State of Illinois specifically Illinois Consumer Commission: Regulate the rates of natural gas delivery

Hey,

I just started the petition "State of Illinois specifically Illinois Consumer Commission: Regulate the rates of natural gas delivery " and wanted to see if you could help by adding your name.

I started this in response to the ever increasing costs of heating gas in the state of Illinois. Even if you don't live here currently I'm sure you have family & friends who would appreciate regulation among the utility companies. We start with People's Gas & then move on to Nicor and ComEd!

Our goal is to reach 10000 signatures and we need more support. You can read more and sign the petition here:

http://www.change.org/petitions/state-of-illinois-specifically-illinois-consumer-commission-regulate-the-rates-of-natural-gas-delivery

Thanks!
LaTrice

From God's Lips to Mine....

Not Really a Resolution... But a Resolved Solution....

So of course I'm off today doing shit with my life.... And I'm scrolling my Facebook news feed... My homegirl who has been having a particularly shitty go at relationshits of late wrote asking how she could choose awesome friends, great lovers, but fucked up partners.... Of course I'm beyond the point in my life where I am going to step up to that paradigm of mind boggling whatever. But. What I did do was give her my thoughts on where that shit leads. I mean cause honestly if we are going to do that, we gotta realize how that shit effects us. And I'm tired of being effected so fully & negatively by relationshit. Ive decided I'll take 2012 the same way I took 2011 in stride. I'm timed f being hurt & let's just be honest at 30 I'm tired of even being bothered. I figure you gonna take me as I am or get the boot. I am over crying bashing crashing my heart into the wall... Well anyway... This was the resolved solution I shared... And hopefully it doesn't sound too much like something I've said before, but if it is, it means I'm still looking my goal squarely in the face & I'm refusing to give up on what makes me fulfilled & happy. And honestly ain't that kinda where we all need to be anyway?!?

"At 30 after much soul searching hurt feelings bitching bashing sessions I have decided if 2012 brings me all that 2011 brought include awesome adventures great trips random explorations lots of laughs cool experiences & even doper people to share these experiences with, while yet alone... I'll take it. Because I refuse to continue wondering whining pining hurting asking why or what went wrong & when & how I can stop it from happening again. I have fully realized this year that my love is too full too voluptuous too righteous too honest too open too passionate too real & too free to be trampled over to be cast away to spend my time wondering how this time could have been different. I have dated the same person since I was 19, they've all had different names different faces different "issues" but they've all been the same brooding emotionally unavailable person. And I have learned I don't deserve that... So until I meet & receive who I deserve I will fly this journey solo & I will enjoy it... Because really what choice do I have otherwise?"

From God's Lips to Mine....

One Day He Who Shall Remain Nameless Will be Named.... Overtly....

So. The other day as I perused my twitter timeline I came across a link to one of the few blogs I'm still subscribed to receive emails from regularly. The current blog referenced a previous blog that I figured I must read immediately. That blog http://tinyurl.com/sugatellsmytruth Lawd.... That blog definitely had my eyes moist & my throat constricted. I was taken aback by the fact someone else was telling my truth. It was super hard for me to open myself to the possibility of a relationship simply because the last time I tried my heart wasn't broke so much as disregarded. So when I did it this time around I figured oh... Well he pursued me so this won't end that way... I was clearly focused on enjoying the end of my twenties & having as much fun as possible, until he who shall remain nameless aka hwsrn entered the picture.

I won't spend a lot of time on hwsrn but I will say that I enjoyed the little time we spent together. I have realized that instead of me focusing on him I'd focus on what he opened within me & the fact I realized that if I wanted to, I could definitely be in a relationship where I allow the man to take the lead. Even though my feelings were hurt by hwsrn, I understand the purpose that he served in my growth. I didn't like it. Nor did I enjoy the time I spent growing & learning the past eleven months I understand that those months were spent alone so that I can grow. And step outside my norm. I've learned or accepted rather, that even though hwsrn didn't "appear" to be the same as the formers before him, he did fit a pattern. He was similar to everyone before him in that he was the emotionally unavailable moody artist, that I date. Continuously. He was a better version of the dude I dated, though different from the ones before him, yet still a variation.

Hwsrn was exactly who I wanted & needed him to be. I cannot blame him for anything more than who he was, he was everything he could be, it wasn't his fault that he lived up to my expectations. Wasn't his fault that he reflected everything I ever put into the universe. An improvement from the ones before him, yes, but still not quite the needed....

I've decided that instead of constantly dating the same moody unavailable person that causes me that level of discomfort or pain, I've decided to stop outside myself & become open to the possibility of maybe with an "unfamiliar" face. I've decided to step outside my norm & become willing to date someone somewhat different. As much as I want to clam up & not ever experience hurt pain or discomfort again, I know that's not what's supposed to happened. I know that in my future I am supposed to find a "He Who Will Be Named Overtly" and loved plainly.....

