Jambo Means Hello

There are times in your adult life where you wish you could regress to the days of your childhood. When things were so much simpler, and your biggest concern is if a certain boy liked you, if you could go outside after dinner, or if you caught this weeks episode of Moesha.

I woke up this morning thinking about the children's story, Jambo Means Hello. I am sure not everyone had this included in their reading lists, but it was one of my favorites. Actually, all the books that my mom read to me that showcased black girls were especially fascinating to me....mainly, because I honestly thought I could be one of those girls. Smiling, waving, playing, imagining....living on the pages of these stories.

JAMBO!!!!!

Anyway, I am still in the hospital, but I thought I should share with you guys some of the interesting events that have happened while I was here. First of all, my first Lab Tech referred to himself as BIG JOHN, not just John but BIG JOHN. He was a barrel of laughs and was persistently hitting on my grandmother the entire length of his shift. (ask bout #graciej another day!) He even gave us an autographed picture of himself wearing a ballerina costume. This man was all about jokes. Lemme tell you how the rest of the Lab Techs went down hill from there. The rest didn't say much except for this Jamaican woman. While she was taking my blood pressure her cell phone rang and she proceeded to answer it while she whispered that her son was getting picked up someone and she had to make sure that he was picked up on time. Now, for a split second I was like "the nerve of this woman answering her celly in the middle of being with a patient" Then I got all: it's hard being a single mother, and it is her child, I understand" But then come to find out: She's happily married and the woman picking the child up was one of the husbands girl-friends and she was calling to really be nosy....

The lady in the bed next to me, I am not sure what type of procedure she had but she was throwing up all over the place yesterday evening. Ain't nothing like listening to the sound of yakking. They kept saying there was a chance that I might throw up because of the medicine used to put me under. When I came out of surgery, my skin was on fire. I was scratching all over and it would not stop and that was immediately after surgery when it was literally killing me to talk....but that hour after is kind of a blur. I was in and out of consciousness from about 11a to 2pm.

I have peed like one million thousand times since I have been here. The peeing procedure requires me to unhook my legs from this blood clot prevention machine, move the TV, unplug my IV, gather up my backless gown and drag myself and the IV 20 feet to the bathroom, where I have to ask the nurse to dump out the "hat" in the toilet that sees how much I have peed (a ridiculous amount!). After which I gather my belongings and head back to the bed to hook myself back up. I'm telling you hospital living is the life.

Hopefully, I will be leaving here in the next two hours, and this blog can get back to being interesting instead of increasingly boring and disgusting about my wonderful "tonsil" experience...

....maybe I'll be able to sing after this!

2009 just keeps getting better and better

Well... here I am.

Tonsiless.

The surgery wasn't bad at all. It lasted about an hour. I thought I was going home right away but lo and behold. I am inside of a hospital room next to a lady who is hourly throwing up her guts (literally, I think her guts are coming out). I like this room though. If college was more like this and less like the Quad, I might have been 1000x more productive.

First let me say, I am in the hospital room... blogging. Free Wi-fi you ask? Nope. Complimentary dial-up perhaps? Never that.

My television screen doubles as the throwback Web-TV. My aunt had that back in THE DAY.... I'm talking mid 90s and we loved it, but this newer version has fully functional internet capabilities.

(pause, my IV alarm is going off... I might be seeing MJ soon....)

I survived.

At the moment, I'm bumping my Badu & ErRo station on Pandora, on Facebook, live blogging from Christiana Hospital and you know I'm seconds of way from live tweeting these events as well...

Hospital visits have gotten to be quite exciting.

It's 7:30p and I've been here since 6:30a. My grandma was here with me since this morning. In case I haven't mentioned it lately. #graciej aka Grandma is my superhero. Since I was young, I've always been my grandma's favorite (hahaha....at least I like to think so... I'm sure my cousins might read this and roll their eyes, but hey that's what family is for right?!) but she's always been my fave. I brag about my grandma all the time. I joke and kid about her grandma ways but she was a parole officer and temporarily a nurse and is immensely knowledgeable about politics, home decor, sewing, and cooking. I don't think I could imagine a more awesome grandma than (I need to study on proper usage of then/than again smh) her.

