One Spooky Chick

The epic book sort of 2009, when I started keeping an inventory...

onespookychick-deactivated20110 — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 10:11:32 -0500

The epic book sort of 2009, when I started keeping an inventory of my personal library. It took DAYS but was so much fun.

justamus: Found in a pool filter after heavy rains in Virginia:...

onespookychick-deactivated20110 — Sat, 12 Jan 2013 18:47:37 -0500

justamus:

Found in a pool filter after heavy rains in Virginia: an exhausted tortoise, supporting a frog on its back, surmounted by a spider clinging on for dear life.

What I Read in 2012

onespookychick-deactivated20110 — Tue, 01 Jan 2013 13:51:00 -0500

The list of books I finished in 2012. Came up a little short of my annual 50 book goal. I blame George R.R. Martin and a year that gave me too many reasons to lose focus.

I count novellas as books if they’re published as an individual edition. These are all between actual, physical books, ebooks (I <3 my Kindle), and audiobooks. Most of the Stephen King are audiobooks.

I plan to blow away the 50 book goal in 2013. I have a LOT of books here to read/listen to.

Anyway, here’s my list…

The Woods Are Dark by Richard Laymon
Blue World by Robert McCammon
Usher’s Passing by Robert McCammon
Possessions by James A. Moore
A Lower Deep by Tom Piccirilli
Daily Frights 2012 (Anthology)
Heat Wave by “Richard Castle”
Baal by Robert McCammon
The Long Walk by Stephen King
Six Days by Kelli Owen
They Thirst by Robert McCammon
Carrie by Stephen King
Edge of Dark Water by Joe R. Lansdale
All the Earth, Thrown to the Sky by Joe R. Lansdale
A Clash of Kings by George R. R. Martin
Clickers vs. Zombies by Brian Keene & J. F. Gonzales
The Girl On the Glider by Brian Keene
The Wind Through the Keyhole by Stephen King
Desperation by Stephen King
John Dies At the End by David Wong
For a Few Stories More by Joe R. Lansdale
A Storm of Swords by George R. R. Martin
A Feast for Crows by George R. R. Martin
Black Bubbles by Kelli Owen
Savage Season by Joe R. Lansdale
The Magic Wagon by Joe R. Lansdale
Enchanted by Alethea Kontis
You Might Be A Zombie and Other Bad News by Cracked.com
Gerald’s Game by Stephen King
A Dance With Dragons by George R. R. Martin
UR by Stephen King
On Writing by Stephen King
Collective Suicides by Michelle Scalise
Lamplight Issue 1 (Collection)
IT by Stephen King
Misery by Stephen King
Cycle of the Werewolf by Stephen King
Full Dark, No Stars by Stephen King
The Narrows by Ronald Malfi
Just After Sunset by Stephen King
Night Shift by Stephen King
Horror For Good (Anthology)
In the Tall Grass by Joe Hill & Stephen King (novella)
This Only Happens in the Movies by Mandy DeGeit (novella)
Epitaphs: The Journal of the New England Horror Writers (Anthology)
Evil 8: Eight Tales of Horror by Christine Dougherty
White Picket Prisons by Kelli Owen
Red Dragon by Thomas Harris

Off to start the new list. Happy New Year, y’all. :D

SavageMouse Christmas Classics

onespookychick-deactivated20110 — Mon, 17 Dec 2012 14:50:31 -0500

For Goodness’ Sake (A Cautionary Christmas Tale)

By Michele Mixell

It was late Christmas Eve

And down at the mall

The line to see Santa

Moved at a crawl.

Children shouted and cried,

Muzak played overhead,

Parents looked at their watches

And wished they were dead.

Tommy was impatient,

So he snuck past the sign,

And when no one was looking

Cut into the line.

He was up to the front

Just as quick as a snap

And sat himself down

On Santa’s wide lap.

“What would you like, little boy,

For Christmas this year?”

“Electronics with high resale value,”

Replied Tommy with cheer.

“And have you been good?”

Asked the jolly old guy.

Tommy said that he had,

But it was one great big lie.

Tommy was a bad kid,

And everyone knew it,

Though he never got caught

So nobody could prove it.

He stole from his dad,

He lied to his mother.

He picked on his sister

And beat up his brother.