Until then... I will enjoy my flirty thirty. And dance fully in the rain snow & sunshine....

From God's Lips to Mine....

Sometimes.... I wonder things. Then God reminds me, "That's really not your place..." And then I work to kind of avert my thoughts to other stuff....

~Reflections upon Thanksgiving. And humans.

From God's Lips to Mine....

My. Twenties. Were. Hard.

My. Twenties. Were. Hard.

That's it. They were hard as shit. Fucked up relationships. Fucked up friendships. Fucked up identification of self. They were bad. My mama was diagnosed with cancer. Folks died. I was unemployed for a year. Had two life changing experiences with dudes who were utterly pointless and meaningless.

Yep. My. Twenties. Were. Hard.
I'm saying I gained massive amounts of weight. Didn't get my degree. Fucked over money. Let people fuck over me. All of that.

And then I made it. Every year. I made it. I got through it. All the anguish. The hurt. The pain. The fucked relationshits. The fucked up friendships. My mama survived cancer. I did not make permanent additions to my life that would have altered everything about who I am.

I made it.

And now. I'm waiting. Anxiously. Expectantly to see what these thirties will be bring.
My head is up high. My shoulders back. My back is straight. And I am stepping happily forward. Not spending my time looking back because there is too much to look forward to....

And you know what?!?

I'm ready!!

Cause chile... My Twenties? Honey. They. Were. Hard.

From God's Lips to Mine....

Breast Cancer- The Beauty of Survival

February 13, 2009 I got a phone call from my mama that sent my life into orbit. She went to the OB/Gyn to have the reading of her mammogram. Pretty routine appointment for us, cause mama got mammograms every year.

But. This time was different. I heard a sob in her voice, and my mama ain't one for public bawling. Then she said to me the words I never thought I'd hear: I have breast cancer. From there she broke down!!!! All I could do was fall on the couch. I prayed it was a lie. A mistake. I hoped that it wasn't true. But it was. My granny Freddie went to the parking lot to meet mama. Stayed with her & followed her home, so she could rest.

From the diagnosis to surgery to rigorous radiation was the cycle of the next few months. In fact the radiation was so rigorous & aggressive that if we ever see a reoccurrence mama wouldn't be able to undergo radiation. Only chemotherapy.

I remember going with mama to appointments & hearing the horror stories from the nurses. I remember hearing about one lady who stopped doing radiation because the cream they give you for your skin ruined her tops & blouses. I also remember my mama going to walgreen's to get "white tees". I promise this was the only time I found it useful we had an abundance of white tee shirt outlets in the hood.
Another lady had a double mastectomy. And insisted the doctors gave her implants as soon as she finished treatments. Because of the size & placement of the implants doctors were unable to find or check for reoccurrence of lumps & she subsequently died when her cancer reappeared & it took too long to diagnose.
My mama. No mastectomy. Just a lumpectomy but she was willing to do all that was necessary to increase her surviv rates.

There were so many women that refused to take the Femarra medication prescribed to breast cancer patients because it makes you gain weight.

My mama takes her medication. Walks to & from the train. Removed many things including most processed foods from her diet & while she's seen some weight gain, she's also still here.

Breast cancer it's not all pretty pink ribbons & some days it's downright ugly when you're trying to make sure there's enough cream on your mama's breast to make sure the cotton tee shirt does not stick to her badly burnt breast.

But when you can look back two years later & remember The treatments & still hug love fuss with & thank god for your mama those not so pretty moments are over taken by the beauty of her survival.

From God's Lips to Mine....

My mama always told me....

To never depend on other people to validate me. She also told me that on October 19, 1981 8:30am she only had one baby... So that's the person I need to worry about. She also told me the only ass she better catch me kissing is hers cause hers is the only one I'm dependent upon....

As I approach thirty I reflect upon those words... I am often told that I drop people out of my life & existence way too easily for them to have been real friendships but I'm not sure that I agree with that... I think that I understand that friendships truly are for reasons, seasons, or lifetimes and when it is time to bid adieu I'm just more willing to acknowledge that vs sitting around trying to force it to work... I understand that people have their places in our lives for whatever reason they are there but I'm also willing to let folks go... I'm not callous just honest... I'll still wish you a happy birthday make sure I greet you at the turn of the year, but if you have outrun your time in my life I will let you go...

And no this isn't a "warning" that I'm kicking people out... It's simply an acknowledgment that I understand why you & me are not going to speak very much in the future and to acknowledge those whom I haven't spoken to often or at all in the past. I still love you. Jah blessings to you in your future endeavors. Respect to your familia... Growth overstanding & wisdom....
Freedom...

Be at peace with the fluidity of the journey...

But for now in this time... Our time has ended....


From God's Lips to Mine....