A Mile a Minute: The World of Mrs. Saditty

Taking Back the Middle Class

Well Baby Saditty turns 7 months old in a day or so and you know what that means. Crawling? Nope. Sleeping thru the night? Nope! It means Mrs. Saditty returns to the road, resuming her labor related travels. I'm currently at a convention/political training in Baltimore which is loosely themed "Taking Back the Middle Class". Even though some of you may be purely upper crust **insert wink here for all of my highly paid peeps, Mrs. S ain't mad at ya!**** many of us are working people who demand equal pay for equal work. Also at the conference, we are training for a movement that will tip over the cups of the Tea Party! After the conference, I'll be on an approved hiatus from my job in order to work on a political campaign in the New Orleans area.

Truly, it is the time to find candidates to kick the incumbent Republicans AND psuedo-Democrats that are actually anit-labor out of the house! My Union as well as others are sick and tired of spending money to back candidates that get into office and then turn their backs on organized labor (Blanche From Arkansas? I see you girl and we're going to help you out of your House seat! Many will say that Unions are outdated, etc. but basically, we are working for working men and women who have families. As our pro-labor POTUS B.O. said recently, "The middle-class purchase houses and cars and keep Americans in factories, on construction sites, and in other industries employed." I'm sure you've all noticed that the middle class in America is slowly slipping away but 300 activists (including me!) plan on taking it back, one step at a time . I'll definintely be able to blog more and will keep you guys updates. Love ya'll, Mrs. S.

Whew!

Hey people! Thought I'd abandoned this place, didn't you? Nope, I'm still here buried under a pile of everything. What's been going on?
With me? We are currently in the middle of contract negotiations and that along with work, baby, family, and school has me running ragged. I've been neglecting my natural hair and feeding my family quick fire meals. Uh-uh! I need to get back to me and should be able to soon.
About that contract? I tell you, it's hard enough for Unions to survive with hostile companies and the state of the current environment but tell me why members of the Union try to kill it?what do you guys think? Is it the 3 guaranteed pay raises per year (regardless of job performance) that we negotiated for them? Or maybe they don't like the $15 office visit, $35 hospital and emergency NO DEDUCTIBLE insurance that we fought the company to get? I pay $45 per paycheck to cover my entire family btw....... Anyway, we're David fighting Goliath for better pay, better benefits, and better working conditions and yet some of our members refuse to show any kind of passion or appreciation. Hopefully, when this contract is negotiated and ratified, those members will be able to see and appreciate our purpose?

In this economy, we should be thankful to be employed. Most of you Follow me on Twitter vice versa so I know that you guys are grateful for what you've been blessed with. But others? Uuuugh. In the state I live in, 1 out of 10 are unemployed and yet I work with adults that are proud to say each and every day that they hate their job. Oooookay. I just needed to vent...what a bad way for me to return to blogging isn't it? LOL

Full Circle: What it Means to Me

Nobody loves music like your girl Mrs. S. Throw on some good jazz or classic R&B (or anything really) and I am good. Today, while driving, I really didn't feel like listening to anything though. I just wanted to drive and think because I'd come to a really important realization.

When I was younger, I would always hear older ladies speak about coming full circle. It sounded odd...like some type of rite of passage but I really didn't understand the meaning. I would ask them about the meaning and they would wave me off, telling me "You'll know what it means when you actually get there." So, I managed not to obsess over it but always wondered about the meaning. Christmas Eve, I was asleep after a night of entertaining and woke up for no reason. It wasn't the normal "middle of the night" awakening because I was feeling quite peaceful and felt a strange delight in my heart. So while my husband snored away, I just lay there thinking.

I realized that I was there.Where is there, you ask? Full circle. Yep, at that very moment, I finally knew what those wise older chicks from my youth were talking about. Being able to look into your own eyes in a mirror and recognize an inner smile. Being able to happy to be happy for others without cattiness or ill feelings. Loving who I am, the life that I am living, and the people that I choose to surround myself with. Loving others for what's in their hearts. Being able to forgive and love from a distance. Being able to say "No" without guilt or an explanation. Being able to sidestep drama, personal attacks, and just plain mess in general. Being able to spot a toxic person from miles away and keep my distance. Being married to my best friend and having each day be better than the one before. Loving ALL of our kids and being able to parent with a loving heart and a firm backhand. Being able to accept family for who they are and not letting their opinions and wishes intefere with the way I feel or live my life. Smiling all the time for no apparent reason. Smiling because I caught myself smiling for no reason. Recognizing that the past is the past and although it is part of who I am, it does not define me nor does it define my future. Embracing the future with hope and happiness. That's full circle and boy am I glad that I finally reached it!