He cheated on tests,

He was mean to the cat.

He broke neighbors’ windows

With an old baseball bat.

He bullied his classmates

He defaulted on loans,

When he went to the movies

He talked on three phones.

He spray-painted buildings,

He jay-walked and littered.

He sent out tons of spam

By hacking your Twitter.

But here he was now,

Taking no blame,

And fibbing to Santa

Without any shame.

“I’ve been very good,

In every possible way,

All through the year,

All day, every day.”

He smiled like an angel,

But Santa knew the truth.

He’d had an eye on Tommy

All through the boy’s youth.

He had also seen him

Butt his way to the front.

Santa just couldn’t let him

Get away with that stunt.

“I’ll check over my list,

And see how you scored.

If you’ve really been good,

You should get a reward.

“But if you’ve been naughty,”

Santa leaned close to say,

“You should know that there may be

A steep price too pay.

“Do you know what really happens

To bad little boys

Who lie to Santa

When asking for toys?”

“Kids on my list with

Too many bad marks

The night before Christmas

Get eaten by sharks.”

Tommy laughed loud.

“Are you high or just drunk?

You really expect me

To believe in that junk?

“That kind of crazy

Is really untoppable.

We’re miles from shore,

How is that possible?”

“It is possible, I assure you.

It’s happened before.

So lock all your windows

And block every door.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Tommy said,

“I’ve been totally good.

You can’t prove I wasn’t,

Nobody could.

“So there’d better be gifts

For me Christmas Day,

Or you’re gonna be sorry

You got in my way.”

They smiled for the camera

And then Tommy was gone,

Certain he’d have plenty

Of presents come dawn.

As he made his way home

He slashed some car tires,

Broke a few streetlights,

Started several fires.

When he came in the door

His family all hid.

They’d given up trying

To deal with the kid.

Tommy stayed up late,

Well into the night,

He’d had an idea

For a virus to write.

He’d thought of some mischief

Of a most unique kind,

He was programming Facebook

To read everyone’s mind.

It was almost midnight

When he heard a strange sound.

Da-dum da-dum da-dum…

Tommy looked all around.

He walked to the window,

Saw nothing outside.

Looked in the closet,

Only shadows were spied.

“It’s my imagination,

I’m tired is all.

Maybe somebody just

Walked by in the hall.”

Then the noise came again,

Though he thought it absurd.

Da-dum da-dum da-dum…

Was the sound that he heard.

Da-dum da-dum da-dum…

Tommy felt his heart race.

Da-dum da-dum da-dum…

In a deep creepy bass.

Though it came closer,

He refused to flee.

“I know it’s a trick

Someone’s playing on me.

“You’ll be sorry when I find you,”

Was what Tommy said.

Da-dum da-dum da-dum…

From beneath the bed.

Now Tommy was angry,

He dropped to the floor.

He looked under the bed,

And then was no more.

A flash of sharp teeth,

All shiny and white,

And a glimpse of an eye

As black as the night.

No time to scream,

No chance to fight it.

Nom nom nom nom…

And then all was silent.

It was later that night

When Old Saint Nick dropped in,

Checking off his list

With a wise little grin.

Santa left gifts for Mom,

Dad, Sister and Brother.

Even for the cat,

But not for any other.

Christmas morning dawned,

Tommy never came down.

They looked for a while,

But no signs were found.

Tommy’s family relaxed,

Property values went up.

His classmates rejoiced,

Town morale took a jump.

If anyone missed Tommy,

Saying so was resisted.

Soon it was like

He had never existed.

So heed this tale, children,

And remember your place.

If you act like a jackass,

Christmas Shark eats your face.

~The End~

Death of a Snowman
By Michele Mixell

There was a most gruesome scene
In the downtown that day,
What remained of the victim
All slushy & gray.

It was Frosty the Snowman,
Our holiday friend,
Who’d finally met with
A most violent end.

Mrs. Frosty had worried
When the jolly old soul
Hadn’t come home from
A late evening stroll.

The police formed a search, and
In that back alleyway
They found Frosty’s body,
Half melted away.

The Snowman was dead,
A sad end to his song.
Killed by a hot blow-dryer,
And the murderer gone.

As the crowd gathered round
To see for itself,
Evidence was all pointing
To one Misfit Elf.

