'This Is Everything: Gigi Gorgeous' Movie Trailer

One of the things we are going to need now more than ever during this Trump regime is trans people telling their stories in the media.

Gigi Gorgeous and I crossed paths when I was in San Francisco to accept the award I received at the GLAAD Gala last September.  While she was slaying the red carpet, I was quietly observing everything that was going on with a wine glass in my hand and Angelica Ross at my side for that moment knowing that my moment to shine was coming later.

Our opportunity to meet each other didn't happen because after my GLAAD Gala speech, it was my turn to have folks surrounding me to chat, congratulate me for the award and getting my thoughts about the looming election. so unfortunately an opportunity for me to meet, talk and get to know her was lost.

If it's meant to happen, we will cross paths again.

Frankly I didn't know much about the 24 year old Canadian YouTube star and model until that evening.  Once I returned home to Texas I hit Google and started doing the research about her and her transfeminine journey.   It was fascinating watching some of her videos and learning that she had a following of over 1 million subscribers on YouTube since she started her channel in 2008.

 

Now YouTube Red is about to release a documentary on her entitled This Is Everything: Gigi Gorgeous that tells the story of Giselle Lazzarato's trans journey, and here's the extended trailer for it.



In the movie she talks about how YouTube became her therapist and journal where she posted her thoughts, and also discussed her thoughts about being denied entry into Dubai last summer because of her trans status.

The documentary debuts in select theaters on February 3 and on YouTube Red February 8

So Bernie, Stein and Johnson Voters, Enjoying The Presidency You Enabled?

So Bernie, Stein and Johnson voters, after four days of this disastrous presidency that is worse than I even foresaw, I have one question for you.

Do you still delusionally think that Hillary Clinton is 'worse than Trump'?

Hey, Clinton, her supporters  President Obama and yours truly tried to warn y'all before November 8, but y'all were all into your foaming at the mouth Hillary hate and your fee fees.  Well, your irrational hatred of her and third party votes are going to cost us all the progressive progress we've made

You had the right to vote third party and cast your votes however you wished to do so.   But 2016 was not the year for a protest vote or trying to dismiss what Hillary, President Obama and others were saying on the campaign as 'scare tactics'.

And if you're upset because I'm once again pointing out y'all are responsible, and especially if you lived in a swing state for enabling this disgusting presidency, too damn bad.

Well, after four days of this Trump misadministration, are you scared for this country now?.

Melania Doesn't Get Any Love From Me Either

I'm starting to see people in liberal progressive world wanting to give Melania a pass for being married to and repeatedly dissed by Twitler.

But just like her reprehensible hubby, Melania's not getting any love from me, especially after TransGriot reader Vanity Wilde pointed me to this April 20, 2011 interview on the Joy Behar Show in which Melania went all in like her hubby on the birther attacks on President Obama starting about the 1:52 mark of this interview..



Kinda ironic that the same POTUS she attacked back in 2011 was the one classily rescuing her from that real time embarrassing situation broadcast around the country and the world when her deplorable hubby dissed her on Inauguration Day.

So naw Melania, you're NOT my FLOTUS either  You gets no love from moe or my people for attacking the legitimacy of the twice duly elected President Obama.

You wish you could be a FLOTUS who could walk in Michelle's double Ivy League degreed pumps.

So for the next four years, you don't get any love from me either.

My #CC17 Post Convention Thoughts

I'm now back in the Houston area after spending a few days at this year's edition of the Task Force's Creating Change Conference in Philadelphia.  It was a 29th annual Creating Change that up until about two weeks before it happened, I was seriously thinking about after attending the last three consecutive Creating Change events in Houston, Denver and Chicago and being part of the Host Committee for #CC14 not coming to Philadelphia for #CC17.

Philadelphia also happens to be a city that is near and dear to my heart, because I received my 2006 IFGE Trinity Award  here and I've been since 2013 in the City of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection for two LGBTMedia events (2013,2015) and two Philly Trans Health Conferences in 2012 and 2016.

