Turkey Ridiculousity

Today, after having starved fasted yesterday, The Professional is very ready to feast on the bounty of food she has prepared with her very own fabulously domestic hands :-)

This year, The Professional made a pledge to herself: NO repeat of last year's Turkey Ridiculousity. It was sincerely stressful and very unfabulous--though she believes there was little she could have done to avoid it besides paying closer attention to her surroundings. You see, someone called themselves "helping" The Professional, but really only complicated things in the worst of ways...

It was the day before Thanksgiving, and The Professional was in her beloved Ralphs Fresh Fare market in Downtown Los Angeles. Though the market had only opened a couple months earlier, she was already a regular, and had become friendly and conversational with some of the store's employees. That day, she got in the checkout line of one of her regular workers, and smiled as he made chatty small talk while ringing up her purchases. When he got to her fresh (not frozen--this is important) turkey, his face turned perplexed as he told The Professional that he'd be right back before zipping away in a flash with her turkey in hand. She figured that the turkey wasn't priced correctly or some other reasonable issue, and was thankful that her friendly grocery clerk had the wherewithal and customer service to take care of her promptly. When he returned, he finished ringing her up, and off she went.

When The Professional arrived home, she quickly threw all the groceries into the refrigerator, not paying the least bit of attention to any of them in particular. She figured that she'd sort everything out in the morning when the task of cooking actually began. When morning arrived, The Professional set about prepping the ingredients, chopping, seasoning, boiling and saute'ing. At last the moment came when her attention came to the turkey. Since she had purchased a fresh turkey, she knew that she'd only have to season it before popping it into the oven for a couple hours of roasting. However, when she grabbed the bird out of the fridge, to her extreme horror she realized that the turkey she brought home was frozen solid. With only three hours before her guests were scheduled to arrive, The Professional began to panic. No amount of prayer would thaw a frozen bird! She was absolutely LIVID that the fresh one she'd chosen in the store had been switched with a frozen one unbeknownst to her. Is that was home-dude did when he skipped away?!

On the brink of tears now, she knew her Thanksgiving was ruined. She was so embarrassed! At that pivotal moment, The Professional's boo stepped in and calmly suggested that she return to the market, frozen bird in hand, in hopes that there was a fresh one left to switch it back for. Though she didn't think it would produce the miracle that'd save her Thanksgiving, she had no better ideas, so to the store she went. The market's manager was sympathetic as she explained her situation while concurrently dodging the glance of the original clerk that had switched her bird. She didn't think he did it maliciously--he probably really thought he was helping her--but he switched it nonetheless. Unfortunately, the manager explained, the market was absolutely sold out of fresh turkeys. Thick tears began to teeter on her eyelashes. "Wait..." he said. "We may have one that was reserved, but not yet claimed," he suggested. "I'll give you one of those." He dissappeared into the back, and came out with a half-frozen turkey, explaining that it was the only thing he had. The Professional took it and (literally) ran home to attempt a salvage of her dinner.

After performing a very jankily-done defrost session, the clock absolutely said that the turkey needed to go into the oven. The Professional wasn't convinced that it was thawed all the way through, but she said a quick prayer and shoved it into the oven. Two hours later her guests dined on breast-meat only--the rest of the bird was not edible due to the defrosting/cooking situation. They were kind, and only made complaints that her service started an hour past what she had promised--not about the food, which she was thankful for.

This year, The Professional did all the due dilligence necessary to procure a positive Thanksgiving experience. She learned a valuable lesson about paying attention to details last year, and will certainly never repeat that fiasco again. Its probably best that it happened early in her domestic years, before she has a husband and family, etc. A mis-step like that in the family years would have been tragically unforgiveable!

Today, The Professional will prepare and feast on the following menu, made with love and care in the spirit of thanks...

• Roasted Turkey
• Herb & Apple Stuffing w/Home-made Gravy
• Mac & Cheese
• Greens
• Whipped Sweet Potatoes
• Potato Salad
• Cranberry Preserves
  
• Dinner Rolls

Top Back...

Recently, The Professional caught up on reading a great blog titled Haute Like Fire. One of the older posts was a lil' diversion that The Professional found an absolute blast. She encourages you to indulge by doing the following:

1. Put your iTunes/music player on shuffle.
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
3. YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER WHAT.
   

