time to give thanks...

i just wanted to take the time out to thank all of my friends…and if you’re reading this i consider you one of them…but i figured i would actually take it a step further and tell each one of you at least one thing that i was actually thankful for (in no particular order)…if u were left off the list just blame it on the winter weather that just arrived here in cincy…my brain slows down when the temperature drops…so where should i start…let’s start with

k craig for always reminding me of how much fun quitting day will be…
f craig for the shoe bandit song…every time i think of it i fall out...
p craig for buying me that herringbone chain…i rocked it for 9 whole years w/o one kink
m joshi for keeping me out til 4 am and making me late for tutoring that one night in ‘99
s bell for that dramatic change and sf 01
s brown for splitting those 2 for $1 double cheeseburger deals when your boy was broke
c gunn for being the funniest ninja i know and mia 03 what up blood…
s murphy for being the funniest ninjette i know
m story for being the most conceited cat i know and dc 05 i think dey like me
j holiday for putting up with m story
t baker for introducing me to the umbrella dance
r gherls for that super short term relationship
t houston-riley for copying my homework
t matthews for letting me stay at your crib when i didn’t have furniture
f carter for looking out for me when i was “scared”
b jones for speaking out for madden haters everywhere
e jenkins for not acting “cute”
t noel for the free admission
t slaughter for keepin me laughing in mr. capoot's class
e rutledge for not letting me get to 1st base in ‘94
ap brodie for our 3rd grade love affair
ad brodie for never speaking to me
j holt for ags ‘94
d wiece for showing me that white people can be cool too
j hatfield for helping d wiece with hers
w clark for them salty greens
a lewis for being the crunkest ninja alive and tor 05 cuf yo couch…
k robinson for igging me at cajun’s wharf
a marsh for canceling the parties before i wound up pregnant
m johnson for being my role model for becoming Hollywood
j harris for the little sandwiches and bread and dill dip
c taylor for falling off the face of the earth
a lee for leaving before i got too attached
a nesbitt for helping me with those youth for excellence car washes
s owens for the slumber party and the super late confession
e king for helping me hustle these gift cards
m ewing for ‘be out’ day 97
n thompson for holdin us down for t-giving ‘05
m vick for losing all my money
k massey for helping me to achieve that ‘d’ in calculus
h chu for being my favorite vietnamese aka
r solomon for makin my nyc trips more cost efficient
t parker for always letting me borrow that couch (you’re still my friend)
s ponderspikes for keeping it gangsta in the workplace
d williams for the inspiring ambition
d bullard for pushing me to the front so i could get my freestyle on in miami ‘96
j brown for making new year’s 2003 my best ever (and for the shrimp pasta)
t harris for whispering sweet nothings in my ear and disappearing
c ingram for helping me to stay employed
k martin for developing that registration system that I’m still getting credit for
s binns for pulling together that next 'hookers at the point" for hbo
t hunt for the stupid tricep excercise
e mansah for reminding me how strong i'm not
a avionn for the mp movie nights
c james for holding me down in Mehoopany
n adero for being jiggy
e karras for getting married early
s fulgham for your enlightening diary entries
b bradford for wilin out wit me in l-ville in 02
m bolden for inviting me to the prom
k brown for the dance off at the prom
s daniel for bucking the system
s moore for checking to see if i was sleep first
n grimes for having the best damn pound cake period
c favron for repping east st. louis
e vanross for reporting homicides in east st. louis
r green for hanging with us in l. a.
a hodgen for lining the chairs up perfectly after hosting the house party in my house in my absence
d foster for hanging with your boy in little rock aug ’98 and bayou classic ‘01
c kinnebrew for not taking advantage of me in my drunken state
a lambert for the whimsical evening in the cold streets of indy in mar ‘01
m lanton for the keeping me company at the big blue jean blow out
m mobley for splitting the rent in the clifton palace
j olije for always showing up when you least expect it
l reeves for rolling to philly on a whim and almost killing me on the way back
d rowe for sharing the thailand stories
r rosemond for the sun chips
b jackson for not beating me too bad on the pool table
d ogundele for being trina before trina
m geter-cartright for supplying liquor to minors
t taylor for accompanying me as mr. gibbs hall
b williams riding to olive garden with me that one day
last but not least, i want to thank….
myself for taking time remind myself of all the good people i’ve come across in life…i love you all and hope this message can remind you of at least one good time…but if it reminds you of others please don’t hesitate to share those with me as well…lord knows i love to re-live a good time

it's official....


hello ladies and gents it's your boy mikecraig just back from a long grueling trip back to the rock...where i celebrated my 10 year high school class reunion...here's a hint...when you can talk about your 10 year high school reunion in the past tense you are officially old...so i guess i be dat...people joked with me when i told them i was headed back to the rock for the reunion about how my classmates would be dead or in jail and i'll be damned if them jokes didn't come to life throughout the weekend...however in real life these jokes weren't very funny at all...but overall the weekend was cool...all of the networking/business card exchanging left a real good taste in my mouth...i used to think there were only 2 types of people in the rock...the ones that made it out and the ones that got stuck...this weekend really showed me this other group that made it "in"...the cats that are not just cutting hair but owning barber shops...folks who have traveled to the farthest corners of the globe and returned to tell stories of epic heroism...ok there weren't many stories of heroism but i've always wanted to use that line...a couple folks who have received and accepted the calling to lead god's people...a professor...good mothers and fathers and some who are just being good old contributing members of society...and some bad ass kids...for the school itself...j. a. fair high school looked different but eerily familiar...i can still remember the days running the halls with the trademark headbands...back in the days when gang signs and weed smoke used to fill the hall way air...none of that was there when i showed up...probably because it was 6 pm and school lets out at 3:40...but that's not important....i was shocked and saddened to find out that not too long after i left the school became a dumping ground for the incorrigible ...those whom the district had given up on...i was saddened at the notion that they had enough problem children to fill a school and shocked because i thought they had been doing that since the year i got there...just another sign that it ain't all good in our community...overall i give the weekend 4.25 stars...those hot krispy kreme doughnuts i ran across on my way out definitely pushed it over the top...oh...and i forgot to tell you...if you ever want to feel really old, just go to a high school football game...definitely worked for me...until the next time...mikecraig c/o '95 senior class vp and most likely to become a millionaire is signing off...