Sometimes, Melissa runs her legs. Sometimes, she runs her mouth.

Category: Uncategorized (Page 2 of 13)

Good night, Sweet Love

My friend Kelli owns a bakery. She made it from scratch just like her cakes. She took the empty space with black and white tile and turned it into a wood floor with pastel walls space filled with cookies, macarons, and specialty cakes. She named her creation Sweet Love.

More fall flavors from Sweet Love

More fall flavors from Sweet Love

Kelli made lots of tasty treats including these chocolate peanut butter cupcakes that she called Peanut Butter Yum that were crack. Seriously, Crack y’all. Kelli was also the baker known to make architectural cakes. She even made George Takei an Enterprise birthday cake. She always won two awards for making the best sweet potato pie. The girl had skills.

New fall flavors in mini cupcake form

New fall flavors in mini cupcake form

Today she announced that Sweet Love would be closing in early January. She cited the rising cost of butter and eggs, among other things. Running a business is hard. People who don’t have their own business aren’t aware of all the behind the scenes cost such as supplies, taxes, regulatory fees, and licenses. Depending on the business, these costs add up quickly.

slb_logo

Dick Clark said music is the soundtrack of our lives but I think food is the glue that sustains us. It nourishes our soul and gives us an instant bonding experience. Everybody has to eat and everybody has an opinion on what they think taste good. The conversations had over a good meal are the conversations that are remembered. Many rituals such as weddings and Christmas use food as an integral part. Kelli, through her treats, was a part of all of it.

How cute is this

How cute is this

2011 024

Thanks Kelli for being the pretty and tasty part of our lives. You really did have one of the cutest little shops in Little Rock and I wish you the best.

Procrastination as survey responding

What time is it?? 4:11 (yes I should be working. Hence the title)

At this moment in time, is there anything worrying you, that no-one else knows about?? I’m always worried about failure. I think people would be surprised at how obsessed I am about it.

Have you ever cried in front of the last person you texted?? I don’t text.

What was the last thing you watched on YouTube? I don’t remember but my educated guess would be Adele’s Hello video.

Have you ever voluntarily read the Bible?? I’ve read parts of it but not the entire thing.

Have you ever thought that your life was so bad you wanted to give up?? Yes. Then I went to therapy. There’s no shame in asking for help.

How old are you?? Old enough to not tell you.

When do you start school? I started kindergarten when I was 5.

Do thunder & storms scare you? Usually no, unless there is a lot of wind because tornadoes are scary.

How often would you say you take naps?? Not often enough.

How many times in your life have you held a baby? err…. not very often.

Do you like country music?? On the whole NO! There are certain songs that are exceptions but in general HELL NO.

What were you doing at 7:45 this morning?? I was groggy. NOt awake but not asleep.

When you looked at yourself in the mirror today, what was the first thing you thought??

My hair is a hot mess.

Do you look decent when you wake up?? Decent for what?

Do you like to cuddle?
? YES

Were you single on your last birthday?? YES

Do you have any candles in your room??
None.

How long does it take you in the shower? As long as it takes the hot water tank to run out.

Relationship between you and the last person you texted? I don’t text but the last text I got was from my local running store. They are having a Christmas sale.

When was the last time you felt unbearably guilty? I don’t feel like writing about it. Probably because I still feel unbearably guilty.

Are you currently looking forward to anything?? Freedom. I am looking forward to freedom.

What are two foods you think only taste good with whipped cream?? If you have to cover it up with whipped cream, it doesn’t taste good.

If you eat it, what is your favorite way to eat beef?? I like a good burger.

What foods go good with radishes?? Blech. Radishes taste like dirt.

Are you insecure about your height? What made you think this way?? No. With the exception of being angsty about being taller than most of the boys in 6th grade, I have generally been happy with my height. Being tall is fun.

Did your last significant other have a huge temper? No but he did hold grudges.

Do you usually close the door with your feet or with your hands?? Hands.

What age do you think girls should lose their virginity? There is no should. A person should lose their virginity when they are physically and emotionally ready but ultimately that decision is up to the individual and I am not going to shame them regardless.

Are you a fussy eater?? Still am.

Do you enjoy visiting your grandparents??I have one remaining living grandparent and she is my favorite person.

Is your hair hard to manage? Usually no but lately yes. I blame that god awful hair coloring foam for drying my hair out.