**Note: The Professional has inserted some of her own commentary after her answers, in parens.

1. IF SOMEONE SAYS “IS THIS OKAY?” YOU SAY?

“Is It A Crime” - Sade (LOL!)

2. WHAT WOULD BEST DESCRIBE YOUR PERSONALITY?

“Love and Peace or Else” - U2 (Ain't that the truth...)

3. WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY/GIRL?

“Call Me A Mack” - Usher (Um. NO.)

4. HOW DO YOU FEEL TODAY?

“Something To See” - Glenn Lewis (Every day, all day...)

5. WHAT IS YOUR LIFE’S PURPOSE?

“I'm So Hood” - G-Unit (Hi-larious...!)

6. WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO?

“Let's Get Married (Remix f/Run DMC)” - Jagged Edge (Um... this is frightening...)

7. WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU?

“Just Fine” - Mary J. Blige (There could certainly be worse things...)

8. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR PARENTS?

“Good Man” - India.Arie (Ok...this thing is hella accurate!)

9. WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN?

“Rock Wit You” - Alicia Keys

10. WHAT IS 2+2?

“I Messed Up” - Toya (LMAO...!!!)

11. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND?

“Stay Cool” - The Roots

12. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE PERSON YOU LIKE?

“Dy-Na-Mi-Tee” - Ms. Dynamite (Awww....)

13. WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY?

“Just A Friend” - Mario (This is sincerely pitiful)

14. WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP?

“Moment of Clarity” - Jay-Z (Sheeeit....)

15. WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LIKE?

“All I Want Is You” - 112 (Again, frighteningly accurate...)

16. WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU?

“Life Is Real” - Mos Def

17. WHAT WILL YOU DANCE TO AT YOUR WEDDING?

“We Can Make It Better” - Kanye West

18. WHAT WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL?

“I Can See Clearly Now” - Bob Marley (Aww, that'd be nice!)

19. WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST?

“You Used To Love Me” - Faith Evans

20. WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET?

“On The Side” - Dave Hollister (Wowwwwzerrrs. No comment!)

21. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS?

“Wake Up” - Obie Trice

22. WHAT SHOULD YOU POST THIS AS?

“Top Back” - T.I.

Abusing Auto-Tune

Let The Professional be forthright--she is definitely in love with Kanye West and his "808's & Heartbreak." Further, though she tried and tried, she just could not help but to allow T-Pain to become her guilty pleasure. She fought it hard, but found it impossible not to sing along to his infectious hooks. She has submitted to the fact that she hearts T-Pain a little bit.

This post isn't about hating. That, its certainly not. What it is, however, is a confused woman attempting to sort out her thoughts and arrive at some type of answer for her own sanctity. With so many artists using Auto-Tune to infuse the Roger Troutman sound into contemporary music, The Professional has one basic question that she needs closure on, in order to fully embrace the Auto-Tune nation: The "warbled" electronic sound of Auto-Tun'ed vocals--isn't that an indicator that the vocalist is in fact, off-pitch?

Many years ago when The Professional took her turns in the studio, she remembers that sound being bad--something that one wanted to avoid, as it meant yo' ass was OFF. If Auto-Tune made an electronic adjustment to your note, it was embarrassing--and cause for a re-take. Is this still the same general principle? Has hip-hop just taken something and remixed it to use to its own advantage, or is this a different Auto-Tune being employed? Please, somebody... Clarify! Because it's driving The Professional officially bananas wondering what the heck is going on. Will the peanut gallery of professional recording engineers and producers pretty-please speak up on this one? Because its making it very difficult for The Professional to just enjoy the daggone music. Thank you.

Televised Buffoonery: ATL Housewives

As the series "Real Housewives of Atlanta" comes to a close this evening, The Professional has finally found it in her patience to write a little bit about what she's witnessed. Yes, like a bad car accident, The Professional has been unable to avert her eyes from the hot ass mess that is the "Real Housewives of Atlanta." The entire series as a whole (Orange County and NYC included) is generally just grotesque ridiculousity--but The Cousins in Atlanta have sealed the deal on the trend of televised buffoonery that is surely 17 steps backwards to the ones Obama has made in forward progress.

