Divas For A Cure 2008

For the 3rd consecutive year I am proud to be a fundraiser and supporter for Divas For A Cure! Last year, we were able to raise $50,000.00 which was donated to M.D. Anderson Cancer Hospital in Houston, TX .

This year the goal is $100,000.00. Won’t you please help?

Please be a part of history in the making! Donate now to support this worthwhile cause. Every little bit helps; no amount is too small or too large.

Thanks So Much!

Pamela Walker Williams
Official Blogger for Divas For A Cure

Tech Talk: My New Gadget (and a couple of cool sites)

I recently had an ergonomic assessment. This is where they tell you everything that you are doing wrong in your work space, lol! Surprisingly, I got good grades. I was told that I had excellent posture (thanks Mama) and that the fact I like my keyboard in my lap turned out to also be a good thing. But what I did get out of the assessment was a semi-ergonomic key board and an Evoluent mouse. (http://www.evoluent.com/vm3.html).

Well, now I have the coolest mouse at NASA! I feel very “space-age, thank-you-very-much! Yeah, yeah it helps your wrist, yada, yada, yada.. but most important it looks good!

www.evoluent.com

Check out these Music Web Site -

Pandora: http://www.pandora.com

Last year one of my friends, Gloria Armstrong, introduced me to Pandora.com. This has got to be one of the coolest websites ever! What Pandora does is lets you create your own radio station(s). You select either your favorite genres or artist, and like magic you have your own radio station… and it is free!

imeen: http://www.imeem.com/

I am not really that big on social networks. I set up MySpace when it first started, and lost my userid and password, and never found them… oh well. I have never even seen a face book site, and I am still not sure about Linkin. However, I do like blogging basically because I have a record of really cool things I have done, or really cool things I have seen.

imeen is a really cool site and although it is also a social network, I just think the tools it provides are fantastic. It allows users to discover interact and express themselves
with media, including music, video and photos, and form connections based on shared tastes and interests. But what I like about it most is that it allows you to create online playlist. I am not an expert yet, but so far, I really like what I have seen.

Girl’s Trip 2008

"Friendships multiply joys, and divide griefs." --Henry George Bohn

Girl’s Trip 2008 is officially over, and I am worn out to prove it! This past weekend 12 phenomenal women convened in San Antonio, Texas for a weekend of fun, food, and most importantly friendship.

Girl’s Trip 2008 Participants

Anita (Atlanta)
Camille (Kansas City)
Dallas (Tampa,)
Debra (Houston)
Deon (Detroit)
Donsia (Greenbay)
Eddgra (Huntsville)
Keath (Atlanta)
Kim (Memphis)
Marshalle (Tampa)
Pam (Houston)
Paula (Houston)

Day One: Thursday, May 29th

I arrived in San Antonio early Thursday morning and was picked up by my good friend Nina and her lovely daughters. Nina was gracious enough to host a cocktail party that evening for our group, so she and I had a fun day plan with the preparation. Also, that day was her daughter’s Sydney’s birthday, so Nina, Sydney, Kai, and I went to TGI Friday’s to eat lunch and of course have the waiters sing an embarrassing birthday son to Sydney, LOL!

Nina then took me to the hotel (which is fabulous) to check in. Our group stayed at the fabulous Westin La Cantera Resort (http://www.westinlacantera.com/). The resort has magnificent views and fabulous beds!

Each room had a beautiful floral arrangement that was sent to us by Paula’s husband Ron. We also had a scented candle for the room, and we each had a gift bag full of goodies that included a beautiful cashmere scarf from Afghanistan. That was a pleasant surprise and the beginning of what was to be a wonderful trip.

After I checked in the hotel, I returned to Nina’s house to start cooking!

The “No Men, Amen” Menu

White Cranberry Martinis
White and Red Wines
Jalapeño Cheese Ball and Cajun Fire Crackers
Memphis Spaghetti Casserole
Jamaican Jerk Chicken
Cuban Style Broccoli and Squash
Garlic Bread
Jack Daniels Cake

Cocktails and Conversations with Best-selling author Nina Foxx -

At 7 o’clock that evening the other 11 lovely ladies traveled to Nina’s house for “Cocktails and Conversations to discuss her latest book “No Girl Needs Husband Seven Days a Week.” (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0061335274/thegoodbookclubt)

Paula was this year’s organizer and she welcomed everyone to San Antonio and thanked Nina for hosting us. Each lady was given a hand painted martini glass that had a charm with her name on it. We drank cocktails, ate dinner and then of course discussed Nina’s book. The book discussion was stimulating and thought provoking. It was a wonderful evening and a good time was had by all.

Hey…. but night was not over! We left Nina’s house and went to the midnight debut showing of “Sex in the City” at San Antonio’s Palladium Theater (http://www.santikos.com/palladium.html) For those of you who know me well, you know that 10 PM is my official bedtime. But in the spirit of sisterhood, I hung in there, and we all laughed through the movie! Of course in the car ride back was where everyone gave their official movie review and commentary on the lives of “Carrie and Big”, LOL!