Love ya'll! Mrs. S

Natural Hair Update

I recently dawned on me that I had not discussed my hair on my blog! Well, it's been a little over three months since my big chop. This is my second go-round as a natural and this time, it's for keeps! Sure, I miss mine (and other people's) long, luxurious locks flowing from my head but this? It just feels...well natural?

Before chopping off the relaxed portion of my hair, I was under the impression that I had alopecia because my temple areas were literally BALD under my weaves, etc. and would not grow. Well, a few weeks ago, I noticed some fuzziness on the bald portions and now----there is hair! It's growing! As a matter of fact, the whole head has become really thick and is growing like a bush.

Now, I was a PJ (product junkie) and have a bathroom full of expensive crap that might've made my hair look good but they definitely didn't feel good nor do anything to promote growth. Thanks to fellow bloggers Adrienne (I am loving the coconut oil!) and Val (keep sending all the links to the natural hair sites!) and a ton of people on Youtube, I have learned that cheaper is sometimes better. Instead of shampooing, I co-wash with V05 Conditioner ($1.19 per bottle) mixed with Baking Soda ($.49 per box). Olive Oil, Coconut Oil, and Pure Shea butter from the African store have become my go-to conditioning and styling products. All in all, they have my hair growing like wildfire!!I am moving past TWA (teeny-weeny afro) stage and now have enough for an afro-puff....check me out....

Believe it or not, I am happy to be nappy! I do envy many of my permed sisters but I guess it just wasn't for me! I'll keep you guys updated on my hair's progress. See ya'll!

Tears

Family, I am so sad to report that I could not shed a tear over the death of Michael Jackson... I tried but I just couldn't. Steve McNair? Nope. I did grow misty-eyed over Farrah because she was one of my first sheroes and I had an awesome lunchbox with her pic on it. I think the last celebrities that I had hard cries over were Gerald Levert and Ed Bradley. In fact, I almost burned my house down because I was cooking while drinking and having my own personal funeral for Ed Bradley but that's another story (NEVER try pouring out a lil Cabernet for a homie near a stove). Anyway, when I heard about the death of E. Lynn Harris, I was devastated. I cried like a baby. This hit your girl hard. When I called my sister, she was driving and had to pull over. It hit her hard. My girl Felicia described it best when she said that she was "numb". Why? Not only was he a great author that was full of truth and honesty, he was a genuine person. I had the pleasure of meeting him on two Yes, he had purchased a copy of MY book and wanted an autograph...can you believe???The second time I met him, he didn't remember our first meeting but joked that I was one of his characters (Windsor) come to life...lol...and on both occassions, he was funny, warm, giving, loving, and well...he was warm. Like you had been knowing him for years. And you know what? Every person who has ever met him says the same things about him. Consistant. Real. Warm. That was the E. Lynn we all knew. We laughed and cried. We cheered his heroic characters on and wanted to murder the villians. I will never forget his laugh or the grip of his handshake. Real people are hard to come by and the world has lost one. What are we going to do without Basil, Kyle, Raymond, and that bitch Yancy B? E. Lynn, you left us way too soon....

 

On top of the world!

Don't adjust your computer's settings because you are seeing correctly! And I am sitting on top of the world. Sure, its time to look for a bigger house, a bigger Mommie Mobile, buy baby things all over again but those things are simply taking a back seat to my bliss! My whole world is about to change again and although it is unexpected, I am ready for the challenge!!

Jamaica? No Problem!

Hey ya'll! It's been a few days but your girl has been distracted. I have the most WONDERFUL news in the world to share with ya'll but I'll wait another day or so.Needless to say, I am back in effect! I wanted to share a few pics of our trip with you guys...

A shot from the airport shuttle en route from Montego Bay to Ocho Rios.

 The view of Ocho Rios from our little porch.

 

 

  Jerk baby, jerk baby, jerk jerk jerk!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A picture of a natural waterfall at The Ruins. I kept hearing running water while in our room or on the porch and could not figure it out where it was coming from(it helped me to sleep like a BABY!). We became hungry and wandered off and discovered this right next door!

An alternate view of the Falls at the Ruins.

