The sky was grey today, and damp, but not cold, and tonight when I took the dogs out for their last call, I saw geckos on the wall. We’re supposed to have another cold front tomorrow or the day after (according to Weather.com it will be 77 tomorrow, 74 Wednesday, drop 40 degrees over night, and warm up to 47 on Thursday), and since I know the house is heated and our dogs sleep with us, I find myself worrying about my small reptilian housemates.

The rain today was a soft rain, sometimes barely more than a mist, and sometimes fat drops that plunked onto the ground like wet marbles. But the air was warmish and there was no chill in the water. When I went out just now, it felt so refreshing on my face and arms and feet.

It feels like I haven’t blogged in forever – I’ve been writey, just not bloggey. Here are some updates.

Thanksgiving was spent with my aunt and her family in Louisiana, near Shreveport. Dinner was catered, but tasty, and my cousin J and his sons made an oreo pie, which was disgustingly unhealthy and horribly sweet, but worth experiencing once. We met my aunt’s horse (she does dressage) and fed him carrots, and I’ve been whuffled and wickered and whinned at, and used as an equine napkin, or rather, my pink shirt was. And I thought Rottie drool was bad. So beyond glad I don’t have jowly dogs. But I still want a burro.

Also, I never posted a list of things I’m thankful for, and while there are many I could list – a life filled with love and laughter, good friends, great books, a warm and cozy house to live in, time to write, etc, the thing that is foremost in my mind right now (and partly a reaction to certain relatives) is that I feel truly blessed that I was raised in an ethnically diverse place, among creative, talented people from many walks of life, religious, spiritual, and lifestyle traditions, that I grew up surrounded by people who made their own choices, and that my mother always encouraged me to be independent and a free thinker. Sappy? Yeah, but still true.

Saturday was spent at ComedySportz, where I helped greet ‘n’ seat during the early show, and participated in the late “blue” show which involved many phallic jokes about New Hampshire. (You had to be there). We hadn’t advertised, really, so there was no audience to speak of, so we turned it into a sort of open workshop, and had fun, then went out to dinner.

Sunday involved much churchiness, as it was the 60th anniversary of St. Andrew’s as well as just being St. Andrew’s Day (which was actually during the week, but apparently you can move feast days to the nearest Sunday if necessary). As the bishop was in attendance, there were confirmations and a baptism as well as the normal St. Andrew’s Day festivities, and the doubly altered service meant twice as much music (my favorite part) as well as a kilted bagpiper (an adorable man who reminds me of my grandfather who never, to my knowledge, wore a kilt or played the bagpipes) leading our procession. Later in the service he played Amazing Grace, and I got teary partly because I’m enough of a Trekkie that Amazing Grace on the bagpipe is significant that way, and partly because the song was included in my favorite aunt’s wedding, and both my grandparents’ funerals – I sang it, actually, in my grandmother’s funeral. In spite of being moved – the baptismal and confirmation ceremonies are really beautiful – I had to laugh, because there’s no way to really fade out on a bagpipe – it’s ruined by the sort of abrupt burp at the end. I was exhausted, having not gone to bed til two AM, but still, beginning a week with laughter (we are always so snarky in choir rehearsal) and song is pretty cool.

NaNoWriMo is nearly over. Our TGIO is Saturday at one in Arlington. I haven’t updated my wordcount in two weeks….I’m not quite at 50k yet, but I plan to spend Weds and Thurs finishing it (have another project to finish tomorrow).

Holidailies begins on Friday. (If you’ve never played before, it’s a committment to update your blog or journal every day from 12/01/06 – 01/01/07. Monitors read the portal entries and select the best of them each day to highlight. It’s fun, and a great holiday activity that doesn’t cost a cent. Think of it as a sort of advent calendar for bloggers.

Lessons and Carols Rehearsals begin Tuesday with the performance on Sunday evening, December 17th. It’s a traditional Anglican Christmas service (not a Mass), and it’s beautiful and amazing, and really fun.

