outside on nine

Hello outside people. This is your boy on the streets maatology giving you the 411 on the haps going around town. With all of the tragedy, controversy, and mediacism going on during the Hurricane Katrina (what a colorful name), it was hard to try and focus on the Labor Day weekend haps in and out of town, but like i say, one must document what one observes and put it all in perspective--including partying in the STL. Well, I staretd my weekend with a bead sinus cold and I was so out of it last Friday that I did not do anything, but play doctor buying Nyquil and Airbourne to try and curb my cold before I missed out on all of the festivities throughout the three day weekend. My party ear Kameron (who is pictured with me on the right on the pic you see above)told me about the First Friday event that took place at Lucky Strikes at St. Louis Mills Mall in St. Louis County. he said that this FF was much better than the one that was last month at Westin Hotel (that was more of watching paintings dry). It was more things to do--poeple bowled, ate in some of the adjaccent restaurants and of course heard the sounds of hip-hop and R&B with Dj Needles and Chan in separate areas of the Strike. It was packed I hear and the ladies outnumbered the fellas which I'm sure had the brothas picking their shares...On Saturday, I felt better and decided to go the gym at Ballys in clayton and later on I went to my accountant Josh Beek's sister, Dominique's 30th B-day bash that was held at Westin Hotel in one of their private rooms. It got kicking at 8p.m. I got there round 9:30 pm and when I got there Dominique and some sistas were doing some African dancing while a couple of brothers beat on Africna drums. The drums took me back when I was a member of teh Eugene redmond Writers Club and the African poetry events that it had at teh City HAll Rotunda in the ESL. It was mostly Beeks' fam there, but with the free beer that in teh place, everybody became fam. I saw my girl Renee thomas Woods and her husband and fitness trainer Keith Hunter (whose gonna put me under his wing and train me so I can get my license). They had a nice food spread (the wings were SPIIIIIIIIIIIIIIICY) and the caramel cake was too good (I had Three hunks of it--I was not playing.) The folks danced the slide and stepped and did the SOul Train line--three black musts at a black event. It was like a family reunion kind of setting. It was real nice. I think I had too much to drink (% beers of all flavors) but it was teh holiday, so it was all good. I left about 11:30p.m. (It eneded around midnite) and decided I would go to Club Seven-NOT. I decide dto go on home. Just when I was 5 minutes away from Belleville where my crib was, I got stopped by the fuzz (you know I'm old) and the cop pulled me over for driving 66 n a 50. The cop was cool. I had no warrants or anything else, and he gave me a ticket and I didnt have to appear in court, This is actually my first ticket, I have been lucky to not get one (I was able to wiggle out of a few becasue I'm a media person), but tonite I was just glad he didnt ask if I was drinking, cause if that was the case, I would have been spendingmy Labor Day in the Bellevilel Jail...On Sunday, I attended Charisse Pantella's, Charrisse Ink's Beauty and the Bling at Harrah's Voodoo Lounge where many VIPS in the sports and media arena were there to see the fashion show put on by Jule. Several female models from Talent Plus got their sahay on a stage that was on top of teh vbar area. It was so cool. The fashion show was OK. They modeled some nice lingerie and loungewear and some teddys with jeans. But the happening part was when they modelde dteh bathing suits. That gotteh crowd hyped. Later on, the modles came on stage and threw hanky panky panties outto the mixed audience (I gave mine to my sis). Asian hot girl DJ Agile 1 was spinning on the 1s and 2s some underground funk, hip-hop and R&B She was playing Talib and 50 all in the same mix ! OKAY??? In the house was Marshall faulk, UPN's Giberto Pinella, KSDK's Jeff Small, STL Post's Kevin Johnson, Hipster's Keenan Harris, Bosley Show personalities Darius and Nikki Roach, fashion guy Skylar party girl Jamie. Me and Kameron (the PIC is from Beauty and the Bling by the way)were sitting in VIp eating free food (mostly chicken, and stuffed pizza, and breaded shrimp) and got our drink on. I know I had too much t drink cause I started off with a Cosmo ,then the waitress gave me another cosmo by mistake, then I got two Tequila and lime juices, then, I got two long islands (One was bought by my boy Kam and the other was by a Airforce guy who had a wad a money to spend). I was LIT. I think I was walking like I was on a tightrope cause when I got the the john, I was staggering. Kam told me its time to get something to eat, so we went to a deli inside Harrah's and I ordered a cold sub sandwich. I bit into it and my stomach started hurting slightly. I was like Oh-oh. By the time I got to my car, I HURLEd and I HURLEd all over the seat of my car and on my hot shirt, I was a mess. I was worried cause it took me 45 minutes to get from Harrahs to Belleville Illinois and I was drivng like I was a Sunday school driver. I made it home and laid my head down on the coach. When I woke up on Monday, I had the most awfullest hangover that I thought my head was about to explode in sections. I am usually savvy when it comes to heavy drinking by drinking water between each drink, but I was not that lucky that time around--NEVER AGAIN, but then again, it was labor day. Hmm, the only thing I did on Labor day was look at a COPS marathon on FX-Tv and eat BBQ chicken my moms fixed. Oh and I scratched. Anyway, That was that. ...Oh before I forget, I will start doing movie reviews on KDHX radio (88.1 FM )starting next week. I'm excited about that as well as the talk show Im doing for them as well. Things seem to be falling in place--FINALLY.Oh, I also heard the Track Stars' Labor Day party Sunday at Club Toxic according to my colleague Bill Beene--you could have had elephants waking around in there. That is not good. Glad I decided to roll through Beauty and the Bling instead.

Next up, I will crash the Salute to Excellence Awards Banquet After PArty at the Americas Center this Friday and give you the skinny on that and anything else that may pop up. Until then, see you on the outside!