New Toulouse

Galatea Monday resides corporeally in New Toulouse with her bulldog Al Capone, loads of books, and a few spirits. She also owns and operates the Haunted Jellyfish, New Toulouse’s premiere ghost gallery and studio.

Send your questions to Miss Gala by mailing or dropping a note into her mailbox at our headquarters.

Dear Miss Gala,

I find myself getting sleepy and irritible late in the afternoon. I’m very busy, so I can’t just stop and nap—not that I could, because I’m too cranky. But someone told me that there are mood foods that might help. Can you recommend any?

Signed,
Grrr at Four

Dear Grrr,

The first thing I will recommend is getting proper sleep at night. Avoid sugar and caffeine, especially after lunch, and try and be kind to yourself. Maybe try a leisurely walk ritual every day too to manage any stress that may be preventing your sleep.

As for mood foods, I can absolutely recommend a few good things. Cherries (especially tart ones), salmon, amaranth, peanut butter, dark chocolate, and peppermint tea (not all together) are all helpful for giving you a safe energy boost and elevating your mood naturally. Avoid anything processed, of course, and if all else fails, reach for the bourbon and some gumbo, and don’t take everything so seriously. Just go easy on the bourbon, or you’ll experience a whole new kind of cranky!

In friendship,
Miss Gala

Dear Miss Gala,

What’s your idea of a romantic dinner?

Signed,
Hearting on the Bayou

Dear Heart,

Nothing says love like fresh lobster mac and cheese made from scratch and served with a bright Chardonnay. Light a few candles, crank up the Victrola, and enjoy.

Just make sure everyone can handle the lactose …

In cheese,
Miss Gala

Dear Miss Gala,

Why are the Mardi Gras colors green, gold, and purple?

Signed,
Color Curious

Dear Curious,

The colors all have significance, like so many things this time of year. According to mardigrasneworleans.com, purple represents justice, green represents faith, and gold represents power.

In beads,
Miss Gala

Dear Miss Gala,

I got the baby in the king cake!!! What does it mean??

Signed,
Plastic Baby Mama

Dear Mama,

Congratulations, Queen! The king cake is one of my favorite traditions that time of year, and it’s always exciting, when someone gets the baby in the cake. You are the queen of that party, and you get to choose your king. It also means that the next king cake is on you, love. So get to baking, but be careful with that plastic baby!

Cheers,
Miss Gala

Galatea Monday resides corporeally in New Toulouse with her bulldog Al Capone, loads of books, and her spirit guides Minerva and Calpurrnia. She has been contacting spirits for advice ever since she tipped over her first saucer of milk.

Send your questions to Miss Gala by mailing or dropping a note into her mailbox at our headquarters.

Dear Miss Gala,

Valentine’s Day is approaching, and I’m not sure what to do for my new sweetheart. We’ve only just met a week ago, and although it may be premature, I’m worried about overdoing or underdoing it on that fateful day.

Signed,
Smitten

Dear Smitten,

A holiday only brings the amount of stress we permit. And when we first meet and fall in love with someone, that can be stressful enough (but in a very good way). So, don’t stress the holiday; just enjoy your new love interest. Valentine’s Day should be easy, stress-free thoughtfulness. If you’ve just met, there are still so many mysteries to discover, so don’t rush it. Instead, why not create an opportunity for discovery, and take your sweetheart out to dinner? Maybe a late picnic treat on the river, beneath a lovely old tree? Maybe start the day with breakfast in bed, or pack your sweetheart a lunch with a sweet treat and a love note. The note can be as simple as a lipstick smack on a sliver of paper or a simple “XOXO.”

Have fun, take time getting to know one another, and don’t give in to the Hallmark Horror of it all—make your own tradition.

Chaleureusement,
Gala

Dear Miss Gala,

Recently there have been zombie sightings near my home. I know everyone is frightened by them, because they are assumed to be mindless monsters, but perhaps we just misunderstand them? I feel that by using the Z-word, we are marginalizing this misunderstood population and perpetuating hate. Is there a better word we can use? Is there a way we can gain a deeper understanding of them?

Looking for peace,
Zed

Dear Zed,

How compassionate and charmed you and your world must be. Let’s call them post-human, and designate you our Ambassador to Post-Human Efforts and Wonder (PHEW).

Bien à vous,
Gala

Dear Miss Gala,

Where do babies come from?

Signed,
Curious on Basin

Cher Curious,

The Devil.

Cordialement,
Gala

Dear Miss Gala,

My cat keeps chasing my dog. I’m concerned they have some sort of identity dysphoria. What should I do?

Worried on the Bayou

Dear Worried,

I think you’re the one with the identity issues. It sounds like your furry companions are sorting out their disagreements naturally. Next time, send pics!

Amitiés,
Gala

Dear Miss Gala,

This is my first year in New Toulouse for Mardi Gras! I am way excited. What’s the best way to get involved?

Signed,
So Stoked!

Dear Stoked,

Welcome! Mardi Gras is a lot of fun here in New Toulouse. You may want to join a krewe or stop by the different bars to see what interests you. At the very least, be sure you’re a member of the Gens de New Toulouse group and are receiving notices. I’m sure all sorts of wonderful goodies are planned for this great holiday. My most salient advice: hydrate!

I look forward to seeing you!

À bientôt,
Gala

Galatea Monday resides corporeally in New Toulouse with her bulldog Al Capone, loads of books, and her spirit guides Minerva and Calpurrnia. She has been contacting spirits for advice ever since she tipped over her first saucer of milk.

Send your questions to Miss Gala by mailing or dropping a note into her mailbox at our headquarters.

Dear Miss Gala,

Is there a polite way to refuse an offer of friendship, especially from a random person one has only just met?

Perplexed,
Misanthropologist

Dear Misanthro’,

First off, great handle! I think it’ll be my next e-mail address.

But to your real question: Consulting my spirit guides, Minerva and Calpurrnia, they tell me that though there may be a polite way to do something, gentility is in the eye of the beholder. So the person who compulsively collects friends may or may not like your batting away her or his self-perceived amity regardless of your smile, but that’s not really your problem, as your name suggests.

You could do what more sheepish SLers do, which is to accept the friendship gracefully and then delete the person when they’re not online. That’s a little thing the spirit guides like to call the Friendship Stomp.

Bien amicalement,
Gala

Dear Miss Gala,

I am having so much trouble finding the right balance of prims in my modest home. How do we decide between the davenport and the bed?

Signed,
PrimRose and Violet

Chère amis,

Some davenports are beds, love. You may not need the pair. But I find the best way to manage the ever-present prim shortage is to rez your fantasy space and then start to remove what is absolutely unneeded and replace it with a lower-prim version. The new mesh seems to be enormously helpful in keeping the prim situation economical. I also find crates and trunks to be lower-prim replacements for desks, tables, dressers, and doorstops. Good luck!

Bien amicalement,
Gala

Dear Miss Gala,

What’s the best way to deal with bloodstains?

Signed,
Sticky on the Bayou

Cher Sticky,

I recommend bourbon, a pair of scissors, and an alibi.

Bonne chance,
Gala