Dream Come True

rp_jgkiss.jpg

So… we’re back in the studio shooting the third season of our talk show, “Exhale” and I’m super happy the band’s all back together! We just wrapped day one, and it was probably the best day of my entire life. Better than the day I was on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show.” Better than the day Wanda Sykes tweeted “I love @ejthecomic.” Better than the day I first tried Nutella.

Because today I got to interview Johnny Gill.

I have loved Johnny Gill since I was about 9 years old. In fact, his was the first CD I ever owned. When my dad bought our family’s first CD player in 1990, my mom and I went straight to Sam Goody. She got Whitney Houston’s “I’m Your Baby Tonight” and I picked out “Johnny Gill.” He is the best singer (don’t waste your time trying to argue this point) and my favorite New Edition-er by far and I’ve bought every one of his subsequent albums. I try to catch him whenever he’s on TV and if any of my friends sees he’s going to be on something, they’re always sure to let me know.

During the first season of “Exhale,” we did a show where we had some of the hosts’ favorite entertainers as guests. During the planning stages I dropped several not-very-subtle hints that I would love to meet Johnny Gill. Our fabulous booker, Carol, tried to get him, but there was a scheduling conflict and he couldn’t make it. I was super sad and so I recorded this [wide] open video letter asking him to come on the show if we got renewed for a second season.

Continue reading →

Drunk Dialing

IMG959444

Last nite I was a guest on the “Drunk Dialing with Dontay” podcast with LA Hair’s Dontay Savoy and the fab Ms. Poohbie Davenport. It was an absolute blast! I love LA Hair. I’ve seen every episode and we had the show’s star, hair guru, Kim Kimble on “Exhale” last season. Dontay is handsome and hilarious and my favorite stylist on the show. So I literally jumped at the opportunity to do his podcast.

We talked comedy and “Exhale” and drunk texting, all while downing shots of Makers Mark. Because I got to choose the liquor. Which was clearly a setup… The convo got a little fresh after shot #2, but we’re all adults here, right? Right. You should definitely check it out. And subscribe to the podcast. Dontay is beyond hilarious. Here are a few more pics. Y’all can see where this is going…

Listen to the podcast here.

IMG958466

IMG_5519

DrunkDialing___600x360

I love chicken

IMG_20130917_221736_210

I love chicken.

I didn’t always; in fact, you couldn’t pay me to eat chicken before I went away to college. Damn HBCU’s will do it to you every time… Now, chicken is one of my very favorite things. If you put a chicken dish in front of me, even if I’m not that hungry I will pick all the chicken out of it. I can’t stop myself. I have zero willpower when it comes to chicken. And yes, I realize how ignorant-ly this post is trending.

Every now and then, when I order a chicken dish in a restaurant, I let the server take my plate with a little chicken still left on it, just to prove to myself I can let it go. But it’s always painful. Last nite I ordered a chicken caesar at Applebee’s and when it looked like I was done with my salad (’cause I was done with the salad; I just wasn’t done with the chicken), my server, Hannah asked if she could clear my plate. I quickly replied, “NO!” But then I thought, “maybe I should just let her take it. It’s been a while…” I took a photo of it — so I’d never forget it — and then asked her to take it away. It’s almost 24 hours later and I’m still thinking about those three strips of chicken, but I’m glad I did what I did. It’s the proudest I’ve been of myself in quite some time.

Don’t you judge my truth.

Bubble girl

IMG_20130904_141623_822

So, I started a new round of allergy testing today. The crazy reactions from earlier in the summer have cooled off some, but based on the results from today’s environmental allergens prick test (43 needles, y’all!), I am apparently allergic to the Earth. Oak trees, pine trees, grass, ragweed, dust mites, cats, dogs… Apparently I’m allergic to cockroaches too. But even if I weren’t I probably wouldn’t kick it with them. I go back for two more rounds of testing towards the end of the month. And I’m pretty sure they’re gonna prescribe me a bubble.

Wine and dive

3dudeshoriz

So I was leaving San Marcos, TX this morning on my way to Houston when I passed this sign for Three Dudes Winery. ‘Dudes’, ‘winery’ and ‘Texas?’ OK, I am intrigued. I doubled back and saw that it was open from 12-6. I looked down at my watch and it was 12:30 so I figured what the hell? I didn’t have anywhere to be until 7.

IMG_20130827_130443_475

From the street, I wasn’t sure what kind of place it would be, but when I got down the drive I could see that it was adorable back there! It sat right on the San Marcos River and had a great river deck for tastings and receptions and such. Continue reading →

Brown Swan

Tonite when I arrived at the Texas State University Student Center for my show, this sign greeted me. See the little girl in the duck costume? That’s me. Whomever designed the poster for my event decided not to use my headshot, but instead a #ThrowbackThursday photo I posted online a couple months ago. I guess I kinda asked for it. The second I saw it, I laughed out the deepest belly laugh I’ve probably ever laughed. The guy and the girl sitting on the bench near the door had no idea that was me, and thus thought I was a lunatic. It was hilarious.

I can’t even be mad.

Exhale “on the road”

IMG952426

This Saturday my Exhale co-hosts and I (minus Issa, #SadFace) literally took our show on the road. We were in Philadelphia to present a panel discussion at the National Urban League Annual Conference. Our presentation was entitled “Balancing Act: Can We Really Have it All?” Relatioship therapist, Dr. Argie Allen joined us and she was fantastic. We’ve definitely got to have her on the show for Season 2!

IMG_20130727_120747_559

Check out my name tag. Not sure if they just misspelled my name or conflated me with another speaker (b/c I’m not from Atlanta either) or if word got out about my moodiness and they were going for “Evilene…” Reminds me of when I was playing a casino in Aruba this spring, feeling pretty good about where my career was going, and we pulled up to the venue and saw this on the front. Comedy will keep you humble.