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MissMelisshttp://www.missmeliss.com

Change is good…

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I’m off to get my hair re-pinked, and I’ve just been playing with my site design (yes, again), because I liked the African Safari theme, but it was feeling dark and heavy, and sometimes I like whitespace.

I’m not sure if I’m going to keep the above image – it is both a nostalgic choice (when I was at USF we had regular midnight trips to the Mel’s on Geary on Thursdays, since none of us had Friday classes before 11 AM), and a play on my name, and I like retro and vintage. I have a thing for classic, vintage pin-ups as well, because they’re fun and flirty and I see them as empowering rather than objectifying. I mean the painted pin-ups, not actual photos.

Did you know there were several successful female pin-up artists?

Now you do.

Anyway, it’s the day before Easter, yes, but I think it’s okay for my blog to be wearing white a little early.

Happy Saturday.

Too bad Strength doesn’t equal Confidence

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You are Strength

Courage, strength, fortitude. Power not arrested in the act of judgement, but passing on to further action, sometimes obstinacy.

This is a card of courage and energy. It represents both the Lion’s hot, roaring energy, and the Maiden’s steadfast will. The innocent Maiden is unafraid, undaunted, and indomitable. In some cards she opens the lion’s mouth, in others she shuts it. Either way, she proves that inner strength is more powerful than raw physical strength. That forces can be controlled and used to score a victory is very close to the message of the Chariot, which might be why, in some decks, it is Justice that is card 8 instead of Strength. With strength you can control not only the situation, but yourself. It is a card about anger and impulse management, about creative answers, leadership and maintaining one’s personal honor. It can also stand for a steadfast friend.

What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.

Words, Words, Words (now with live links)

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…or at least links to them

As I posted, I’ve become more active in my favorite e-zine All Things Girl, and they’ve given me the title of Sr. Editor. The mid-issue update will go live on April 1st (no, really) but in the meantime I’ve got some stuff in the March/April edition already:

Sun Hats and Fresh Tomatoes is a brief nostalgia trip to my grandfather’s garden.

and I also reviewed the book

Midori by Moonlight, by Wendy Nelson Tokunaga.

As well, tonight/tomorrow a new webzine, Pink Nighties, a new erotic e-zine is having it’s launch, and I have two pieces in that, as well as a “contributing editor” credit:

Chai is the first part of a short story that will be serialized there over the next several issues, and there’s also a
Product Review (bear in mind it’s a sex-positive, erotic fiction zine when considering that piece).

(Friday: 8:44 AM CDT: This post has been updated to include live links to the stuff at Pink Nighties. Enjoy. )

Enjoy!

Ouch!

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So, Sara assigned me the task of coming up with ten things that begin with O, that somehow relate to me. I’ve done a Thursday Thirteen about both the letter O and the color Orange already, which is why I’m doing a podcast this time.

Or at least I was going to…until I realized it’s almost two am, and I broke a tooth earlier, and I really should sleep and stuff.

So…look for an audio post tomorrow.

Really.
Well, if I can talk.

I Love a Rainy Day

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On Sunday, driving through Cedar Hill under ominous clouds, I looked at a line of men in plaid pants and cute hats, their golf equipment arrayed behind them, all along the driving range, and thought, “How peaceful. Wonder what would happen if it rained.”

It did not rain on Sunday, and while it threatened to rain all day yesterday, no real precipitation occurred, but this morning the heavens let flow a deluge and it’s been windy and rainy all day.

It’s the kind of day that makes working from home absolutely wonderful, because in between writing and researching, I could soothe the dogs, who are frightened of thunder, and make soup and a turkey sandwich for lunch, which I ate sitting in my comfy sofa, while watching lightning arc across the sky.

This afternoon, I went through the South Beach quick meals cookbook and found a recipe that would use a bunch of odds and ends I had in the fridge, and we’re about to sit down to an episode of Angel on DVD and piping hot pesto chicken with steamed broccoli on the side.

I love Rainy Days.

Monday Music Mambo – Feelin’ Green

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Today’s questions from the Monday Music Mambo are about Irish bands:

1. What is your favorite traditional Irish artist or band?
2. What is your favorite non-traditional Irish artist or band?
3. What is your favorite instrument used in Irish music?

They’re old school, but I grew up listening to the Chieftains and they’re music is still among my favorite. Do they count as traditional or not? I have no idea. I’d say they count as both since they’ve been through several incarnations.

As to my favorite instrument? Other than the human voice, I’d have to say the fiddle. Fiddle music is always so merry and bright and while technically the same instrument, the style of music is so much freer than the much more formal classically played violin.

I love cello, but part of me wishes I’d studied violin, just so I could play fiddle music.

Unconscious Mutterings #267

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I say… And you think… ?

  1. Paranormal :: romance
  2. Alarm :: clock
  3. Operative :: word
  4. Changing :: rooms
  5. Framed :: for murder
  6. Beer :: operated girl
  7. Referral :: fee
  8. Unmasked :: superhero
  9. Movie star :: kiss
  10. Handbook :: practical

Like this meme? Play along here.

