Ms. Eclectic texted me about an hour ago telling me to turn on the news. I did, and ever since we’ve been following this story about an industrial plant in downtown Dallas exploding. Literally.

Thankfully, Fuzzy, whose office is very near there, and whose route takes him through the intersection of I-30 & I-35 which is currently closed, was late, and decided to take his conference call from home today.

But now? Now he’s saying he plans to drive into the office.

I informed Ms. E. of this, and her response was a rather Shatneresque “Good. God.”

My reply? “Wasn’t there something about God protecting fools and little children? The operative word here being ‘fools’.”

More pragmatically, my mother simply advised me to make sure his life insurance was current.

Waiting

Received the book via Amazon at 2:30 this afternoon, but only got about 300 pages in before we had to get ready to go to ComedySportz, where we started with only ten reserves, and ended up with a full house. I wasn’t playing tonight, but had made arrangements to shadow the Sound person, because I want to learn sound.

Afterwards a bunch of us went to dinner.

And then we came home and I had to give the dogs attention, and dinner, and Miss Cleo who tries to eat fingers when we attempt to clip her nails had ripped her dew claw apart digging up carpet, and we were just talking about dosing her with benadryl and clipping it, when she chewed it off.

So I just finished it about fifteen minutes ago, and I’m still digesting it, of course, and in a day or so there will be an actual review at Bibliotica but for now, I’m only going to repeat what I told my husband, which was that there were a few things I’d have preferred to be different, but overall it was immensely satisfying.

And then I just read almost the same words in one of the livejournals on my f-list.

I’ll admit my eyes are wet, and have been since a chapter near the end, and much of what happened was predictable, but…still…it was satisfying.

And with that, I am going to bed, and if we wake up before Monday, we’ll go see Hairspray.

In IM chatter with the lovely and wise Sky just a bit ago, the subject of confidence came up. I said I needed more of it, she asked “what is confidence?”

We talked around the subject for a bit, throwing out elements. I suggested “faith,” which she accepted, and “attitude,” which she thought implied arrogance rather than confidence.

We agreed that confidence is grounded by something. She used the word “solid” and then the word “surety.”

“Surety.” Yes. I like this word. I said so.

She thew out words like “positivity” and “optimism” and there was a CLICK inside my head. You know the kind. The incandescent lightbulb of an IDEA beginning to form.

“Pose,” I said.

“Poise,” she countered.

“No. POSE.” And I explained:

Positivity. Optimism. Surety. Energy.

=
Confidence.

So. Strike the POSE.

Thirteen Things about MissMeliss 13 Things that begin with L Lama / Llama: Whether it’s the venerated holy one, or the beast of burden, I like lamas and llamas. The one speaks to my soul, the other to the part of me that likes to pet animals. And because a T13 isn’t complete without a quotation, here, have some Ogden Nash. The one-l lama, He’s a priest. The two-l llama, He’s a beast. And I will bet A silk pajama There isn’t any Three-l lllama. Lamplight: Nothing is cozier than the soft glow of a soft pink bulb on a rainy day. Sometimes, especially in winter, I turn off the big lights and use lamps just for the mood. Kerosene lanterns are nice, as well. Lemons and Limes: I like oranges and tangerines, of course, but it’s the tarter citrus fruits that really spark my interest. I’m a great fan of lemons and/or limes in water, cranberry juice, tea, or just in pretty bowls – food as art. And in the summer, nothing beats a chilled lemon- or limeade. L’Engle, Madeleine: Her book A Wrinkle in Time was my first doorway into fantasy and science fiction, and it was by lamplight during a lightning storm that I curled up on a quilt in a good friend’s guest room with a bowl of carob chips and cool water, reading while my mother socialized. I was all of eight. Later, I began reading her general fiction and non-fiction. Her Crosswicks Journals are fascinating, and Certain Women is one of my favorite books to re-read. Levers: More than useful devices, levers remind me of my grandfather teaching me physics in a way my four-year-old self would grasp. Licorice: I like both kinds – red and black – but licorice also reminds of my grandmother’s “beach soap.” Tiny round cakes of black licorice-scented soap she’d stash in her beach tote in case the public restrooms were out of soap. Which they often were. Lightning: I love storms as much for the lightning as for the rain and wind. Nature’s fireworks are so primal and exhilerating. Lipstick: Black sunglasses and fuck-me-dead red lipstick were a favorite look when I was in college. Now? I favor coppery colors, though there’s this one tube of sparkly raspberry sorbet that I just love. Little Women: One of my favorite books ever, along with its three sequels. Jo March remains my hero. Lists: I like listing things, in the survey sense (as if my participation in this meme wasn’t a clue), but I don’t generally make “to do” lists. Lizards: I detest bugs, but I love lizards, especially the cute little geckos and anoles that populate my back yard and eat the mosquitoes and the fire ant eggs. I’ve always wanted a pet iguana, but dogs are better for interaction. Love: Whether it keeps us together, eases our minds, or is simply all we need, love is a pretty cool thing. Like ‘hate’ we tend to over-use it, but somehow such casual use doesn’t diminish it when it’s used in a meaningful way. Lyrics: I like music just fine, and while I appreciate classical pieces and instrumental fare, for me, it’s as much about the lyrics as the actual tune. Part poetry, part prose, often cheesy, somehow lyrics convey what spoken words simply cannot.