"Reality" television has gotten absolutely, completely Out Of Hand. Officially.

Below please find The Professional's candid thoughts on the show's buffoons subjects:

DeShawn Snow is a clear instance of "new money" not knowing the hell how to act. What an embarrassment. It's as if she's never gotten over the initial giggles of becoming the wife of a professional athlete. Unacceptable.

The Professional is personal friends with several NBA wives--none of whom act as pretentious and clueless as DeShawn Snow. While its cool to have a charitable foundation, its absolutely not cool to throw a benefit fundraiser without a professional event producer--someone who would have made up their fee in the money saved & raised. DeShawn's event? A $30,000 catastrophic disaster that made ZERO dollars for the organization. This is not okay.


NeNe Leakes is a loud ass 'round the way girl who needs to take The Professional's course on discretion. Sure its sometimes enjoyable to poke a lil fun at your people--but there's a time and a place. When done as oft and at the volume at which NeNe does it, it just gets messy. And a hot mess is exactly what NeNe tends to stir up wherever she goes.

Is there anything wrong with being dramatic? The Professional, having been described as a Drama Queen for most of her life certainly doesn't think so. But when it starts hurting the feelings of the people close to you, that's your cue to pump brakes. NeNe certainly means well. And so we must accept her for exactly what she is: unpolished and brash with hood'ish tendancies. Unfortunately, that type of personality isn't so well received on the tea & crumpets circuit :-(


Lisa Wu Hartwell played the "I'm not in it" role pretty cooly all season long (though The Professional did catch her being the one who hipped Sheree to NeNe's "song" about Kim, thereby causing the civil war between said parties). The Professional is not mad at her entreprenuerial spirit, or the way she's delicately tiptoed around her former life--a marriage to Keith Sweat including two children that aren't shown on the series. However, even Miss Lisa played herself at least once on-screen, by verbally acknowleging what she identified as the "NBA/NFL wives club" which The Professional found sincerely pretentious and very, very tacky.

Within the last week, reports surfaced that Lisa took it to the streets on fellow Housewife Kim Zolciak. If the rumors are true, Kim don' went & lost her mind by talking about Lisa's children--which everyone knows is just-cause for an official beat down. Still waiting to see how this one will play out.


Sheree Whitfield may be the easiest one to hate, but The Professional submits that at the very least, she is extremely entertaining. The Professional is never mad at a bad bitch doing what the hell she wants to do. Sheree could certainly do it with a lot more tact, but that's neither here nor there.

Even for all her beauty--and The Professional will go on the record by committing to the fact that Sheree is drop-dead fantabulous (on the outside)--Ms. Whitfield certainly hasn't escaped her fair share of on-camera mis-steps. For instance, just because you like clothes and have some money to throw around, definitely doesn't mean you should go start up a fashion line all willy-nilly. And the handling of the samples? That was just laughable. The name "She by Sheree" is absolutely retardicrous, and its clear by her team of "Yes Women" that no one had the balls (both literally and figuratively) to advise her properly on making some smart moves for her line. This is both sad and pitiful. Being a dragon-lady isn't the key to success in life. Sometimes, its best to accept the advice and counsel of people who can help you reach your dreams. If Sheree's dream was that clothing line, then she needs to rethink her strategy.


Kim Zolciak

* taking a deep breath *

You effing IDIOT! First of all, what the hell is wrong with your WIG?! Ok so, while The Professional has never been a good "spotter" of weaves or wigs, this one is so daggone ridiculous that it warrants comment. Aren't the purpose of wigs to "fool" the general public into thinking that's your real hair? Dude, we see exactly where your wig stops (2 inches behind your hair line) because A) the hair is of two different textures; and B) because its also two different colors. OMG. Unacceptable. UNACCEPTABLE! Pull that shit forward or sew it in or just do something dammit! If you can buy Gucci-this and Dior-that, then you can find yourself a good white-girl-hair-weave-do'er to sew that shit in right. You know your ass is on national television, FIX YOUR SHIT!

Secondly, the singing career? The Professional has no words. NO. WORDS. Someone should bless Dallas Austin as a Saint for not literally laughing her out of the studio. He kept his gully-face on real professional-like and played her friendly. Get yo' money Dallas! You know his ass was hella irritated for having his precious time and effort wasted on that B.S.

