src=”http://www.ejflavors.com/images/tryptophan.jpg” width=”90″ height=”105″ alt=”Great album!” border=”0″ />

Yeah, it was a long weekend. I could get used to this…
Baker’s Dozen: Tryptophan
Times. From KB’s
Bakers
Dozen.

1. Thursday morning started out with me talking to my cousin that lives more than
a skip and a hop away: "Oh yeah, I’ll be over your house today. Save me a
plate."
2. Thursday afternoon, I eat myself into a tryptophanic stupor. Prime
can cook, y’all. The menu: turkey, macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes, yams,
string beans, dressing. Oh, and cranberry
sauce!!!!
3. Don’t underestimate Prime. I think he has a vat of tryptophan juice somewhere.
Why? I lay down and went to sleep, and didn’t wake up until….
4. …..Friday at around 10. Five hours later than I was used to. Nope, nope.
Won’t be doing any kind of Christmas shopping today. Instead, I’ll just have another
plate. And then take another nap, and wake up around 4. DOH!
5. Saturday, I set about to do some shopping….at the rekkasto that is! Unfortunately,
I’m there a little earlier than I should be and it’s not open. It forces me into
another rekkasto that is open, and around me? Vinyl, vinyl everywhere! (Yo Fresh!
I got TaMara and The Seen!) These days, $14 can take you far!
6. Saturday afternoon, I go visit a cousin that lives all the way across the city.
She gives me enough ham, you know, so I can make it back across the city in all
that traffic. I needed the constant company of the ham goodness to get me through.
That’s my story and I’m stickin’ to it. Damnit.
7. House music, all day long…since I’m on that side of the city, might as well
visit some friends who had the music CDs and bottles of rum out. I’ll take the
house music instead. Thanks.
7. Mo’ tryptophan, mo’ tryptophan, mo’ tryptohan. So much for going out Saturday
night. Instead of leaving the house, I’ll stay in and watch Fresh!
instead.
8. Sunday, lovely Sunday. I contemplate going out to eat or staying in and eating.
You know what the verdict is, right? Riiight. Instead, I rip all the vinyl (note:
you know this makes Old School Wednesdays easy, right?) and sing for part of the
afternoon….
9. …which results in me missing any Sunday games on the television. I’m such
a sports slacker, i swear.
10. I start my New Workout Plan. I’m back doing my gym thing. Something’s gotta
balance out all this good food! Ciara’s One Two Step’s got me bouncin’ all through
my workout, I swear.
11. Finally catch up with all of my relatives. My excuse? Sleeping, sleeping….
12. I finish off the weekend watching The Wire, and walking through the TiVo,
still feeling sleepy as hell. Damn that tryptophan.

Baker’s Dozen: Two states, two people. From KB’s
Bakers
Dozen.

1. The weekend started out witha drive down to my hometown, making no stops whatsoever. Total time, about 4 hours, exactly one tank of gas. Total time there? 25 hours.

2. Yes, I’m a southern boy. How can you tell? Why, not three hours after I’ve arrived, I’m sippin’ on gin and juice (with my mind on my money and my money on my mind) reliving all of the good times. Eventually, though, even I can’t take that much gin, and eventually have to pour the rest down the drain. Drinking and driving don’t mix, trust me.

3. Note to all the people with iPagers: they don’t work in Southern Alabama. The solution – emails through and conversations on the cellular phone. Yes, you too can stand outside and coordinate work efforts from another state. You gotta love it.

4. I hang out with the family, who are all preparing for the funeral the next day. “Remember when” conversations fill the air, and smiles, not tears, are everpresent.

5. Four hours later, I trek on down to Angelica’s house, but you know I gotta wait around ’til she gets there, because my godsons have never met me. Once she’s there, though, it’s on! We would probably have done a whole lot better had there been a bar around, though. You too can spend time just listening to music, jumping to blogsites, and getting into the spirit of why we blog in the first place: to clear our head.

