Hilary

Day 14: A Photo of Your Best Friend

I don’t think I’ve had a best friend since my days at Mountain Park Elementary School.  Even then, those friendships changed with the phases of the moon.  
When I was an RA in college, those of us who made up the James Rowe contingent (Barrett Hall, Landrum Hall, Chandler Hall and parts of Jefferson) spent inordinate amounts of time together.  Tasked with keeping peace amongst and between the residents of various ages, backgrounds, and genders, we formed an immediate, tightly knit bond often found between siblings and survivors of natural disasters.  
There were hall programs (and drinking), hall meetings (and drinking), RA meetings, RA duty office hours, and doing rounds (of dorm security, not shots).  We helped each other out. Pitched in when needed. Watched backs when asked. Kept tabs on our respective residents and on each other.  KSC, BB Kray, Chris, Cat McC, and Old Dirty Weissman (who was only an RA by virtue of his roommate status) unknowingly taught me the value of a best friend. So those of you that them, that readily and easily call upon them, the next time you are with your BFFs, sing them this little song. . .


(source)

It’s a James Rowe/Crack Couch kind of thing.
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IN: ON: March 16, 2011 TAGS: , BY: Hilary
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Day 13: My Favorite Movie

I haven’t watched it in a while, but there was a time that it was in heavy rotation on TBS.  Whenever it was on, I was watching it.

I’ve never really been a fan of romantic movies and definitely not period pieces. If there’s nothing else on, or if I’ve come to the end of the Netflix movie-verse (which I think I have), then I might be inclined to suffer through a rom-com.  Anything to help pass the time while I fold buckets of laundry. 
 I prefer comedies, and I am always down for an action movie.  U-571 is such an obscure movie, at least no one else I know has seen it, let alone heard of it.  Then when I describe what it’s about, the response I get is, “Wait? A war movie? About a submarine?” Immediately after that, the assumption is made that it’s all because of Matthew McConaughey.  Is he good-looking? Hmmm, hadn’t noticed.  Maybe I should dust off my copy and check it out. Besides, I’m sure I’ve got some laundry to fold.
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IN: ON: March 15, 2011 TAGS: BY: Hilary
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Day 12: A Day When You Were Happy

NX Chapter, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated
Spring 2000
Howard University, Washington DC
April 11, 2010

Ask the average geek off the street what are the first few words that come to mind when they hear the word sorority; I’d bet they wouldn’t be anything too flattering. Elle Woods, anyone? 
Growing up, I didn’t know much about sororities at all.  My mom was a lapsed member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated.   My neighbor became a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated in college, like her own mother, but that didn’t mean much either. It all seemed like a secret society that you either had the lineage to become a part of or not. 
In high school, a friend of mine proudly talked of her mother’s affiliation with DST all the time.  “I’m going to be a Delta, just like my mom,” she’d say.  When it came time to apply to colleges, most of us were considering location, majors offered and proximity to decent entertainment. She was concerned about which schools had active chapters. 
When I got to college, becoming a member of a sorority was certainly a path I wanted to take, but I knew that it was only going to be part of my entire college experience.  Black Greek Letter Organizations (BGLO’s) like AKA and DST don’t hold formal rush the way the other Greek organizations do.  At various points in college, I saw my roommates participate in rush and get immediately caught up in an alphabet soup of choices.  Pi Phi, Tri-Delt, Theta, Delta Gamma. In a matter of days, they whittled down their choices, waiting for bids, hoping to be the next branch of the Big-Big, Big-Little Sisterhood tree of their choosing. 
Junior year, my roommate narrowed things down to Chi Omega, Kappa Kappa Gamma and Kappa Alpha Theta.  How could she choose? They were all so different and several fulfilled long held campus stereotypes. Some of her choices even were rival organizations, I think. All of this was so foreign to me.  My experience was that among the BGLO’s for women, there was only one choice, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated.  If you had to go another route,  there were other organizations, like Delta, Zeta Phi Beta or Sigma Gamma Rho.  And even then, you didn’t base your selection on the organizations colors, mascots or their step team championship record.  You supported their activities, both parties and service projects.  Regardless of the organization you chose, you did so with an eye to the future.  Service doesn’t stop just because you graduate. 
So, how does this relate to the picture above? Those are 6 of my 8 lines sisters, 10 years to the day after we became members of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated.  We are visiting the campus of Howard University where in 1908, our beloved sorority was founded.  We went on to spend the week-end in DC just hanging out in Georgetown.  Several of us learned that one of our sorors was expecting for the first time in the coming months.  Another soror announced her engagement, saying that her fiance waited until the day before we got together to propose so she could show off her ring to “her sisters”.   
Nice dinner, walking and window-shopping, waiting goo-gobs of time in line for Georgetown Cupcake to let us in; just a laid back, girls’ get-away.  Girls, women actually, can be so catty and conniving that it makes it tough to be around them for long periods of time. I’m not saying that the 9 of us weren’t without our moments back in the day. It doesn’t matter though, because  even after all the time that has passed since college and despite the different life choices we’ve made, we are still bonded through our shared experiences as women of Alpha Kappa Alpha. 
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IN: ON: March 15, 2011 TAGS: , , , BY: Hilary
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Day 11: A Photo of A Night You Loved