Beside the mushy remains
Was a red and green cap,
With a name-tag sewn in,
Just under the flap.

The cops knew that the killer
Dropped that festive derby,
And immediately put out
A warrant for Herby.

At Santa’s workshop,
Which was very near,
They found Herby at lunch
With Rudolph the Reindeer.

“All right now, Herby,”
Said the Chief with a grin.
You’ve got no where to run
So just turn yourself in.

“We know you’re the trouble-maker,
That one Misfit Elf.
There’s only one thing I want
To find out for myself.

“We know you bumped off Frosty,
I want to know why.
You and the Snowman were pals,
Everyone loved the guy.”

“You’ve got me all wrong,” Herby said,
“I’ve changed in my ways.
I turned my back on those
Misfit Elf days.

“I gave up on dentistry.
Now I make toys,
Just like everyone else,
For the good girls and boys.”

“Give it up, Elf,” the Chief said
With a big nasty frown.
“We found this hat with your name in
Next to him on the ground.”

“You’re mistaken again,”
Herby shook his head.
“I lent Rudolph that hat,
You want him, instead.”

“That’s a lie,” Rudolph cried.
“You short little freak!
I swear I never borrowed a hat
From this Misfit geek!”

“I’m being set up,” Herby said,
Smiling nervously.
Then he quick as a wink
Snatched a star from the tree.

He stuck the star’s point
Against poor Rudolph’s neck.
“Come any closer, I cut him,”
Was Herby’s threat.

“Let Rudolph go,” growled the Chief,
“You’ve got no way out.
Just let us know what
All this is about.”

“Do you have any idea,” Herby cried,
“How much money I need
To get in dentistry school
And get my degree?

“Everyone told me Frosty
Was the Snowman to see.
We met downtown last night,
About a quarter of three.

“Frosty had his mittens
In all kinds of dealings.
Some under the table
And real close to stealing.

“I wanted for Frosty
To lend me some dough.
But that stuck-up jerk
Only laughed and said no!

“I got mad when he laughed,
I just lost my head!
I pulled out that blow-dryer,
And then Frosty was dead!

“It was an accident I swear,
That I cannot undo.
Now bring me a chopper,
Or I’ll bump off Rudolph, too!!”

Suddenly the Reindeer’s nose flashed,
Blinding the Elf,
And then kicked him into
The Barbie Doll shelf.

Herby lay there a minute,
Lost in a haze.
“You’re going away,” grinned the Chief,
“For the rest of your days.”

“Get on your feet, Elf,
And assume the position.”
“You can’t arrest me,” cried Herby,
“I’m a Christmas tradition!”

The Chief laughed, “Herby,
I don’t give a rat’s tail.
Now rough him up boys,
And then take him to jail!”

There wasn’t a trial
Because of Herby’s confession.
They say he’s now serving
Ten life terms in succession.

A hard lesson to learn,
That there’s nothing more sad
Then to fall at the hand
Of a Misfit Elf gone bad.

-The End

Herby
By Michele Mixell

Up at the North Pole
Five years had gone by
Since one misfit elf
Went violently awry.

That maniacal Herby
Had been rotting in jail
Ever since he sent Frosty
Home in a pail.

He confessed to the murder
And was locked in a cage.
Every day behind bars
Filled Herby with rage.

He said, “It’s all Rudolph’s fault,
That jerk brought this about!
I’d have never confessed,
But he ratted me out!

“He even blew my escape,
He ruined it all!
I’ll chop off his antlers
To mount on my wall!”

“Don’t worry,” his lawyer said.
“We’ll file appeals.”
But Herby still ate
Bread and water for meals.

Every year he wrote Santa
And asked for parole,
But come Christmas day
He got a big box of coal.

“I’ve had it!” he cried.
“I’ll just break out of here!”
So he plotted and planned
For an entire year.

The next Christmas Eve
He put his plan into action.
He set the box of coal on fire
To provide a distraction.

When his cell was unlocked
Herby knocked out the guard,
Then climbed over the fence
That surrounded the yard.

Herby outran the dogs,
Avoided the searchlight.
Then, leaving no trace,
Escaped into the night.

Later on, back at the
Old police station,
The Chief was reviewing
Holiday perpetration.

