NOJOMO 7-21: My play! (I suck at NOJOMO)

Soooo… Yeah I’ve been stupid busy this month but hey I at least am writing twice this month right? LOL

Anywho lets hit the important stuff. November 10th through 13th!

Thursday, November 10th: Shalonda came to get me at around 8:30 – 9:00 a.m. So that we could do our last minute errands and strike out to our hotel in West Memphis. West Memphis is about an hour away from us but we figured it would make more sense to just get a hotel room like the rest of the cast instead of driving back and forth for 4 days in a row. Thats a lot of wasted time and gas (gas money too). So we got a room together from the 10th-13th and shared it with 3 of our youth kids (Dominique & Malik twins, and Markquel.) that also got parts in the play. (The play was not related to our church in any way. The kids auditions and did AWESOME so they got the parts. I am so proud of them!) Anyway since the kids were still in school Shalonda and I had the room to ourselves the first night. Which was LOVELY. So we ended up getting to the hotel around noon or 1 and we had the whole afternoon to lounge around and be lazy. That was WONDERFUL. We got ready and headed out to the Meet & Greet with the entire cast at El Margaritas. (That place had the BEST shrimp taco salad!) Anyway the Meet & Greet was mostly for the cast to meet the headliners. The headliners were Richard Gallion and Samson Logan. They were awesome! Richard was able to come to the M & G but Samson’s flight didnt come in until the next day. We all had a great time eating and laughing and taking pictures together with Richard. Richard is like 11 ft tall (Exaggeration. But compared to me he looks that tall lol.) So in my pic with him I sat in a tall stool at the restaurant. Me and Shalonda were laughing and joking around about the time she almost dropped me when she tried to pick me up so Richard picked me up to get me down off the chair. He was trying SO hard not to laugh though because he thought I was sensitive and would get offended about my height. He quickly learned the next day that I’m not sensitive lol.

Friday, November 11th: Shalonda and I got up early to take advantage of the wonderful FREE continental breakfast Holiday Inn provided their guests. The waffles were FIRE lol. Anyway after breakfast our bummy butts went back to bed for another hour or so. Tommy gave Richard our numbers in case he needed to be taken anywhere. We were the only other cast members at the hotel until that evening and of course we had a car to drive him around to wherever he needed to go. So Richard ended up calling us around 11:30 a.m to take him to Walmart. OMG that was the MOST FUN I’ve ever had at Walmart. We acted a fool in there. Which is how Richard quickly learned that I’m not sensitive about my height LOL. Richard is so cool! He is a bit of a comedian and he loves to pick on people (in a good way). He ended up carrying me around the store on his back and pushing me around in a shopping cart. I’ll have to figure out how to put the video on here so you guys can have a good laugh. He also shared a story that when he was young he used to be scared of little people. It was HILARIOUS! A few hours later, Dominique and Markquel made it to West Memphis to join us. They were so excited to be away from home and spending the weekend with us lol. Later that night we met Samson. He is so freakin sweet and such a cool person. The cast had rehearsal then afterward we all went to Denny’s to eat. Samson was being a bit of a clown there so we quickly learned he was cool and laid back as well. Naturally they were hot so me and Shalonda did flirt around a bit with them…. harmlessly though I promise. And every time Samson hugged me he would kiss either my cheek or forehead. I honestly don’t think he did that to anyone else so I felt special . And when I say every time I mean EVERY TIME. I was like "Awwww he is a sweetheart!" After Denny’s, Shalonda, Ms. Vickie, and I went to meet Samson in the exercise room so they could run lines. I just tagged along to watch because I didnt have any scenes with him. After they finished we stayed there just talking and clowning around and took pictures with him. Richard joined us for a bit then we called it a night to get rest for the big day. Markquel ended up sharing a bed with me and Dominique slept in the bed with Shalonda. Malik had a football game so he wasnt going to make it until the morning of the play.

