My real name is Victoria, which has always felt a trifle pompous for my personality. Evidently my friends felt so too, because they hung Vicks and Victrola on me in middle school. I wasn't fond of either one, but when my mother started calling me Vicks, I figured it was a losing battle. Since I spent a lot of time tracking wildlife in the woods, and there was a red fox I saw often, I morphed Vicks into Vixen, and used it for various adolescent endeavors: Vixen Grafix and Vixen Muzik to name two. I came up with a nice little sketch of an impish-looking fox as a logo.

I somehow remained ignorant of the XXX-rated implications--I thought the term "vixen" applied to a woman meant she was shrewd and sharp-tongued--though the internet has certainly changed my perception of the word! I've often thought of asking to have my Mudcat moniker changed to something less provocative, but now that Bill Sables and Allan C gave my husband the handle Reynaud, and Jeri has dubbed us the Foxners, it looks like it's probably best to let well enough alone.

Funny how these things sort of take on a life of their own....

Go with what feels comfortable for you. The best benefit of membership is getting to know the other Mudcats through PMs and Mudgathers and whatnot. My husband and I have found a wonderful community of really interesting people.

V