Flutes Champagne Bar

New York City
August 2008
Why yes, we have been drinking!
A week-end trip to NYC. 
Sumptuous hotel on 52nd Street.
Window shopping on 5th Avenue.
Dinner at the Perilla, restaurant of the first Top Chef Winner, Harold Dieterle.  
Celebrity chef spotting!
Evening performance of Wicked.
Nightcaps at Flutes, Midtown, waiting for Chill Bill One.
More night caps at Flutes, Grammercy Park, because Chill Bill One can’t follow directions (which makes for a great story, long version). 
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IN: ON: March 13, 2011 TAGS: BY: Hilary
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Day 10: Any Photo You Like for Any Reason

Craig
July 5, 2002
Williamsburg, VA

Oh, how I love this man.
Gah! He’s so handsome and that smile is 1000 watt.  
 My parents have been married for 40+ years, and they both have aged very gracefully.  But I wonder, and I’ve asked them, what do you see when you look at each other? Do they themselves as they are now?  Or does my dad see the long-legged dancer his cousin introduced him to? Does my mom see that whippet thin young man with the dark rimmed glasses? I’d like to think it’s the latter; that as you age in life and in your marriage, you always see the very best version of your spouse.  Between the wrinkles or the extra pounds, you see the person as they were when you fell in love. 
Every time I look at this photo, I get that heady rush that comes with seeing your crush cross your field of view.  When I look at DH, this is what I see.  When we’re both toothless and doddering old fools that our girls have abandoned to Shady Oaks Rest Home, this is what I want to see.  That smile, that face. That man, whom I love.
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IN: ON: March 11, 2011 TAGS: , , BY: Hilary
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Day 9: A Photo of Yourself as a Baby or Child

Hilary Frances
1979
Easton, Massachusetts

A couple of years ago, I uploaded my picture MyHeritage.com where they would determine which celebrity you most closely resembled.  Altogether, there were about half a dozen celebs generated and in my case, half of them were Asian or of Asian descent.  I never really understood how they arrived at that conclusion. Of all possible ethnicities, Asian is not one I would have put on my list.  They say that everyone has a twin out there somewhere, but no one ever said they’d be the same race as you.  I can’t remember who else was on that list, but the number one celeb I resembled, by like 83% , was Zhang Ziyi.  You know, the woman from “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” and “Rush Hour 2”. 
Definitely gorgeous. Definitely talented. She threw some serious kicks in both of those flicks.  Anyway, when I see this picture of my infant self, I can how the leap was made.  And speaking of people resembling one another. . .
That’s Morgan on the right, at about 4 months old.  I think that was the first and only time she has ever looked like me. She’s a Daddy’s girl, face and all.  
You know how you can meet someone and they remind you of some famous person you’ve seen before? I do that all the time.  I’ve forever telling DH, “Doesn’t he look like so-and-so?” or “Didn’t she remind you of  such-and-such?”. To which he always says, “Uh, no.” It’s like he’s never picked up an US Weekly before! CNN did this report that found an alarming percentage of people don’t actually do work when they’re at work. DH must have been in that small percentile of those who do.  Everyone else is on MyHeritage.com trying to pick their most flattering picture so their celebrity doppelganger becomes Hugh Jackman or Angelina Jolie.
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IN: ON: March 9, 2011 TAGS: , BY: Hilary
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Day 8: A Photo of Your Favorite Band/Musician

When I saw my photo challenge for today, I drew a big, fat blank.  I like all kinds of music, most country and heavy metal excluded.  There isn’t one band, group or artist that I would say is my “go-to” groove-maker.  I am as happy listening to Jay-Z and the Ting Tings as I am listening to Weezer and Tchaikovsky.  Of course, trying to get down with the get down is hard to do when the 1812 Overture comes on.

When I think about the concerts I’ve been to — Brian McKnight and Janet Jackson — they were good performers, I liked their music, but I wouldn’t say they were my favorites. I’d definitely put Janet over Brian, definitely.

Put another way, there isn’t anyone that I would be camping out to get tickets to go see.  Though, when I heard that Robin Thicke was coming to the Norva last year,  DH almost got cut when he didn’t cough up any tickets.   My displeasure was totally unfounded of course; it’s not like DH would be able to tell someone who my favorite artist is when I don’t even know.

Yeah, I went “When I Get You Alone” old school, ’cause that’s how I roll. And for the record, I actually own Robin Thicke CD’s (plural). Yes, CD’s! Bought without the benefit of previewing.  See, once upon a time, children, music actually came in physical packaging! But I digress.
I opened iTunes to find out what artist(s) I play most frequently. How I have 268 plays of Katy Perry’s “California Gurls” is beyond me.  I mean, the song was catchy, but 268? That’s obnoxious.  Second runner up was from the Princess and the Frog soundtrack.  Not my favorite, but when you live with members of the toddler set, you end up catering to their tastes more than your own. When I’m in the car, I listen to whatever’s got a good beat.  I will crank DMB, Cee-lo, or Solomon Burke with equal fervor. I’m the one singing along to David Bowie’s “Let’s Dance” during Cardio Kickboxing and jitterbugging to Bruno Mars “Marry You” while I sweep the kitchen. The girls are and I are listening to Offenbach while I type this right now.  
I’ll listen to anything.  If it gets me up and moving, so much the better.  
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IN: ON: March 8, 2011 TAGS: , BY: Hilary
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