What's in a name? Have you ever looked up the meaning of your name??? Here's what I got when I googled my name:

Melanie is Greek, and it means black,
darkskinned. Religion: Saint Melanie was a wealthy
heiress and philantrophist of the 4th and 5th century
who freed thousands of slaves and engaged in lifelong good
works. The name was uncommon until the novel "Gone
With the Wind" and its character Melanie Wilkes.

Not really me, is it??? I mean, I'm so pale that I make white milk look like chocolate milk, and my hair is so red that I blend in when I stand next to a fire truck. Wealthy heiress and philantrophist... that's funny! Now the lifelong good works - thats me. I'm a perfect person, so at least that part of the definition was right! And I do remember my mom telling me that I was named after a character in Gone With the Wind, but didn't believe it until I read this definition! Guess maybe one day I'll sit down and watch it, since I'm in it :) Google your name and see what you can find out - that's your homework for today!

When I was little, my papa used to call me Mac. That was my initials, but he just called me that anyways. And every little thing that he could name after me, he did! I remember that he even named one of his plants after me! Silly, I know, but to a little girl who adored her grandfather, it meant the world. Their dog was even named Mac, and she bit me all the time. I guess she didn't like being named after me.

Everyone else seems to call me Mel. Its just a name that I've gotten used to but never really cared for. Not everyone can call me that. There have been a few people who have called me Mel and I've just wanted to scream at them. Instead, I've politely told them that my name is Melanie, so please call me that. If I never correct you when you call me Mel, then you know that you're good in my books :)

I've had other names that people call me, some that I can't write here, but only one has ever really been original. I've mentioned it before, and now is the time to tell the story.

My name is Alf. Not Alfonso, not Alfred or Alfreda, just plain old Alf. Its after the 80's-90's show Alf, about an A.lien L.ife F.orm. (How obvious is that?!) So why am I called Alf, and how did this name come about??? It happened about 12 years ago, when I met Jason. His Uncle Tom started to call me Alf, because I am an alien. We immigrated to Canada when I was 12, so I guess that makes me an alien. Because of my red hair and the alien thing, the name Alf has just kind of stuck. Or maybe its because he couldn't remember my name way back then, and this is all he could think of!

I guess looking back to when I was younger, I've always been Alf. I mean, being called Mel, my initials being Mac... put them together and you get Melmac. Where did Alf come from??? Melmac! So I am Alf, and I'm proud of it.

Here's a pic of the family back on the home planet.....


Now I think I should be locked up in a padded room, and someone should throw the key away. I've completely lost it, writing about aliens! Maybe they'll come for me tonight.............