When Howie Met Jessi, Part Two

Previously on “When Howie Met Jessi,” we saw Howard on his way to Bible Study, but was trapped in a long line at the supermarket. As he was in the process of taking his mind off the long wait, he was singing—of all things—a theme song from wrestling, and a young woman named Jessica Torres was singing along with him. A conversation sparked betwixt the two, and soon thereafter, Jessica wrote down her digits and gave them to Howard.

And now we continue with Part Two of “When Howie Met Jessi.”


“What are the odds of this happening!” Howard thought to himself as he nodded appreciatively and accepted Jessica’s phone number. He observed how she wrote down her digits—each number was written perfectly, and when she wrote her first name, she dotted the “I” with a smiley-faced heart.

“I do hope to hear from you soon, because I’d really like for us to kick it this weekend,” Jessica said with a sparkling smile.

“I shouldn’t have anything to do this weekend, but you will most definitely be hearin’ from me,” Howard smiled.

As they parted ways, Howard did a little Texas Two-Step and headed home to prepare for Bible Study. He couldn’t help himself—he was so giddy that he was about to bust. However, he knew that he needed to keep his mind on Bible Study. When he got home, he only had enough time to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, then head to church for Bible Study. He prayed that he would be able to concentrate on the subject, but yet and still, he was so thrilled about meeting a girl at such a random place that he walked into the church with a Cheshire Cat smile.

After Bible Study ended, Howard went home and sat on the couch to think. Should he call Jessica now, or wait until tomorrow? He had read articles about how the guy should wait at least a day to call, but his Auntie Sandy always told him that when a girl gives her phone number to a guy, the ball is in his court. What was Howard to do?

It took him fifteen minutes to come up with the answer, but Howard finally went ahead and dialed Jessica’s number. Would she answer it?

Ring... ring... ring...

TO BE CONTINUED ON FEBRUARY 10, 2011…

When Howie Met Jessi, Part One

Seeing as how February has been designated as the month of love and romance, I have decided to write some romance blogs all pertaining to Ms. Viv ‘Nim.

The first romance blog is entitled "When Howie Met Jessi." Yes, I realize that the title sounds familiar (LOL), nevertheless, I hope y’all enjoy today’s blog.


It seemed like any type of day for Howard. He had just left work and stopped at the grocery store to get a couple of things. Bible Study was in two hours and he figured that he could rush home to get a little rest in. He looked at his watch and saw that it was five o’clock. He had plenty of time to get home… that is, until he saw the long lines at all eleven checkstands.

“Good grief,” Howard thought. “It’ll be six-thirty by the time I get home.”

Howard weighed his options. There were three “ten items or less” lines, and all of them were longer than the others. He decided to take the least longest line. He stood behind a lady that had all types of grocery items, pet food, and laundry detergent. All Howard had was two loaves of bread and some orange juice, and he needed those items. As he looked all around the grocery store, he decided to keep himself entertained and started singing the theme song to legendary wrestler “Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase. Howard was really getting down to the song, even singing the instrumental version.

“Some might cost a little, and some might cost a lot. But I’m the Million Dollar Man…”

“And you will be bought—hahahahahahahaha!” a voice responded.

To Howard’s surprise, a young woman was singing the Ted DiBiase theme song along with him. A smile ran across Howard’s face as he nodded appreciatively.

“Ah, so I see that you’re a Million Dollar Fan,” he said to the young woman.

“Of course I am,” she smiled. “He is one of, if not, the greatest heels in wrestling history. Personally, Ted’s always been my favorite.”

“I see,” Howard laughed. “So, I guess it’s safe to say that you were cheering for Ted to win the big 14-man tournament at WrestleMania IV.”

“And how,” she said. “I mean, think about it—everybody had a price for the Million Dollar Man.”

With an over-the-top strain in his voice, Howard said, “Not everybody had a price, yeah. All the money in the world couldn’t stop the Macho Madness from takin’ the strap—dig it!”

The young lady giggled in appreciation of Howard’s impersonation of Randy “Macho Man” Savage, then she said, “I guess you weren’t pullin’ for Ted at all.”

“Uh-uh, no way—yeah!” Howard said in his Macho Man voice. “If Ted couldn't stop the madness, then nobody could... dig it!”

Since the line wasn’t moving any faster, Howard and the young lady introduced themselves. Her name was Jessica Dawn Torres, and she lived in the neighborhood. Coincidentally, Howard moved into his own apartment near the same grocery store. Jessica lived just three blocks down from Howard’s apartment. Amidst their conversation, Howard began to check out Jessica. She was a petite little lady, standing 5’4”, with gorgeous grey eyes and chestnut brown hair in a ponytail. To Howard’s surprise, Jessica was checking him out as well. They were so deep into their conversation that they didn’t realize how quickly the line started to move.