6. On Saturday morning, most people have breakfast and hang with the kids. I do the changeover: I put on the suit and tie and meet old high school friends along the way, and any euphoria I had is tempered with the fact that in about eight months, I’ll be having a 20 year high school reunion.

It’s ironic that today is the 15th, isn’t it? Baker’s Dozen: The magic number of 15. From KB’s
Bakers
Dozen.

1. Depressed about a doctor’s appointment that was less than stellar. Magic number now?
15.
2. Added a couple of work hours this weekend. Total number? 15 x 4 = 60.
3. Missing a play because I had to work this weekend instead.
4. Purchasing and acquiring enough CDs to match the magic number and to satisfy
my musical craving. Total number? 15.
5. Trying to find my way to a birthday party. Amount of minutes it took to find
the party? 3 x 15 = 45.
6. Spending time this weekend being tipsy off of just one drink and having to
eat two slices of pizza AND a greek salad to reverse the effects. Total bill
plus tip? 2 x 15 = $30.
7. After listening to Gaelle’s
CD, being glad I haven’t finished my top ten list of this year, like Todd
has. Amount of money spent on the CD? One dollar just shy of 15.
8. Receiving a phone call this weekend about the passing of my uncle and having
to prepare for a trip to my hometown.
9. Calling up my homey
to prepare for our visit to town this week. Conversation with her? 15 minutes.
10. Still chuckling about a
few of his favorite things….
11. Falling alseep while watching the American Music Awards.
12. Finding out about ODB’s death on more than 15 sites this weekend.

Baker’s Dozen. Laptop Killer Season. From KB’s Bakers Dozen.
1. Laptop Killer works best during the autumn: having to purchase another power supply for Hermes. Obviously I’m destined to have to buy another computer, and it’s not even a year old.
2. Thought about going to see A Tribe Called Quest this weekend for about 10 seconds, and decided against it and went to sleep instead.
3. Do I want to see a play? Naw, I’ll just go to the record store and go back home….
4. Ran into a good friend of J. Brotherlove at the rekkasto who was in town and convinced me that I did not have enough CDs.
5. After listening to the CDs I bought, I became annoyed because nothing was grabbing my attention. My favorite CD this weekend? The Guru Gangstarr CD.
6. Oh, why not…the day’s been a wash…lets go see the play.
7. “I’ll tell you what…I’m not feeling the play, so I’ll be hanging outside and walking around downtown. Just call me when it’s over.”
8. The actor that was in the play that I went to go see did a great job, however. Too bad I didn’t stay to see the second act. I would have probably fallen asleep.
9. Instead of the second act, went to go eat instead at a restaurant that had a singing waiter. Never realized Toni Braxton was 6’1″ and weighed over 200 lbs.
10. Witnessing quite a few bloggers going on hiatus. What a bummer.
11. Football? Wake me around January. Better yet, wake me up during basketball season. Oh wait…it IS basketball season…
12. Working overtime while laying in the bed. It’s the hotness.

Baker’s Dozen. Snoozin’ Season. From KB’s
Bakers
Dozen.


1. Trying to think of 12 useful things I’ve done this weekend is almost like
taking a long exam. In the dark. Without a pencil.
2. However, the bed is my fortress of solitude as sleeping eight to ten hours
a day becomes commonplace now.
3. Conversations with Prime, trying to get
over a cold all weekend, have their moments of dramedy:

ej: what we gonna eat for dinner?
Prime: oh, probably chicken.
ej: you gonna pick it up?
Prime: but I am still dying.
ej: then i will drive your car!!
Prime: I think I have enough life left in me…