The drama filled experience in Chicago along with the jacked up protest of the NBJC Black Institute I called out later (and I'm still pissed about) was part of the reason I was reluctant to come this year.

Because of the Trans United Fund event, the TUF leadership meeting scheduled during #CC17 and being asked by NBJC's Isaiah Wilson to participate in this year's The Black Institute, that finally pushed me into the 'I'm attending it 'ranks along with TUF Board Chair Hayden Mora telling me my voice, thoughts and attendance were needed and necessary.

And I'm glad I did.  I also got to destroy a few Slurpees in the process since there was a 7 Eleven right across the street from the convention hotel.

On my ATL-PHL flight I ran into Dee Dee Chamblee, who was seated ten rows from me.  I stepped off the Delta plane after our 5:35 PM arrival but lost track of her.  After collecting my checked bag I ran into a group of students from Portland who were eagerly here for CC17 at the Terminal D SEPTA train platform.

After getting off the train, I immediately headed to the hotel room that Angelica Ross and my Houston homegirl Nikki Loyd were sharing to drop off my bags before heading to the TUF meeting we were having at the host hotel to finalize some last minute planning or the fundraising event at Philadelphia City Hall.

When I walked into that Marriott Downtown meeting room with Angelica and Nikki and saw my trans siblings from around the country and as I found out the world in Mat and Tiana from Zimbabwe, it was a reminder why I come to conferences and events:. I go to see old friends like Danielle King and meet new ones like Daye Pope.

With me now going into my 19th year of award winning advocacy for trans people in addition to being the founding editor of a now 11 year old award winning blog, the days of me walking around any convention space for longer than ten minutes incognito are long gone.

I ran into Sunnivie Brydum and a friend of hers moments after taking that post meeting photo with the TUF peeps, and while trying to get to the DoubleTree to get my bags so I could go check into the Hilton Gardens where I was staying, immediately ran into Cecilia Chung.

After running into her, tried to tip past the bar area where folks were congregated and ran into many friends there like my fellow Texans Omar Narvaez, Ashton Woods and the lovely Geneva Musgrave, and ran into Isaiah at the exit door.  I also ran into several students who recognized me from different speeches or who were fans of TransGriot that night and over the next several days.  

While I was waiting to sort out a problem with my Hilton Gardens reservation, Louis Mitchell spotted me while walking past the hotel from a late night food run and kept me company until it was resolved.

The love I got enveloped in while walking the CC17 host hotel over those next several days didn't hurt either, especially in light of the fact that we were literally in the last two days of the Obama presidency and about to see the dawning of a Trump presidency hostile to us.

The Thursday Trans United Fund event at the Philadelphia City Hall on Thursday evening was chock full of symbolism.

I thought about the fact that we were owning our political power as trans people in the city in which the Declaration of Independence was crafted and signed at Independence Hall several blocks away from where our event was taking place with a trans pride flag on the flagpole outside the building.

We were comprised of amazing trailblazing leaders in their own rights like Melissa Sklarz, Sharron Cooks, Danni Askini, Andrea Jenkins, Bamby Salcedo, and Mama Bear DeShanna Neal with her lovely trans feminine daughter Trinity. Some of the brothers were also there in support like Sean Coleman and Rev. Yunus Coldman

It was also great seeing Philadelphia's LGBT Liaison Nellie Fitzpatrick, Cathy Renna and getting to have all those conversations with the attendees during that fundraising event.   It was also wonderful to finally meet and get to talk to Danni Askini in the flesh after years of doing so on FB.

TUF was also holding this event on the last night of the Obama Administration, who will go down in American and TBLGQ history as the best president ever on trans issues.

Since my job during CC14 in Houston was to be co chair of the committee helping put together the People of Color Hospitality suit, I'm always interested in seeing how other Creating Change host cities accomplished the task of setting up their hospitality suites in preparation for the next time Houston gets to host Creating Change.