 

The famous and fabulous Dunn's River Falls. It took Mr. S and I nearly an hour to climb from beach level to the top of the falls. Not bad? Wrong! A group of eightysomething year old Austrian and German tourists beat us up there by about twenty minutes. I couldn't take my camera on the actual climb BUT I wish you guys could see them standing at the summit in their Speedos and micro-kinis...a-m-a-z-i-n-g!

 

Mr. S is going to HELL. Why, you ask? Well meet Carlton. Carlton works at Evitas, a restaurant in the Blue Mountains with an AMAZING view. It was booked solid every single night....until Mr. S got the bright idea ofcalling and saying that I was a food critic attempting to write a review. Instantly, we had a table on a balcony overlooking Jamaica. Carlton wasted no time telling us how he was an aspiring actor and planned to come to America and put Idris Elba out of work. He insisted on posing and slipped Mr. S a headshot, asking him to give it to his "producer friend"....WTF?????? The closest my husband has ever been to a producer was in a concession line at a Star Trek convention. Carlton honey, don't hold your breath. Since everyone thought I was a food critic, the service was OFF THE HOOK. The food? Imagine licking motor oil off your car's axle. Got it? Good. I guess that was our punishment!

 

A view of the Carribean from Reggae Beach.

Peep this cute little wagon. Vendors push them up and down the street, selling fresh steam roasted peanuts. Mr. S insisted on buying me a bag. I was hesitant but when I bit into the warm creamy goodness called a steam roasted peanut, I was in sheer heaven. Imagine how fast I came crashing down when I stood on the sidewalk chewing as the vendor fetched more water to make steam----OUT OF THE FRIGGING DITCH!!!!!

Mr. S and his 746,288th Rum Punch.

In all, we had a wonderful time with lots of laughs. and great memories were made. It was super affordable.  After talking to a few islanders, we learned how bad the recession/near Depression is hurting the tourism industry. As always, visits to the Carribean and other parts of the world are beautiful yet eye opening. In the United States, we are TRULY blessed. The people of Jamaica are becautiful, humble, and so happy. Makes you think....in the US, we have everything but are not happy with anything. The people of Jamaica and other nations have nothing but still manage to be happy. How can they be happy with nothing but we are miserable with everything? Counting blessings is definitely something that I need to work on!

Love ya'll! Mrs. S

Life Lesson #1: Like vs. Respect

Would you rather be well liked or well respected? If I would've been asked this question a few years ago, I would've chosen (hands down) well liked. Today? Things are really, really different.

As most of you know, MrSaditty and I are both "union people", deeply involved in labor relations at our respective work sites. It is a high priority for both of us, right behind God, family, etc. We both work for huge entities that are unionized for a reason....large entities rarely play fair in the sand box. People do not go to jobs everyday because they are fun...people go to jobs to feed their families and keep a roof over their heads. If a person's livelihood is threatened by management egos, unfair labor practices, and a million other rabbits that corporate America likes to pull out of hats, then I step in as a job steward.

Although swamped, I love my labor relations work and decided a few months ago that in addition to being a job steward, I wanted to hold office within my local union. Elections are in September and with 900+ members (700 of which are in my work site) in my local, I knew I needed to get on the ball with campaigning. My reason for wanting to hold office? I wanted to have more of a voice when executive decisions were made within the union (my voice being the voice of the people--my members).

Here is where the story begins to turn. I have a "friend" (use this word loosely, ya'll) that shares my passion for labor relations and is also a job steward. I made the mistake of telling her that I planned on seeking an executive position. A few days later, my friend told me how much she loved the union, politics, blah blah blah and it was "nothing personal" but she was going to run against me and any other candidates. Fine. She went on to say that going to the conventions and meeting politicians would really prepare her for the career of her dreams....ummmmm, okay.

Nominations went well. She invited a few friends who are paying members but never attend meetings to the nomination meeting. One nominated her, one gave her second, and the others cheered when she accepted the nomination. I nominated myself and received a second from an older Caucasian man that I see at meetings but really do not know. She and I were the only two nominees for that particular position. Next came nominations for other positions which went pretty smoothly.

