Life Without Cable

Some of you know that I have embarked on a new challenge of sorts: life without cable. I can't say that this challenge was something that I entered voluntarily. Comcast and I have a love/hate relationship. (and I'm not the only one, there's an "I Hate Comcast" Facebook fan page)

I love the seemingly endless hours of entertainment it provides, but pretty much hate everything else about them.

Anyway, with all the free TV viewing time on my hands, I have resorted to watching some of my fave shows....over and over again.

Girlfriends was first.

Next up...The Cosby Show.

What I like so much about The Cosby Show is that the show continuously found humor in realistic family situations, in the minutiae of human behavior. While the show had it's fair share of critics, it addressed the long history of negative black portrayals in television. The Cosby Show portrayed a strong father figure; a strong nuclear family; professional parents; affluence and fiscal responsibility; a strong emphasis on education; multi-racial friends; and racial pride, all things that weren't prominent themes on The Jeffersons, Sanford and Son, or Good Times.

(jumping off my soapbox)

I thought I'd share some of my favorite Cosby Show episodes (in no particular order):

The Alphabet Game

In this episode, Vanessa plays a drinking game with friends, gets drunk, and gets caught. She wakes up with a terrible hangover but is still forced to go to school. She gets home and has to play the drinking game again with her parents and Rudy. In the end they fool Vanessa, making her think they were using real liquor but, in fact, it was iced tea.

I didn't drink in high school, but easily saw myself as Vanessa in this episode. It still cracks me up.

Gordon Gartrelle

Theo wants a trendy shirt by Gordon Gartrelle, a famous fictional designer in the Cosby universe. After Cliff forces Theo to return the shirt he can't afford, Denise offers her amateur sewing skills to make an exact replica. She finishes the shirt right before Theo goes out with a group of friends and one of them is a girl that he is crushing on. Once we hear Theo yell, "DENISE!!!!" from the hallway, we know that Cosby pudding pop brand hilarity is about to ensue. The shirt turns out to look like it was sewn by a lopsided blind person with seven fingers.

This has to be one of the most memorable moments in Cosby Show history. To this day, Gordon Gartrelle remains in my fashion vernacular. Even though he isn't a real designer, I always throw the name around as if he is.

The Real World Challenge

Not only has Theo been sponging money off his siblings, but he also has decided to forego college and enter the "real world" at the age of eighteen. To teach him the error of his ways, the Huxtables spend an entire day transforming their home into a microcosm of the "real world", with each family member assuming a variety of roles to show Theo that life in the "outside" won't be quite as simple and uncomplicated as he thinks it is.

Rudy as the hard-nosed bank loan officer, Mrs. Griswald steals the episode.

Challenge

I couldn't forget the tap dance challenge episode. Rudy is down in the dumps because she's been partnered with the best male dancer in school for an upcoming show. Cliff and Clair intensify her tap dancing lessons in an effort to boost her confidence for the big day. But it's Cliff who's most inspired. Overconfident to the max, he pulls on a pair of taps and faces off against Rudy's teacher, the legendary Sandman Sims. The tap dancing marathon leaves Cliff beaten and bowed.

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The Ultimate 90 Day Challenge....No Shopping: Day 1

Created by OnePlusYou

Today is Day 1 of the no shopping challenge....whew!

And it hasn't been as bad as I thought it was going to be. Notwithstanding the fact that I've been at work for about 11.5 of the 13 hours that I've been awake, I think this challenge will be a piece of cake.

Stay tuned for updates :)

-Jill

The Newness Of It All

With the dawn of a new year, a new decade, there's lots of talk about how great this year will be, about resolutions, new loves, new adventures, letting go of the past. It only seems fitting that with my new blog, I share something personal about myself...about my new romance.

My new beau is an extension of my heart. He helps me create visual poetry. He sees parts of me that no one has before. He allows me to focus on things that were beyond the reach of my imagination. He sees my beauty and my light. He captures human expression and emotion with the blink of an eye.

I have been falling in love with with him in different ways for some time now and just didn't realize it. However, it doesn't seem like this relationship is going to be easy. He's kind of hard to get the hang of; he requires an immense amount of study to learn his intricacies. He's technical and complicated yet simplistic and childlike.

I feel I can become hopelessly in love with him after time. An hour spent with him seems like a day. I see us walking hand in hand in this concrete jungle, creating memories that words couldn't even illustrate.

If you would like to see a picture of me and him, here you go.

.....I know, I know. I got you (lol). My new love and I are dating, getting to know each other. Hopefully, we will develop into an interesting romance. Please check out the fruits of our labor on Wordless Wednesdays. I plan to post images of my adventures around DC. Hopefully, my skills will get better in time.

- Jill

my 90 day no shopping challenge

it has to be done...

3 months. 90 days. 2160 hours. starting Jan. 19, i vowed that i wouldn't shop for 90 days (please don't ask why i've chosen Jan. 19...it's a random date a little less than two weeks from today. hopefully, this will be enough time for me to wrap my head around the enormousness of this challenge).

now for those who know me, they know this is going to be a doozy of a challenge. no shopping for me is the equivalent of saying that i might as well not check facebook or get a caramel soy latte from starbucks (both of which are vices that I really must work on).

but in all seriousness this is going to be a challenge, illl make sure to give you all updates periodically. i have already filtered all the shopping spam i receive in my inbox daily, so i won't be tempted by the free shipping/25% off/BOGO offers.


some of you may be wondering why would i do this to myself.

law school loans are no joke. and i want them paid off by 2011. so wish me good luck. if we know each other in real life, hold me to this challenge. even when i'm weak, don't let me buy anything. i'm counting on you.

Evolution of Jill

If you are reading this post, you are likely one of my closest friends. If you eagerly anticipate this blog, then you are accustomed to my profound yet sometimes ridiculously ignorant musings. You are also equally aware that I am easily bored and quickly move on to new projects. But let's enjoy it while we can.

So here goes.....

An alter ego is a second self, a persona within a person. Beyonce has Sasha Fierce, Miley Cyrus has Hannah Montana, Janet Jackson has Damita Jo...well that one didn't go over so well, but you get the point.

I have Jill.

My friends and I gave each other nicknames, Jill stuck with me. So Jill it is. Jill After The Jack. Jack is a man, Jack is my hometown, Jack is a drink, Jack is some bull ish. Jack is whatever you want it to be.

Thank you for taking this ride with me. Stay tuned for a little Jill After the Jack.

That's all for now.