music, music

Okay, so my friend sent me 3 million 46 Bruce Springsteen songs and I’ve listened to them all and can honestly say, I really love most of what I heard. (But don’t tell him that, because he was being mean to me and I’m pouting now and will not admit to him that I like any of the songs because he should be punished) There are several songs that will become instant ‘replay’ songs for me. (If I actually liked them, which I don’t.) There are very few songs that he sent that I didn’t like. (I didn’t like any of them. I mean it. For real.)Actually most I really liked…loved even. (that’s a lie. A total fabrication.) Some of them I really got. Like with chill bumps and throat lumps and heart thumps. (again, I’m lying. Don’t know where that came from at all. Obviously, I do write fiction, because I’m making all that up.)

I love discovering new music that I totally get. Especially unexpected music. I never imagined I would ever respond to Bruce Springsteen that way. (which I didn’t) Ever. So it was a nice surprise that I felt a physical reaction to some of his songs. (physical as in stomach pain? that must be what I mean.)

Still…nothing gets me like Staind. And I had been wanting the new Staind CD for months…so I finally ordered it as my first reward CD for losing weight.

Holy shit I love this CD. Honestly, it amazes me how this band can put words to music and just affect me the way they do. Heart racing, eyes tearing, breath catching…all of it. I love this CD. I love it with a thousand ♥. I can honestly say this is my favorite band ever. Now I must see them live. I already loved 2 songs from this CD, Believe and All I Want…and now, even though I love the whole CD, there’s another song that will rival Please and It’s Been Awhile from their older stuff…Tangled Up In You. Wow. I totally love this song. Makes my heart hurt a little.

Am I the only one who is affected by music this way?

Here’s the song…just listen, the video is just the album cover, so you don’t really have to watch. Just listen. Seriously, I ♥ this song. I ♥ Staind. And I ♥ Bruce Springsteen. (I’m lying) Who knew I had it in me?

I’m also at Fictionistas today talking about people who deserve to be tasered on the spot. Stop by!

Oh, and I went to the gym at 5:00 AM this morning. Yes, it’s true. I really did.

my blogging type

Stole this from Crystal… totally think the quiz nailed me. I like getting nailed. LMAO The only thing it got wrong was careful who I share it with. Seriously, everyone should read me. LOL!


Your Blogging Type is Artistic and Passionate


You see your blog as the ultimate personal expression – and work hard to make it great.

One moment you may be working on a new dramatic design for your blog…

And the next, you’re passionately writing about your pet causes.

Your blog is very important – and you’re careful about who you share it with.

sunday morning

*crickets*

Yeah, I pretty much got nuttin’.

Am head down working today. Will go to the gym at some point. I start a part-time job tomorrow, so I have to really focus on writing when I’m at home.

Y’all have a good one. Meanwhile, I’ll continue to enjoy my new music and write. See y’all tomorrow!

gabrielle loves me

She even dedicated a whole blog to me. Well, to me and The Boss. And the Traveling Wilburys. But mostly to me, because that’s the way I choose to see it. I like looking at things through Mel colored glasses. Everyone should get a pair.

Go see what she’s saying. Who knew me receiving the testimony that is Bruce Springsteen would evoke such passion? I’ve apparently been missing out. I ♥ my friends.

music to my ears

It used to be that I hated mornings. It was physically painful to open an eye and pull off the covers. Just five more minutes was my mantra. Sometimes, if I had to pee bad enough, I’d run to the bathroom, take care of business and jump back into bed.

I’ve discovered lately that this is my favorite time of the day. It’s hauntingly quiet, which is very unusual for this house–and a very welcome sound. Lately I’ve been rolling out of bed somewhere between 4 AM and 6 AM. And sure, I struggle at first to wake up, but once I do, Sally bar the door. (Okay, does anyone know who this Sally person is and why she was picked to bar the door in that cliche? Just curious)

After coffee is ready, I’ll sit down to blog. Pop onto Facebook and Twitter. Check email. Check my overnight stats (there are some naughty googlers out there late at night. And loads of people looking to become a MILF. That’s my goal. Y’all need to just stay away. There’s only room for one future MILF in the blogosphere, and that bitch is me. Just sayin’.) Anyway, I take care of the incidentals before I start working. I plug in my headphones, pick out the music for the day, or for the moment, or for the scene and get going.

Speaking of music, I received 3 CDs in the mail yesterday. I have a friend who is a huge Bruce Springsteen fan and I’ve honestly never cared one way or another for the Boss. There were a couple of songs of his that I always liked, but he was never an artist that I followed. Well, I suppose that must’ve been blasphemous to the Boss Addict so he sent me 3 CDs with 46 songs on them. (that’s a lot of songs btw. And he says he has 250! Holy Crapoly! THAT’s a lot of songs by one artist.)