Finally, The Professional finds it beyond tacky the way Kim carefully doesn't mention the fact that her dude Big Poppa is married. Yep, married. That's why his ass isn't on camera you dummy, not because he's a "celebrity," because he's not. He's just a man with a gang of money, trickin' it on you. The Professional doesn't see why, but um...perhaps he enjoys the company of bad-wig-wearing, chain-smoking, no-talent-having, badly-aging white women. There's someone for everyone :-)


The series finale of "Real Housewives of Atlanta" airs tonight on Bravo at 10pm.

Blogosphere Check 1-2, 1-2...

Its a beautiful day in the neighborhood, and The Professional intends to have a fabulous weekend that includes lots of football, food and fun :-)

As you prepare for your own weekend, please enjoy the following great reads from around the blogosphere...

• Last week, Kat of BAPworld had the incredible honor of being a polling station monitor in the state of Ohio. Read her touching description of the experience, how it renewed her dedication to law school and how she has pledged herself to changing the way we vote in this country.

• Upscale Swagger reports that Louis Vuitton has patented its own diamond cuts that resemble the LV Monogram shapes, of course. So now, you can have the corresponding bling to your handbags, scarves, clothing, shoes and other accessories. There is no hating on this: the LV Monogram diamonds are an idea that The Professional is in love with.

And finally...

• The Fly Guy Chronicles is a brilliant love advice site that dispenses said advice with fresh candor, style and humor that is unmatched. This week, The Fly Guy wrote "Examining 5 Common Relationship Myths" all of which were a great reminder that there is no "recipe," no "standard" by which relationships can be monitored. Make sure you're not puttin' the 2-on-the-10 in your relationship by checking yourself against The Fly Guy's notes. You'll be glad you did :-)

Four Letter Word

It was over four years ago while having brunch on the patio at the Ritz-Carlton in the Buckhead district of Atlanta, when a nice old white woman passed by The Professional's table on her way out. "I hope you two get married," she said with kindness. "You are so much in love!" The Professional and her beau smiled at the woman, and realized to each other that their love was on display even without them being aware of it.

That relationship didn't end up working out. Neither did the next one, or the one after.

It is this breathless, all-encompassing love that The Professional wonders if she'll ever feel again. Is it asking too much to expect that type of love more than once? Does it count if that love ended in hurt--or is it best to extrapolate from it the very best of times & feelings had, leaving the forgettable moments exactly as such: Forgotten.

The Professional doesn't have the answers. However, she remains hopeful. She isn't mad that she was unable to identify the morality issues of person that harmed many people in much worse ways than he did she. She doesn't feel bad that she didn't have the foresight to predict that her last love would strike her down--both with his hand and with his words. Instead, she's happy to be exactly who she is at this brilliant moment in her beautiful life: A woman who has lived, loved, and learned from every single experience both good and bad.

The Professional doesn't yet have her finger on the pulse of the questions she posed above. But she'll be happy to continue to hope, with tepid expectation, that God will indeed bless her with the true love of her life. She can't wait to meet him :-)

Just Say No: The Men's Buttoned Collar

The Professional could go on for days about the many ways to rock the men's collared shirt. Fly "pop" it, bow-tie it, rock it open, or by all means...please suit it up and get your sexy-ass grown man on. The Professional is a sucker for the grown man look. For sure.

What you don't do, however, is get caught wearing the buttoned collar. What are you, a Republican? Are you going camping? Leading the Cub Scout meeting tonight? If so, by all means, grab your pass and do your thing. But if not--if you live in an urban area...if you have any ounce of fresh in you--Just Say No to the buttoned collar.

To take it a level further, what you never, ever (evva-evva) do EVER IN YOUR LIFE, is partner a buttoned collar with a tie. Don't. Do it. Do. Not. Do. It. The Professional regretfully must issue a citation to the Washington Post analyst whom she watched pontificate over the election of Barack Obama on CNN last night. He appeared on national television wearing a buttoned collar and tie. We must do better people! Absolutely NOT ACCEPTABLE.

What is the point of the buttoned collar? Originally, they were meant to keep a gentleman's collar in place during Polo matches. So unless you're swingin' the sticks, or participating in the aforementioned activities, you MUST forego the buttoned collar. This is not open to negotiation.