Have you ever shopped online?? yes.

Do you prefer gold or silver? Silver

What about diamonds or pearls?? Neither really.

Have you ever had surgery?? Yes

Have you ever eaten at Chik-fil-a?? Yes

Do you spray tan?? No.

How many hours of sleep would you say you got last night?? About 8. Adequate sleep is a priority in my life.

How many aunts and uncles do you have?. Currently living, I have 3.

Would you say your life is hard? I think I make it harder for myself. IN some aspects, my life is very hard. In others, I am extremely privileged.

Are your fingernails, and toenails painted if so, what color? no

Would you ever think about doing porn?? HELL NAW.

Would you ever cheat on someone if they cheated on you? No. Just dump the person.

Be honest. Ever gotten yourself off?? Who hasn’t? wait.That’s not how it sounds.

What did your last text message you received on your cell say??

What is something you need to go shopping for? I need bananas.

Little Rock (half marathon) love

One of my goals on my bucketlist is to complete a marathon. While I have yet to do that, I have completed multiple half marathons. The Little Rock half marathon was my first half marathon and it is still one of my favorites for many reasons. It is easy enough to finish but tough enough (with hills y’all) to make it a challenge. Every year it is a different adventure.

It is located in the state where I grew up so I always see new friends and old friends from high school and college. I always see someone I know that I haven’t seen in a helluva long time at this race. It is quite a reunion.

Another reason is that the route itself is quite a beautiful tour of Little Rock and North Little Rock. First, the race will take you across the Main street bridge and into the Argenta district of North Little Rock.

Look at beautiful Argenta. Isn’t it pretty? Hopefully it won’t be raining. Thanks photolitherland for this pic.

Then You run parallel to the Arkansas River for miles for mile 2. Then you loop around and come back over the Main street Bridge.

Then you get to go by the Clinton Presidential Library and Heifer International. Landmarks y’all.

And even more. Then you go by McArthur Park (but no cakes in the rain. Even the year that it was raining. No damn cakes). You cross an overpass and end up in the SOMA district of Little Rock, where you pass South On Main, the Esse Purse Museum and the Oxford American magazine office. You then loop around to pass the Arkansas Governor’s Mansion and then the infamous (but beautiful) Little Rock Central High School. Seriously Central’s building is gorgeous.

It’s a fun race with people along the route playing music in their front yards and tons of volunteers providing entertainment along the route. There is usually a marching band playing music in North Little Rock. There are churches giving out water. The whole city comes out to support the runners. It really is a good time.

Also, the medals for these races are some of the biggest in the nation. Come on down, y’all.

Here’s a link to the registration page because I’m nice like that.

Snacks at the most wonderful time of the year

The holiday season is about seeing your friends and family. And goofy Christmas specials on TV. And God and spirituality. (Baby Jesus if you’re Christian) And parties AND FOOD!

Oh the snacks. Party food is the best food. Some people get all ga ga over the Turkey and dressing. I, on the other hand, get all happy over the bites served at the parties beforehand. I like food that you can eat with your fingers while talking smack with your friends. Portable and tasty is a good combination.

Here are some of my favorites. In order to preserve what little girlish figure (HAHAHAH) I still have, I only eat these things during the Holiday Season. I am deliberately leaving out the veggie tray.

Buffalo Chicken Dip (I use the Frank’s Red Hot version when I make it)

2 cups shredded cooked chicken
1 (8 oz. pkg.) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup FRANK’S RedHot® Original Cayenne Pepper Sauce or FRANK’S RedHot® Buffalo Wings Sauce
1/2 cup blue cheese or ranch dressing
1/2 cup crumbled bleu cheese or your favorite shredded cheese

Directions

PREHEAT oven to 350°F.

COMBINE all ingredients and spoon into shallow 1-quart baking dish.

BAKE 20 minutes or until mixture is heated through; stir. Garnish with chopped green onions if desired. Serve with crackers and/or vegetables.

Please don’t sue me Frank’s. I make a complete jackass out of myself eating this stuff. It’s a less messy version of hot wings. I am not going to say how much of this I eat but I am going to say that i am grateful that I run. I have also used this as a way to get rid of leftover turkey.

Those white chocolate covered Oreos. Fortunately, the Oreo people only see these things during the Holiday season. Everybody is happy.

