A Different World with Linda Scott 1426 Inc.

I just got back a couple of weeks ago from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where I returned to work once again with my friend Linda Scott and her company Linda Scott 1426 Inc. This year's production was themed "A Different World" and she brought me in to host and commentate the show as well as giving a few runway tips to the models.

The show was scheduled for Sunday evening but Linda decided to fly me in for the weekend. I flew out of New York on Halloween and I decided to purchase a sandwich, some chips and some water to eat on the flight. Why was I TOTALLY surprised that one of the vendors had the nerve to ask for $8.49 for HALF A DAMN SANDWICH!!!!! I decided that today was not going to be the day that LGA was gonna pimp me out. I walked over to Au Bon Pain and bought a WHOLE tuna wrap for 2 bucks less.

I flew in on Spirit Airlines, the flight was packed to capacity and to top it all off I was stuck in a middle seat!!! If you have never had the pleasure of flying on Spirit Airlines, if you are over 5'7" in height you should avoid this airline at ALL COSTS!!!! I guess the first 3 rows were considered "first class" because they were wider seats and had ample amount of leg room but from rows 5 to the end of the plane there must have been perhaps a foot and a half of space between the seats - AND the heifer at the check in counter gave me a MIDDLE seat!!! I felt like a sardine and my knees IMMEDIATELY began to ache. The little man sitting in the aisle seat must have sensed my discomfort because he graciously offered to switch seats with me (and I will love him forever for that). That flight was filled with hollering children (it WAS Halloween), frazzled grandparents and ignorant travelers insistent upon trying to stuff their luggage in the (already filled to capacity) overhead bins. And then to top it all off, I felt myself coming down with something (my throat & ears were beginning to feel funny)...whoo wee!!! I couldn't wait for it to be over.

As the flight attendants made their way through the cabin with the beverage & meal cart I decided to see what you could get for free - so I asked "what do you get for free now?", she looked at me with a totally straight face and replied "ice in a cup", then she hung her head in shame. And you have to have a debit or credit card, as they no longer take cash. I swear I couldn't wait for that damn flight to be over!!!! As I arrived at the Miami/Ft. Lauderdale airport I was greeted with overcast skies but beautiful weather....it immediately lifted my mood and my thoughts were filled with visions of Tuna Tartare from Mango's Cafe!!!

My running buddy from the last trip, Jerry Scott (Linda's hubby) picked me up from the airport with presents in hand (thanks boo!) and I noticed immediately that he was walking with a slight limp. He told me had injured his foot earlier in the week. I knew right away that I was in for a calmer trip this go round...(lol...last year Jerry Scott tried to KILL me with all the activities) and I decided to let him off the "escort" hook this time.

We went directly to the hotel, where I checked into my room, dropped off my bags and decided to meet up with Linda & Marco at their home. Upon arrival at The Scott's home I got reacquainted with designer Agape (http://www.agapegoddesswear.com/) who I had the pleasure of meeting at Full Figured & Fabulous in Atlanta a few years ago. Linda & Marco arrived shortly after and between glasses of wine & bites of the delicious sea bass that Jerry cooked, we began packing and filling boxes full of shoes for the show on Sunday. Linda & Agape went off to pick up a sewing machine to bring to Agape's room and Marco & I boxed the remainder of the shoes and headed back to the hotel....where we were all supposed to meet up later and hang out for a while.

On the way back to the hotel, I asked Marco to stop off somewhere so that I could pick up some cold medicine (because I had begun to really feel bad and I needed to keep that cold "at bay" till I could get home!). I picked up some of that Theraflu Warming cold medicine and laid down to nap for a moment, until Marco called me back. Well, the Theraflu knocked me right out and I didn't wake up until Agape called and asked if I wanted them to pick me up. Still not feeling too good, I reluctantly declined because I really didn't need to get any sicker than I already was.