4. Got halfway through Getting
Things Done. I have a schedule now. Let’s hope it pans out.
5. First task: only hit snooze button twice each day.
6. I guess John Legend
knows about bootleg
copies of his CD on the street right now.
7. Picked up Human League CDs for the next Old School Wednesday. It’s more than
an adventure, it’s a second job!
8. Not to be constrained with the music for Old School Wednesday, received a
couple of CDs to review for Mixtapes,
Etc. this week too.
9. The next time you invite me to your house, make sure you have some Welch’s
Passionfruit juice, okay? Thanks.
10. I want it to be Summertime, just
like Fresh! does.
11. I don’t know why I’m so enamored with Third
Watch now. It’s the show that keeps me in the house on Friday nights, instead
of hangin’ out with the fellas.
12. And now, for the bizzare show that has me laughing every weekend on Adult
Swim: The
Oblongs. Does this mean I’m demented or just in the house too long?

Baker’s Dozen… the three B’s: bethink, Brak and balding. From KB’s
Bakers
Dozen.

1. I’m much better at the start of this week, because getting off early and
being in an
IM session with two of the warmest people you’d ever wanna meet both online
and offline and talking about so many things in such a small stretch of time
is quite cool and uplifting.
2. Still shouldn’t forget to reflect tomorrow (Tuesday) on the man who touched
quite a few people, both on and offline. Just remember, Any
Road Up. Bethink
indeed.
3. People, if you see a shiny dome on top of my head, it should be revered. An
impending bald spot is synonymous with transforming into an Isaac Hayes wannabe.
Must get my hair cut today…
4. Please, if you have a pet, and she sees little things like blue
pills laying around the floor, she should not treat them as candy, but
alert the housemates that the visitors have dropped the wrong kind of "doggie
treats" on the floor. I’m just sayin’.
5. Am I cool for liking The
Brak Show or what?
6. Am I uncool for not vibing to either Jill Scott or Anita Baker this weekend?
7. RogueAngel?
Me and you, eye to eye. It’s a good thing. We’re gonna have to chat again.
And yeah, I’m gonna get off my butt and blog more…
8. I’m not so sure I’m feeling The
Apprentice this season, but we’ll see just how interesting it’s going
to be.
9. I wasn’t the only one drinking
‘tinis on Saturday.
10. cream
cheese cheesy cheesy cream cheese cheesy cream….
11. I painlessly upgraded to 3.11
and even installed MT-NowPlaying
this weekend (look towards the right at what I’m vibing to now), after the
‘tini’s of course. iTunes…it’s like crack.
12. ..and speaking of crack, I can think of three more: The
Real World Philadelphia, Alias
(now how it plans on coming back in January is killing me), and The
Wire.

Baker’s Dozen… The VMAs. From KB’s
Bakers
Dozen.

1. I’m sure that people out there were secretly fawning Lil’ Jon’s appearance
on stage, and secretly vying for his album…. you all want me to purchase it so y’all can hear tracks on
the next Friday Melodies, right? Riiight.
2. Yes, I know Chaka was a little off key, but by the time she finished off the
set, she had her vocals back. Don’t y’all engage in Chaka hateration now.
3. "Hey Ya" for the best hip hop video was probably the best award.
4. Xtina and Nelly doing a duet (with tapdancing)? Great. Surprised the heck outta
me.
5. Alicia Keys and Stevie Wonder with “If I Ain’t Got You”, also cool.
6. Stevie Wonder, Alicia Keys, and Lenny Kravitz – “Higher Ground” -
Absolutely, positively classic.
7. Speaking of Lenny Kravitz, what about The Gap commercials? Great! Not Gap,
mind you- just the commercials.
8. JT said: Is
that Vivica Fox on stage shaking it like a salt shaker in coochie cutter shorts?
My thoughts exactly. And, yes, we noticed, even though no one else seemed to.
9. I’m still in the “‘We Want Britney Spears’ Toxic but Not The Rest
Of Her Album’ Club” but don’t tell anyone, alright?
10. Everytime I saw Andre 3000 I started singing ‘shake it like a polariod picture’. I’m
jus’ sayin’.
11. I’m waiting for Farnsworth Bentley to have his own show. If Ali G can do it,
why can’t he?
12. The next time you hear us refer to someone as Weavoncey, then you know who
we mean. Blonde, even? Um, no.