“There’s trouble in Whoville,”
He said with a frown.
“There’s burglar alarms
Going all over town.”

Just then an officer
Threw open the door.
“Here’s an alert,” he exclaimed,
“That we must not ignore!”

“Holy crap!” cried the Chief
As he looked at the fax.
“I knew that prison’s security
Was seriously lax!”

“Says here an hour after
Herby got loose,
He held up a Mountie,
Then took off on a moose!

“He’s headed up north,
Back to the Pole.
It sounds like he’s snapped
And gone out of control.”

“But why would he return
To the scene of the crime,”
The officer wondered,
“After such a long time?”

“He’s after Rudolph,” said the Chief.
“That’s the connection.
Get that shiny-nosed freak
Into witness protection.”

The cops went to Santa’s
To pick up Rudolph.
Christmas Eve weather was good
And he had the night off.

“The elf’s crazy,” he cried,
As they drove him away.
“He sent threatening letters
Almost every day!”

The Chief said, “We’ll take you
To our secret safe-house.
Nothing gets in there,
Not even a mouse.

“No one’s seen Herby
Since that vicious moose-jacking.
Knowing we have you
Might just send him packing.”

“He won’t run away,”
Rudolph said with a shiver.
“He wants to serve fava
Beans with my liver!”

The Chief and his posse
Left two guards at the door
While inside the safe-house
Rudolph curled up on the floor.

He had begun to relax
When the lights all went out.
“Is anyone there?”
He started to shout.

Rudolph was scared
And he lit up his nose.
Then a short freaky shape
Stepped from the shadows.

There was Herby,
In white coat and mask
And sharp metal tools
To aid with his task.

“No one can help,” he laughed,
“I took care of your pals!
I gave both those cops
Forced root canals!”

“Stay away!” Rudolph shrieked.
“You’re completely insane!”
Herby said, “I’ll pull your teeth,
All without Novocain!

“It’ll take a long time,
Cause I never got trained.
And it’s all your fault
So you’ll be the one pained!”

“All of my plans
You just had to subvert!
Now open wide,
This will really hurt!”

Herby pulled out a drill,
Rudolph started to scream.
Suddenly in burst
The Chief and his team.

The Chief said, “Drop the drill
And step away from the deer!
There’s no way you’ll be able
To escape out of here.”

“NO!” Herby cried.
“You can’t stop me now!
I won’t rest till the reindeer’s
Turned into dog chow!”

“The Chief kicked Herby down.
“Leave Rudolph alone.
This whole mess is nobody’s
Fault but your own.”

Herby just lay on the floor
And started to cackle,
So they put him in a
Straight-jacket and shackles.

The Chief knew Herby’s vengeance
Just would not wait,
And they’d catch him by using
Poor Rudolph as bait.

Rudolph had a breakdown
After all that transpired.
He now lives in Fresno,
Doped-up and retired.

The Chief got a medal
For the success of the trap,
But Rudolph’s family sued him
For making him snap.

Herby didn’t go back to jail,
He was out of his head.
He’s now in an asylum
Upstate instead.

His cell is downstairs
At the end of the hall,
Three sides of stone
And one big glass wall.

He sits there today
And laughs to himself.
A crazy, misfit,
Whack-job of an elf.

-The End

What I'm Thankful For: A List in Pictures

onespookychick-deactivated20110 — Thu, 22 Nov 2012 10:00:18 -0500

I don’t have anything deep and profound to add to this. It speaks for itself pretty much. The list is a little long, but I need to celebrate good things this year, big and small. Aside from the first couple, which are really important, they’re in pretty random order. Enjoy.

This year, I am thankful…

For my Mom, because she’s the best.

For my family, represented by Riley, because he’s the cutest.

For my friends, because they’re all nuts. Even the ones I couldn’t fit in the collage. You guys rock.

For my Mo kitty. ♥

For Rini, who’s been my new super best friend the last couple months.

For this guy, because he puts up with me and makes sure I don’t starve to death and he’s also pretty.

For the snuggle time I got in with Bobo before he passed. I miss him bad.

For BREAKING BAD because holy shit, it’s awesome.

For my fire pit. Burning Time keeps me sane.

For Tad, and his continued awesomeness. Specifically this photo.