I listened all day as I wrote. There were a couple of songs that really grabbed me. That were very powerful. Some that left me feeling very sad. Some that were just okay. But over all, the CDs were a big Win in my book. Except for the song That. Would. Not. End. 16 minutes was just a little much for me. (Sorry, A. Just too much for my busy little brain.)It was a live performance and Springsteen did a little preaching to the audience. Sure it was about Sexual Healing and possibly even a Naughty River, but let me tell ya, it still felt like a tent revival. But the first 5 minutes of the song was good. You know, the part where he was actually singing? Yeah, I liked that part.

Today, I’m going to have another listen to the songs I really liked. (I do that. I’m totally a Repeat Offender. I have no trouble listening to 1 song for hours. I know, you want to shoot me. Sorry.) There are a couple I think will fit nicely into my LOVE SUCKS! playlist. Which is good, since today is all about the writing.

Happy Saturday! You got plans?

ETA:
Today’s card from the Universe

2 posts! 2 days in a row!

It’s bonus Friday here at Mel-O-Drama. Don’t you feel lucky?

Gwen posted this over at Fictionistas this morning and I thought it was so fun, I stole borrowed it.

60 Questions People Don’t Ask from Quizopolis.com

When’s the last time you ran? – today: 3.5 miles
Do your jeans have rips, tears, and holes in them? -not anymore. but in the 80s and 90s…yes. HELL YES. Maybe I’ll bring that back for 2009.
What are you dreading right now? – deadline
Do you celebrate 420? – No (I should get bonus points for knowing what 420 is…I didn’t until about 6 months ago. LOL)
Do you get the full 8 hours of sleep a night? – not lately.
If anyone came to your house on your “lazy days” what would y’all do? – tell them to come in and please ignore the fraternity decor we have going on. Oh and please ignore the hairballs. (btw, most days are “lazy days”)
Who last grabbed your butt? – New Year’s Eve everyone grabbed my butt. It’s all blended into one big butt grabbing orgy, so I really don’t know.
Have you ever been on your school’s track team? – yes
Do you own a pair of Converse? -yes. Pink. Signed by members of Cheap Trick. Yes, I am awesome.
Did you copy and paste this survey? – Yes
Do you eat raw cookie dough? – yes
Have you ever kicked a vending machine? – Yes
Don’t you hate it when the radio ruins good songs by playing them over and over? – No. Because if the radio doesn’t do that, I do. I’m a repeat offender.
Do you watch Trading Spaces? – Is that still on?
How do you eat oreos? – Double-Stuf only and Center first.
Have you ever stayed online for a very long time waiting for someone? – Who me?
Are you cocky? – duh.
Could you live without a computer? – No. Well technically yes, but WHY WOULD I WANT TO?
Do you wear your shoes in the house? – flip flops or big fuzzy slippers.
Who or what sleeps with you? – depends on the night. Every night the pug. a few nights a week the pug and the husband (depends on work) and every once in a while, a cat.
At what age did you find out that Santa wasn’t real? – 5th grade. Shut up. I was naive.
How many phones, house phones and cell phones are in your house? – 3 cell phones, 4 cordless phones for 1 landline number
What do you do when you’re sad? – I used to eat. Now I go to the gym. If I need to cry, I watch a tear jerker.
Who would you call first if you won the lottery? BFF
Last time you saw your best friend? I have 2 Best Friends. I saw my one from high school just the other day, my adult bff, I saw in August.
Are you in high school? – no. Though some would beg to differ if you’re talking maturity.
What jewelry are you wearing? – wedding band
Is anyone on your bad side now? – someone is always on my bad side.
What’s the first thing you do when you get online? – check my email then blog
Do you watch Grey’s Anatomy? –Yes, especially now that Kevin McKidd has joined the cast. It can continue to be a suckfest as long as he’s there for me to watch.
How do most people spell your name? –Mellisa (seriously, it’s 1 L 2 S)
Would you wear a boy/girlfriends clothes? – so this is a sore point for me. remember that cute claire danes gap commercial where she would put on the boyfriend pant? I so wanted to be able to do that. However, I have hips. And will probably never be able to wear the boyfriend pant. But yes, I would if I could. I do love wearing men’s button downs.
Where do you work? – write at home, and starting Monday, part-time accounting for a power company
What are you doing tomorrow? – writing
Is Justin Timberlake becoming the next Michael Jackson? – God I hope not. I ♥ JT
Favorite name for a girl? – Zoe
Favorite name for a boy? – besides Ian and Rader? Quinn
Will you/Did you keep your last name when you get married? – It’s my middle name now.
When was the last time you left your house? – this morning
Do you return your cart? – I always put it in the cart return. People who don’t return their carts should be open targets for running over. Or tasered. (stay tuned for a new blog topic)
Do you have a dishwasher? –Yes.
What noise do you hear? – a snoring pug
Would you survive in prison? – I would not only survive, I would take over and make that bitch mine.
Who is the youngest in your family? – Rader is the youngest human. Ruby is the youngest animal.
If all of your friends were going on a road trip, who would most likey overpack? – Me. Even though I know I’m only going to wear a few things, and 1 pair of shoes, I can’t seem to stop myself from packing ‘just in case’ items.
Do you know anyone with the same name as you? Yes.
What’s the last thing you purchased? a new outfit 1 SIZE SMALLER!
Do your siblings ever pay for stuff for you? No
What brand are your pants right now? – um. mens oversized PJ pants?
Ever been to Georgia (the state)? – yes
What irritates you most on the internet? – when I’m online and want to play (read as procrastinating) and nobody else is around.
What brand is your digital camera? – Panasonic
Do you watch movies with your parents? – not very often. Never with Dad.
What song best describes your life right now? – Everything Changes–STAIND
Do you own expensive perfume/cologne? – no
Are you taking college classes right now? – no
Do you like sushi? –no. it’s a texture thing
Do you get your hair cut every month? – every 8 weeks
Do you go online everyday? –um. yeah. If I could be online while I sleep I would be. And in the shower. Also, I pretty much sleep with crackberry, too. I know. it’s a sickness.

