Thursday, September 27, 2007

Hey Old Skoolers!

I'm having a terrific day! I hope you all are too. God's love is continuously raining down on my family, friends, and me.

In other fantastic news, me and Cullen decided to come to the studio today to pay Calvin a visit, and the vibe here is sooo very nice. I'll have to post pics later. It's been awhile since I heard from you guys. Let me know how life is going from day to day with you.

Friday, September 21, 2007

All Aboard the Soul Train Express!!



Whats shakin, Old Skoolers?!

I know, I know its been awhile since my last Old Skool Time Travel. Truth be told, my old (t)rusty Time Machine has been at my uncle Lester's shop for some repairs. Never fear, though! I hopped back in the time traveling saddle last night.

I knew this ride was gonna be a funkadelic one when I heard none other than the P-Funkalicious music of George Clinton w/Parliament blasting through the Time Machine's speakers.
"You've got a real type of thing going down, gettin' down
There's a whole lot of rhythm going round

Ow, we want the funk
Give up the funk
Ow, we need the funk
We gotta have that funk "

I jumped out of bed, hip to the groove! Upon hearing the music, Calvin hopped out of bed, and surrendered his funk, too! When we got into the Time Machine, I had to settle him down, (he was so busy boogying to the music) and make him strap on his seat belt. Midway through the ride, our pajamas morphed into radical threads with psychedelic colors, wispy fringes, skintight bell-bottoms, and sky scraping platform shoes! What a ride!

Suddenly, the smoke machine inside the Time Machine started gushing clouds, and at the request of the song, the Time Machine's roof was torn off (that counts for another week at uncle Lester's shop). We had landed on the legendary dance floor at SOOOUUUUUUULLLLLL TRAIN! There stood Don Cornelius, with his proud afro, hip suit, and familiar glasses! Don, and everyone else there was so busy getting down to the music, they didn't even notice that we had landed. We were actually on Soul Train, on October 1, 1977!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Once the Parliment song faded, Don grabbed his trusty mic, and in his best deep sexy voice said,
"Ladies and Gentlemen put your hands together and welcome to the stage three ladies of sophistication, style and soul... The Emotions!!!!"

I couldn't hide my excitement as I yelped, "DYNOMITE!"
I started clapping, and jumping around before the talented threesome even hit the stage! They began singing one of my favorite songs, REJOICE!! The song, their melodious, high pitched voices, took me to a far out place. I lost all control as my body moved and grooved to the music! Calvin, my dance partner was on the same high as me! Calvin wasn't gonna let those unfamiliar platforms stop him from moving to the music!
After a few more rhythmic selections, it was time for the Soul Train Scramble Board! (By this time, I'm very close to fainting from happiness!) Me and Calvin were chosen to answer one of the always easy questions. Don told us we had 60 seconds to unscramble the letters to reveal the name of a Dallas born soul singer who had orchestrated the sound track to the popular movie, The Mack. We placed the letters in all the right spots in just enough time to correctly answer, Willie Mack, and win a year's supply of Afro Sheen!!!

Next, it was time for my favorite part of the show! Me and Calvin sashayed on the sidelines as couples high stepped, booty bumped, and roboted down the Soul Train Line!!! This was the best part of the evening! All of the twosomes were perfectly in sync as they made their way down the infamous line! When it was our turn, I put to good use the Old Skool dances my mom took care to show me over the years, while Calvin was in step with me.

Old Skoolers, this was the best night ever! We had officially taken the hippest trip in America! After a few more lively performances, including the Emotions performing another hit, Best of My Love, Don Cornelius came to the center of the floor to recite his famous departing lines! This was it, Old Skoolers....LOVE, PEACE, and SOOOOUUUUULLLL!!!!!!!!!!


Monday, September 17, 2007

Sentenced to Be His Lover For Life

When I met you Calvin, time stopped, and love began. Calvin, you are the man God intended for me.