Those little brisket sandwiches served on a roll with hot mustard aka Brisket slider. Some random caterer makes these and many of the holiday parties in Arkansas serve them. I have found them at the bar association annual meeting in the summer. But yeah slide down my throat into my belly.

Sweet Love holiday sugar cookies. Sugar cookies shaped like Santa? HO HO HO

Back in the day, I would say Charcuterie plates was a holiday only but some of the local restaurants have started to serve some awesome appetizer trays.

HELLO? What the hell Adele?

I love Adele. That woman can sing. In a time of rampant autotune, this woman can stand there and belt out a ballad like few others. The few others that get listed as competition are people like Barbara, Whitney, Aretha. Names that are legends. Only time will tell whether or not Adele will herself become one of these iconic singers. I loved her previous albums and was happy to see that she released new stuff.

BUT…

That “Hello” video is hella crazy. It’s up there with Every Breath You Take. Also, it doesn’t make sense in the days of smart phones. And why does Adele have a flip phone in her video?

Let’s go through these magic lyrics shall we….

(I am using “He” because there is a man in the video)

Hello, it’s me

Okay with caller ID. Homeboy knows exactly who you are. Everybody smart phone has one.

I was wondering if after all these years you’d like to meet
To go over everything

Wait. you just said “it’s me” to someone you haven’t seen in all these years. You expect him to just up and know who you are? Really now. REAALLY… Even with caller ID… That’s a little too informal for someone …

They say that time’s supposed to heal ya
But I ain’t done much healing

Obviously. This is okay. Sometimes wounds, especially psychological ones are tricky like that.

Hello, can you hear me?
I’m in California dreaming about who we used to be

He’s not talking. He don’t want to talk to you. Or you got voicemail. Now he knows what state you are in… Unless you are lying.

When we were younger and free
I’ve forgotten how it felt before the world fell at our feet

Yeah.. We all romanticize our youth

There’s such a difference between us
And a million miles

Hello from the other side
I must’ve called a thousand times

A thousand times. A THOUSAND TIMES. Surely you jest. A thousand times without someone answering is stalking Adele. Or you got the wrong number. Or the phone ain’t even ringing except in your head. Oh now I know why you got a flip phone in your video. its’ a burner because homeboy ain’t answering the phone.

To tell you I’m sorry
For everything that I’ve done
But when I call you never
Seem to be home

It’s 2015. everybody has caller ID. Most people have cell phones so it don’t have to be home. He don’t won’t to talk to you. NADA Zip. Not gonna happen.

Hello from the outside
At least I can say that I’ve tried
To tell you I’m sorry
For breaking your heart
But it don’t matter, it clearly
Doesn’t tear you apart anymore

Yes you have tried. Good on you Adele. And it is clear he don’t want to talk to you. You’re sorry. I am sure he gets it.

Hello, how are you?
It’s so typical of me to talk about myself, I’m sorry
I hope that you’re well
Did you ever make it out of that town
Where nothing ever happened?

Yes. This whole trying to talk to him is about you. Not him. It’s about relieving your sense of guilt. It has nothing to do with him.

I am pretty sure after 1000 phone calls that this man is not going to tell you what town he lives in. He don’t want you to know where he lives. He don’t want to talk to you.

It’s no secret
That the both of us
Are running out of time

OH girl.

So hello from the other side (other side)
I must’ve called a thousand times (thousand times)
To tell you I’m sorry
For everything that I’ve done
But when I call you never
Seem to be home

Other side of what? I’m confused. Other side of mental health. It’s not about him being home. It’s about him not answering the phone. He don’t want to talk to you.

Hello from the outside (outside)
At least I can say that I’ve tried (I’ve tried)
To tell you I’m sorry
For breaking your heart
But it don’t matter, it clearly
Doesn’t tear you apart anymore

Ooooohh, anymore
Ooooohh, anymore
Ooooohh, anymore
Anymore

Hello from the other side (other side)
I must’ve called a thousand times (thousand times)
To tell you I’m sorry
For everything that I’ve done
But when I call you never
Seem to be home

Hello from the outside (outside)
At least I can say that I’ve tried (I’ve tried)
To tell you I’m sorry
For breaking your heart
But it don’t matter, it clearly
Doesn’t tear you apart anymore

Outside. Otherside. Yeah yeah yeah.

This guilt and remorse is about you girlfriend and you need to borrow a song from the kiddos.

