Our Haunting

I'm pretty sure all of my electronics are haunted. First the dishwasher, then my Ipod, then some funkiness with Todd's Ipod after I used it, and now my computer is on the fritz. I can't even re-install Mac OSx. So, it's off to the Genius Bar again, and y'all know how I love those folks.

In the meantime, have a great Halloween, and do a good deed today. Sign the petition to pardon Britain's executed Witches!

Thanks to Ned for the link.

My Career as a Carny is Not to Be

I am so lazy this morning. Yesterday was a whirlwind of parenting errands. Okay, that is a lie. Having the Apple folks look at my Ipod, which crapped out after slapping the pavement on Thursday's run (Oh, the sadness of running back home with no music!), at 9 am, after dropping Rollie off in the rainy carpool mess, was a me-me-me errand. After being given their sincerest condolences, I left the Perimeter Apple store (which is so less annoying and hipster-crawling than the Lenox mall store, by the way) to sit in a parking lot of rainy 285 traffic.

I made it to Lavista to pick up more aprons for the Pre-K to decorate with Little Red Hen themes, then hit the Publix across the street and pick up a cheater's shameful dessert for the Cakewalk. Got back in the car, then drove through the dry cleaners to pick up one cat puke-stained down comforter, two blood-stained zombie prom dresses (no idea how the dry cleaning goddess removed the blood from the white dress!), and one shirt that has been lying in my car to go to the dry cleaners since we moved out of the old house. I don't make it to the dry cleaners very often. All of this in the pouring rain. I looked like a drowned rat.

Made it home, changed shoes, and had a cup of coffee to warm up. Had lunch, then did laundry and cleaning out of Tiller's closet for stuff to go to consignment store, while todd had taken her to the library. Handed off aprons to Todd to give to teacher when he picked up Rollie, then headed to school myself for Fall Carnival setup. Cotton candy machine had not arrived yet, so spent two hours sitting on the stage in the cafeteria blowing up balloons and tying them off until my fingers were worn to the bone, all the while talking to two complete strangers and a parade of precocious elementary school students who wanted to bust the balloons.

Finished the balloons, then got a run-through on the cotton candy machine from the events folks. Headed back home to meet todd and the kids, then turn around and head back out for mexican (read: much-needed margarita), and then dropped back off at home to change Tiller's clothes, which she managed to pee all over in the restaurant bathroom. Tiller and i went back to the school for the fall festival. Wandered the halls with Tiller having a freakout over something scary every two steps. Finally found Todd and Rollie in the treasure chest room, switched off kids, and waited with Rollie in line to open the chest. headed back to find Todd and Tiller so that I could ditch the kids and do my time on the cotton candy machine. (Evidently, the parents of pre-k kids get the cotton candy machine duty, which is extremely sucky, unless you happen to like being covered in sugar from head to toe, while having kids and parents clamoring for cotton candy.)

Did my 7:20-8:30 shift, then cleaned up cotton candy machine. Not the most fun job in the world, by the way. Didn't see any of my cleanup volunteers, so I stuck around to help clean up the school, which looked like a disaster area. Finally knocked off at 9:20 or so, then walked back the creepy nature path through the dark wood, spun sugar probably attracting a number of animals tracking me through the night to my car.

I made it home alive, in time to change, down three beers, and watch two episodes of Fringe.

So, yeah, I am tired today. No energy. No desire to talk to another elementary-aged kid for weeks. Or their chitchatty parents, either. I am also fairly sure that I do not want to be a carny. Ever.

Also? Go Dawgs! Do or die time today! Don't let me down, dang it.

All Hallows Eve

Halloween was ultra fun. We carved the pumpkin (yes, I am a total slacker and waited till the last minute) and then went and had pizza at Grant Central. After that, we walked around East Atlanta Village for the Eav-O-Ween celebration.
All of the shop owners hand out candy to the local kids, and the people-watching is pretty fun. The kids were pretty cute, and I have to say that kids don't get hipper than those who trick or treat The Earl and The Flatiron. Nothing like seeing your little ones waltz right up to a bar for trick or treating. Definitely beats the toothbrushes we used to get from Dr. Grove, the dentist who lived down our suburban street growing up.
After that, we came home and Todd traipsed the kids down the street, while I stayed back to drink beer, er. . . hand out candy. There is something so heartstring-tugging about seeing your husband walking down the street, holding hands with the costumed kids, their other hands gripping the pumpkins so tightly and with such purpose. I had a lovely time talking with the neighbors and then Todd and the kids returned, the kids dove into the candy, and we sat around talking some more, while handing out candy. Halloween in the hood is a little different than in the 'burbs. The first few years, you are kind of put out by the older kids trick-or-treating (as one neighbor put it, if you are out on a date, you are probably too old to trick or treat) and the lack of discernible costumes, but you start to realize that it's just the way that folks do things here, and you get into the spirit and go with the flow after a while. And I dare say that this year, it seemed like more people dressed up and that they were trying just a little bit harder.
Todd hosed the children down from layers of stickiness and put them both down. About nine, we closed up shop (lights out, candles out), and Todd walked down the street to check out the Gay Superheroes. It seems that the money house (what I call the neighbor's house where everyone meets to party while handing out candy every year - a jackpot for the trick or treater) was doing a Superhero costume theme this year. I am sure they went all out and I should have sent the camera. Damn.
I'm drinking beer, fucking around with the Halloween photos, and listening to my Creepy mix. Decemberists' Leslie Anne Levine is on right now. Awesome song. Awesome holiday.

