Sometimes I fantasize about living in 1920’s Paris and hanging out with writers and artists, and never letting them know I’m really a geek from the future. It’s not much as secret identities go, but the notion amuses me.

Here’s the truth though, most days, I feel like I’m wearing a mask, that the real me is this tiny, insignificant, boring person, and I just pretend to be interesting or funny or cool. I can pretend to be outgoing, but mostly, I’m shy. I can fake being vivacious, but really I’m a quiet bookworm, and most days my tolerance for other people is pretty low. Well, for stupid people, anyway.

But then I have this other self, too. And if it sounds like I’ve got a case of MPD, I don’t, any more than any other writer or improv performer or other creative type of person. Just like I’m not clinically bipolar, though sometimes I feel that way, at least artistically.

But I digress.

Along with Shy Melissa there’s a part of me called Super Mel! (the exclamation point is obligatory, in this case.) Super Mel! has no fear, and dives into new situations without pausing to think about what the consequences might be. Oh, there’s an audition for CSz? Sure, why not? Oh, you’re going to write a novella in 35 days and submit it to a contest? Of course you are. Oh, you’re going to quit your job at BigFinancialCompany because it makes you cry? Go for it. Super Mel! is the part of me who knows – just knows intrinsically – that Everything Will Be Okay.

Shy Melissa sometimes doesn’t even want to be the person who orders pizza, but Super Mel! does the taxes in five minutes flat, and gets money back, despite being self-employed and not paying quarterly installments. Shy Melissa freaks out when it’s the end of a show and it’s time to play 185 – because what if she’s WRONG? but Super Mel! gets in trouble for not letting the other team’s players jump out first.

I know I’m not alone in this. That others have different aspects of self, as well. I think it’s normal, actually, that we adapt our personalities to whatever situation we happen to be in. The trick is in not letting the shy squeamish part rule. And I have been, for far too long.

And it stops.
Now.

Stolen from Dreamalynn @ LiveJournal. In this Meme, answers can be no more than ONE word long.

1. Where is your cell phone? Nightstand.
2. Describe your boyfriend/girlfriend/husband/wife/lover? Supportive.
3. Your hair? Dyed.
4. Your mother? Hurricane.
5. Your father? Non-existent.
6. Your favourite item? Laptop.
7. Your dream last night? Vivid.
8. Your favourite drink? Coffee.
9. Your dream car? MG.
10. The room you are in? Cluttered.
11. Your ex? Incarcerated.
12. Your fear? Waning.
13. What do you want to be in 10 years? Published.
14. Who did you hang out with last night? Troupe.
15. What you’re not? Tall.
16. The last thing you did? Snuggled.
17. What are you wearing? Pajamas.
18. Your favourite book? Changes.
19. The last thing you ate? Pasta.
20. Your mood? Creative.
21. Your friends? Talented.
22. What are you thinking about right now? Novella.
23. Your car?. Green.
24. What are you doing at the moment? Blogging.
25. Your summer? Approaching.
26. Your relationship status? Harmonious.

…outside our theatre, which saw us arrive to a chorus of tornado alarms, we sat around the green room taking phone calls from players who were going to be late (hail) or not able to make it at all (more hail, a tornado touchdown) – one of whom (tornado) lives very close to us.

At almost eight, we hadn’t warmed up, hadn’t figured out teams, and thought we weren’t having a show. But we had people who did show up, and even though they were a small bunch, they were loud and happy, and Rob said if they were willing to come out, we would give them a show.

So we did.

We played two-on-two with a DJ. TC and I were blue, Craig and Dedi were red. Evan DJ’d. We opened with Do-Rap (Blue won) – We played Forward and Reverse, Red played Changing Emotions & Styles. (Red won round one.) Red played Dinner at Joe’s. We played Blind Line, and won. We played Five Things (4/5 – TC guessed). Red played Dance Party for the catch-up round. Ref’s challenge was Story. We won. Eng-game was 185. Red won the match, but I’m really pleased with my performance tonight, even though I did forget to let a 2nd red player jump out in 185 (because they were behind). We skipped half time, and the last two games were called uber-fast. In addition, audience earned 6 brown bags (5 by one person). Taping his mouth didn’t help.

Went to Hoffbrau for dinner. Came home. Am too jazzed to watch tv, too tired to write anything good.

Cocoa, I think, is just the thing. And sleep.

Oh, and the house is fine.