Let it go.

This is about you not respecting his boundaries. He obviously doesn’t want to talk to you. He could have picked up the phone. He hasn’t it. He has sent his message. He knows your sorry. He either doesn’t care or doesn’t see the need to rehash it.

I get that pain lingers. Even the wounds of the soul can get infected but wow. Please stop. I get reconnecting but damn. I am not sure these lyrics are indicative of that.

Bang Bang

“We have met the enemy and he is us,” Walt Kelly

Yes I am a day late and a dollar short already Holidailies. Life is funny that way.

I have watched the news. There are more shootings. There are more mass shootings now than ever. And there is speculation on why this one occurred with people yelling over each other.

Does it matter why? Does it only matter how? The only thread that seems to matter is that each person thought shooting a bunch of people would solve their problems. Terrorists of the islamic persuasion seem to think violence will carry out a jihad. A random white guy thinks killing a bunch of people at Planned Parenthood will stop abortions. Another guy thinks killing a bunch of kids will stop the demons in his mind from haunting his dreams. Ultimately, killing solves none of these problems.

Will slowing down the sale of guns help? Does having guns make us safer? How many people carrying guns have stopped any of these mass killings. There is no such thing as perfect safety. Even a person in a hermetically sealed bubble runs the risk of suffication.

The fear based dehumanization of others needs to stop. A person is more likely to be killed by someone he already knows. A woman is more likely to be killed by an abusive partner. There isn’t a magic decider ring to see evil.

I have no solutions. I only have questions. Lots and lots of questions.

Back in the saddle: 5 (or 4.75 because I can’t add) miles and other things

Life has been a little tough for me lately. If you are the praying time, please pray for me.

All this life kicking my ass distracted me from my running routine so today was my attempt to get back on track running wise. According to my training calendar, I was to run 5 miles today. I am currently housesitting Grandma manor and puppysitting Breezy the bitchingest Bichon.

Breezy the bitchin' bichon

Breezy the bitchin’ bichon

That is one cute dog. JoJo, while not friendly with the dog, has reached a point of tactfully ignoring her. I guess I should praise his manners. No blood shall be shed in the eternal dog vs. cat war over here.

The weather yesterday was perfect for running. The route I chose was up and down a straight road. I know from running here before that from my grandma’s house to the church down the road and back is two miles and from my grandma’s house to Sonny’s house is a mile. I inadvertently stopped my Runkeeper app during my run so I have t logged on twice for my one run. I didn’t realize until I got back and was relaxing that the amount of distance of the driveway made a big difference in the calculation of those one and two miles. Also, there were these beagles that were loose that were “helping” me “run.” My intervals were faster due to my new running form and cadence but that also got me tired quicker. I will build.

I have also been reading. I finally got around to reading Gone Girl. I was already partially spoiled by the time I picked it up but it just made me enjoy the ride a little more. The physical descriptions of the main character Nick Dunne show that Ben Affleck was born to play this role.

“I have a face you want to punch: I’m a working-class Irish kid trapped in the body of a total trust-fund douchebag. I smile a lot to make up for my face, but this only sometimes works.”

. . .

“He looks like the rich-boy villain in an ’80s teen movie – the one who bullies the sensitive misfit, the one who will end up with a pie in the puss, the whipped cream wilting his upturned collar as everyone in the cafeteria cheers.”

Seriously. Look at those quotes. I even said out loud in the house by myself, “holy shit that is a perfect descriptionn of Ben Affleck” The story itself is a wild ride with some crazy people that you would never want as friends.

After the storm

Tragedy blows through your life like a tornado, uprooting everything, creating chaos. You wait for the dust to settle and then you choose. You can live in the wreckage and pretend it’s still the mansion you remember, or you can crawl from the rubble and slowly rebuild… Because after disaster strikes, the important thing is that you move on. But if you’re like me, you just keep chasing the storm.
Veronica Mars

I have lived in Arkansas for most of my life and as a result, have dealt with tornados for most of my life. I remember having tornado drills in elementary skill. We would leave our classrooms and go into the hall. We would line up against the walls and get on our knees, put our heads on the floor with our hands on the back of our heads. It wasn’t the most comfortable position even for a seven year old and they seemed to last forever.