After Howard paid for his few groceries, he was about to leave when he realized that Jessica had a basket full of groceries. Additionally, Jessica forgot her Goober Grocery card. Being the gentleman that he was raised to be, Howard suggested that he take care of it. Jessica began to bat her eyes in appreciation.

It’s amazing what a woman will do to a man. One minute, Howard was complaining about being late for Bible Study, and the next minute he was striking up a conversation with a little cutie. However, it was something about Jessica that caught Howard’s attention. She wasn’t like the other girls that he had run across—she was totally different.

“By the way, Howie—if you’re not doing anything this weekend, I’d like to meet up with you,” Jessica said as she wrote down her number and handed it to him.

TO BE CONTINUED ON FEBRUARY 9, 2011…

Simply Bret, One Year Later

Hey there, Ms.Viv ‘Nim Fanatics!

It was just one year ago on this day, January 26, that I witnessed a dream come true. Simply Bret was published, and within the course of one year, over 150 copies have been sold. In order to celebrate the success of our dear friend Bret, I thought it would be fitting to share his bio… as if we don’t know about him already.

A staunch, loyal, and dedicated patriarch, Bret George Douglas was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota to Roger and Sylvia Douglas. The youngest of four children, Bret has three siblings—Robert (the eldest), Catherine (a.k.a. "Cattie"), and Sandra (his closest sister). At an early age, Bret knew that he wanted to be a teacher. His added incentive: his grandfather and his mother.

After graduating from Twin Cities High School, Bret attended South Carolina University, and graduated in 1979 with a Bachelor's Degree in Education. It was also at South Carolina University that Bret met and fell in love with his college sweetheart, Susan Ariel Gosinheimer. After graduation, the two married on July 12, 1980, and moved to Culver City, California, where they raised three children—Howard Allen, Sarah Elizabeth, and Nicole Yvonne. Knowing that destiny has a way of doing things beyond the finite mind, Bret strongly believes that it was a providential plan for him to follow his dreams outside of Minnesota; the catalyst for this change was his sister Sandy, brother-in-law Dave, and nephew Timothy moved to California five months prior.

Bret is a Kindergarten Teacher at Wiley L. Sapp Elementary School, where he has been teaching since 1993. He succeeded next door neighbor and best friend Clark Kenneth Jones. In actuality, it was Clark who helped Bret realize his dream to teach kindergarteners. Bret's dream was to retire after his youngest child graduated from college, but after receiving a compliment from one of his students for being “the bestest Kindie-Garden teacher in the whole wide world,” Bret changed his mind and decided to teach "the little kiddies" until it was time to officially let go.

Bret is also a member of First Baptist Church, under the pastoral guidance of the Rev. Stanley D. Richardson. He sings in the Male Chorus every Fourth Sunday; otherwise, one may find him sitting on the fourth row next to his wife Susie. Bret is also a huge wrestling fan; his favorite wrestler of all times (not surprisingly) is Bret "Hitman" Hart. And admittedly, Bret is also a huge Michael Bolton fan— he once tried to grow his hair out like the singer, but admitted that he couldn't fully commit to the task.


MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT:
So many to chose from, so I’ll just name them all: The day Susie and I got married, when my inspiration times three were born, and when I began my teaching career.

MOST EMBARRASSING MOMENT:
You can ask my big sister Sandy, but it involves rollerskating.

FAVORITE ACTOR: Bill Cosby

FAVORITE ACTRESS: Phylicia Rashad

FAVORITE SINGERS: Michael Bolton

FAVORITE TV SHOW: The Cosby Show

FAVORITE MOVIE: The Game Plan

FAVORITE ATHLETE: James Worthy

FAVORITE CARTOON: The Flintstones

FAVORITE COLOR: Blue

FAVORITE FOOD: Turkey Spaghetti

FAVORITE ICE CREAM: Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

SECRET TALENT:
I’m a pretty good actor.

IN MY FREE TIME, I LIKE TO:
Relax with my family and friends.

IF I COULD’VE DONE IT DIFFERENTLY:
I would not be the man that I am today. Basically, I’m saying that I wouldn’t change a thing.

MY ROLE MODEL(S) GROWING UP:
Grandma Netta and Grandpa Gary

THE BEST ADVICE EVER GIVEN TO ME:
My Grandma Netta used to always say, “Be sure that you talk to The Lord before you make a decision.”