Once I was done with my portion of the NBJC Black Institute morning programming, I headed to the POC, Bi-Panfluid, Transgender and Elder suites that were located on the sixth floor of the hotel.  

In the Bi suite I ran into Stacey Langley, new Bi-Net president Lynette McFadzen (who I met and roomed with during CC15), and other amazing folks in those Thursday and Friday excursions up to the suites.  

We aren't always talking politics in those hospitality suites.  The conversations can also be about pop culture discussions to blood family acceptance or lack thereof.   Some CC17 attendees are playing cards or board games as they wait for breakfast, lunch or dinner to be delivered to the suites.  

And yes, for you CC vets, they are still vegan.

Speaking of dishes, nice segue into moi dishing out in the Transgender Hospitality Suite a trash talking filled dominoes butt kicking to a New Jersey based activist who has promised me he'll be ready for me when #CC18 roll around.

Good luck with that Kwame.   Love ya and enjoyed our conversation, but Mama Moni still has dominoes skills that will be sharpened over the next 11 months.

You've been warned BTAC and every other conference I get to attend in 2017.  Be afraid.

The Elders suite had a TBLGQ Philadelphia history display set up.  I ran into during my visit to check it out Barbara, one of the trans elders I met during my LGBTMedia13 visit to Philly at the John C Anderson LGBT apartment building for low income LGBT seniors.

Barbara was one of the local volunteers staffing it, and it was wonderful reconnecting with her again..

But the best part of any Creating Change event is being able to not only talk to the elders that preceded me in paving the way for my generation of TBLGQ activists, but the young people for who this is their first Creating Change, who see you as their elder, and get the intergenerational conversations going that we need to have happen.

I had an interesting discussion on Friday with one CC17 attendee who let me know she'd been reading TransGriot since she was 12 years old.   I had more than a few people stop me in the halls during my time there who recognized me either from the blog, previous events, conferences or panels and tell me how much they loved TransGriot, dropping some knowledge in a panel, or appreciated me doing the necessary work to advance our shared human rights struggle.
 

Friday morning Rebecca Kling, Brynn Tannehill and I  talked to two of Bear Bergman's students about the trans rights movement and our parts in it.  Bear later sent me a message about how excited they were to meet us and went on about it for hours.

I was supposed to leave Saturday, but the fog at PHL airport that hugs the Delaware River killed that and forced me to stay an extra day at Creating Change, something I wasn't disappointed about.  But because of my travel back and forth from the host hotel to the airport, I missed the local Women's March that some of the CC17 attendees participated in and Sharron spoke at.

I also got to spend some more quality time with my Birmingham based sister Daroneshia Duncan, who graciously let me crash in her hotel room since I'd checked out of mine at the Hilton Gardens earlier that day..

After dinner at Chili's, swinging by the Boomers Dance with Daroneshia and sitting in the bar area chatting with various people until nearly 2 AM, I reluctantly left the Marriott Downtown host hotel for the last time to get a little sleep for my rebooked 7:35 AM departure back to Houston via the ATL

That meant no Sunday closing plenary or brunch for me this time.

Thanks Philadephia Host Committee for putting together a wonderful event.   I'm glad I came.  Coming to #CC17 helped me realize once again all the positive reasons why I have loved this conference ever since my first one in Oakland back in 1999.

I'm eagerly anticipating being at the 2018 edition of it in Washington DC. Hopefully by that time CC18 happens I'll be able to go to the African American History Museum in addition to seeing all of you peeps there again at our TBLGQ family reunion
.

2017 Williams Watch- Rolling To The Quarterfinals

I was a little busy handling some movement business over the last few days in Philly, so I haven't had the chance to sit down and watch much of the Australian Open's first week

The seeds are falling, including the world number one ranked and number one seed Angelique Kerber, who was beaten by Coco Vandeweghe in straight sets.

But I am happy to hear that my fave tennis playing siblings are still kicking butt and taking names on their Melbourne business trip.

