Personal Information

Background:    "The Stablegirl" is yet another alias for Melissa "Missy" Bradshaw, a senior at The University of Texas at Arlington. The nickname started as a joke in an RPG/"shared universe" story on Prodigy back in 1991- an attempt at sarcasm that backfired and is likely to haunt her to the end of her days. ;)   (If you're curious, you can read more about it here.)

I'm 27 years old (b: April 14, 1973) and live just northeast of Fort Worth in a town called Watauga, which no one outside of the D/FW metroplex has ever heard of. :) My parents moved to Watauga when my father came home from Vietnam, and I still live less than ten miles from the hospital where I was born. (That's a pretty rare thing these days, I think...) I attended the public schools here, and several members of my family still work for the school district. When I graduated in 1991, I received a scholarship for a two-year honors program at the local community college. I took a year off after that, then began attending UTA in 1995.

I was a college senior for three years, but I finally graduated in May 2000 with degrees in Psychology and English. (My remarkably long "senior year" was due to the addition of the second major. Writing, referring to any kind of written communication, has always been my first love, and no matter how often or how violently I tried to cast it aside, it always came back to me. Sort of a twisted variation on that old proverb about setting something free... Thus it was that, nine semester hours away from graduation (!), I added another major...) My original major was Biology, with plans to go to Vet school at Texas A&M, but for various reasons that didn't work out. Long story. Anyhow, I started learning about computer graphics and HTML in 1997, and I paid for my last two years of college by doing freelance graphics, web design, and illustration. During the last year I also worked part-time as a technical writer for a financial planning company. I am now partial owner of CyberTX, a startup company I began working with in January.

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Interests:    It's always difficult to list my interests, as there aren't too many things that DON'T interest me at least a little. But these are the ones that occupy most of my time:

Horses: Horses have been an obsession of mine as long as I can remember. I got my first horse when I was 11, and I've owned horses ever since. Currently I have four: an Appaloosa mare, an Arab/Appaloosa gelding, a Quarter Horse/Arabian mare, and an Arabian mare that I "adopted" from a friend who had to move. I keep two of then in a pasture I lease for them about three miles from my house. The other two have been moved to my Dad's place in the country, where they've been taken under the wing (horn?) of a longhorn bull. :)

Other animals: I love animals of every kind, and as far back as I can remember my family has taken in the "strays" that nobody else wanted. My strays currently include a 14-year-old Yellow Lab (the best dog I've ever owned; I got her from the Humane Society eight years ago), a Beagle, a 13-year-old cat, a sulphur-crested cockatoo, a 23-year-old cockatiel, a python, and a hedgehog...

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Computers: For the first six years I owned a computer, I used it almost exclusively for socializing and homework. In that order. <g> These days, though I keep in touch with a few people from "the old days", I don't do much socializing. I don't go to chat rooms or seek out new pen pals, though I've really enjoyed exchanging messages with the people who visit this site. I rarely surf (if I'm on the Web, I'm nearly always searching for something specific), and I almost never play video games. Most of my computer time is spent creating graphics and web pages. Web publishing has become sort of an addiction, I think...

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Art: I've been drawing animals ever since I could hold a crayon. They're the only things I really enjoy drawing. It drove my art teachers crazy. <g> Anyhow, my favorite traditional media are watercolors and india ink, though I also use acrylics, colored pencils, oil pastels, and scratchboard. I particularly enjoy painting murals, and one entire wall of my bedroom is covered with Disney characters. I've rarely touched a paintbrush once, though, since I discovered computer graphics. I adore computer art-- it's the ideal medium. No mess, no running out of paint, the ability to save multiple versions of the same graphic, and, most important of all, the UNDO command! I love it.

I think it's important to note, however, that I don't consider myself an Artist in the traditional sense. I don't have the "soul" of an artist, I don't have surges of creative genius, and there aren't any profound hidden meanings to be found in my work. I just like to draw. The same is true of writing: I don't write to express my creativity or to free myself from inner demons who won't let me rest until I've poured out my soul onto a piece of paper. I don't even write for the sake of writing. I write when I have something specific to say, and I enjoy figuring out the best way to say it. It's the technical side of writing and art that I enjoy. To me it's more of a craft than an art. Sometimes I wish it were otherwise; I spent years trying to be the creative, artsy-type, but that's just not me and never will be...

