Excerpts from the Diary of a Diva

After living in LA for over four years, I'm convinced that good men are hiding. Where, I'm not sure. Don't get me wrong...I'm sure that there are guys in this town who are treating their women with respect and giving them da business. However, I haven't been fortunate enough to make their acquaintance. The guys I've met seem to be extremely selfish with absolutely no regard for what a woman needs. From what I can tell, it's all about them and their satisfaction. The latest guy I met seems destined for that category. Comedian Boy didn't actually approach me. Instead, he slipped me his card. I was intrigued, so I emailed him. A few exchanges later, we were on the phone. His conversation was okay...mostly sarcastic, though. After I giggled a bit, we made tentative plans to hang out. Note that I didn't say, "go on a date." It ended up being a group affair...which was fine. I had a good time -- which I needed because I was deep in ...

On Thursday, June 23rd, Toni Michelle Henderson, lost her battle with diabetes. She was 40 years old. I met Toni in 1990. We were both transfer students. She was from San Antonio and had a wicked wit. She and the other big city girls made fun of my tiny hometown in the outback of Texas. They got a kick out of making me the butt of their country jokes. I hated it, and I hated them for it. But eventually, I learned to look past all that. She was the one who taught me how to play spades because I wanted to meet guys...and the only way to do it was to be able to play cards and talk trash in the lobby. I hadn't learned at home because my grandmother thought cards were of the devil. We also sang in the gospel choir together. She wasn't great at it, but what she lacked in skill she made up for in enthusiasm. A lack of financial aid forced Toni to leave school after a year, but our bond was already forged. Over the years, we hung out all over the country -- in Dallas, New Yo...