SOMEONE WHO SHARES MY BIRTHDAY:
Harry S Truman, Don Rickles, Toni Tennille, and Philip Bailey (Earth, Wind, & Fire)

MY DREAM/GOAL IN LIFE IS TO:
Travel cross-country with Susie after we both retire.

THREE WORDS TO DESCRIBE ME:
Loyal, Dedicated, Humble

MY BEST FRIEND (ACE-BOOM-KOOM):
Good Ol’ Jack Marcellia

MY FAVORITE PLACE TO VISIT:
Minneapolis, without a doubt.

IF I HAD ONE WISH:
It would probably want to be the OSW World Heavyweight Champion about now.

SOMETHING INTERESTING ABOUT ME:
You can ask Susie and the kids about this one: I beat the hell out of a burglar with my trusty baseball bat. I delivered some good old-fashioned RBI’s—real bad injuries, if you will.

Not Your Typical First Lady of the Church

Hey there, Ms.Viv ‘Nim Fanatics!

Yesterday, we got to know the Rev. Stanley D. Richardson, pastor of the First Baptist Church in Culver City, California. Today, we will get to know his wife—the lovely Pamela C. Richardson.

Behind every good man is a good woman. In this case, behind every good pastor is a good first lady. The afore-mentioned saying describes Pamela Christine Taylor-Richardson to the letter. Born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio on January 22, 1952 to Lawrence and Angela Taylor, Pamela is the younger of two; she has one older brother, Samuel.

Pamela prayed about one day finding the man of her dreams, but she never imagined that her soulmate would be a minister, much less a pastor. Needless to say, Pamela met and married the Rev. Stanley D. Richardson, and to this union, two children were born.

Pamela enjoys being the first lady of First Baptist Church, but she enjoys it in a humble manner. Aside from the distinct honor of first lady, Pamela teaches the Sunday School Women’s Class, and she is the spiritual advisor to the Young Lilies. When Pamela is not in church, she is teaching sixth graders at Golden Gate Elementary School.


MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT:
The day I married Stanley.

MOST EMBARRASSING MOMENT:
I don’t really have one—and I’m not saying that for general purposes either. I just can’t think of one right now.

FAVORITE ACTOR: Tyler Perry

FAVORITE ACTRESS: Angela Bassett

FAVORITE SINGERS: Shirley Caesar

FAVORITE TV SHOW: I Love Lucy

FAVORITE MOVIE: Madea Goes to Jail

FAVORITE ATHLETE: Venus & Serena Williams

FAVORITE CARTOON: The Jetsons

FAVORITE COLOR: Red

FAVORITE FOOD: Fried Chicken

FAVORITE ICE CREAM: French Vanilla

SECRET TALENT:
I’m an even bigger kid than my husband—just ask him.

IN MY FREE TIME, I LIKE TO:
Watch television with a tub of cheddar and caramel popcorn.

IF I COULD’VE DONE IT DIFFERENTLY:
I would’ve been a cover girl… but then again, y’all ain’t ready for me!

MY ROLE MODEL GROWING UP:
Lena Horne

THE BEST ADVICE EVER GIVEN TO ME:
One who doesn‘t take a chance never really had a chance.

SOMEONE WHO SHARES MY BIRTHDAY:
Diane Lane and Olivia D’Abo

MY DREAM/GOAL IN LIFE IS TO:
Meet Mr. and Mrs. Obama.

THREE WORDS TO DESCRIBE ME:
Kindhearted, Humble-Hearted, and Sweethearted—LOL!

MY BEST FRIEND (ACE-BOOM-KOOM):
Stanley, because we compliment each other so well.

MY FAVORITE PLACE TO VISIT:
Any church where we can fellowship.

IF I HAD ONE WISH:
It would be to visit London, England.

SOMETHING INTERESTING ABOUT ME:
I have only three hats in my collection when I’m getting ready to go to church; otherwise I will put a flower in my hair.

The People's Pastor

Hey there, Ms.Viv ‘Nim Fanatics!

Have you ever wondered about the life of a pastor? Well, get ready to meet Ms. Viv ‘Nim’s pastor, the Reverend Stanley David Richardson.

Long before we knew him as Pastor Rich, he was born Stanley David Richardson in St. Louis, Missouri on April 16, 1950, to Theodore and Joyce Richardson. The oldest of five children, Stanley grew up in a Christian home.

After he accepted the call to preach at age 27, Stanley met and married Pamela Christine Taylor two years later. To this union, two children were born—one son William, and one daughter Sharon.