Advance your fresh! Gentlemen, invest in some great chrome, silver, or brass collar stays to keep that colllar in place. If that's too advanced for you, even the plastic collar stays will work perfectly fine. Using the button as a means to keep your collar in place is akin to using velcro to keep your shoes on. Rudementary. Elementary. Not okay.

The Professional considers this topic duly covered, and not open to discussion. Please do not get caught in the buttoned collar. Period.

My President is Black

Here's to a week of tremendous high's & low's.

As it comes to a close, The Professional can't help but to thank the good baby Jesus for Barack Obama, while coupling that thanks with a gentle request for Him to take especially good care of Shakir Stewart and Jheryl Busby as they enter the afterlife. They didn't get to witness this history being made. Neither did Vernon's mommy, or Amon Raia, or the many other loved ones that passed prior to the moment this week when many of us shed tears of joy over watching our new president--our Barack Obama--take that stage in Chicago. Bittersweet? Yes. Phenomenal? Certainly. The Professional gets a bit choked up thinking about what Barack Obama represents to her. She has not the words to explain it, but is comforted by knowing that 52% of America likely feels the same way.

Please enjoy the following items from around the web that have kept a smile on The Professional's face during a week like none other. My President is Black. My President is Black. My President is BLACK!

Dear Red States,

We've decided we're leaving. We intend to form our own country, and we're taking the other Blue States with us. In case you aren't aware, that includes Hawaii, California, Oregon, Washington, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, New York, and all of the Northeastern states. After this election, we'll be adding Colorado and New Mexico. We believe this split will be beneficial to the nation, especially to the people of our new country - Nuevo California.

To sum up briefly: You get Texas, Oklahoma and all the slave states; we get stem cell research, the best beaches, and the best ski resorts. We get the Statue of Liberty; you get Dollywood. We get Intel and Microsoft; you get WorldCom. We get Stanford, Harvard, Princeton, Yale, Cal Tech, MIT and Columbia; you get Ole' Miss. We get 85 percent of America's venture capital and entrepreneurs; you get Alabama. We get two-thirds of the tax revenue; you get to make the red states pay their fair share.

Since our aggregate divorce rate is 22 percent lower than that of the Christian Coalition, we get a bunch of happy families and you get a bunch of under-educated single moms.

Please be aware that Nuevo California will be pro-choice and anti-war, and we'll need all of our citizens back from Iraq at once.

If you need people to fight, ask your evangelicals. They apparently have kids they're willing to send to their deaths for no purpose, and they don't mind if you don't televise their kid's caskets coming home. We do wish you success in Iraq and hope that those Weapons of Mass Destruction turn up for you, but we're not willing to spend any more of our money in Bush's Quagmire.

With the Blue States, we will control 80 percent of the country's fresh water, 90 percent of pineapple and lettuce, 92 percent of thenation's fresh fruit, 97 percent of America's quality wines (you can serve French wines at your state dinners), 90 percent of all cheese, 90 percent of the high tech industry, most of the U.S. low-sulfur coal, all living redwoods, sequoias and condors, and all the Ivy League and Seven Sister schools. We also get New England, the Great Lakes and Yosemite, thank you very much.

In the Red States, you will have to cope with 88 percent of all obese Americans and their projected health care costs, 92 percent of all U.S. mosquitoes, 100 percent of tornadoes, 94 percent of hurricanes, 99 percent of Southern Baptists, virtually 100 percent of all televangelists, and Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Bob Jones University, and Clemson.

Additionally, in the Red States, 38 percent actually believe Jonah was swallowed by a whale; 62 percent believe life is sacred unless it involves the death penalty or gun ownership; 44 percent claim that evolution is only a theory; 53 percent insist that Saddam Hussein was involved in 9/11; and 61 percent of you crazy bastards believe you have higher moral standards than those of us on the left.

By the way, we're taking all the good pot, too. You get that dirt weed from Mexico and Kansas ditches.

Peace out,
The Blue States

(original author unknown)

You Hate Me (a poem by The Professional)

You Hate Me
a poem by The Professional (originally written September, 2006)

I know that you hate me
and in truth that makes me smile,
because it means that who I am
is someone worth your while.