Nominations led to three months of campaigning. Several people running for other positions dropped out of the race but she and I continued to vie for the same position. I have a million things to do and a million things racing thru my mind but it was business as usual. Defending the members and walking them thru the grievance process. No glossy elections posters (let's be real, I pay tuition for 5 kids), no Jason's Deli for 400+ people on the day shift (I want the position but my family has to eat). None of that. On the other hand, she did an excellent job of campaigning. One day, while I took a break and grabbed a wrap from one of the zillion trays she ordered from Jason's. As I gnawed on the wrap, she and I engaged in some polite conversation (our friendship had come to sort of a standstill) and caught each other up on recent happenings. The conversation soon turned and she asked me if I had plans to drop out of the race and allow her to win by acclamation. I thought this to be strange so I asked her why. She explained that I really didn't have a chance of winning but still had a chance to "retain dignity" by bowing out. Ummmmm, okay. She went on to point out that I was not really well liked by the general population in the workplace and was the subject of many unsavory conversations. Wow. I mean, don't get me wrong I know people had some pretty salty things to say about me and no, I was not well liked in the workplace but hearing it from my friend felt like a blow to the midsection. I swallowed this hard (along with a big piece of the wrap) and thought about it. She is beautiful, smart, and well liked. She had the funds to court, campaign, and woo members and I did not. Sure, I could max out one of my cards on one lunch for a few hundred people but that was really too big of a sacrifice for me to make. I excused myself from our conversation to go and sit a discipline meeting. As I trudged to the meeting, her words echoed in my head.

That night, I talked it over with MrSaditty. He listened to the whole story and was silent for several minutes. In fact, he was so silent that I thought he was ignoring me and giving his full attention to the stupid ping-pong game on his IPhone. After a few minutes, he put the phone down. "E, this isn't your first time hearing that people talk bad about you on a daily basis, right?" I answered, "No." He then asked me who sat more disciplines and won more grievances. Easy answer....me. He asked me how many people said a simple "thank you" to me for saving their jobs or getting them reinstated with pay after being terminated. I could count the number on one hand. He then went on to say that when I accepted the Union Steward job, I knew that labor relations was thankless work. He seriously asked me if my heart was still in "the cause"....yep, it sure is. Then, he gave me a great piece of advice...."Do what you love and everything else will happen the way its supposed to happen." He then picked up the damned phone and went right back to his game.

Well, as campaigning wound down, there was little question as to who the winner would be. The word around the work site was that "they" had no plans of voting for me because she had done an awesome job of being a people pleaser and I had put forth no effort. I continued to do my regular work as well as labor relations. I was still a steward and prepared myself to continue with business as usual.

Well, elections came. This chick bought lunch and beverages and offered to feed every paying member in exchange for their sealed ballot in it's  envelope. Folks came and went all day, picking pepperoni and dropping off their envelopes. Although my stomach growled, I had too much pride to take her food. At 6pm, someone from the elections committee came to take the ballots from the sealed lock box and take them to the hall. Others at other work sites trickled in and out of the hall all day to return their ballots.

At the Tuesday night meeting, the results were announced. There will be a run-off in two categories but there were winners in all the others. VP? Well, no one else seemed to be surprised by the winner except for my friend and I. Your girl MrsSaditty won by 76%. It took nearly an hour for it to sink in. The elections committee went on with arranging the run off in the other categories as my friend and I sat down in awe. She joked about a recount but I doubt that she was serious. After everything settled in and the meeting adjourned, I calmly walked to my truck. After shutting the door and buckling the old seat belt, the celebration began. I screamed, danced, called my husband, my mama, my daddy...everybody. I could not believe I won. I mean I must've rejoiced for over twenty minutes...praising HIM, laughing crying...I was a big bag of emotions.

When I made it home, the voice of reason in my life (MrS) told me that he was so proud of me for winning but disappointed that I doubted myself.  We talked and got everything straight and I went to sleep a happy girl.

The life lesson learned? You can go about things in two ways: you can be a people pleaser and overextend yourself by being nice and doing favors...you can:

A. Run yourself down making sure that people think and say good things about you, include you in the "in" crowd, and are impressed by your magnetic and wonderful personality...OR,

B. You can learn to be happy with yourself and learn to say "no" when it means sacrificing the things you love and believe in. You can be the underdog and crusade for what is right, even if it means going against the grain. You can let your good but silent deeds speak for you.

With the first choice, you are guaranteed to be well liked and be the constant subject of pleasant conversation. With the second choice, you gain self-satisfaction and sleep soundly at night knowing that you've done all you could to make things right and well.