This evening, Candice & Malia came by and that absolutely made my day. I love them. As much as I despise this Delaware experience, they have been holding me down since Day 1! They even brought Grandma dinner and took her home. THE MUTHAFUGGIN BEST YALL!

Though I am ready for school to start, I know it is going to be harder and harder for us to hang out, but we will find a way. It is most def cool to know that after I leave here, I'm still going to be finding a way to salsa from Candice's aunt and to go to family functions at MayMays house.

My throat doesn't feel too bad, but the doctor said that it is going to get worse and for adults, it usually takes a week, week and half to fully recover. I hope by August 31st I am back in action... well really by August 29th....(and you besta know y, otherwise we aren't friends)... I take that back, that's not fair of me but please believe that for the rest of my life and my children's lives August 29th, 1958 will be celebrated in full effect.

My dad sent me a 21 capacity grill for my bday and I CANNOT WAIT to get on that boy and cook up some food. I love to entertain... more importantly I love to cook. Hopefully some chicken, some burgers, and salmon (if I get ambitious) with a few bottles of wine will end out summer out right.

Well I am trying to stay up late enough to watch Project Runway, which is a must, I've been dying for that show to come back.... and they haven't given me any real dinner or PERCASET so sleep can wait.

....each day here just gets REALER and REALER....

this too is an example of a friend you keep

in response to the last post.....

Dear Jesus,

I know you're probably kickin it with MJ right now (and You know I'm super jealous about that, btw), but I have to ask you a favor. My girl Monique (aka Mo-Stacks, Hatshepsut, MoMo, Bunny Carrots) is about to go into surgery. Once ur done with the listening party for all of MJ's unreleased tracks, I'd really appreciate it if you'd show Mo some Heavenly love.

I'm not sure where she is on the waiting list, but for the record, she pretty fucking awesome--no disrespect, Lord. If you were here, in human-form I mean, I know yall would kick it hard. You know how you like wine and all? Well she bartends! And she makes Sangria!

Anyway, if you don't have the time, it would be even cooler if you could send MJ down to kiss her forehead or something before surgery. I mean, I'm not saying You aren't cool...It's just that she's an MJ fan. But not more of a fan of him than You (of course).

Well, Christ, talk to you soon. Take care. (Amen?)

~Malia

"...aye do me a favor call me jerk one more time..."

In less than 12 hours, I will be in an operating room at Christiana Hospital having my tonsils removed. Of this, I am not happy. How did I get here? How did I get to this moment, in this apartment, in this city? What were the steps that landed me here???? Why am I still here?

Simply answered: Honey, they are paying for your Masters Degree.

Well good for them.... but I am goin to claim that some irreversible damage has been done to me because of it...

First, I am going to be the first to say that all those native Delawareans that are so friggin in love with the First State to sit the phuck down and shut the hell up ...

I honestly love you all. But I just don't think you have heard me clearly

Secondly, no one can tell me I haven't made the most of this experience here. I have always been the one attempting to make ANY and EVERYTHING fun... even lame ass Newark, DE. In the one year I have been here, I have had some amazing once in a lifetime opportunities and have met some amazing people.

I still hate it here.

Thirdly.... I didn't think I would say this..... but while I have fallen in love with many members of the black community in this area.... the younger generation, those in my age bracket, have literally blown the S.H.!.T outta me.

I just don't get why the hospitable spirit has seemed to escape all of them...

you know what I wanna say so much more

but its going to get way to personal... so I'll save that for the notebook

anyway.... Delaware and its inhabitants (infer what you will) most definitely gave me mono. Across the country, if I told any black person I got mono, their first response would be: "I didn't know black people caught mono." followed by "You got you a yte boy out there, Mo?"

well.... despite both of those incredible odds... I caught the mono.

Got the worst type. Had the case that happens 1 in 1000 times. Had to have emergency surgery.

talk about THE muthafuggin L

now, because of the mono, the surgery..... I've had tonsilitis for the last 4 months.... which will finally be taken care of tomorrow morning

I'm a little scared tho...

surgery makes me nervous

"Pray for the best, prepare for the worst, and hopefully everything will come out alright."

dont be jealous this doesnt happen on your bday!