this is what i see

last month, my baby laptop arrived. i sold my old compaq laptop and bought an asus eee pc and had a friend upgrade it to 20gb. it has a seven inch screen (see above) and weighs just over a pound. in other words, i can carry it in my purse. i love it. <3

i love the whole world, i really do

run, imelda marcos, run

i've been running for exercise with the goal to run a 5k here and there. and last week, i ran just under a total of ten miles. but i've been slowing down rather than speeding up. shin splint and knee pain are to blame. last night, i could barely eke out a mile and a half.

me: i told cara about it and she scolded me for running with really old shoes
me: they're nearly ten years old
me: you're supposed to change them up every six months, because the tread wears
me: oops, i guess
mike: man!
mike: melissa
mike: i know you totally hate new shoes, but buy some online this instant!
me: hahahha

i know, like i need an excuse. the sad thing is, since i love my old running shoes (sauconys), i never thought to replace them while they're "intact." so, i need suggestions because clearly i don't know what i'm doing. i want something good for pavement running that won't cost me $100 or more. i avoid white, because arkansas is full of that good ol' red clay mud. and i know half of this blog's audience consists of runners, so i am at your wise command.

on dunder and blixen

one of the more terrifying things, in my opinion, is lightning. and i'm convinced that this area must sit directly below jupiter's perch (see video for area footage on the subject).

but tell that to my husband, and he'll comfortingly remind you that you're irrational. because statistically, your chances for a car wreck or cancer trump lightning by far. he's right in that comparative context. but there are facts about storms that lightning-brave folks often aren't aware of or ignore:

• while death is a possibility, hundreds more suffer life-debilitating injuries: memory loss, attention deficits, sleep disorders, numbness, dizziness, and weakness


• location and personal behaviors are sufficient variables in likelihood for harm


• lightning causes more deaths than do most other natural hazards (e.g., hurricanes and tornadoes)


• lightning is the cause of nearly 10,000 forest fires every year in the united states


• property damage caused by lightning can total over $2 billion a year and lightning hitting a home (or a tree nearby the home) can render home electronics useless in a second flat
  

that's my lightning PSA. the more you know, the less you glow¹.

1. sorry, that was punful².
2. sorry, that was worse.

want to eat a hary thing

this month has been the most stressful month of work, yet. and i've neglected posting. that is about to change with this little outlook treasure that just popped up from my best friend's little girl:

I want to talk to you about caterpillars.Caterpillars have bristles on there backs because it helps them blend in and wich bird would want to eat a hary thing.Caterpillars have six eyes three on one side and three on the other.Caterpillars have six real legs and ten fake legs.When a caterpillar turns into a butterfly it dousent have the fake legs.I know a lot about caterpillars because i'm learning about them in class.


your friend
madison