Folks, it's that time again for what's going on in my life. I promise, you get paragraphs this week.

For starters, I had my interviews at work. The first one went well, the second one could have gone better, had I done a better last minute check of my resume. Nothing's more embarrassing than looking on the interviewer's copy of the resume and realizing you made an error, all while preaching the point of double checking documents. Oh well, I guess I'll try again next week, since I am supposed to interview for another position in the group. However, if I get neither, I won't be too disappointed. I've been feeling like it's time to take wings anyway, so I'm going to be networking hard for a job in my field. I'll be sending out a set of application materials to one place in particular this week. More on that later.

I also received an offer from Florida Coastal School of Law to start attending there in the fall with a 10,000 a year scholarship. However, after looking over how dumpy Jacksonville looked and comparing the cost of living vs. taking out all those loans, I've decided to pursue a school closer to home, if at all. Elon Law still looks pretty good and I'd only have to spring tution really, I could stay here in the house a little longer.

For the Fourth of July weekend, I started out at the crack of dawn on Friday(well, 8 AM) with a hair appointment. After a conditioner and trim, I look on point for the first time in weeks. Then I roll home and wait for my mom and aunt to get done and I get  some ironing done while jamming to MJ( This whole death thing has given me an excuse to blast the music all the time, which I do once a month anyway). They get back and we go to Cracker Barrel where I get a veggie plate and they eat breakfast. For some reason, me and Craker Barrel syrup don't get along. After hours of window shopping and riding around(and being on my feet to much and having to give up a perfect pair of pumps because they weren't quite perfect), we got home.

Yesterday, I spent doing some thinking about life plans, then went downtown with Lauren to the Fun Fourth Festival(will post pics on Facebook tomorrow sometime). It was a blast. Caught up with a ton of people, saw two wonderful bands(The Urban Sophisticates being one of them) and learned that their lead singer is not mad at me after all, just busy. And then there was Mr. Army. Yes people, I managed to pick up somebody at the festival. He was chatting it up with Lauren on the wall of the parking deck where we were sitting while watching the Urban show. He asked if he could walk around with us and he did, while we took in the rest of the festival, a couple more performances and then came back to the other stage where a latin flavored band was there. We took that opportunity to dance and I let a little loose in the street. I gave him my number and Lauren and I rolled out to our family thing. After eating fish and cornbread, we all gathered under the carport to watch First Sunday and The International on an old projector screen my uncle found(for his job he carries around a Dell projector, which comes in handy for movie nights).

Today I woke up sick, which was sad because I ended up missing poetry and my first offical date with Mr. Army. Oh well, coming up this week is that second date(Monday/tomorrow) night, Synergy Happy Hour at a bakery/bar and my beach trip. Oh and I now have unlmited texts and a video to make for Mr. Councilman's campaign, and more work than I wanted for my two clients. Oh well, that's my life and I'm living, loving and laughing in it.

Figured I'd take a break and take some time to reflect on fatherhood. By virtue of biology, I'll never be able to be a father, but I've had several great father figures in my life that I want to share a few words about today.

Let's start with my own biological father- Sam Jeffers.




The very long time(read, from 2004 onward) readers of my blog and various other writings have known that Dad and I have had quite a number of ups and downs over the years. He's had some very big struggles and they've affected his marriages, work life and even church life, but never his ability to love me, his daughter.

It was Dad who first got me interested in roads. He used to sit me on the floor with my toy nascars and a handful of road maps and we'd travel all across the country. He tried to interest me in Carolina sports, electricity(his trade and livelihood for a number of years) and music, but he only really succeeded in one of those. (Although I did like playing with some of his tools). Speaking of music, Dad used to drive me crazy singing all loud in the house at all hours of the day. I'd be getting my last few hours of sleep in the morning and the next thing I know..."AAAAMA gonna lay down my burdens, dooown by the riverside..." Oh the priviledge of having the bathroom next to the shower.

One other priviledge was going to the Waffle House at 5:30 AM and watching the sun come up from the east. Sadly, the new Waffle House they built where the one we used to go no longer allows this scene as brilliant as it once was, but my mouth still waters at the idea of a belgian waffle with Dad.

Thanks Dad, for helping me be an early riser, a talker(my dad doesn't know any strangers) and for knowing what good music is(and isn't). Oh and just being dad.

In addition to my Dad, I had my uncle, Phill Mintz, around quite a bit as a father figure.



Uncle Phil is my mom's youngest brother. When I was born, he was in grad school here in Greensboro and around quite a bit to help out with my parents and just hang out period. He's always had that right balance of seriousness and goofiness. For example, when I first announced that Myron was coming to visit, he actually was the one that gave me the "daddy" grilling. Yet there are also pictures of him in my playpen and otherwise goofing off.

What I have gleamed from Uncle Phill over the years is the love of Wolfpack sports and life, the rest of my music love(he was a DJ at both NC State and NC A&T) and my tech savyness. If mom can't call on me to fix the computer, he's next.

Before I stop talking about him, I want to take this time to talk about how wonderful of a father he's been over the last 13 years to his two sons, Marcus and Nicholas. When I heard that he and my aunt were pregnant the first time, I didn't take that too lightly. After all, I was baby granchild and Lauren (my older cousin on that side for those of you who don't know) and I were like daughters already to them. Why would they need kids of their own was what my 9 year old self said. However, I don't know what I'd do without those boys in my life, giving me a chance to laugh and a chance to be proud as they are getting bigger and better. So I thank Uncle Phill for not only being a teacher, mentor and friend in my life, but being an even greater one to his boys.

Lastly, I want to give a shout out to my grandfather's, who are now deceased. Even though I wasn't that close to Grandaddy(Dad's Dad) and I only started really loving and getting to know PaPa(Mom'd Dad) only a few years before he passed,  they were a factor in my life too. In so many cases, kids don't even get to know their older generations, much less the men that actually fathered them. I got to see them and learn so much. If you want to read more about PaPa and my last few weeks with him, go here. Also shouts out to any father figures I missed out on, I love you guys too and you know who you are.

Ok and really lastly, I want to give a shout out to President Obama. If you haven't had a chance to read his essay on fatherhood, go here. America has clammored behind him as an example to fathers, especially black fatherhood. However, I want you to know that there are more men like these three that I've talked about. If you have one in your house, or in your family or friends circle, please go talk to them and wish them a Happy Fathers Day. Let us not just celebrate them today, but celebrate them for times to come.

When I originally conceived this blog last night, I had planned on titling it Filling up the Empty Space, due to the lack of blogs on here. I guess we are a quiet bunch right now. Either that or we're out living life, or life really doesn't have anything going on with it that we'd like to share.

Well, that note leads me to the first half of the title and what I mean by This is It. Everybody who reads, follows and talks to me in person or not knows what IT is. I'm fighting a cold this weekend, but when I wake up tomorrow morning I plan on fighting something else. I know you guys are tired of me talking about IT and I'm tired of practicing for IT and am ready to write all my personal statements and applications to defend IT and keep going.

I've been through all these I'm a failure/I must do more moments. But this is it. All I can do is my best. Then Tuesday I go and start putting all the other pieces together. The volunteering. The possible business. The current job. The living arrangement.

And before I go. No, no dates yet. However, I did net four Facebook adds and I'm on Plenty of Fish now, so we shall see what comes of it. However, I'll probably meet him offline, I do too much ;)