Think about the people who voted for me....yep, the same people who said really foul stuff and swore they would never check the box next to my name. But when the time came for them to choose, what do you suppose they thought about? The countless free lunches, ego stroking, martini parties, etc. or the fact that many of them had discipline removed or still had a job because of my passion? I can live with the fact that I am not well liked in my workplace(and yes, it kinda hurts man) but the fact that I am respected? Well....let's just say that respect feels better than money in the bank!!

Peace ya'll....Mrs Saditty (the veepee!!!!)   

Life, Love, and Gustav

Well Gustave is gone and blue skies are back! Gustave had the nerve to take a tiny piece of 2146's roof with him. MrS and I had already planned a total remodel (including a new roof and some Pella windows--which I LOVE) for late October/Early November. The bad news? We will have to embark on this sooner so that means roofing nails in my tires and a mess everywhere but the great news is that instead of all of it being out of pocket, insurance will assist!

There is so much that I want to update on...let's see:

• I have so many readers and lurkers that I was unaware of. I did not learn this until the power came on and my Blackberry charged up fully. My voice mailbox was jammed with messages from friends and :::gasp::: readers! Then, once the EDGE network came back up (at about the same time as the electricity), my mailbox started being pinged with emails from regular readers/posters AND lurkers offering all kinds of help but most important, kind words! You guys are great...I mean the bestest of the best! I didn't know many of you prior to receiving an "Are You Okay" email but when a few of you asked me to kiss the babies, etc., I could tell that some of you have been here awhile. I love you guys!
• I am back in school! A Master's Degree should be mine in less than two years. The beginning has been kind of rough but my frayed nerves were soothed when I learned that some credits from an abandoned attempt at a second degree were applied towards my Masters. It'll be interesting juggling life, work, labor relations activism, family, AND school but Mrs. Saditty has got this!
• Speaking of work, I now have yet another part-time job/side hustle. Now, Mr. Saditty wasn't too happy about this (he dreams of a stay at home Mom/Wife who wears aprons and pulls fresh bread out of the oven every afternoon) however this side hustle is ridiculously easy, can be done from home, is LEGAL, and pays nearly 1/4 of my full time job's salary. MrS made me promise that I would let it go if and when it becomes a distraction to the family or my labor relations work.
• The babies LOVE school...with the exception of the Littlest Saditty. She is NOT feeling the uniforms, her new teacher and teacher's aide, and going to chapel twice a week.
• The big boys are enjoying their reign as seventh graders but the cell phones HAD to be repossessed. Text messaging during class time? I guess they forget that I review both the bill as well as the unbilled activities? Progress reports could have been better but they were pretty okay but I don't like nor do I accept mediocrity. I am sure with the repossession of the phones and their only means of communications being a string and two tin cans, those grades for the first Nine week period will be up there.
• A friend gifted me with a complete sushi guide, a sushi mat, and starter supplies! My kitchen skills are about to get a little creative. Once I can get the rolling as neat as I desire, I will post pics. (Ash, you MUST try this).
• I am a new godmother and her mother and I were cheeky enough to swipe one of my reader's names for her middle name! I mentioned the name "Shanga" and the new Mom was hooked! Little Leigh Shangah was born on September 2 and weighed in at 7 lbs and 9 ounces and was a whopping 19.5 inches long.

Well that is it for now. IKE needs to burn himself out in the Atlantic because he is not needed here or anywhere else!I look forward to things being back to normal. Peace and Blessings, Mrs.Saditty

Update on Life...oh, and Gustave too

Ahhhh....life in Southwestern Louisiana is slow and sweet with the exception of the wretched days between June 1st and November 30th. Hurricane Season. I've lived here for so long that we have our own sandbagging supplies and boards to fit over all of our windows. So here it is August 31, and we ae directly in the path of Gustave. The Sadittys are hunkered down at 2146 along with 17 family members and friends. The blender is whirring out frozen margaritas, the gas grill is going, and Gustave is definitely coming. The salt can be smelled in the air and the wind has definitely picked up.

We have a generator and about 25 gallons of gasoline on standby for when/if we loose power. The windows are boarded up, the sandbags are placed around the entrances to our home and we are here. I am watching the local news reports. We are about 3 miles from the interstates (I-10 AND I-49) and the traffic is HORRIBLE (contraflow really doesn't help. ya'll). It seems that many of those poor people will still be stuck in traffic when this storm hits. My prayers are with them, my friends, family, and everyone else in the path.

Got my Blackberry in my lap so I am requesting the following: Will Dreamy,Gobytch, and anyone else in Lousiana shoot me an email to let me know that you guys are okay?