I could easily decorate my words with fancy verbs and adjectives, but the truth is better revealed through my loving actions.

I'm your biggest cheerleader, most devoted fan, I'm in the bleachers rooting for you cuz in my world, you are THE man.

You must know that any man before you was a genuine waste of my time. I could sing our love song from the top of a mountain, its a never-ending, well-composed chart-topping melody, an endless rhyme.

Cullen, your seed, my womb a gift in the most beautiful form.
A feisty little guy with my wit, your charm
His smile, your laugh, my joy.
Calvin, I love you past forever.

Thursday, September 13, 2007

My Baby Is Turning Two, Ya'll!!!


Hey Old Skoolers,


I want to let you all know that I will begin posting regularly as soon as I am done planning my son's 2nd birthday party. As a new mommy, birthday celebrations consume me! I think I'm actually more excited than Little Lamb is! My husband and I have been busy painting, and preparing our home for our guests. We have friends and family coming in from out of town, so we want everything to be good and comfy for them.


I apologize for my lack of posts, and I will be back on my Time Machine traveling back to the Old Skool by next week! Thank you all for your love and support! Don't forget to check out oldthingsnew.etsy.com when you get a chance!



Love,

Greenstar

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

We Finally Got A Piece of the Pieeeeee!


Old Skool Song of the Day: "Day Dreaming" Aretha Franklin


Old Skool Fashion: The Almighty Afro


Old Skool Phrase: Can You Dig It?!


Old Skool TV: The Jeffersons

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

WTH Happened to Good Ol' Customer Service?!

How's it hanging, Old Skoolers?!

I need you all to join me on a search to find GOOD CUSTOMER SERVICE! Where did it disappear to? It seems as though GOOD OL' CUSTOMER SERVICE has been absent for about 6 years now!

Forgive me for venting, and being a Gwouch Gwouch McGweedy (this is what we lovingly call my toddler when he wakes up in a bad mood, or when he wakes up really hungry), but I have to get this off my chest. Long gone are the days of "please, and thank you, yes/no ma'am, the customer is always right, your way right away, service with a smile, oh, sorry let me take that off your bill since I so obviously messed it up"....y'all get where I'm going with this.

Due to my Christian upbringing, and the fact that I have worked in several service positions myself, I never set out to argue, or make enemies with the waitresses, call center employees, or other service people (cuz my mama taught me better than that). They just always seem to "want it" with me!


Lets start with today's offenders and work our way down. Alrighty, a lil background for you...I have been working for a certain homebuilder for almost a year now, and they send me to work at different model homes in the Houston area. Today, I am in an area that I am not familiar with, very close to Galveston, TX (yes y'all, I drove 45 minutes to get here). Anyway, I logged onto citysearch.com to look for local eateries. I found a place call 888 Chines Restaurant that had great prices, excellent reviews, and to top it all off, it was right down the street.

After reading about 888 Chinese Restaurant, I called to ask if they could fax a copy of their menu to my office. As soon as woman picked up the phone, and before I could get a word in edgewise, she told me to hold. No problem. I wound up holding for 4 minutes, and it became obvious to me that she forgot all about me because she had just sat the phone down, (not pressed a hold button) and I could hear her laughing and talking with her coworkers. I chose not to hang up because I felt that if they couldn't take my order, then they wouldn't be taking anybody else's! I know that's kind of stubborn, but.....

Anyway, she finally picked the phone up, and I could tell that she was shocked I was still there. I didn't let on that I was tired of waiting, I just politely asked her to fax a menu. She informed me that there was a website where I could view the menu and proceeded to give me the web address. I asked her if the prices were included on the web site's menu, knowing that some places just put the food, not the prices, and she assured me the prices would be on the website. Thankfully, I went to the website, and there was a menu including prices. I went to the Lunch Specials portion of the menu and found a couple of dishes that appealed to me, all under 10 dollars. In fact, the dishes I was considering were both listed as 5.75! Great, right?