That Dad’s not suffering anymore, and we can remember good things now.

For Tarder Sauce, the Grumpy Cat. I luv her. She’s my spirit animal.

For getting to meet cartoonist Kate Beaton…

…and for getting her to sign & doodle in my copy of her amazing book. :)

For Horror Hound Weekend!!!

For Instagram. I take food photos with it and don’t give a f*ck.

For my totally rad Kindle Fire!

For Monster Mania!!

That this happened…

For family visits that mean I don’t have to drive 450 miles.

For Horrible Saturday at the York Emporium!

That I’m still weird.

For all the nature going on around this place.

That Salem is only an hour’s drive from here.

For Tumblr. Though it is starting to become an addiction.

For tiny frogs.

For the BEST birthday cake EVER!

For fuzzy navels.

For this album. Look it up, it’s amazing.

For Ice Bat. Duh.

For sunny days.

That eating healthier actually doesn’t suck.

For the Dropkick Murphys St. Patrick’s Day show in Lowell!

For surviving the Dropkick Murphys St. Patrick’s Day show in Lowell.

For memes. Especially those involving cats.

For my favorite birthday card.

For the Comix Connection Creator Cook-out and all it’s awesome free food.

For hot chocolate.

That he let me keep his bed after I stole it out of his room.

For Jessi’s vacation in August.

For this one GirlyMouse photo that actually came out kinda pretty.

For Wings Over Worcester, for their f*cking amazing boneless honey BBQ wings, and for them being on the way.

For learning to grill.

For my free birthday Grand Slam from Denny’s.

For these cool Brock Samsons I ordered over a year ago.

For Mike’s hard lemonde. Specifically pink and black cherry. But not cranberry. F*ck cranberry.

For the pirate’s life. Allegedly.

That my Misfit’s necklace fits again!

For Mr. Pinchy’s sacrifice. Mmmmm.

That I got to ride this twice and never even fell off. Vrooom.

For butterfly fries.

For Bath & Body Works. Dark Kiss is best. THE. BEST.

For getting to see the Harrisburg Senators play in Manchester.

For finally tagging the garage!

For cherries. Sooo many cherries.

That I’m still showing up for Gym Time.

For Halloweeny stuff.

For the Volbeat w. Ice Earth & Hell Yeah show in Baltimore.

That I didn’t catch MORE on fire that time.

That there are so many cool creepy cemeteries around here.

For the new deck.

For scarves.

For this phone & my entry into the 21st century. (It’s in the bowl to amplify the speaker. Totally works.)

For Tad’s HIRAM Award!

That my stuff is secure for another year.

That me and Tad got to meet Ray Wise from TWIN PEAKS!!

For my favorite shirt.

For my comfy workspace that is almost TOO comfy.

For this awesome bird who posed for me and then let me pet him when I was having a bad day.

Not for this photo, but for what happened about 12 hours earlier. That’s all you get. Moving on…

For Anthocon!!

For DEXTER.

For last Christmas.

For social media. Seriously.

For those cool roses in the backyard this summer.

For my New Year’s Eve date, and the fight with my GPS. XD

For T-Bones.

For No*Con.

That the NY State Trooper let me off with a lesser charge, even though I deserved the speeding ticket.

For yard sales.

For GAME OF THRONES. TV show & books.

That the Corolla of Awesomeness is still rolling. ::knockonwood::

That the ocean is less than 45 minutes away.

For THE AVENGERS!!

For Rifftrax and their live events!!

For getting to hijack a reading at Horrorfind.

For discount flowers. Because if I can’t afford to buy them myself, who else is gonna do it?

For booze in the grocery stores and gas stations. Live free or die, bitches.

That the 4th of July fireworks weren’t rained out, even though it was a close call.

For that photo booth at the wedding reception. XD

For the great walking trail along the lake.

For autumn in New England.

For Horrorfind, and getting to see this.

For Korean souvenirs.

For COMMUNITY and Troy & Abed. ♥

For the weekend in Philadelphia.

For these books with my stuff in.

For theBERRY.

That this 40 oz. Brass Monkey didn’t kill me.

That me & the cats made it through Sandy with no hitches.

For popcorn. Seriously, how great is popcorn, you guys?