When I last checked in number 13 seeded Venus and number 2 seeded Serena had just advanced to Australian Open second round singles matches against Stefanie Vogele and Lucie Safarova, and were waiting to play their first Aussie Open doubles match versus Timea Babos and Anastasia Pavlyuchenko    They withdrew from the doubles to focus on the singles tournament which so far looks like it was a wise decision.

Big Sis sent Vogele packing in straight sets 6-3, 6-2  to set up her third round match versus China's Duan Yingying.   That was also another straight set 6-1, 6-0 victory to propel her into the fourth round against German qualifier Mona Barthel, who knocked off Rio Olympic singles champion and 29th seeded Monica Puig.  

Venus prevailed 6-3, 7-5  to punch her ticket to the quarterfinals against Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova  for a spot in the semis against the Muguruza-Vandeweghe winner

Little Sis was also holding it down on her side of the Australian Open bracket.   After sending Safarova to the sidelines with a straight set 6-3, 6-4  victory, she beat fellow American Nicole Gibbs 6-1, 6-3 to advance to a fourth round match against 16th seed Barbora Strycova of the Czech Republic.

Serena dispatched Strycova 7-5, 6-4 after a tough match to set up her quarterfinal match with Great Britain's Johanna Konta.

If the Williams Sisters win their next two matches, they will face each other in the Australian Open finals for the first time since 2003.  Serena also has an opportunity because of the Kerber loss to regain the world number one ranking if she wins the tournament.

Oh yeah, it would also be her 23rd Grand Slam singles title and seventh Australian Open after losing to Kerber last year.

And who won that 2003 Australian Open finals clash?   Serena did 7-6 (7-4), 3-6, 6-4 over her big sister.   That was also the only time Venus has reached the Australian Open final.

They still have some work to do Down Under to make that all Williams final happen.    

Janet Mock's DC Women's March Speech

Our approach to freedom need not be identical but it must be intersectional and inclusive
-Janet Mack, January 21, 2017

While I wasn't there at the DC Women's March and was 139 miles up I-95 away from it in Philadelphia, we did have some trans participation there at it.  

I know Nikki Araguz Loyd attended it along with 500,000 other peeps, and the reports are still coming in from people there and around the country in Trans World who were in attendance or participating in their local events.

Here;s the video and the text of Janet's speech.

So we are here. We are here not merely to gather but to move, right? And our movements, our movements require us to do more than just show up and say the right words. It requires us to break out of our comfort zones and be confrontational. It requires us to defend one another when it is difficult and dangerous. It requires us to truly see ourselves and one another.

 I stand here today as the daughter of a native Hawaiian woman and a black veteran from Texas. I stand here as the first person in my family to go to college. I stand here as someone who has written herself onto this stage to unapologetically proclaim that I am a trans woman-writer-activist-revolutionary of color. And I stand here today because of the work of my forebears, from Sojourner to Sylvia, from Ella to Audre, from Harriet to Marsha.

I stand here today most of all because I am my sister’s keeper. My sisters and siblings are being beaten and brutalized, neglected and invisibilizied, extinguished and exiled. My sisters and siblings have been pushed out of hostel homes and intolerant schools. My sisters and siblings have been forced into detention facilities and prisons and deeper into poverty. And I hold these harsh truths close. They enrage me and fuel me. But I cannot survive on righteous anger alone. Today, by being here, it is my commitment to getting us free that keeps me marching.

Our approach to freedom need not be identical but it must be intersectional and inclusive. It must extend beyond ourselves. I know with surpassing certainty that my liberation is directly linked to the liberation of the undocumented trans Latina yearning for refuge. The disabled student seeking unequivocal access. The sex worker fighting to make her living safely.

Collective liberation and solidarity is difficult work, it is work that will find us struggling together and struggling with one another. Just because we are oppressed does not mean that we do not ourselves fall victim to enacting the same unconscious policing, shaming, and erasing. We must return to one another with greater accountability and commitment to the work today.