I called the place back to place my order, but I had a few questions. I wanted to know the veggies that were included in the Chicken and Vegetables dish. The dish seemed like a great one, but so did the Hunan Chicken. I told her I was leaning toward the Hunan Chicken, but I didn't want the baby corn-gross. We were actually having a good convo, and she was very helpful. She told me that the Hunan Chicken didn't come with baby corn, so Hunan Chicken was my dish for sure. She rang me up, and told me my total would be $7.02. Now, I'm far from a math whiz, but I DO know that $5.75 plus tax DO NOT EQUAL NO $7.02! Sorry, now back to my phone voice-ahem. I asked her if she was ringing me up for the Lunch Special, and she said, "Oh, hold on." Again, she sat the phone down, and asked someone in the background if the "new prices were on the website." I heard someone tell her that there was a new website and that's where the price increases could be found. She got back on the phone and told me that the price she had quoted me was the new price. I told her (I know this is complicated to read) that she had directed me to the old website when I had called minutes before requesting a menu. She said, "Yeah, I'm sorry, they just raised the prices, and they are on the new website, we don't use the old web address I gave you anymore."

By this time, I was a little agitated, but I told her I would still be in to pick up my meal. You know how once you are set on something, you gotta have it, right?! While driving to the restaurant, I was trying to figure out if I would speak with the manager or not. I definitely didn't want anyone getting in any trouble, or losing their job, but on the other hand, maybe just speaking to the manager would help me to feel better.

When I got to the register, the General Manager was standing there, so I decided to let him know what happened. I was very discreet, and polite (my mom always warns me that a disagreement with the wrong person at a restaurant can lead to contaminated food). To make a long story short, the manager didn't care. He picked up a menu and gave it to me and pointed out the new web address, and said "its not up yet, but the new prices will be there, on the website."
People, please help me! None of this would have happened if the woman who answered the phone would have just FAXED THE DARN MENU!! By this time, I was pretty pissed, but I thanked him, and came back to work. I was hungry so that I could have torn into my food Cookie Monster style, but WTF did I see when I took the top off my food? BABY CORN!!! Good thing none of you were within 50 miles of this place, otherwise you would have heard the high-pitched screams and hollers of a woman scorned and frustrated by the dogface, foul, grotesque, horrid customer service monster!!!!! NEXT TIME I'LL JUST GO TO PANDA EXPRESS!
This place isn't the only one on my terrible service list, its just the newest addition. Below, I have listed the places that in MY opinion have the worst, most rotten customer service. Remember, this is MY opinion, due to situations that I have encountered. Here goes...


  1. Sprint/Nextel..Please, I hope they see this and let us out of our pathetic contract
  2. Pappadeaux, from snails in my crawfish, to a goofy waitress dropping someone else's crawfish already-eaten shells on me, to waiting for one hour to get a waitress, they don't ever deserve to see my money again!
  3. Sonic, its so bad here, that my husband and friends asked me to stop going because they ALWAYS get my order wrong. I only order one thing from this place: a Lemon Berry Slush with extra berries, and they NEVER EVER get it right. A special shout out to CC, and Oni for introducing me to the drink in the first place.
  4. A certain Caribbean restaurant that will remain nameless only because since the incident, in which the waitress took my friend's credit card and cussed us out, and the police had to be called just so we could get it back has closed and re-opened with new management. Just know that when the police officer arrived, he was appalled at the restaurant manager, and threatened to arrest the waitress(she was jumping around cussing and yelling). All because me, and some other customers complained that the Garlic Crab (the same dish that I had been eating for 4 years) tasted old, and had a foul odor. After we complained, the manager flippantly suggested that upon our next visit, we should try another dish!! With all that said, thank God they have new management and a new waitstaff!
  5. Cajun Corner, the waitstaff is friendly EXCEPT for one woman who is always there. I think her family owns the place. I have witnessed this woman treat customers like dog doo-doo! I have even seen this lady bully her own coworkers! One customer became so enraged that she threw an all-out tantrum in the middle of the restaurant. Nobody could blame her because the waitress is soooo very evil. The upset customer threw her crawfish, and some other crawfish sitting on a random table all over the restaurant, and smeared it all over the place. She then proceeded to dump all of the fake flowers out of their pots and hurl them everywhere. After cursing the waitress out, she turned, and left. She deserved a standing ovation because justice was served.
  6. Almost Every Beauty Supply Store, Nuff said!