comfort food

So did everyone eat their black-eyed peas and collard greens with ham and cornbread yesterday? That’s a huge southern tradition. “Eat poor on New Years, eat fat the rest of the year.”

I haven’t made that meal myself, but my mother makes it every year, without fail. She called me yesterday and admonished me (as she does every year) but I told her I was making my own traditions–which included me not cooking.

Food has always been a source of comfort for me, which is why I have always turned to it in times of emotional turmoil. Eating good food makes me feel better. Period. Now I’m trying to replace that with seventeen-million hours of exercise a week. Sure, I feel good, but damn if I don’t just want to fall into a big batch of biscuits and gravy.

Some of my favorite comfort foods growing up were (and still are)

  • biscuits and gravy
  • fried apple pie (my Mema lived with us for 9 years, this was our after school snack almost every day. It was a seriously good thing I was an athlete)
  • smothered steak
  • salmon patties
  • mashed potatoes
  • fried fish, hush puppies and french fries

Every food listed is accompanied with a great memory. And it is still so tempting to fry a mess of fish, etc when I’m feeling low. Because I was never happier as a kid, than the 2 weeks out of the summer I was at the lake with my daddy: camping, fishing, reading, swimming and flirting with all the boys. I was almost always the only girl there. It was awesome. Also, it was the only time I had my daddy’s undivided attention, which was also awesome.

My favorite memory associated with smothered steak has to do with venison. I hate venison. Have never liked it. And everyone always says it’s because the person who fixed it for me didn’t prepare it right. All that means is that obviously nobody can fix it cuz I still don’t like it. Well, my Mema decided I would like it if I didn’t know it was venison. So she made me smothered venison steak and didn’t tell me. I came home after a basketball game, starving to death. She had my plate already fixed and I sat down to eat it. I nearly threw it up on the spot. It tasted awful but I didn’t know why. Now, I didn’t wanna hurt my Mema’s feelings so when she left the kitchen, I dumped it all into the trash. She came back in and was as giddy as a school girl. She confessed her deed to me with a giggle and claimed victory! I sighed a huge relief and said, “Mema, I just didn’t wanna hurt your feelings. It was the worst thing I ever ate.” Then I pulled out the trash can and showed her. I had finally convinced someone that I did not, nor would I ever, like venison.

What are some of your favorite comfort foods and why? Are they associated with a specific memory?

The Universe has been on fire lately. I’m totally digging the dude right now.

Melissa, today, be the person of your dreams.

See life through THEIR eyes.

Make decisions with THEIR mind.

Let every thought, word, and action come from THEIR perspective, as if you had already arrived, and just watch how 2009 warps into the kind of year you talk and laugh about forever and ever and ever…

Peace, love, and green M&Ms –
The Universe

He even knows I love green M&Ms!

2009: Day the 1st

Wish I had something witty to say, you know, so we can start the year off right. But nothing’s coming to mind. Could be because I was up past 2:00 and the coffee hasn’t kicked in yet.

Hope everyone had a safe and happy night and that you were able to ring in the New Year with the people most dear to you.

I know everyone posts their New Year’s Resolutions, but I’m not really gonna do that. Barbara Samuel suggests that you think of three words to describe the previous year, and three to describe the coming. So I’m going to give that a try.

2008
disconnected
unfocused
challenging

2009
centered
bright
determined

Here are the things I plan to accomplish this year. Not resolutions.

Be a better mother
Be a more disciplined writer
Run the 10K and keep training for a half-marathon
Get a tattoo for my 40th birthday
Laugh every day at least once

What words did you pick? Did you make resolutions or are you refusing?

ETA today’s note from The Universe:

Dearest Melissa, I was about to wish that your every dream for 2009 come true. That you find yourself surrounded by friends, laughter, and good times. I almost wished that your every cup runneth over financially, romantically, spiritually, and creatively. That good health be your faithful companion, peace your guarded ally, and love your perpetual guide. When suddenly, it dawned on me that as an infinite, powerful, fun-loving gladiator of the Universe, with eternity before you and the power of your thoughts to help shape it… it’s you Melissa Francis, who will be granting wishes this year.

10…9…8…7…6…
The Universe

I totally dig The Universe…just so you know.