In 1980, Stanley received a high honor when he succeeded the Rev. Henry Jenkins as pastor of the First Baptist Church in Culver City, California. After 30-plus years as the undersheperd, Pastor Rich has been nicknamed the “people’s pastor.” He takes his role seriously, and he makes it his business to be about God’s business. However, he does have some fun… even up in the pulpit. Such was the case when he knew that some of his congregation members went to an Al Green concert. Pastor Rich said, “I want you all to know that I am very disappointed in you for going to see Al Green. Y’all know that me and wife love us some Al Green—we woulda been more than happy to accompany y’all… but I’m gonna forgive and forget.”


MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT:
Aside from the very first sermon that I preached and marrying Pamela, I‘d say that the next memorable moment would be when our church went on a Holy Ghost Road Trip to one of our sister churches in West Covina. We had so much fun.

MOST EMBARRASSING MOMENT:
Sometimes my human side shows up in my sermons a little too much. Half the time, I don’t even notice.

FAVORITE ACTOR: Denzel Washington

FAVORITE ACTRESS: Halle Berry

FAVORITE SINGERS: Donnie McClurkin and Al Green

FAVORITE TV SHOW: Tyler Perry’s House of Payne

FAVORITE MOVIE:

Madea Goes to Jail, based off Tyler Perry’s play of the same name.

FAVORITE ATHLETE:

Michael Jordan… no diggity!

FAVORITE CARTOON: Bugs Bunny

FAVORITE COLOR: Gold

FAVORITE FOOD: Fried Fish

FAVORITE ICE CREAM: Chocolate

SECRET TALENT:
I’m a big kid… and that’s really no secret—even my whole church knows that.

IN MY FREE TIME, I LIKE TO:

Barbecue at least one Saturday out of the month.

IF I COULD’VE DONE IT DIFFERENTLY:
I would’ve kept everything the same.

MY ROLE MODEL GROWING UP:
Bill Cosby

THE BEST ADVICE EVER GIVEN TO ME:
You get what you give in this life that you life, so be sure and make it good.

SOMEONE WHO SHARES MY BIRTHDAY:
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Martin Lawrence

MY DREAM/GOAL IN LIFE IS TO:
Live the way that I am supposed to live.

THREE WORDS TO DESCRIBE ME:
Spiritual, Humble, and Youthful

MY BEST FRIEND (ACE-BOOM-KOOM):
Anyone that considers me a friend.

MY FAVORITE PLACE TO VISIT:
Disneyland

IF I HAD ONE WISH:
I can’t really think of anything worth wishing for—God has blessed me tremendously.

SOMETHING INTERESTING ABOUT ME:
As love as I love gospel music, I love some Al Green, Four Tops, Temptations, Chi-Lites, and the Stylistics.

Duane Walter Anoai... Enough Said!

Hey there, Ms.Viv ‘Nim Fanatics!

In today’s blog, I would like to introduce to some and present to others, a young man who has a lot going for him. He’s got a great life, great dreams, and a great future ahead of him. Please welcome along with me, Mr. Duane Walter Anoai.

Duane Walter Anoai was born on May 16, 1980 in Los Angeles, California, to Brandon and Jeanette Anoai. He is of African-American and Samoan descent, and the eldest of three. He has one younger brother Owen, and one baby sister Jacqueline.

Duane graduated from UCLA in 2002 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Broadcast Journalism. His dream is to be a great sportscaster or a television personality, but for the moment, Duane works as a data entry operator in Hawthorne, CA. Duane is also an MBA graduate, having earned said degree in Business Administration.

Duane is a huge fan of the Los Angeles Condors, especially quarterback and MVP Trevor Armstrong. His biggest claim to fame thus far has been conducting an interview with the Condors for his internship. Afterwards, Duane received an autograph and a photo with Mr. Armstrong himself—a true fan’s dream for sure.

Duane has also taken on a love interest in one Sarah Elizabeth Douglas. He met her while he was a graduate student, and immediately took a liking to her. Duane admits that he had never met any woman as sweet as Sarah; he also admits that he used to be a playa and a heartbreaker when he was in his younger days. Once the tables turned on him, Duane understood the pain that he put others through, and he took the lessons with him. Duane and Sarah have been a couple since March 2009... does anyone hear wedding bells?


MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT:
When I first met Sarah Elizabeth, a true princess.

MOST EMBARRASSING MOMENT:
On my third date with Sarah Elizabeth, I spilled ketchup on my favorite shirt.

