GJ Willis' Art Notes

I’m working again this Saturday. I left out a little later than I did last week. I admit that I felt a bit apprehensive about leaving for work when I learned it was 24 degrees outside. I guess I’ll make it in after 9am instead of 8am. I’m not quiet sure if there will be enough work for us to do this week.

Yesterday, I’m proud to say that I scored tickets for the BSO Home for the Holidays show. The holiday show features Robert Goulet and Shirley Jones. It should be lots of fun. Hopefully, there will be loads of singing and dancing.

I want to go because I really miss seeing holiday variety shows on tv. They seemed to be on all the time when I was kid. I long to see the Sonny and Cher Christmas Show once again, as well as the Bing Crosby and Bob Hope Christmas Specials. Yes, ladies and gentlemen I love corny ass shit like that around holiday time.

WHAT I’M WEARING: I’m wearing a sweater I haven't had on for two years. It’s two sizes too big but I really like the color scheme in it. It’s olive green and purple. Also I have on stone washed jeans and my Saturday shoes eg old Payless tennis shoes.

I NEED TO BET THIS OFF MY CHEST: My least favorite Christmas songs of all time. In other words songs that make me angry and consider violence when I hear them are, Dear Mr. Jesus and the Christmas Shoes. I loathe these two songs with every fiber of my being.

This morning I had to run to catch the #20 bus. It came on time but I left out the door a little later than usual. The stern looking woman was driving the bus as usual. The light train was also on time. No sign of the light rail baby or it’s mother.

OFFICE CHRISTMAS GIFTS PART II I’m still not entirely sure if I will attempt to buy everyone in my group at work a present. If I do it will be the same gift for everyone. This is what Jai Li and Cassandra did last year. Cassandra gave out these crystal Christmas stocking holders. Jai Li gave out wool scarves.

I would like to buy everyone something like decorative snow globes, small camera’s, or gloves. Overall, it has to be something non controversial.

One thing for sure is that I know that I will have to buy a present for Helena this year. Yesterday, she gave me two small resin teddy bears. They’re very cute. One has a purple bow on it’s head and is eating honey. My favorite color is purple. The other is reading a book. I like to read a lot.

Did she give these to me out of kind benevolence on her part or to ensure that I give her a present this year?

Who knows maybe she and her husband Calvin, where out shopping one day and she said, “Hey, look, Gail would really like these!”

WHAT I’M WEARING: I have on blue jeans and an oatmeal colored mock turtleneck that has a design of red patches and flowers on it, as well as beige Muppet shoes.

The bus was on time. I got on the #20. It was driven by the stern looking woman. The female bus driver also got on at my stop. The two were talking about which days they wanted to do overtime on. Saturday and Friday both seemed like popular days. It is the holiday season and I can imagine that the MTA would want to step up the number of buses you see on the street.

PROBLEMS WITH A GIFT FOR LINDA: Linda, the woman in my group I have to be a Secret Santa for this year listed candles as the number one thing she wanted. The problem is I don’t know if she wants them scented or unscented.

After that she listed some kind of decorative designer glass slippers. I lost the piece of paper that she wrote the list on. So I’m not entirely sure of the brand name that she was interested in getting. I think it may have been Vitton?

The last item on her list were gift certificates. The problem with this is that it doesn’t list which stores she’d like to get gift certificates from.

The only way I can think of solving this issue is giving her a gift certificate for the Yankee Candle Shop. The only problem with this solution is that I’ve heard of the store but I’m not sure where they are located at in Maryland. I believe you can also order things from them over the internet. If this is so, I’m not sure if she owns a computer.

WHAT I’M WEARING: I have on a purple Henley, black slacks, and black leather and suede shoes. No jeans = business casual day at work.

MFUME2, originally uploaded by willisgirl.

Today, it’s raining outside but I don’t feel sad. The bus came on time, #20 as did the light rail. I feel a little more secure than I did last week when my morning commute was thrown off course by my regular drivers being on Thanksgiving vacation for a week.

The light rail was also on time. The lady that brings the baby is not accompanied by it this morning.

KWEISI MFUME STEPS DOWN FROM THE NAACP: At first I felt deeply distressed with news that my cousin, Kweisi Mfume, was stepping down from his post as head of the NAACP but now I’m not. After analyzing everything this would put my cousin in position for a possible run as Mayor of Baltimore or maybe a US senate seat.

I’m not sure if I said this before but I’m related to Kweisi Mfume. He’s my cousin. His mother Mary was my father’s sister. His mother named him after my father Frizzell. If you don’t believe me buy his autobiography, No Free Ride. It appears on page 14.

I got a free personally autographed copy of the book when it first came out in 1997. He was giving them away at a kind of family get together we had at the National Great Blacks in Wax Museum. The get together celebrated both his birthday and the debut of the Kweisi Mfume wax figure.

