Month: December 2015

I binged watched Jessica Jones, a series that is being shown on Netflix.

IT is based on a comic book called Alias and is part of the Marvel universe of characters. I have not read the books before and had little information about the story before watching. I was drawn to it because the idea of a female private eye dealing with trauma from the past sounds very reminiscent of Veronica Mars. Veronica Mars is my spirit animal. So I was down with all of it.

This show took you to a very dark place and didn’t really let up. It is a place where if you look into the abyss, the abyss looks into you and even those who win will still carry the scars of battle. Krysten Ritter plays the traumatized and barely coping private sleuth. She is an orphan whose parents died in a car accident when she was young. She was adopted by a stage Mom whose daughter was the star of a popular children’s show. Somehow she got magical abilities and is super strong. She gets caught up with a mind controlling man named Killgrave who is obsessed with her. HE used his mind control to keep her captive and have her do his bidding. She is scarred by the things she did and the things she saw. The overall arch is Jessica coming to terms and getting justice for what Killgrave did to her with Killgrave making efforts to get her back.

The show does a great job at recreating the atmosphere of noir that permeated old timey crime dramas. No one is innocent and everyone gets burned a little. Krysten Ritter does a great job playing someone with baggage. For me, it was quite a departure from the Gia Goodman character that she played on Veronica Mars.

There are quite a few overlaps with Veronica Mars. A woman is raped and is coming to terms with it but this is a Veronica without a Keith. There is no father figure and Jessica is much more alone in the world. Her support system appears to be her adopted sister Trish. Jessica drinks and is surly. She knows it is not her fault but she is much more haunted by the events than Veronica. Then again, Veronica is haunted because she doesn’t remember what happened to her while Jessica can’t seem to forget any single second. Jessica manages to drink a shitload of whiskey.

Killgrave is an interesting character in the sense that he has this mind control that is definitely a super villan quality that exists only in fiction. He does, however, seem to be an exaggeration of the emotionally abusive narcissist who manipulates people to get what he wants and who is more interested in possession and control rather than love. That is the creepy. He is so close to someone real that he makes you stop and think. He is well dressed and charming but a complete psychopath. He forces a kid to sit in the closet and pee there because the kid was making too much noise. IN his own mind, he is a victim— just like every husband who has beaten his wife. I’ve heard it before.

The overall arch is about Jessica empowering herself and getting out from underneath from Killgrave’s thumb. She manages to do that. She also manages to prevent him from hurting anybody else but there are casualties in the war. It wouldn’t be noir without it. It’s a show that sits with you in the back of your head while you think about it. It forces you to think about the world you live in as well as the world of the show. For all its dark fantasy, it reminds you of the darkness in your own world. And that is the power behind the show.

A Holidailies post

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

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

“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.