By being here you are making a commitment to this work. Together we are creating a resounding statement, a statement that stakes a claim on our lives and our loves, our bodies and our babies, our identities and our ideals. But a movement – a movement is so much more than a march. A movement is that difficult space between our reality and our vision. Our liberation depends on all of us, all of us returning to our homes and using this experience and all the experiences that have shaped us to act, to organize, to resist. Thank you.

***

Thank you Janet for the speech and repping us well (as usual) from the speaker's podium of this historic event.

2016-17 NFL Playoffs -Championship Sunday

We've now reached Championship Sunday, and the last four teams standing with a chance to get to Houston to play in Super Bowl LI at NRG Stadium will be colliding.

I've gone 7-1 in these playoffs picking games with my only wrong one being the Pittsburgh-Kansas City one that was decided by a holding call and failed two point conversion.

Two teams will move on to play for the Vince Lombardi Trophy while the other two will see their season come to a bitter end,

So let's get to it.

NFC Championship

#4 Green Bay Packers (11-7)  vs  #2 Atlanta Falcons  (12-5)  at 2:05 PM CST on FOX

This is a rematch of a Week 8 October 30 class at the Georgia Dome in which the Falcons scored late  on a Matt Ryan to Mohammed Sanu TD pass to edge the Packers 33-32.

The Falcons are coming off their 36-20 playoff demolition of the Seattle Seahawks in which their number one ranked offense shredded the vaunted ;Legion of Boom; while the Packers after building an 18 point lead, needed a clutch throw from Aaron Rodgers and a 51 yard Mason Crosby field goal with 3 seconds left in the game to escape with a 34-31 win over the Cowboys.

The Falcons defense has stepped it up another level, while the Green Bay defense has lost some key players to injury.. This is the last NFL game in the Georgia Dome, and it should be a fun one to watch with two of the best quarterbacks in the conference in Rodgers and Ryan slinging balls all over the field.

But as the saying goes, it's defense that wins championships, and Atlanta's is slightly better than the Packers right now.  Been a wonderful ride for the Pack, but the Falcons are going to close out the Georgia Dome in style.

Falcons to win the George Halas Trophy when this game concludes.  

AFC Championship 

#3 Pittsburgh Steelers (13-5) vs  #1 New England Patriots (15-2) at 5:40 PM CST on CBS

The Steelers didn't score an offense touchdown in their playoff game against the Chiefs, but still won 18-16 thanks to an NFL playoff record six field goals by Chris Boswell.  The Steelers became the first NFL team since the 2006 Super Bowl XLI champion Indianapolis Colts to win a playoff game without scoring a touchdown.

The Patriots got an unexpected challenge from the Houston Texans, whose number one ranked defense hit Brady early and often and only trailed by 8 points going into the fourth quarter until Brock Osweiler became Bad Brock and started throwing interceptions to the Patriots and threw away their chance at a huge upset as the Patriots rolled to a 34-16 Divisional Round victory. .

This AFC Championship game at Gillette Stadium is also a rematch of a Week 7 game in which the Patriots marched into Heinz Field and marched out with a 27-16 win.

The Steelers committed ten penalties in that October 23 game, and one of them wiped out a second quarter TD pass from Landry Jones to Darius Heyward-Bey .They were also missing Ben Roethlisberger in that one to a knee injury as well

He's back for this one , but it probably won't make a difference, especially if the Steeler offense doesn't find the end zone early and often this week.  

Patriots to win this game and the Lamar Hunt Trophy.

America Is Going To Miss You

Goodbye Mr. President and Madame First Lady

Darkness descends upon this land at 12:01 PM EST

Last Full Day Of The Obama Adminstration

Note I didn't say 'potentially'. I have the confidence to say that he WILL be a great president. If we were going to have a first Black president I like my African descended brothers and sisters wanted him or her to be the best and brightest member of our community. Hopefully at the end of his second term, the nation will be lamenting the fact that we couldn't elect him to a third term.-TransGriot  February 28, 2009 'Why Barack Obama Will Be A Great President 


It doesn't end until 12:01 PM EST tomorrow, but today sadly is the last day of the historic administration of President Barack Hussein Obama.