Baker’s Dozen, Volume III. From KB’s
Bakers
Dozen.


1. Preparing myself for working two gigs at the same time when I was worried
about not having any just one week ago….50% bliss, 50% anxiety.
2. 12 hour work days for the next month….see above.
3. Cerrone won’t stay out of my head.
4. Must…send…Burn It…CDs….out……
5. Why watch the Olympics when I could live vicariously through
everyone else
around me?
6. Desperately trying to get Prince out of draft mode and publish.
7. MT
Blacklist for MovableType version 3? Heaven.
8. When instant messenger sessions on Sunday revolve around Mark
Adams, TaMara
and the Seen, and Dez
Dickerson’s "Modernaire", who needs to get out of the chair in
the evening?
9. There’s this whirlwind called Multiply
I’m being sucked into…
10. Like JT, also pulled into those
other conversations and nigritude. Might as well make it three and pull
down "Where You’re At…" Who says blogwatching doesn’t pay?
11. Being fixated on The
First $20 Million Is Always The Hardest. I can’t help that I’m a technogeek.
12. Successful sleep-inducing technique: think about cooking. Imagine all the
steps it would take to cook something palatable. Think about how people would
receive the meal. Lay down instead.

Baker’s Dozen, Volume II. Showing love to KB.

From his Bakers
Dozen.

1. You know, on Friday the 13th, I’ll have really good luck or really bad luck.
Still need that new gig.
2. Practicing for McDonalds, in case another gig is unattainable. "Hello,
this is EJ, welcome to McDonalds. Would you like to try my burger?"
3. 3AM on Friday night, Swirlspice
and I are having drinks, and all the while she’s saying how she would love to
pinch my cheeks.
4. Pinching cheeks. All the more reason to have a webcam. I’m jus’ sayin’.
5. I’m so Blackalicious
thanks to an Esoteric
Soul.
6. Enigma says: EJ is a closet
___________. (Fill in the blank).
7. The Village?
I wasn’t pleased nor displeased. Loved
Bryce Dallas Howard, though.
8. Look at the pretty weights. I should use these, you know.
9. Magic
Number? Lisa Hamilton, seriously. Framing the email now, Lisa. Much love.
10. Is there an Aquateen
Hunger Force Anonymous group anywhere?
11. I’m officially a cartoon-head. ATHF, Family
Guy, and now Justice
League Unlimited.
12. EJ the DJ? Has a nice ring to it.

The best way to describe the weekend is to use the ever so convenient stylings
of KB’s
Bakers
Dozen.


1. Getting denied a day off.
2. Planes departing later than they’re supposed to.
3. Having dinner with Ewedontno and Phillipe
which makes up for having a bad day.
4. The Three Musketeers transforming into the three hos: Blog
Ho, Veggie Ho,
and Mac
Ho.
5. Rockin’ at The Roots
concert.
6. Wishing Medeski,
Martin, and Wood would stop speeding their tunes up and attempt to cause a
migraine. Much better when mellow.
7. Making plans to meet up the next time and really do the right thing which is
to go to the rekkasto. Not enough time with them, most definitely.
8. Getting on the wrong trains in NYC on Sunday while trying to make it to Churrascaria
Plataforma and being 30 minutes late.
9. Having only 1 hour to eat and talk with P6,
Bejata, Ronntaylor,
Lynne d Johnson,
Anzi, and Steven
G. Fullwood.
10. Hating the fact that I wasn’t able to have one more drink, two more hours,
and three more helpings of food, easily.
11. Wondering if we’ll ever see Trent
or Trayc, but didn’t even get to
see Hashim or Louis
this time.
12. Hate the fact that I didn’t get home until 1am due to bad weather, and ended up working all night until 7am.
13. Thinking that I will definitely be doing this again in the fall.