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I’ve always had a rule about not using my real picture on my blog. Oh, the pink-wig pic is me, but it’s me when I’m tan, and the image is way shrunken, and the pink part is a virtual wig. I used to be involved in some political causes that had life-threatening consequences, you see. I still believe in those causes, but enough time has passed.

And as a friend pointed out, I write about pink hair rather enticingly.

So I’m making an exception, once, and sticking it up here in this post. Yes, I’m wearing shades. It was very bright and my eyes were teary from pollen. Also, it’s the best look at the hair, despite the wind. And I hate my teeth, so I don’t like to smile. (Also, I couldn’t find my favorite lipstick, and I suspect my dog might have eaten it.)

No, it probably doesn’t look as magenta as it really IS, in the image. It looks amazing on stage though, with those lights shining behind it. I’m told it will fade to a paler pink. It looks pretty cool on the oxford blue pillow case I forgot to cover the night I had it done, too. Sort of like fuschia easter egg dye. (Btw, Firefox thinks I misspelled ‘fuschia.’)

We didn’t bleach out the strands that were dyed, this time, though we did when did the original pink several months ago. We WILL be bleaching again when I go back on September 1st. At that point I may switch back to Atomic Pink (brighter, and glows under black light) or might not. I want to see how this fades.

Ok, so here’s the day where I engage in shameless promotion. Of course I wouldn’t do so if I didn’t firmly believe in the product. I’ve been walking around a LOT lately and figured I should inform you about Dansko shoes. Ordinarily, I’d throw on sneakers and go about my usual meandering. But being an adventure seeker, (or perhaps bored) I figured I should give Dansko sandals a try and see if I can do the same amount of foot travel outside my comfort zone. I had a pair in my closet (for market research of course), slipped one of them on and set about my day.

Granted I wouldn’t go hiking up a mountain in these, as I don’t believe Dansko shoes makes any open-toed hiking apparel. These were surprisingly comfortable and stylish for everyday activity. Too much like a sales pitch for Dansko shoes? Perhaps. But I did quickly acclimate to having these on my feet and also had the bonus experience of an added couple inches to my height.

The song “Hey There, Delilah” by the Plain White T’s wrapped itself around my brain this evening, as Fuzzy and I were on our way to buy dog food and bully sticks and stop at the bank. I’ve only heard it once or twice, but I like it. I like the acoustic guitar and the orchestral strings in the background. I like the simple lyrics and unfussy melody. It reminds me a little of the Simon and Garfunkel songs my mother used to play when I was a kid.

I like the name Delilah. It’s fun to say. And it also takes me back to childhood.

Specifically, it reminds me of one of my favorite albums of all time, Free to Be You and Me. It was a collection of songs and stories for kids, produced by Marlo Thomas in 1973, I think. I had it on vinyl then. Last year, I bought it on CD. I think I’ve only listened to it once, but I smile just knowing that I have it.

One of the stories was about Delilah Bush, a tomboy whose grandmother wanted her to be a proper young lady. The woman who told that story had a voice that sounded like coddled eggs.

I smile the same way when I think about the mostly-untouched 96-box of crayons inside my supply cabinet. It is important that they are there, even if I never use them.

I love that something like a song can make me remember the scent of my grandfather’s clean t-shirts on the line, or the taste of honeysuckle on a summer afternoon. I love that the texture of the paper wrapping on a crayon can carry me back to a time when we ate raspberries straight off the vine, and I reveled in the soft coolness of a paper napkin that had come from the bottom of a picnic cooler at the beach, and wasn’t grossed out by a little sand in my tuna sandwich.

I think there’s a little bit of Delilah in all of us.

Hey there Delilah
Don’t you worry about the distance
I’m right there if you get lonely
Give this song another listen
Close your eyes
Listen to my voice it’s my disguise
I’m by your side