And I’m still playing with my original short stories, a possible entry for the Dead of Winter contest at Toasted Cheese, and will be posting more fanfic 100 entries in my TNG fic after the month changes.

And um…Fuzzy is leaving for a business trip in three hours so I’m gonna go cuddle with him while I can.

G’night.

* * * * * ANNOUNCEMENT! * * * * *

Do you have relatives visiting for the holidays that you just can’t stand talking to? Are you looking for a way to give your family a positive holiday experience, by spending time with them without having to engage in conversation? If so, come to ComedySportz: the interactive improv experience in Dallas’s West End Marketplace. We play every Friday and Saturday from now til the New Year, with two shows on New Year’s Eve, as well.

ComedySportz shows begin at 8:00 PM (doors open at 7:30), and are family-friendly. They’re child-safe without being childish, and more fun than eating leftover turkey in front of the open refrigerator at midnight. The ComedySportz Arena sells salty and sweet snacks (“sugar in solid and liquid forms”) but alcohol is BYOB.

Tickets for regular shows are $12 in advance (order by web or by phone), $15 at the door, and reservations are strongly suggested. To make reservations, visit the CSz website at www.comedysportzdfw.com or call (214)-521-LAFF ((214) 521-5233).

This Saturday, November 25th, we’re also having a 10:30 PM “blue show,” which features your favorite ComedySportz playerz uncensored. (The blue show is NOT a ComedySportz show and you must be 18 or older to attend). Come laugh off that third slice of pumpkin pie.

* * * * *

I’d love for all of you to come to see the show on any weekend, but I’d prefer that you come when I’m actually playing. My scheduled performance dates for the 2006 Holiday Season are December 8th, 15th, 16th, 22nd and 30th.

I agree with my noters that decor and music should not appear until the month turns to December.

The exceptions to this are:

1) Exterior Christmas Lights may be put up on houses on Thanksgiving Weekend, so long as this occurs post-Thanksgiving. This is allowable because it is a four day weekend, and putting up Christmas Lights is something reasonably safe to keep stray relatives busy and out of the house.

2) The brief appearance of Santa Claus at the end of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is a classic piece of Americana. It is therefore allowable as a Kitsch Exception.

However, the appearance of the brick-like, non-biodegradable substance known as “fruit cake” before mid-December is grounds for termination of ALL holiday-celebrating rights.

So saith me.

I realize that Starbucks has had the red cups since the 10th, because they always start the red cups on the 10th, but they’re a cafe, and allowed to break the rules. However, there are people on my street with Christmas lights up already, and Denny’s is playing nonstop Christmas songs, and while I do like the seasonal stylings of Bing, Perry, Rosemary and Nat, flipping to All Christmas All the Time before the day after Thanksgiving is a serious infraction.

Actually Denny’s in and of itself is a serious infraction, and I’m still trying to decide if their white tree is retro-chic or merely repugnant.

And yeah, okay, I still have my ceramic ghosties on the mantel, but, this is allowed, because they don’t just represent Halloween, they represent harvest, the death of summer, and the onset of winter, as well as (on Saturday) the ghosts of NaNo – past, present, and future. But I’m taking them down Thursday, and while I might decorate the outside of the house (well, make Fuzzy do it) on Friday, before then? No. Nothing. Not Christmassy, anyway.

Cuz that would be against the rules.

I’d been dreading tonight’s CSz (that’s Comedy Sportz to those who haven’t read me for long) show – I’ve been having a crisis of confidence this month brought on by general Novemberitis, not feeling well, not feeling motivated, and making stupid mistakes and bad choices in the last show I was in.

Tonight, however, rocked. I mean, I was nervous about playing with someone I hadn’t played with before, and a little intimidated because our team’s captain is so much better than I am, but I had fun, and even learned to love a game I generally avoid like the plague.