Day Two – Friday, May 30th

Thank God we were able to sleep in, because I am definitely not used to staying up until 4:00 AM!!!

Our first stop for the day was La Margarita Restaurant and Oyster Bar (http://www.lamargarita.com/) , located in El Mercado a.k.a. Market Square. La Margarita is well-known for being the first American restaurant to serve sizzling fajitas. It is also famous for its margaritas, of which we tested quite a few! The manager even gave us a free round of our choice of margarita or a shot of tequila.

After a wonderful meal (and drinks) we decided to split up into two groups. This was some of the ladies first trip to San Antonio, and it would not have been complete without a trip to the Alamo! So, group one went to Alamo Plaza, while group two headed to San Marcos for the outlet mall shopping experience. We agreed to all meet in San Marcos in a couple of hours.

And shop they did! Much like the energizer bunny, they kept going and going and going! It was two darn hot for me. I opted for a nice spot in the shade while the marathon and well seasoned shoppers did there thing.

Eventually, everyone got tired… except for Paula, Camille, and Dallas who I am sure turned off the lights at the mall.

We all met back up at the beautiful River Walk. We drove around looking for a place to park, and poor Marshall was completely confused as to whereabouts of the river. We explained to here that it was at ground level, but below. Her look was priceless. Then she asked “how do you see down there?” We all cracked up!!!! Someone said there are lights, LOL! Well we finally parked, and made our way down to the River Walk, where I think Marshall enjoyed it most of all.

Our group took the boat ride/tour upon arrival, and eventually the marathon shopping group joined us and several of them took the tour as well. We finally made our way to Pesca on the River http://www.watermarkhotel.com/restaurant/ where we enjoyed our fellowship, a fabulous meal, and lots and lots of laughs.

Day Three – Saturday, May 31st

By now, my body just doesn’t know what the hell is going on! I stayed up past 3:00 AM two nights in a row. Completely zombie-fied my roommate Eddgra and I decided to order room service and eat breakfast in bed! We watched the heated Democratic National Committee rules panel's decision, and I listed to Eddgra fuss at Kohl for opting to get her hair done (which turned out fabulous by the way) in lieu of being present at the DNC. Eddgra and my commentaries were much more colorful that any that aired on TV.

This day was a free day. Many of the ladies had spa treatments, and some lay out by the pool. I was honored to be able to participate in Syndey’s (Nina’s daughter) Rites of Passage Celebration, which took place at another great San Antonio restaurant name Silo Elevated Cuisine - 1604 http://www.siloelevatedcuisine.com/ . Nina picked me up, and I was also happy to see her sister Lynda, her niece Brandi, along with the honoree. The luncheon was great, and I am thankful that I was able to participate in this wonderful time in her life.

I came back to the hotel, changed and searched for all my sisters. They were everywhere! I finally caught up with Keath and Eddgra at the poolside hotel, and we chatted and enjoyed a glass of VERY expensive wine.

After a short break, we all ventured to the hospitality suite for our final night of fun. We had cocktails, Italian Food (from Bravos), and games!!! We played Glamour Pot luck, which involved each of us bring 10 items (new or slightly used) to exchange in a fight to the finish. We also were given “pole dance” lessons, and learned all of Beyonce’s moves.

But most importantly we shared. We shared some of our innermost thoughts, struggles, and triumphs. We ended in prayer for everyone’s safe journey home, lots of hugs and lots of kisses.

Day Four – Sunday, June 1st

I had an early flight so I caught a taxi with Marshall and Dallas back to the airport. However, the remaining members of our happy crew headed over to another friend, Tracey’s home for a lovely brunch. I could tell by the pictures that they had a great time.

To my sisters:

Anita – I admire your freedom. You have more self-confidence than anyone I have every met.

Camille – You have always been a class act! How lucky are all your patients to have a physician as caring (and yes as crazy) as you!

Dallas - What a beautiful lady you are! I enjoyed meeting you and look forward to seeing you again (however it will not be at an outlet mall because you would wear me out!)

Debra – A lady of such grace. Thanks for sharing the words that the spirit told you to share with us. You were a true blessing.

Deon – You will always be my sister, I am thankful God put you in my life as a lifetime friend. Your family is my family, and vice-versa. Love you much!

Donsia – The disco queen, who knows all the latest moves! Congratulations on making partner continue to make us proud as you pave the way to justice.

Eddgra – Girl you know you crazy! I guess that’s why I love you so much. Whenever we are together it is as if no time has past. You are forever my sister-friend.

Keath – I have known you longer than I have known any of these ladies (since you were in the 4th grade) but it took this trip for me to know Keath the women. You are definitely your mother’s daughter, and I always admired your mom.

Kim - My little sister whose smile can light up a room. Your excitement is contagious, you are a true gem.

Marshalle – Who would think someone as beautiful as you could be such a nut! You are so much fun to be around, and I feel as if I have known you all my life. Thanks for your friendship.

Paula – Last but not least… Thank you for organizing this wonderful trip! You are another little sister. Be carful as you journey back to Afghanistan. Know that we all are praying for you while you are there.

Ladies you are my sisters. May the Lord continue to bless and keep you until we meet again.