolina Panthers training camp in Spartanburg, S.C.

OH YEAH. Yep, your 2006-07 NFC and Super Bowl Champion Panthers weren't even an hour away from my aunt's house, which is where I was hanging out with kid brother and mom for a couple of off days.

So yeah, I shot upstate late Tuesday, woke up Wednesday to this guy's face, who had his arms out for a hug...yeah, I obliged...

For all of you sayin' 'awwwwww' right now, excuse me for not being more sentimental. It was about 7:15 in the morning...and I got in the bed around 3 a.m. Yep, ya boy was cooked...

But I got up and told kid brother I had a surprise. Here's how the conversation went:

The Writer of this Blog: Hey man, we're going somewhere cool. You want me to tell you now or you want to find out later?
Kid Brother: *jumping up and down* I wanna know now!
T-Blog: Alright, alright. We're going to Panthers camp.
KB: Carolina Panthers camp?
T-Blog: Yep.
KB: *overly dramatic* *faints and slides off sofa*

But I got a lil' crunked up too...because, after all, it was KB. And
it was the Panthers. So we got dressed and went to the 'Burg...

Where it was really nice. Understand that Carolina's a first-class organization, and I'm not saying that because that's my squad. I'm saying it because the training camp was free, they had awesome vendors outside the facility, and you actually saw the players. (Sorry if I'm a little excited here, as you can see, it's my first time attending camp).

KB had fun too, and he got to see his favorite player, Steve Smith...also got him a football and a little Hot Wheels Carolina Panthers Escalade with a Julius Peppers trading card...real nice.

I also signed KB up for the Panthers Pal contest...basically, they take five kids from the ages of 6-13, give them a t-shirt and other goodies...but more importantly, they let you meet the players.

Yep, I said it. Meet the players...

So, they drew five names out of a huge pot...and I was thinking 'golden ticket, golden ticket...'

Not to be. Eh, it happens. Anyway, we enjoyed the rest of camp and headed back...

That was Wednesday. KB's first day of the third grade was Thursday...so, that was a heck of a way to finish up the summer, ha?

More to come...

The Good Doctor

Turn the Lights On

Hey everybody,

I didn’t even have the jones at first.

Maybe it was the rigors of work, worrying about my fantasy baseball team, or making sure Team USA didn’t mess up the rotation during exhibition play.

Anyway, I didn’t even have the jones until a couple of minutes before I was scheduled to talk to Aiken High’s football coach.

That feeling, combined with pleasant memories of high school and pleasant memories of last football season just came at me all at once.

It was crazy…I was in a hallway with some lockers, and I started to catch a beat…just beating on the locker…real quiet, mind you…but I had IT.

Started flippin’ my pen like I was a FAMU drummer…had that feeling all over again.

If you’ll remember, the last mention of Aiken football came on a Black Friday, and ended with me dappin’ up and consolin’ then-sophomore Romon Williams.

(Disclaimer: To readers of this blog and the Aiken Standard…understand that my affinity for my alma mater in no way affects my work or interactions with football teams all over the area. Pick up a paper, man!)

Well…how things have changed.

Checked out Aiken’s football team, and talked to coach…and of course, all the coaches are going to have preseason humility…or as we call it ‘round here, playin’ possum.

Fast forward to the Aiken County Football Jamboree, which was last Friday, actually.

The Jamboree is an event that showcases eight of the local football teams, and it’s the event that annually breaks the high school football hiatus, so fans really enjoy it.

At any rate, the more things change, the more they stayed the same…a bunch of coaches, including South Aiken’s old coach, changed teams…it was more like an NFL offseason, without all the player changes.

Anyway, Cal played in the second quarter for South Aiken…and he’s a little more stoic than last year. Don’t know if that’s for better or for worse…but you’ll hear about it, to be sure.

But yeah, the Hornets. Coach Johnson had me thinking Aiken was going to lay an egg, or something like that against North Augusta, which is the old South Aiken coach’s (Pippin) new team…

Not a chance.

Man, fireworks…just fireworks. Romon scored twice, and the Hornets looked really nice on both sides of the ball, long story short.
That went well, but that was only one of the things going on this week.

Kid brother's been living it up this month, and I’ll have to talk to you guys about that sooner.

The Good Doctor

Who is this Angel?

Hey everybody,

Alright, alright. Now, everyone here at the B.L.O.G. is going to presume that you all have seen Ray, yes, that Ray, the movie that Jamie Foxx won the Oscar for.

Now. Remember the point in the movie where Oberon (the smaller guy at the club in Seattle) gave Ray the card from Jackie at Swing Time Records?

Fast forward to Monday night.

Finishing up at work, I get an e-mail telling me about a job opening at the biggest paper in the state.

As much as I’d like to take credit for the e-mail, it was actually an assist from a very dear friend of mine.

Yep, V makes another special guest appearance on the site, this time as the point guard who threw the best alley-oop since Jason Kidd had Kenyon Martin in New Jersey.

It’s not that I don’t get it…it’s just that…I don’t get it.

I mean, time after time, there she is…she seemed to care more about my birthday than I did…just a trip. A pleasant trip.

She’s cool ... and she’s also a revolutionary of sorts…just hearing her talk about the job and the adjustments that can be made reminds me of…well, me sometimes. Anyway, it was cool for her to do that, and I guess, with God working through her she started the biggest revolution of all.

The revolution that starts within yourself.

Anyway, speaking of turning things around…big ups to this young lady…

And normally, I wouldn’t do this, but just this once…

Go here and vote for the best ‘black’ blog.
Vote for someone who would appreciate your vote more than Bush.
Vote for the one whose name means ‘talents’ in Swahili (East African descent).
Vote Tabia.

Take care folks,
The Good Doctor

Daydreamin' in the A (Tell Me When to Goooooooo...)

Hey everybody,

Well, gotta tell you guys...

The A was a trip. I went there last Monday, and had my share of ups and downs...which you'll likely hear about very soon. Anyway, I just want to share with you guys a daydream I had while returning from Atlanta...

(Disclaimer: This may be one of the most eccentric blogs ever written here...The Good Doctor must be craaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa-zaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay...)

May 10, 2007

My friends and I decide to have a surprise birthday party for one of our friends, even though he insists we not.

Anyway, the crew and I get together to think of a clever way to have such an event...

And we figure on this...it sounds kind of eccentric, but we figure the only way we'll get him out of the house is by force; kinda jump him, and then take him to the party or whatever.

Sure enough, we do just that...there's five of us, and we sneak up on dude...he never sees us coming. We grab him (we're wearing ski masks or whatever), and we head off to this surprise party.

I know, kinda crazy...but it's great once we get there...

Once we get to the place, he's all hollerin' like 'let me go, let me go', and we're kinda laughin'. It's funny though, because once we let him go, he sees what's going on.

Everybody's like 'SURPRISE!', and everybody at the party has afros on.

I mean, it's the best party man, all the soul food, people, good times you can imagine. Just an endless supply of good eats, everyone there is just having a good time.

So, after that's over, we figure we have to give dude something to commemorate the event.

One of my homeboys comes out the back with a 24-inch rim with a spinner on it...no, not a tire...nothing, just a rim.

So dude spins it, and we're all rolling at this point, including the guest of honor...and as it's spinning...

Everybody starts dancing. Ya boy goes off into the thizz dance, I mean, the scene is just crazy...and I can't stop laughin'.

But yeah, that was a crazy scene. Anyway, it's a long way from here, but enjoy the 24th, man.

The Good Doctor

P.S. You guys will find out why I'm worried about next summer REAL SOON... ;-)