Saturday, November 12th: PLAY DAY! We got up early for breakfast again. Well the 3 of them got up earlier than I did. Markquel and Dominique came back up to the room around 8:15-8:30 to wake me up because breakfast was about to end at 9. We assumed it would stay open later since it was the weekend… wrong. Anyway when they woke me up they did it like little kids. "Morning! Time for some cereal!" All chipper and child-like. Then they both jumped in bed with me snuggling me and giving me kisses. Like they were both laying on top of me like I was their pillow rubbing my belly. LOL Mind you they are both 15 and 16 yrs old but I had to laugh. They gave me loves first thing in the morning lol. I love my youth kiddos dearly! Anyway I get up throw some clothes on and brush my teeth to go down for breakfast. After breakfast I came back up to get ready for the day. Had waffles, eggs, and yogurt again. Came back up to shower and get dressed for the day. Bam Malik came around 9:30 then. Me and Shalonda attempted to take a short nap before we headed out to the civic center about 2 pm. THAT wasnt happening because the kids kept clowning and cracking us up! I mean we were dying so finally we were like "We may as well give up hope on a nap for the day." We knew once we got to the civic center it would be nonstop. Even before the play was about to begin. Getting costumes ready. Last minute running lines. Hair and makeup. Prayer. Mic and sound checks. Etc etc etc. Thats why we wanted to get some sort of nap in to kinda give us a bit of energy.

Anyway we get to the place and encountered the excitement of a squirrel running rampant around the dressing rooms LOL. Poor squirrel was like PLEASE LET ME OUT OF HERE! The women were freaking out in our dressing room. Samson was the one who volunteered to catch it and get it out. It was a hilarious scene lol. The cast did AWESOME! In one scene, there was a prayer that turned very real. The women in that scene came back to the dressing room with red eyes and crying and still praying/praising God caught up in the Spirit. I caught it as soon as they came back in. Thats how strong it was. So exciting! I was so nervous up until my scene. I went out in the first scene right after intermission but as SOON as I got out on the stage my nerves went away and it was just like I was in rehearsal. Everyone said the crowd LOVED me and our scene. I didnt notice it though because I tuned the audience out to save my nerves LOL. I didnt see or hear a thing from the audience. When the play was over I went out to greet my family and church members. My cousin Malik came and brought his two kids. Some of my older readers might remember them, Amani and Nasir. I was SO surprised that they got to come. My parents were there of course and brother came too wh

ich meant a lot! Everyone said they were proud of me and loved the show. After the play the cast went to Waffle House to eat and celebrate.The twins and Markquel went on home with their parents but Ricky the twin’s brother came to join us then came up to the hotel for a little bit to hang out afterward. Samson road to Waffle House and back to the hotel with us so when we got to the hotel Samson and I went ahead up to our rooms. Shalonda and Ricky lagged behind to talk. As I was walking to the elevator and on the ride up I was talking to Samson and he kept saying "You’re such a sweet lady. I just love you. You’re so sweet. We’ve got to keep in touch." Then he hugged me and kissed my forehead. I invited him to come to our room and hang out for a bit since Ricky was going to be there. He ended up not coming and calling it a night since he was tired which is understandable.

Sunday, November 13th: We got up early to get ready for church and check out. As a cast, we decided to go to a church together in West Memphis to show appreciation to West Memphis for letting us do a show there and for the great turn out. Church was awesome. The Spirit moved there too we we all got a release and the ministering we needed. After church, we went to Memphis to eat at Chow Time. That place is pretty good. Its a buffet restaurant with Chines and soul food. Its expensive but the food is good. After Chow Time Shalonda and I were EXHAUSTED but it was Ms. Vickie’s birthday. Her family planned a surprised party and asked us to get in on the part to get her to her mother’s house. So we drove to a place near mother’s house and called her acting like our car broke down. She came because she was worried, took us to her mother’s house, and waited with us. When we walked in the house they surprised her. She had NO clue that they were doing that so she was so happy and appreciative. Shalonda and I left the party early because we were on the verge of falling asleep and needed to get home to rest.

But that was my play weekend! I think I made up for missing all those days of NOJOMO right? lol. Love you all and God bless!

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