Bottled

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It was an odd Saturday, all things considered. I went to bed before one AM for a change, but half-woke when Fuzzy came to bed, enough to realize who he was and why he was stealing the cool part of the bed, and to tell him to set the alarms for 11:00, in preparation for my planned 1:30 repinking appointment.

The phone rang shortly before ten, however, to inform me that Natalie, my stylist, was out sick. After much back-and-forth, I have a new appointment NEXT Saturday at 11:30. So…freshly pink hair for Easter. I can live with that.

I’m still coughing, and my throat is tight, as the five people who heard my practice vocal track for a podcast audio drama I’d really love to be part of heard when I sent them copies. I can speak okay, but in the words of Ms. Eclectic, when I sing it’s the “pack a day” version of my voice. For this reason, I’m not entirely upset that I got to stay home and nurse my voice a bit, so I can make the official recording on Monday (this is just the singing part, the speaking tracks were already sent). To that end, I’ve been alternating water with lemon, and throat coat tea with honey, all day, with the exception of one nonfat latte this evening. As I type this, I’m sipping a hot toddy, made with the same tea, honey, lemon, and a healthy splash of bourbon. There are very few things that a healthy splash of bourbon cannot help.

The bourbon, by the way, marks the first time since we moved here that I’ve had bottles of decent liquor in my house. Oh, we always have beer and wine, despite the fact that Fuzzy doesn’t touch alcohol, but I’m hardly a heavy drinker, and honestly, until we asked Deb, we’d been hitting the grocery store, Cost Plus (World Market), or stores in Dallas for such things. So, thanks to Deb we now know that the closest liquor store worth visiting is Majestic in Kennedale, which is about nine miles from here, but they were very friendly, greeted us at the door, and hooked us up with their rewards card so we saved $9. (We also bought vodka, cointreau, peppermint schnapps, and Godiva dark chocolate liqueur, and I’m making of list for future visits.)

The rest of the evening was low-key: Lone Star Comics (for Serenity: Better Days #1), the Italian place at Highlands of Arlington because I wanted comfort food (I had grilled scallops on a bed of spinach gnocchi, baby spinach, and grilled sweet potatoes; Fuzzy had spinach tortelloni with spinach, cheese, sundried tomatoes and grilled chicken), Tom Thumb for a few forgotten items. (Damn! STILL forgot Mayo.), Starbucks, and CVS (for bubble bath since the grocery store had none I was willing to purchase).

We came home, cuddled the dogs, napped a little, and then watched a couple of episodes of Angel over dessert (pie for me, a Reese’s Klondike bar for Fuzzy). We talked about going to the auto show tomorrow, but honestly? I just want to read the Sunday paper, catch up on correspondence, and not do much else.

Seven Things: Influential

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For CafeWriting, this month’s Seven Things is to write about Influential People:

Please note that this is a sampling of the influential folks in my life, and not the entire list. Also, please note that people who influence me NOW may not be quite so important tomorrow.

  1. My Mother: We call her hurricane Susan but it’s meant with a healthy blend of irony and affection. She can be brittle, judgmental, moody, stubborn, bitchy. She is also funny, fragile, brilliant, generous, and supportive. She encouraged me to find my own path, and while hers is vastly different, we come to crossroads fairly often, and exchange stories.
  2. Ray: Preschool teacher, mentor, recently resurfaced, all around cool guy. He really deserves his own post, or own series of posts. I’m enjoying getting to know him as an adult, in small doses.
  3. Clay: Because it’s all about rhyming games you know? Seriously, while he’s relatively recent in my life (2003, I think?) he’s become muse, sounding board, sage adviser, fellow dreamer, and source of inspiration. Two seconds of phone time with him, and my creative juices are always recharged.
  4. Ben and Julia: Two people, but they’re a couple so I get to cheat because, hey, my blog, my rules. Ben gives me an alternate male perspective. Julia brings out my girly side. And did I mention they have dogs? Dogs rock.
  5. Ira: My stepfather. We’re good friends now, though we weren’t always. I think I provide a release for him – someone he can vent to about my mother. He does the tech-picking on a lot of my SF work, and also sends me nifty science snippets. Also, he makes the best orange juice ever, and it completely balances his unhealthy attraction to recreational math.
  6. Fuzzy: Not as much an influence in the traditional sense, as a balancing force. He’s the string to my kite, the grounding wire on my plug. I go off on tangents and he pulls me back to earth, but slowly, and with great love. Probably the only person on earth who can really put up with me 24/7.
  7. Natalie: My hair stylist. She’s the one who helped me embrace the pink, and continually encourages me to play. We share the same philosophy: “It’s hair. It grows back.” Also, she’s very zen.

Eeeeeeeeeeeee

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Or actually, Eee-Pc. I don’t need another laptop but these are so inexpensive I’m tempted to buy one just to fiddle with. What are they?

Linux-based ultra-portable notebooks with SSD storage, 7″ screens, and built-in wifi, cameras, and microphones.

And did I mention they come in pink?

eee-pc