The POTUS had his final press conference yesterday which i didn't get to see because i was traveling, but it probably was a blessing in disguise because I probably would have started crying during it.



He talks about the role of the press and the Chelsea Manning pardon among other subjects, and for those of you who have asked me about my feelings about Manning, I'm pondering it and you'll see it in a later TransGriot post.

Back to this one.   I'm going to miss this president for a lot of reasons, but the most important one was here was a man who was born nine months before I was, shares my African heritage, and excelled in the office despite many challenges and a Republican Party unified in racist opposition to him that gleefully wanted him to fail.

This is also a man who had a scandal free administration, and made me feel as though my country was in good hands with him in the Oval Office.   He also made me feel for the first time in my life unabashedly proud of my president and this country.

He has also been the best president ever when it comes to not only acknowledging we trans folks exist, but expanding and defending our human rights.

I'm also going to miss our lovely FLOTUS, who Michelle, who made history of her own in becoming the first African-American woman ever to be the First Lady, and did so with style, dignity and class even as people irrationally hated on her.

We also go the pleasure of watching your your daughters Sasha and Malia grow up into amazing young women.

Mr. President, thanks for eight amazing years, and wish it could have been longer.  I confidently wrote eight years ago that you would be an outstanding president and you have made me look like a genius for saying it.

Mr. President, thanks for eight wonderful years that have flown by.  Unfortunately some idiot that claims he's going to Make America Great Hate Again takes over at 12:01 PM tomorrow

#CC17 Day One

Good morning from the City of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection as they love to say about Philadelphia!  I'm back here again inside its city limits to attend another major TBLGQ community event in Creating Change and while I handle my business, I'm also going to be in reporter mode for it for those of you who either chose not to or couldn't come to #CC17.

It officially started yesterday, but there have been pre conference events since Monday

Today's big happenings at #CC17 and the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown are the day long institutes on various topic taking place in the host hotel.  There are also many TBLGQ organizations who are taking advantage of the fact that many of our leaders are gathered here to have their organizational board meetings

As for what I'm up to today besides being in reporter mode and just talking to various peeps I know in BTLGQ World, In addition to speaking at the Trans United Fund event later tonight at Philadelphia City Hall,  I'm also taking part in the National Black Justice Coalition's The Black Institute during its 10:00 AM EST programming block

But the highlight of the night will be the opening Creating Change plenary session from 8-10 PM that features NC NAACP President Rev Dr. William Barber II and his eagerly anticipated keynote address.

Bet you wish you'd come now.

You can follow the #CC17 hashtag on Twiiter, this blog or my TransGriot Twitter handle to check out my commentary about all the CC17 happenings while I'm here.

You can also check out the Creating Change website for various highlighted videos and

Trans United Fund Is In The #CC17 House!

One of the major reasons I'm up in Philadelphia for this year's edition of Creating Change is because I'm on the leadership team for the Trans United Fund.   It's a now year old multicultural trans led organization that seeks to borrow my sister in the movement Sharon Lettman Hicks of NBJC's words, Own Our Power.

That's vital at a pivotal moment in our trans movement's history in which we not only are the focus of coordinated attacks upon our humanity and human rights by the Republican Party the conservative movement, the TERF's and fundamentalists, we have predominately gay run orgs that are not responding well to this coordinated attack.   Frankly one of the reasons they haven't is because they don't have a large enough cadre of trans people, and especially trans people of color sitting at the leadership tables of their orgs to help them coordinate the strategies that will be successful in beating the right wingers.