By the next morning (Saturday) I was feeling much better and since Agape & I didn't really have to "work" until the fitting that evening, we decided to go on an adventure and meet up with some of her friends at Rick's Cafe on Hollywood Beach. Rick's cafe sits right on the beach with outdoor dining and indoor dining - but windows are wide and open and the smell off the salty sea blows through out the cafe - Simply heavenly to me! After riding around in circles for a moment....lol...no maps for us ya'll! We met up with Pam Patton & Rebecca Harvey, who are best friends and are working together on a project to launch a new line of flavored Elite Vodkas called "V Georgio". (http://www.vgeorgio.com/)

We took the seats aligning the window and the ladies were fun and so full of energy, that I just sat and listened for awhile, sipping on a most delicious coconut mojito! (did I say the drinks were good?)

By the time I'd ordered my second drink (this time a watermelon mojito) and some fried calamari; Pam and Rebecca had gave me the complete run down of their upcoming Vodka launch and even invited me to come over later and sample some of their product. We hung out for a good little while and then decided to head back to the hotel for the model fitting. Before we headed back to the truck Agape decided to head down to the shore and get her feet wet for a moment. I decided to sit on the beach wall and wait (cuz mama don't like the feel of sand on her skin...ick!).

I hung out with Agape for a little while longer and then I decided to take advantage of the free time and take a short nap before the fitting. That fried calamari gave me some really bad gas and I had to take an Alka-Seltzer chaser...lol. By the time I got downstairs, the ladies were trickling in but the fitting hadn't officially begun.

I stayed out in the hall to give some last minute runway tips to some of the models. I also stuck around to check out the rehearsal of the musical guest for the next evening. I wound up being in that ballroom for several hours and Marco promised me that as soon as the fittings were done he would take me to get some tuna tartare. Well those fittings went on for so long that I eventually just quietly headed back to my room - stomach just GROWLING!!! (lol).

It had to be well after 1am when Agape called and said she was famished and simply HAD to have something to eat. I met her downstairs and we drove to the only place open at that hour - IHOP. We were really hungry so we didn't even care. She ordered an omelet I think and although my common sense told me to order a salad that late in the evening; I went ahead and ordered a philly cheesesteak with sauteed onions.....at 2AM!!( I KNOW ya'll know where I am going with this......)

That cheesesteak was so good that I practically wolfed it down and by the time I got back to the hotel - I swear I had so much gas from those onions that I was blowing reville out of my a@# (for real!). I was phoning home to have my monster put together a list for my memorial service!!! I thought I was going to die right there in my hotel room! THAT'S how bad it was. Can you say "double Alka Seltzer" shaken not stirred? lol...

I slept soundly through the night lol...doped up on Theraflu & Alka Seltzer. I didn't get up until I heard the cleaning people in the hallway and realized I had run out of coffee in my room. I looked outside of my door and saw that they were a couple of doors down, so I walked down and asked for some coffee refills. At the sound of my voice, Agape (her room was directly across from mine) opened her door and requested some coffee as well.

When I got to her room I found her busily working at the sewing machine (mama was up all night creating last minute outfits) and we talked for a while and made plans to go on another adventure, since neither of us needed to be back until 4pm.

We met downstairs and decided to let the wind just take us wherever....we wound up hanging at this huge plant nursery for a few hours. It was like a giant outdoor maze and there were all sorts of beautiful plants, pottery & furniture.
There were little streams & bridges to cross, waterfalls & butterflies (okay...so I didn't actually SEE a butterfly but it sounded good!) it was quite beautiful and it made me think of my mom (who loves plants & flowers). I left Agape to her thoughts and decided to relax on a beautiful chaise lounge that was near the wind chime display. The weather was exquisite and before I knew it, the beautiful sounds of the wind blowing through the chimes lulled me right to sleep. It wasn't a deep sleep, because I knew I was in a public place and I knew we had to be back on set by 4pm. At 3:58, I woke up startled, looked at my watch and set of to find Agape.

Together we walked back to the truck and on the way back we talked about how peaceful our adventure was today. I made a mental note of how much I liked this lady and how I definitely needed to stay in touch with her.

We checked in with Marco, who asked me to be back downstairs by 5:30pm for the 6pm show. I headed upstairs to shower and change into my "Runway Diva" persona. I decided to rock an Orange Douglas Says number for the first half of the show and a red number by Veronica Lipscomb for the second half. I was actually drooling at the thought of wearing an original Agape creation, but alas, we never did find the time to make it happen.