I attribute my restored confidence to a peppermint mocha in a red cup from Starbucks, having not eaten since nine-thirty this morning (hunger makes me energetic, cuz it makes the game seem faster, and there’s dinner after), and having fun. Also, I got to wear Red. I always play better when I get to wear Red.

Our team lost the match, but that’s okay, because it isn’t about winning or losing, really, it’s about making the audience laugh, and the voting was so close every time, that we knew they were totally into the match.

For those keeping track, games are below, and linked to descriptions of the rules:

1. Both Teams: Do – Rap (Rapped version of Do Ron Ron)
2. Blue: Blind Line (except we just scatter them on the stage, and pick them up at will)
3. Red: Forward/Reverse
4. Blue: Dinner at Joe’s (A Variation of Ding Dong, only we ask the volunteer for two ppl from his/her life. The playing team plays the volunteer, and the two others in any group setting suggested by the audience.)
5. Red: Pillars (But we play with two volunteers)
6. Blue: Five Things
   (Halftime)
7. Red: Dr. Know-It-All
8. Both Teams: I Object / Objection (A variation of Ding! / Other Choice, except it’s played team against team, and instead of the ref Dinging or Blowing a Whistle, the team not on the field can, at any time, shout “Objection” and then give a reason. “You don’t use breadcrumbs for bait, you feed ducks with them.” The ref will overrule, in which case the scene continues, or sustain, which gives the objecting team the field. They then play the SAME characters, but have to correct whatever they objected to. Objections fly back and forth until they get fast and ridiculous, and time is called.)
9. Both Teams: 185

Zenitopia: the art of cozy

Originally uploaded by Ms.Snarky.

Made this with flicker tools. So wish I could publish it one day. And yes, that’s my real living room.

Thirteen Things about MissMeliss: Books I Love to Re-read Certain Women, by Madeleine L’Engle. The Eight, by Katherine Neville Bread Alone, by Judith Ryan Hendricks Outside Lies Magic, by John R. Stilgoe Writing Down the Bones, by Natalie Goldberg On Writing, Stephen King The Mists of Avalon, by Marian Zimmer Bradley Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, by Rebecca Wells Maiden Voyage, by Tanya Aebi Dakota: A Spiritual Geography, by Kathleen Norris A Natural History of the Senses, by Diane Ackerman A Year in Provence, by Peter Mayle Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott Links to other Thursday Thirteens!

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… a mug of chai tea with brown sugar on a crisp, cool, November afternoon.

… opening the mailbox to find a beautiful mossy green hand-knitted beret from a dear friend, and putting it on right there in the street, and grinning cuz it’s perfect.

… wearing your husband’s socks because he’s away, and his fluffy cotton socks make your feet feel warm and happy.

… fingers that are gluey from doing collage art and feeling like a seven-year-old for an hour.

Sunday:
23:00 – Blogging while watching a tivo’d episode of House
21:30 – Folded laundry while watching tivo’d Any Day Now
(Yes, I realize both are old old eps.)
19:45 – Sat down to dinner with troupemates, at third restaurant we attempted, but which was ironically the first mentioned. (Too busy, we said of the first, too toney, we said of the second. Just right, we agreed about the third.) Steak and broccoli were perfect. Beer was okay. Wish they had better imports.
17:30 – Arrived at workshop, eggnog latte in hand. WANTED to “bring it” but was feeling off. Have been feeling off-kilter and like I’m too stupid for improv all month. I HATE NOVEMBER.
16:45 – Bought eggnog latte in cheery red cup from neighborhood Starbucks. Lusted after cute red and silver Kitchen Aid coffeemaker.
15:30 – Bought an x-acto knife, glue, drawing paper and watercolor paper. Yes, you read that correctly. Also bought pens. Yay micro-fine rollerball pens.
13:50 – Arrived at Chinese buffet place for lunch, where I had sushi and pot stickers and hot tea, and no actual Chinese food. Fuzzy, true to form, had rice with sugar.
11:30 – Sent Fuzzy out for dog food and groceries while I stayed home and started laundry.
10:30 – Woke up after sleeping too long. Missed church, but was feeling like crap so didn’t care.
08:00 – Stared at clock for five minutes, let dogs out, visited restroom, let dogs back in, decided warm bed was more attractive than being awake.
07:00 – Vaguely recall telling Fuzzy I felt like crap.
01:39 – Wake slightly as Fuzzy finally came to bed. Tell him I am hot. He says something about turning up heat because I was cold. I whine. Lie in dark for twenty minutes. Get up, lower heat. Better.
12:31 – Fuzzy goes upstairs to do something geeky. Dogs and I go to bed. I am Freezing.
00:15 – Arrive home with scary food from Micky D’s. Eat while watching about fifteen minutes of “10 Things I Hate About You.” Cuddle dogs.