Happy Halloween Trivia

I played trivia with my sister and Robin last night. Tres fun! We didn't dress up (Shit, i barely got my teeth brushed yesterday, much less take a shower and plan a costume!), but some people did and there were some funny costumes. The best one by far was the "Dick in a Box" guy. So funny.

I have been dying to go to trivia for weeks now, but haven't been able to get anyone to go. I fear that they are lying to me when they say they have other plans, and in actuality, they are just afeared of my ridiculously competitive nature. (Think Monica on Friends.) Apparently, Lisa and Robin ran out of excuses. I also think i lured Robbie in with the fact that the horror-themed trivia would include multiple Rocky Horror Picture Show questions. Yes, she is one of those people.

My competitiveness does not mean, of course, that I rule at trivia, just that i like to feel like i gave my best shot at each and every question. Last night? That so didn't happen. I even wore my Cramps Halloween shirt for good luck; We completely choked on some of the questions. We did not even place in the top three. It will not happen again.

Just kidding.
Kinda.

I ran the questions by Todd when I got home, and it turns out that if Robin had made it on time (she missed the first round because of work) and Todd had gone with us, we would have done a lot better. Also if we didn't have Friday the 13th killer name debacle. (Sorry, Lisa!)

So, here are the questions. The ones that Robin, Lisa and I managed to pull out of our asses. And a few that are so Mickey Mouse that the question writers should be ashamed. And the ones that we didn't get are in bold. Do you know the answers? Googlers are cheaters, and cheaters never prosper. Kind of like those fuckers at the bar last night who were cheating. You know who you are, blond chick with the blue and white striped shirt. A curse on you, and the guy who gave you the answer, too.

1. What year was the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre released?
2. The Arthur Miller play based on the Salem Witch trials.
3. Total number of movies in the Friday the 13th, Halloween, and Nightmare on Elm St series, including the combination movie, and any remakes.
4. Birth name of the serial killer nicknamed "The Killer Clown."
5. What is the name of the pub in which Shaun and his friends holed up to escape Zombies in "Shaun of the Dead?" With Robin's help, we would have come up with this one!
   
6. In the Rocky Horror Picture Show, which two characters are brother and sister?
7. What was the name of the sequel to Rocky Horror Picture Show?
8. On South Park, what was mixed with Kenny's embalming fluid to cause him to become a zombie?
9. Name of the monster who prowls Mexico eating goats?
10. In Evil Dead, what is the name of the book of the Dead?
11. In the original Friday the 13th, who was the killer?
12. Evil Poets: Who wrote "The Raven?"
13. What are the three original Romero zombie films? (We only got two.)
14. What beer would you use to kill a werewolf?
15. What actors portrayed Marty Coleslaw and his uncle Red in Stephen King's Silver Bullet?
16. What were the vampire-killing brothers, one of whom was played by Corey Feldman, referred to as in The Lost Boys?
17. What musician is credited with popularizing the "devil horns" rock n roll gesture?
18. What 1922 film was the debut of the vampire on the big screen?
19. Classic Arcade Games: What are the names of the four ghosts in the American version of the game PacMan? (We only got three.)
20. The name of the English punk band whose ever-changing members included members named "Rat Scabies," "Captain Sensible," and "Urbana?" This one drove Robin and I crazy, because it was on the tip of our tongues.
21. Ancient Celtic festival/ritual credited with being the original Halloween?
22. What does Mexico's Dia de los Muertos (sp?) mean?
23. Number of bones in the male body? Bonus for naming the state in which this number is an area code.
24. What is the only mammal naturally capable of flight?
25. Final Question: Name the actors who played each of the following in The Rocky Horror Picture Show -
    
    Dr. Frankenfurter
    Brad
    Janet
    RiffRaff
    Eddie
    

Have fun! I'll post answers tomorrow.

What to Be For Halloween

This morning, I asked Rollie what he was going to be for Halloween.

"Spider Man," he replied.

"Tiller, what are you going to be?" I said.

"Bida Mon." [Spider Man. She mimics everything Rollie does.]

I said, "Well, what am I going to be?"

Rollie didn't even look up, but stated very decisively, "A cow."

Um, thanks.