For mudslides. Ice creamy milkshake that gets you drunk? Yes please!!

For living in New England. It rules here.

For artist expression and stuff.

For jack-o-lanterns!!

For catnip tripping. XD

That everybody still loves Tad.

For waffles.

For Cracked.

For spooky socks.

That I had the chance to exhibit my photos in public and stuff. That was seriously cool.

That I can make a MEEZ avatar that actually looks like me. Well, me in slightly better shape.

For Sal’s of Derry and their giant f*cking pizzas.

For candy corn taffy.

For GLOVE AND BOOTS. I ♥ Mario and Fafa.

For Massabesic Lake and for it being so close.

For the wonder that is Turtle Stacking.

For that day we spent at Laconia Bike Week. That was cool.

For Guitar Hero. I still play on EASY, I don’t even care. It relaxes me.

For DrunkMouse and all her shenanigans.

Finally, for not being homeless. I really can’t stress enough how thankful I am to not be homeless. Because by all rights I probably should be. I like it here.

The end. ♥

Photo

onespookychick-deactivated20110 — Tue, 13 Nov 2012 22:56:50 -0500

"Dinosaurs were fucking awesome." -Science

onespookychick-deactivated20110 — Mon, 10 Sep 2012 15:34:49 -0400

Today, in response to something totally idiotic…

I took a few minutes and made something immaculate…

I just thought I’d share that.

Mini Canvas Madness Sessions: 31 of 31

onespookychick-deactivated20110 — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 22:03:16 -0400

“Anti-Fashion”

2.5” x 3.5”
Acrylic on Canvas Paper

Mini Canvas Madness Sessions: 30 of 31

onespookychick-deactivated20110 — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 22:02:32 -0400

“Happiest Pumpkin EVER!!”

2.5” x 3.5”
Acrylic on Canvas Paper

Mini Canvas Madness Sessions: 29 of 31

onespookychick-deactivated20110 — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 22:01:42 -0400

“Self-Portrait #2”

2.5” x 3.5”
Acrylic on Canvas Paper

Mini Canvas Madness Sessions: 27 of 31

onespookychick-deactivated20110 — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 22:00:04 -0400

“Hard Luck Woman”

3.5” x 2.5”
Acrylic on Canvas Paper

Mini Canvas Madness Sessions: 28 of 31

onespookychick-deactivated20110 — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 22:00:00 -0400

“Vintage”

**SOLD**

2.5” x 3.5”
Acrylic on Canvas Paper

Mini Canvas Madness Sessions: 26 of 31

onespookychick-deactivated20110 — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 21:59:13 -0400

“Can You Hear Me In The Back?”

3.5” x 2.5”
Acrylic on Canvas Paper

Mini Canvas Madness Sessions: 25 of 31

onespookychick-deactivated20110 — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 21:58:15 -0400

“Insect Wars”

3.5” x 2.5”
Acrylic on Canvas Paper

Mini Canvas Madness Sessions: 24 of 31

onespookychick-deactivated20110 — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 21:56:00 -0400

“Crystal Blue Persuasion”

3.5” x 2.5”
Acrylic on Canvas Paper

Mini Canvas Madness Sessions: 23 of 31

onespookychick-deactivated20110 — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 21:55:48 -0400

“Nectar”

3.5” x 2.5”
Acrylic on Canvas Paper

Mini Canvas Madness Sessions: 22 of 31

onespookychick-deactivated20110 — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 21:54:33 -0400

“Candy Corn”

2.5” x 3.5”
Acrylic on Canvas Paper

Mini Canvas Madness Sessions: 21 of 31

onespookychick-deactivated20110 — Wed, 22 Aug 2012 11:32:00 -0400

“Don’t Make Me Close My Eyes”

2.5” x 3.5”
Acrylic on Canvas Paper

Mini Canvas Madness Sessions: 20 of 31

onespookychick-deactivated20110 — Wed, 22 Aug 2012 11:31:43 -0400

“Seasonal Nostalgia”

2.5” x 3.5”
Acrylic on Canvas Paper

Mini Canvas Madness Sessions: 19 of 31

onespookychick-deactivated20110 — Sun, 19 Aug 2012 15:38:46 -0400

“Internal Collapse”

2.5” x 3.5”
Acrylic on Canvas Paper