Saturday:
23:34 – Leave CSz arena, tired and wired.
22:30 – Help with post-show cleanup of CSz arena, post show. Smoke smell and stale beer smell seem to permeate room. I am Swiffer Girl.
20:45 – Show begins. Spend half of it in sound booth shadowing D2 and other half babysitting beer bottles. Show was funny. Crowd v. drunk.
19:15 – Already tired. Relay to those who didn’t hear conversation that show will not start until audience arrives at 8:30. Apparently, this is scheduled, though most don’t seem to be aware. Glad am not onstage as am way tired.
18:15 – Arrive at CSz arena, with Peppermint Mocha.
17:40 – Chat with folks in Starbucks while waiting for drink. I love Starbucks at the holidays.
17:25 – Arrive at home, run inside, change shirts.
16:15 – Fuzzy wakes me and reminds me we need to eat. We go to Panera for soup in bread bowls. I spill mine on my pink shirt. We go home, after, so I can change.
14:00 – Lie down for brief nap while Fuzzy is in shower. He wakes me 2.25 hours later. I was in deep REM.
11:00 – Shower. Spend next several hours reading in bed and puttering around house and just vegging.
10:00 – Wake again. Decide to stay in bed longer.
08:30 – Wake up. Tell Fuzzy to let dogs out.
12:00 – After lounging in bed for over an hour, finally decide to go to bed. Have spent most of week sleeping – see no reason to stop, as being awake brings the urge to claw off all my skin. This much sleep is rare for me.

I’ve been away from the blog for several days. I didn’t realize how long until I went to Starbucks yesterday and noticed that they had the cheery red holiday cups, and cheery green holiday brownies (imagine a fudge brownie with Andes mints on top. Mmmm. Delicious.) I treated myself to a peppermint mocha and one of those brownies, and went home to curl up in bed and read and write. Mostly read.

* * * * *

My skin itches. I thought it was poison oak rash caught from one of the dogs, but it’s not, however, a witty and engaging doctor has given me antibiotics, lovely cream, and tiny antihistamines that still knock me out, but seem to not be as harsh as OTC benadryl. Still, I’m crabby and befuddled, and not in the mood to talk to people. There’s more, but it’s not for public consumption. Except the assurance that I’m not contagious.

* * * * *

This year’s NaNo project isn’t going well. I know what I want the story to be, and it’s refusing to let me do that. Not sure if it’s too close to home or not close enough. Whatever. I’ll eventually finish. I always do.

* * * * *
The weather was warm for three days, now seems to be cooler again. At least, when I went outside earlier there was a bite in the air beneath the balmy sunny day. Jeremy told me he was fighting the urge to put up his Christmas tree NOW, and I told him I was fighting the urge to hang my Christmas lights. Thanksgiving’s only a couple weeks away – I think we can both hold out.

* * * * *
Speaking of Christmas. If you’re not already on my Christmas list, or if you are but have moved, and you want a card from me, please send an email to melissa AT missmeliss DOT com with your name and mailing address. Use “Christmas Card” as your subject, please.

* * * * *
I owe some people some art. Am working on it. Really.

* * * * *

Carry on.