It's past time that we had a diverse, multicultural national trans run and trans led organization like NTAC was when I was part of its founding leadership group in 1999.  It's a leadership vacuum in our rainbow TBLGQ ranks that TUF seeks to fill by working collectively to develop trans leadership at a national and grassroots level so that we can thrive as a community, not just survive.

Later tonight the TransUnited Fund is hosting from 6:30-8:00 PM  at Philadelphia City Hall in which Andrea Jenkins, Danni Askini Sharron Cooks, DeShanna and Trinity Neal, and some award winning blogger y'all know along with our Emmy Award nominated MC Angelica Ross will be at the United.  Undaunted. Unstoppable  Fight Back 2017!  fundraiser event.

TUF is building trans political power and is needed and necessary at this time and has set a goal of raising $5000 for its needed and increasingly necessary work

Suggested donation is $10, but we'd definitely love to meet you and see as many folks in Room 201 that can attend.   If you can't you can always take a moment to support Trans United Fund's work to build trans political power.

Many of us TUF leaders will be out and about during #CC17 to take part in various Creating Change panel discussions and seminars.

Trans United Fund is in the #CC17 house, and we're glad to be here on behalf of our trans siblings who can't..

Moni's In The #CC17 House!

After a relatively uneventful trip for me on Delta from Houston through their mother hub of Atlanta to Philadelphia, and a 30 minute train ride from the airport to Center City,  I finally arrived in the City of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection to take part in #CC17 and see if I can get a freebie Slurpee via my 7 Eleven app before I leave Saturday.

On the ATL-PHL leg when I boarded thought I saw longtime Atlanta trans advocate Dee Dee Chamblee.   It turned out when I finally got to the Marriott Philadelphia Downtown for that Trans United Fund meeting with Angelica Ross and Nikki Araguz Loyd that indeed it was her.

And yes, it was also great to see Arianna Lint, Bamby Salcedo, Ruby Corado, Jada Mercedes Cardona, Andrea Jenkins, Becky Juro, Kayley Whalen and Hayden Mora again.

When our TUF meeting was over, I ran into Sunnivie Brydum as Nikki, Angelica and I were searching for a nearby restroom to commit the revolutionary act of peeing and pooping in before we took that group photo.  

After having a 20 minute convo with her and being introduced to her friend, we found it, handled our business, too a group photo, and then set off to go back to the DoubleTree where they were staying to retrieve my bags and get me set up in my hotel room at a different hotel for the night.

While passing the bar area, we ran into Cecilia Chung.  While talking to her, I got separated from Angelica and Nikki, so I made a beeline for the front door to try to catch up with them ,

That game plan took a detour when I ran into Ashton Woods, Geneva Musgrave, Omar Narvaez and finally met one of my longtime FB friends in Yunus Coldman while trying and spectacularly failing to tip out the front door of the Marriott undetected.    While I was talking to them, Hannah Simpson rolled up with Tamara Jeanne, followed by Crispin Torres and a friend of his and Bishop Allyson Abrams .

I finally break away from all those folks only to run into Isaiah Wilson from NBJC 100 feet from the Market Street door..  We start talking about the Black Institute and my part in it, and Curtis Lipscomb, another of our NBJC family members, walks in.

So I finally finish those hugs and convos, get out of the hotel, get to the 7 Eleven that's on the way back to the DoubleTree, procure and destroy my first Slurpee of this #CC17 run, and finally make it to the DoubleTree..

After spending some girl time with Nikki and Angelica in their room, I left with bags in tow but there was a snafu with my reservation at the Hilton Gardens that had to be cleared up before I could check in.  While waiting for Ruby, Louis Mitchell walks by the hotel while I'm sitting in the lobby after snagging a late night meal and heading back to his Air BNB spot    He keeps me company until Ruby arrives with Elle Hearns in tow.

So how did your day go?   This also points out just how many people I do know in this community.

And remember peeps, this is just Day 1 for me.   Time to get some sleep so I can be fab for the busy day ahead of me and all the peeps I have yet to see who are here at #CC17