Journal #19: July 2016

Welcome to August.

Considering how late I was to post Journal #18 for June 2016, this time, I’m determined to not make the same mistake. It’s only August 2nd and I’m on it already – as it should be. July was HOT! And I mean it literally. There were so many over hundred degrees days, and we live on the top floor, so while the roof of our building is far from the sun, we are still the closest ones to the sun, compared to our neighbors below. If you know a little about me, then you know that I am not at all a summer baby. I mean, I was born in January — in Russia. GIVE ME THE COLD. In the winter, I can at least bundle up and stay warm. But am I supposed to walk outside naked in the summer? I’m glad we’re in August; August means that Fall is almost here, and I love Fall.

Igwe Traveled: So what happened in July sef? Well, on the 2nd of July, Igwe and his business partner traveled to Nigeria for two weeks and left me alone at home with Ada Verastic. I suffered a really bad cold in the first week, but mommy duties called. It was an incredible bonding time for me and Ada Verastic though. The bonding was literal because it felt like she was glued to me the whole time. And you know how I feel about being needed by Ada Verastic.

Power Premiere: Do you watch Power on Starz? Well, we do, and we love it. I got invited by Xfinity to attend the Season 3 premiere at the Howard Theatre in Washington D.C. I wasn’t going to go because Igwe was in Nigeria and I hate driving in D.C, especially at night. But then I ended up taking Frank – Solachi’s husband – as my date. He, too, is a fan of the show, so he was great company. I would have pulled all my hair out if I had taken Funmie or Solachi. Ugh. They don’t watch the show.

Money, Money, Money: I spent a LOT in July. I spent more money than I made. Does that happen to you? I was very uncomfortable with my expenses, although they were for very worthy causes, which I will talk about later. Igwe always says that I’m a punk when it comes to money, and I completely disagree. I’m just financially prudent. That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it. Speaking of money, people always assume that between me and Igwe, he’s the more reasonable spender, but they couldn’t be more wrong. I think it’s a combination of me being a woman and being Igbo that makes people think that I’m the spender. Granted, I just ordered 3 shoes in the last 30 minutes, but that’s different. Shoes are off limits and they don’t count. We do not discuss them.

The Business of Blogging: I got contacted by a brand to do a sponsored post, and they said the sweetest thing any pro blogger wants to hear: tell us your price. I asked Igwe how much I should charge and he gave me a ridiculous amount that I have never been paid, nor have I ever dared to ask for. I gave them the price and they said, “Great. We’re good for it.” What a wow! Then Igwe started wishing he had given me a different amount. I’m just pumped that I broke my best record.

Green Light: In the month of July, Igwe and I got a much anticipated green light on a project that we’re both working on. We’ve been working on it since January of last year, and it was only supposed to take 6 months. They lied. Anyway, I’m incredibly grateful for how far we’ve come.

National Cheesecake Day: Did you know that July 30th is National Cheesecake Day? I don’t know who made up this day, but all I know is that I dragged Igwe – under a thunder storm – to the Cheesecake Factory where we stood in line and got three slices of cheesecake at half price off. In order to have enough for everyone, they were only selling one slice per guest. So we got three slices because Ada Verastic is a person, too. Don’t ask me if Ada Verastic ate her slice. Just know that cheesecake is my favorite type of cake, in case you’re staying up at night trying to figure out what kind of cake Vera likes. Also, don’t buy me cheesecake from the bakery aisle at the grocery store. They’re no good.

Oh! When I put up Journal #18, I could not remember a single thing that happened in the month of June. But how could I forget to mention that Ada Verastic was rushed to the emergency? After all the freaking out, we were told that she was teething. Read the hilarious account here.

That’s it for my July. How was yours?