FAVORITE ACTOR: Tyler Perry

FAVORITE ACTRESS: Cassi Davis

FAVORITE SINGER: Usher

FAVORITE TV SHOW: A Different World

FAVORITE MOVIE: School Daze

FAVORITE ATHLETE: Reggie Bush

FAVORITE CARTOON: Dragonball Z

FAVORITE COLOR: Red

FAVORITE FOOD: Steak & Hibachi Chicken

FAVORITE ICE CREAM: Chocolate

SECRET TALENT:
If I told you, then it wouldn’t be a secret anymore… LOL!

IN MY FREE TIME, I LIKE TO: Sing, freestyle, and work on turning my dreams into reality.

IF I COULD’VE DONE IT DIFFERENTLY:
I would’ve paid a little more attention in high school.

MY ROLE MODEL GROWING UP:
Dr. William H. Cosby, no doubt.

THE BEST ADVICE EVER GIVEN TO ME:
Treat your lady like a queen.

SOMEONE WHO SHARES MY BIRTHDAY:
Megan Fox, Tori Spelling, and Pierce Brosnan

MY DREAM/GOAL IN LIFE IS TO:
Be a play-by-play analyst, or own my own business… maybe even both.

THREE WORDS TO DESCRIBE ME:
Cool, Suave, and Friendly… and an extra one--Gentlemanly!

MY BEST FRIEND (ACE-BOOM-KOOM):
Howie D, my main man.

MY FAVORITE PLACE TO VISIT:
Santa Monica Pier

IF I HAD ONE WISH:
I would love to see my grandparents again.

SOMETHING INTERESTING ABOUT ME:
Anyone and everyone who knows me will tell you that I am a video gamer. I gotsta play a little Madden every once in a while… okay, like twice a day.

Startin’ Off The New Year With Sandy!

Happy New Year, Y’all! I pray that 2011 will see your dreams come to fruition, so long as they are positive.

This is Ms. Viv ‘Nim’s first blog of 2011, and there is no better person to talk about than my gal, Sandy Quinn.

Born to Roger and Sylvia Douglas in Minneapolis, Minnesota on January 15, 1953, Sandra Nicole Douglas-Quinn is the third of four children. She has an elder brother Bob, an older sister Cattie, and a baby brother Bret. Although Sandy loves her siblings equally, she is closest to Bret. It was said that when Bret was born, Sandy coddled him as if he was her child. Growing up in Hennepin County, Sandy and Bret were like peanut butter and jelly.

Sandy graduated from University of Minnesota in 1975, with a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology. After graduation, she married Milwaukee native David Quinn. To this union was born one son, Timothy Michael.

Sandy currently works as a guidance counselor at the Helping Hands Center in Hawthorne, California, where she has worked since 1982.


MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT:
When Bret and Susie moved to L.A. with me and Dave.

MOST EMBARRASSING MOMENT:

I was thinking on what to cook, but I was thinking out loud… in front of my boss.

FAVORITE ACTOR: John Ritter

FAVORITE ACTRESS: Suzanne Sommers

FAVORITE SINGS: Michael Bolton

FAVORITE TV SHOW: Three’s Company

FAVORITE MOVIE: A Few Good Men

FAVORITE ATHLETE: Brett Favre

FAVORITE CARTOON: The Flintstones

FAVORITE COLOR: Purple

FAVORITE FOOD: Tuna Sandwich

FAVORITE ICE CREAM: Apricot-Mango Sherbet

SECRET TALENT: I can still rollerskate.

IN MY FREE TIME, I LIKE TO: Have a “Me” Day

IF I COULD’VE DONE IT DIFFERENTLY:
I would move my parents to L.A. with me.

MY ROLE MODEL(S) GROWING UP:
Momma Syl, Grandma Netta, and Cattie

THE BEST ADVICE EVER GIVEN TO ME:
Keep your friends close, and your enemies far, far the hell away from you.

SOMEONE WHO SHARES MY BIRTHDAY:
Martin Luther King Jr., Mario Van Peebles, Shane McMahon, and Regina King

MY DREAM/GOAL IN LIFE IS TO:
Live my life and cherish every moment.

THREE WORDS TO DESCRIBE ME:
Fun, Humorous, and Sexy!

MY BEST FRIEND (ACE-BOOM-KOOM):
My baby brother Bret

MY FAVORITE PLACE TO VISIT:
I actually have three: Minneapolis, Atlanta, and Phoenix

IF I HAD ONE WISH:
Bret and I would probably be OSW Tag Team Champions.

SOMETHING INTERESTING ABOUT ME:
I’m in my mid-50s, and I still look good. Heck, even the few strands of grey in my hair are sexy… LOL!