Anyway, I found the book interesting because I actually knew some of the people he was writing about. However, I have to admit that I have never sat down and read the book from page to page. Whenever I try to do this I feel as though I’m trespassing on his life because I know him. I feel that there should be a certain level of closeness yet distance amongst family members. I feel uncomfortable listening to or reading about the intimate lives of relatives. It makes me feel icky. The book isn’t entirely about that. However, there were sections where there was just way too much information, if you get my drift.

An interesting thing about the book is that my father took the majority of the early family photos that are in the book but is uncredited. I never understood why he never went to Kweisi and told him he wanted to be credited in the book for family photo’s. It’s been a quiet bane of contention for him over the years. He’s told everyone in the family but Kweisi.

All in all I wish my cousin the best. If he doesn’t run again for elected office, I’m in shock. He’s never been the quiet stay at home type.

WHAT I’M WEARING: Today, I have on a blue and black long sleeve flannel shirt with blue jeans and black

impastoclouds, originally uploaded by willisgirl.

This morning everything was running smoothly on my morning commute. I caught the #20. It was driven by the stern looking woman.

The light rail was on time. The lady with the light rail baby was aboard. The baby is very chatty this morning. It’s happily babbling away in it’s little stroller.

The stroller gives no clues to it’s gender. Previously, it was a pretty pastel green color now it’s dark blue. Come to think of it. It’s mother looks pretty androgynous as well.

THE ADVENTURE OF THE MISSING HOUSE KEYS: Yesterday, as I was walking towards the light rail station on the the trek home from work. I searched my pockets and noticed that my keys were missing from pockets. I was stunned.

I back tracked my steps. I went back to work to find them and even asked the cleaning lady if she ran across them. In short the keys were no where to be found at work. There was only one place left to look and that was the parking lot of another company that I have to walk across to get to work.

As I’ve written before I carry a digital camera with me everywhere I go. Yesterday morning, I saw this really great sunrise. It looked like pink impasto clouds in the sky. I just had to photograph it, and photograph it I did.

The only scenario I could come up with was that while listening to Christmas music while phographing the pink clouds I was oblivious to the sounds of my keys falling to the ground. I went back and sytematically searched the parking lot. I saw no sign of the keys. I had no other choice but to gather enough courage to go into the building that I did not work in.

When I went inside the building I was sent to the security desk. I was asked to describe the keys. When I was asked that question I knew that someone had turned them in. I actually did the dance of joy when the keys were back in my hands again.

I don’t know why but I didn’t feel particularly worried when I was searching for the keys. I knew that either they would be found or not. Anyway, I couldn’t imagine anyone having any particluar use for my keys. They are meaningless and useless without an address attached to them.

The above is the photo I absolutely had to get. It doesn’t look as good as it did in person.

WHAT I’M WEARING: Today, I have on a multi-colored striped mock turtleneck pullover. The colors in the turtle neck include, light blue, dark blue, lime green, dark green, black, and white. The turtleneck is paired with blue jeans and the beige Muppet shoes.

It finally happened after almost three weeks of the buses being late, the buses were on time. I saw a #2 bus going down the street at it’s usual time. I promptly got on and was headed toward on timeness.

As I was getting off the bus near the light rail station stop a passenger stopped turned towards the driver patted her on the shoulder. For a second I thought the passenger was going to give the driver a hug. The passenger instead said with a large heartfelt voice that was almost on the verge of tears, “Miss lady, I’m glad you back!” It was my sentiments as well. The A-Team of Baltimore MTA bus drivers were back in action! The substitute drivers were history...until Christmas shopping season.

AM I THE ONLY ONE THAT SEES THE BLATANT IRONY? The elections in another country are declared fraudulent because the poll results did not match up with the election outcome. The US government backs the country’s claim of fraud. Is this not the same government that was reelected by seemingly fraudulent means.

Our US poll results did not in any way match up with our own election results. I read somewhere that the odds of Bush getting the states he did was something like 600 to 1. Well, when it comes to fraudulent elections who better than the Republicans to investigate? They practically wrote the book...

WHAT I’M WEARING: Today, I have on a baby pink v-neck sweater pullover that has two buttons in the front. The sweater is paired with blue jeans and beige Muppet shoes er beige canvas tennis shoes.

Why? Oh, why, do I feel compelled to give presents to people who never give me anything in return? The sad answer to this question is because I like to shop.

CHRISTMAS PRESENTS FOR EVERYONE: This year at work I want to buy everyone in my department a present. I want to do it because I’m sick of how only a handful of people get extra presents outside of the Secret Santa gift exchange we do every year. In other words I feel left out with just my one Secret Santa present and the one hastily chosen present from my supervisor, while almost everyone else gets three or four presents.

Heck, if fellow co-workers, Cassandra and Jai Li could manage to come up with presents for everyone out of their own money last year, so can I. Even more so.... I don’t have any kids. I have managed to save up money for symphony and theater subscription tickets every year. I’m sure I can come up with something that’s nice and moderately priced for 15 people. Then again I might just change mind.....

WHAT I’M WEARING: This evening I have on a light green waltz length night gown that has a rose pattern on it. I’m wearing it with red flip flops.