My first tornado was when I was 10. It was around one in the morning and I was asleep. I remember the loud rumbling that sounds like a train running over your head. I remember the sound of broken glass as the tornado’s change in air pressure formed a vacuum and sucked out one of the windows. (Pro tip: leave a crack in one of the windows of your home to prevent this from happening to you) I remember freaking out and running to my parents’ bedroom only to find my brother had beat me by two seconds. To be fair, it was his bedroom window that was sacrificed to the tornado gods.

This week, a major tornado ripped through my state. It went about twenty miles north of my house and a mile from the home where I used to live. It ravaged the towns of Mayflower and Vilonia. As of today, the number dead is fourteen. I sat on my futon watching Netflix with the television on one of the local television stations. I heard tornado sirens in the background. I had an emergency kit in my first floor bathroom, ready to go if I was in a position where I needed to “take cover.” Fortunately for me, that never happened.

Photo by Forbidden Hillcrest Facebook page.

Photo by Forbidden Hillcrest Facebook page.

My friend Cotton is a storm chaser and managed to get into the thick of it. The tornado picked up his truck and moved it 120 feet. He is okay. ‘

The thing that people who don’t live with tornadoes fail to understand is how sudden they are. Sure, we get the “tornado warning” and the sky gets a certain tell tale shade but the actual tornado is sudden and quick. It sounds like a freight training running you over and the timing and devastation is probably about the same. One second you are driving along. The next you hear a loud noise and then boom. Suddenly it’s all over and everything is ruined.

Things like tornados remind us how insignificant we are in the grand scheme of things. They remind us of the the power of nature and the randomness of it all. They remind us of how lucky we are to be alive each and every day of our lives.

Valentine’s Day 5K (rescheduled March 16th) recap

The Valentine’s Day 5K, which was originally scheduled on February 8, 2014 and postponed due to ice, was held on March 16, 2014 on the Bona Dea Trails near Russellville, Arkansas. This was two weeks after the EPIC Little Rock Marathon that was rerouted due to the cold and rain. Even though the weather was decidedly springlike in the the weeks prior to the race, we managed to run in the barely above freezing rain yet again. There were bits of sleet mixed in with the rain.

I carpooled up with some of the my running club buddies and the mantra was “anyone can do anything for 3 miles” We all packed an extra change of clothes. This was the first race in my new running shoes. This was the first time I had used this brand. I am usually a Brooks Ariel girl. I wore my usual jogging pants and put a trash bag on top of my shirt.

This race was much harder than the 10k two weeks earlier. My legs felt “heavy.” I am not sure why. Also, the shoe laces kept coming untied. The trail itself was beautiful and winding. This gave the feeling that I was running farther than I was. I also got distracted by the beauty of the trail during some of the walk breaks. Also, the first turn at a “V” in the road wasn’t apparent and I spent a couple of minutes questioning whether or not I made the right turn. I finally finished. That’s how I felt. I finally finished.

Then we changed into dry clothes, drank gas station hot chocolate, and went home.

My time: 50:45.8 16:22/M

Thanksgiving Gratitude

The turkeys are thankful to not be dinner

The turkeys are thankful to not be dinner

Tomorrow is the day of the Turkey. The day to give Thanks for all your blessings and a time to spend with friends or family. For the most part, I have spent Thanksgiving with my family. When my Dad’s parents were alive, I would spend Thanksgiving on their farm with many of my Dad’s five brothers and sisters and their kids. It was a large event with at least twenty people in attendance. The food cooking duties were shared among the various family members and we would come together to eat and play. In many ways, this was the only time of the year we would all be together.

Time marched on. My Mamaw died and my Papaw got Altzheimer’s. For a couple of years, we would go to the farm but it wasn’t the same. Mamaw was the glue that held us together and without her big heart, we scattered across the State. One of my Aunts had five kids of her own and when her kids got to having their own kids, she started having her own Thanksgiving at her house.

Now we have Thanksgiving at my Mom’s Mom’s house and the best dog in the world. It’s a tiny intimate affair and my Grandma cooks way too much food. I could probably eke out leftovers until Christmas if I really wanted to do so. She is my last living grandparents and she is getting older. She is noticing her aging and it frustrates her. She goes to many medical appointments but she, at 82, is still able to live alone and tell me a good tale. I am grateful that she is still with me, body and spirit. She is pure love.

« Older posts Newer posts »

© 2024 Melissa Runs

Theme by Anders NorenUp ↑

WordPress Web Hosting