So I have to try and update yall on the crazy wonderful drama that is my life…

First of all, yay me, I’m 29 now! My birthday was last week. Doesn’t really feel that different from 28. Which in turn did not feel that different than 27. But somehow all those not differences add up to a really big difference from when I was 20… A good difference, a bad difference? I guess it depends on the day.

One thing I know, I had an awesome birthday for the most part, and it last for days. It was like a birthday week of celebrating the day I came into the world. Which is cool. So first Christian came up to visit and was such a sweetie and a help. I was super crazy for work and was running around and he made me food and helped clean the house and bought me flowers and like four gifts. Such a sweetie. It was so nice and surreal having him back around. Since he and I were together when I moved into my house, it’s full of memories of us together. It was nice for those to be happy memories again instead of sad ones. We’re just seeing where it takes us, but it’s really beautiful.

Then for my birthday, we got together the night before at Turiya’s house for an awesome Rock Band birthday party. Turiya, my goddaughter EKela, Christian, my friends Pete and Shizuko and I all hung out for dinner, Pete and Turiya made this awesome Ethiopian dinner, and Christian got me an incredible vegan mocha cheesecake (I love vegan cheesecakes!), and then we all made one mega band The Rusty Kittens (oh yeah!) and shared instruments and rocked the night away. It was one of the best birthdays I’ve had. But unfortunately it started a Rock Band addiction that has been threatening to take over my life. Turiya and EKela and I have put in some serious work (I’m talking like a full time job somedays), which has paid off ni that the Rusty Kittens have half a million fans and are almost in the Hall of Fame (Rusty Kittens for life!) but unfortunately has resulted in loss of sleep, eating and tiredness at work and other activities. All in all, I think it’s well worth it.

Then on my actual birthday, I took the day off from my new job at the City of Portland (right?! How crazy is that? Anarchist working for local government… Let me begin making excuses by saying it is a temporary position, I am working with awesome and amazing youth (as you will hear more soon) about incorporating youth empowerment into local government, and it’s a billion times better and less evil than working at the real estate law firm that was my previous position… Maybe that last one doesn’t actually help my case at all… How bout this one: a sista’s gotta eat and mortgage gotta get paid, sheeit) and just hung out with Christian most of the day watching movies and talking smack, then went over for the Rock Band overtime. I got really sweet gifts from folks (thank you to everyone for them! Seth for the London Calling record (so awesome!), my mom for the sweet collection of useful things, my sister for the money (ya know that’s much needed), Brian for the computer case, Christian for the rings, and tons of fokls called and emailed and myspaced with love, which was so wonderful! It eased the transition to one year away from 30) and it was just all around awesome.

Then when I came back to work on Monday, I had another awesome surprise: the amazing people I worked with had got me a card (one of the youth Terrell had made me a card!) and Terrell also made me vegan oreo cupcakes! It was his first time baking vegan and it was the sweetest and also tastiest cupcake I’ve had. I was so touched, it’s so rare I get dessert, let alone someone going out of their way to make it. It was so sweet of everyone, especially considering I’ve only been here for a few weeks.

A downside to my wonderful birthday weekend is that things have not been working out at all with my roommate. It has been dramatic to say the least. It sorta all blew up this weekend. He’s a really nice person, but things aren’t working out. Which means I have to go through the whole process of finding a roommate again. So if anyone knows any leads, let a sista know!

Yesterday I had a really great evening, despite the fact that I was sick. Me and some fo the students from the De La Salle poetry group I was facilitating went to a Grassroots Media Camp facilitation meeting, because they are going to facilitate a poetry workshop at the Camp in September. It was so good to see them, they are all such awesome, cool, hilarious, sweet and talented folks, it’s always great getting to spend time with them. I don’t think I’ve had such a fun meeting before!

Now I’m getting ready for the Community Strategic Training Institute (CSTI) put on by the Western States Center, every year, a training for organizers in the region which is really awesome. I’m hosting a film screening tonight, and tomorrow doing a full day poetry workshop, and then Saturday Turiya and I are hosting the talent show. So it’s going to be a fun but busy ass weekend!

Everyone should check out political prisoner Sundiata Acoli’s new website:
www.sundiataacoli.org
This brotha is so powerful, brilliant, loving and has been incarcerated for 33 years because of his dedication and commitment to freedom. I used to be able to visit him once a month when I lived in Philly and I miss that so much, it’s the main thing I miss about living in Philly.

Also there is a page on there, I’m so honored!, with a poem Sundiata and I wrote together, along with a painting he painted of me, that I love and have hanging in my house!:
http://www.sundiataacoli.org/truth-is-a-virus-by-sundiata-acoli-and-walidah-imarisha-29