I got back downstairs by 5:30pm and got myself together to commentate the show. The mission of Linda Scott 1426, Inc. is to "focus on women from adolescence through adulthood. The goal of the company is to evoke positive images, enhance self-esteem, produce successful lifestyles, and promote the beauty within. Believing that every woman should be empowered to explore her destiny. The company promotes a culture of excellence by providing a vehicle for every woman to reach her optimal potential. Linda Scott 1426, Inc is committed to generating a spirit of leadership, wellness & positive self-concept."

Their motto is "If you're standing tall, your only destination is the sky."

This is the kind of company that I love being associated with. Ya'll know I am gung-ho about women learning to love and appreciate themselves.

The show opened up with a live performance of the Ike & Tina Turner classic "Proud Mary". By Beverly Big Wheelz & Company (and no, I didn't make that name up...lol). The crowd went crazy during her performance and it was a great way to open up the show. The only distraction for me was the way that she was dressed - and the fact that she had on sneakers. (Performer that I am....sneakers don't belong on a stage unless they are medically necessary).
"A Different World" showcased designs from Voluptuous You, ( http://www.voluptuousyou.com/ )Thy Way, Sango Ronke Int'l Design, Agape Goddesswear and Glisten Gems of Glamour & Grace. The show was a mix of vibrant prints, colors and styles. The models were a beautiful mix of curvy girls in a wide array of sizes, shapes and skin tones. It's a beautiful thing when women feel good about themselves and I saw a whole lot of that on the runway that night. The clothing of Agape mixed with some fabulous one of a kind bag designs by Glaja Mayne (http://www.glajamayne.com/) was a big hit on the runway! Honestly ya'll these were some of the baddest bags I have seen in a long time. But Linda's son Marcus nearly stole the show with his surprise appearance on the runway and a patented "mannequin" turn!

The entire event ran a maximum of about 2 1/2 (with clothing sale included) and I was impressed at how much cleaner this show ran in comparison to the last time I was there. Linda closed the show out in a fabulous yellow gown by Agape. After the sales wrapped and everything was locked down, we all hit the road and headed (finally) to Mango's...on the drive visions of tuna tartare danced through my head. We finally get inside the restaurant and as an added bonus there's a live band playing...I am giddy until I find out that the KITCHEN IS CLOSED!

My heart sank. I didn't want anything to drink after that....I was totally bummed. I sorrowfully headed back to the truck and we decided to drive back to Nick's Cafe. My spirits lifted by the time we reached Nick's...there was a live act there also and THEY were still serving food. We decided to take some booths over facing the ocean (which was now pitch black), order some drinks and check out the menus.

I was in the mood for another coconut mojito and managed to talk a few others into ordering the watermelon ones! The duo on the stage announced that they were playing their last song, the Donna Summer tune "Last Dance"; out of the blue Linda decided she felt like singing and the next thing I know homegirl was on the mic. We (me, Agape & Chandra Evans) supported her on the dance floor and we quickly found dance partners in these 2 Guyanese guys. We were having a ball. After the song finished we headed back to our table and proceeded to demand some encore numbers from the duo. They agreed and we all rushed back to the dance floor when they started playing soca music.

All that dancing made me hungry and I decided that my last meal in Fort Lauderdale was going to be king crab legs, with corn on the cob, a baked potato and some cole slaw. It was heavenly. As we ate, we talked about the days events and how good the food was. Our new friends joined us and bought a round of drinks. We took pictures, drank and talked until folks started yawning.

After saying good night and wishing folks well, I headed back to my room to get a few hours sleep before cramming myself back into that tiny a#@ plane!

The trip back home was pretty much uneventful (except for the really rude passengers) and I even managed to snag an aisle seat in row 4 (right behind "first class" and I even had enough room to move around in!).

Thanks for the Fort Lauderdale....no worries...I'll be back soon...I'm coming for my TUNA TARTARE!!! And to the many wonderful folks who gave me the beautiful gifts....Thank you!

Linda Scott's website is http://www.lindascott1426inc.com/

Make service your first priority, not success and success will follow.