Please allow me to apologize for ranting on and on and on, but I had to get this off of my chest. I just long for the Old Skool times way back in the day when you could walk into a fresh, clean business and receive good, honest service with a smile. Feel free to add your customer service nightmares to the list! Maybe if everyone refused to accept this kind of service, we could actually hurt their pockets!

Monday, September 10, 2007

FYI, Houston Friends

CALLING ALL BARGAIN SHOPPERS! The Old Navy Outlet store in the Fountains (Stafford) is going to close, and re-open as a regular Old Navy store. That means all of the OUTLET merchandise has got to go!! I went two weeks ago and everything in the store was 30% off the already dirt cheap prices....I went Saturday, and everything was even CHEAPER! 50% off already rock bottom prices!!!!!
You don't wanna know what kind of damage I did, but it was well worth it! Shoes, jackets, purses, baby clothes (my fave), you name it! Everything was DIRT CHEAP! Hurry, I think the outlet closes on Sept.21, so get there NOW! Let me know how it goes!

Wednesday, September 5, 2007

Introducing CoCo D. Okrachoka


Turn the lights off, step aside, and watch CoCo D. Okrachoka DANCE, DANCE, DANCE into the spotlight! Yowza, Yowza, Yowza!!!!

CoCo D. Okrachoka, the electrifying, extroverted, gregarious closet Disco Queen is one of my all-time best friends. In fact, she is more like a sister to me! When CoCo isn't belting out her favorite show tunes, she can be found at any local crawfish eatery, or dancing wherever the music moves her (even if its in the middle of the produce section at her local grocery store).
CoCo is a groovy chick that loves to cook, in addition to spending time with her family and friends. When asked about Old Skool faves, CoCo had too many to name! She has the same passion for the good ol' days as me.

Favorite Old Skool Song: Do You Love What You Feel, Rufus and Chaka

Favorite Old Skool Women: Chaka, Diana Ross, Mavis Staples

Favorite Old Skool Man: Rick James

Favorite Old Skool Fashion: Big hair, dresses, and wide leg jeans

Favorite Old Skool Show: Good Times (anytime you need a favor)

Notice CoCo's long, lucious locs!
CoCo is shown here, beautiful as ever, modeling an 80's Silk Strapless Party Dress that can be found on oldthingsnew.etsy.com!

The Doors of the Store Have Finally Opened!!!



Nanoo Nanoo Old Skoolers,


I've got some treasures waiting for you over at my online store, oldthingsnew.etsy.com! Go check it out, there's something for everyone! I will be adding items often, so if you don't find anything this time, be sure to check back in a week or so! I am excited about finally doing the things I have dreamt about for soooo long! Thank you all again for taking the time to read my blog, and look at the items on oldthingsnew.etsy.com!

Monday, September 3, 2007

I LOVE HEARING FROM YOU!

Wat a gwon, Old Skoolers?

I would love for you all to leave comments. When Coco and Che-Che leave comments, I get so excited! I believe that my blog was set to only accept comments from Google users, but if you give it a try now, it should allow you to drop me some lines. Comments are encouragement!

The votes are all in, and you all decided that you would like to see everyday people here, on Old Skool New. Therefore, the first Old Skool Beauty of the Week will be showcased very soon!

LET THE BBQ BEGIN!

HAPPY LABOR DAY!!!!!