So thank you for the energy
and thank you for your time,
I've needed extra stepping stones
to assist me as I climb.

Although you didn't mean to be
You've been my guiding light,
which keeps me on a path of growth
and keeps my future bright.

So please continue hating me
as it confirms for sure...
that I am who you cannot be--
the One you wish you were.

Rest in Peace: Jheryl Busby

For the second time in less than a week, The Professional is shocked and saddened by the passing of one of her favorite recording industry executives.

Jheryl Busby was the head of the Urban division of DreamWorks Records when The Professional began her career in music at that label. She remembers Mr. Busby as being a loved and highly respected figure amongst her colleagues--someone who executed his work with a type of confidence coupled with gentleness that was, and continues to be, very rare within the industry.

Once, while being retained by the label as an independent contractor, one of the company's finance executives refused to pay out The Professional's invoice. It was Mr. Busby who called The Professional personally, and made good on his promise to immediately correct the problem. This example, and countless others that she knows about within Mr. Busby's professional and personal lives are illustrative of the type of compassionate and generous person he was.

Though he was not a perfect man, he was indeed a fair one. The Professional will miss Mr. Busby and the contributions he made to the fabric of the black music landscape.

The Professional last saw Mr. Busby in March, 2004 at the hospital which her best and most favorite friend (his nephew) passed away at after a horrible motorcycle accident. She & Mr. Busby grasped hands in a brief yet desperate moment of prayer as they both struggled to keep it together in light of the tragic circumstances. Mr. Busby, Amon is surely comforted that you are now joining him in heaven. You take care :-)

International Travel: "If You Stay Ready..."

As you likely already know, The Professional gets her international gangster on as often as possible. Though she loves her some Los Angeles, she considers international travel a part of the development of her personal fabulousity.

Recently, The Professional was given a ridiculousity headache by people that she truly loves. The problem? A large group of old hometown friends (yes, The Cousins) needed to travel to Canada on short notice, and no one--NO ONE, save The Professional and ONE fly girlfriend had a passport.

* pause for effect *

* and a deep sigh *

This is unacceptable.

Please let The Professional be very clear about where she stands on her standards for fabulousity. Don't ever-ever be caught dead being over the age of 25 without a daggone passport! It matters not if you don't see international travel in your forseeable future. You honestly never know when you may need to pack your bags and head the hell on out. In her own experience, both personally and professionally, The Professional has in fact herself been asked to partake in same-day international travel. "If you stay ready, you ain't got to get ready"--and you can take that to the bank (or the airport, in this case).

The point is this: You don't know when the employer--or man of your dreams will ask you to hop a flight to Paris. Do you want to get caught looking like a dummy by having to decline the offer to engage in international fabulousity? Hell no you don't.

Homeland security and a general changing of overall society now warrants that all international travel requires a passport. This includes travel to Canada and Mexico. So the thinking that your birth certificate will serve as an adequate travel document is no longer correct. Can The Professional be any clearer? Hear her. GET YO ASS A PASSPORT. When applying for one without the need for haste, your total fees will amount to only $100. Wait until the last minute like some of The Professional's beloved hometown buddies, and those costs go up exponentially.

Visit the US Department of State website to apply for, renew, or check the status of a passport application.

Consider this your warning: If you are a grown-ass adult without a valid passport in your posession, you are officially stripped of your status of a member of the club that The Professional presides over. Shameful.

Everyone, please... expand your effing horizons. Thank you and good day.

To Shakir...

Shakir,

There are so many of us left here now, wishing we would've let you know how much we loved you, thinking that we should've told you how influential you'd been on our careers, and wondering what we could've done to help save your life.

We should have thought of this sooner.

It doesn't matter now that you have hundreds of friends and colleagues that would have done anything for you (personally, professionally or both), because our attention focuses on you too little and too late. I'm sorry that I didn't let you know that I am a friend of yours who would never have judged you, always would have supported you, and would have set the earth on fire to save you from yourself.

Who am I? I'm nobody but someone whose life you touched. I'm someone who is sincerely saddened at the thought of your final act overshadowing the phenomenal contribution you made to the lives of more people than you knew.

Damn, Shake.

Please rest easy.

Love,
Kelly.