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Herbs/Alternative Medicine: A friend got me interested in herbalism about seven years ago. I was extremely skeptical at first, but a combination of herbs and vitamins have made an incredible difference in my health over the last several years. Though I'm still skeptical of the supposed "miracle cures", I'm fascinated by herbal/nutritional medicine.

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Gardening: I enjoy growing my own herbs, though I didn't have much luck with them this year-- it was just too hot. I also love cactus of all kinds, ivy, miniature rosebushes, miniature trees, and all sorts of unusual plants. I also have a small vegetable garden.

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Books: Most of the books I read for pleasure are in the science fiction or fantasy genres, though I'll read just about anything. I was also really into horror throughout my teen years, but I've gotten away from that now. Some favorite authors: Ayn Rand, Robert Heinlein, Harlan Ellison, John Irving, Robert Fulghum (yes, the "All I Really Need To Know..." guy), Erma Bombeck (she makes me laugh), Mark Twain, Cecil Adams, and Dr. Seuss. Some favorite books: Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand, The Forever War by Joe Haldeman, The Lord of the Rings trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien, The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley, The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert Heinlein, The Eyes of the Dragon by Stephen King, the Narnia books by C.S. Lewis, the Oz books by L. Frank Baum, Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls, Letters From the Earth by Mark Twain, Bloodchild and Other Stories by Octavia Butler, The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand, Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry, A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L'engle, IT by Stephen King, A Prayer For Owen Meany by John Irving, Postcards From the Edge by Carrie Fisher...

You'll notice that a number of those are usually considered to be children's books. That's because I believe that really good children's literature exists on multiple levels and thus can be enjoyed by adults as well as children.

And then there's the simple fact that my "inner child" is alive and well and is still as delighted by The Cat and the Hat as she was twenty years ago... :)

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Animation: The same is true of animation. In some ways, I think I enjoy animation MORE now than I did as a child, as now I can also appreciate the artistic/technical side of it. I can watch The Lion King and simultaneously be caught up in the story and awed by the gorgeous artwork. I also like the way symbolism and social commentary can be subtly (or not-so-subtly!) worked into animation..

Movie animation: Pre-1995 Disney, including The Lion King (my all-time favorite), Beauty and the Beast, The Nightmare Before Christmas, The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, The Fox and the Hound, Robin Hood, Bambi, Fantasia, and others.

Cartoon animation: Felix the Cat, The Simpsons, assorted Dr. Seuss works (including The Grinch that Stole Christmas and The Lorax), and, yes, South Park (it's not all that aesthetically appealing, but I love the social commentary).

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Music: Most of the music I like falls into one of two categories: new country or 70's-80's rock ballads. On the rock side, my favorite band is Chicago and has been since I was ten. Other favorites are Survivor, Journey, REO Speedwagon, and Air Supply. On the country side, I have long-running crushes on Collin Raye and Sammy Kershaw. Basically I'm a sucker for men singing slow, pretty love songs. :)

I also like some classical music, such as Holst's The Planets. I like neo-celtic stuff such as Enya and Clannad, and I love the soundtracks from some musicals, including Les Miserables, Brigadoon, and The Phantom of the Opera.

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Miscellanous Weirdness: My favorite color is green, preferably dark shades of green. My favorite gemstones are malachite and bloodstone. (Go figure...) I'm a night owl by nature; I work best between midnight and 6am. (I'm almost useless during the day, especially when it's hot..) I'm single (no kids, either), but I've been dating the same man for five years. (We met at a japanese animation convention.) I drive a 1997 green Ford Ranger pickup truck (with a large dog in the back, weather permitting) :). I adore Mexican food, jigsaw puzzles, rain, flannel shirts, and bargain shopping at thrift stores. The only television I watch is Nick At Nite, and I have a serious addiction to office supplies.

I told you it was more than you wanted to know... :)