Pages

Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Halloween at the Whiner's Ball


Greetings, Ghosts and Goblins, Witches and Werewolves! Come share with us your tales of gloom, horror, and smashing success! Quick, pass the candy before the kids eat all the good stuff.


Special to the Brigadoon this week: a Costume Contest! Prizes for best costume, and best story concerning a costume. *


Let's get the ball rolling with a Treat: the Great Pumpkin arrived early for fans of the Red Sox! Our own PS hosted the only sports commentary that has ever captured my interest for more than 2 minutes. The dessert recipes alone were worth the price of admission.

And another: I just got Molly Ivins' last book, The Bill of Wrongs, and so far it is wonderful.


On to the Tricks: Did you ever get a phone call at 6:30 a.m., and nobody ever calls then unless someone has died, so you know it is an emergency? Yeah. That happened this morning.

My evil SIL's "emergency" is that she wants to unload some crap that she doesn't want, because she is moving soon, and when she moves she unloads the old because she buys expensive new crap, and the old often ends up in my living room. Her excuse this time is that she wants to give it to our son, who doesn't even live here; this would seem generous, except she hasn't so much as spoken to him in 18 months and fails to remember him on occasions like his birthday and Christmas. So, it boils down to wanting to leave her crap in my living room, again. It's just "easier" that way, doncha know. On the up side, she and I don't speak, so I just have to deal with her leftover stuff, not her personally. [Her brother says, "whatever" to get her off the phone, but there is hope that one day he will say, "How 'bout you call one of those donation places, like a normal person?"]


I'm sure you've got better whines than that one, so have at it!
.
~~~~~~~~~~~
* I do not have the faintest idea how to post photos in comments, unless you have an URL to link. So, use your words, is the host's advice.

34 comments:

Liz Miller said...

MM wanted to be Ang the Avatar. But no costume to be had and no mustard-yellow sweatsuit to be had either (we already have a red vest). So he then said, "How about Luke Skywalker?" Hasn't yet seen the movie, but has a light saber. Alas. None in his size.

So now he's the most adorable Peter Pan in the universe.




Did I ever tell you guys that I once played Frankenfurter in the RHPS floor show in FirstCollegeCity? Yeah. I fell out of the corset. We got a really big audience the next night. Haha on them though, I was playing Magenta instead.

Madeleine said...

As previously whined-in-anticipation, Snuggly Girl will be a ghost. It came together pretty well, if I do say so myself. $2 white remnant fabric worn poncho-style, draped over a white hooded sweatshirt (plan is to tie-dye it after! wish me luck!), and a white wig, braided like her two braids and stitched to the hood of the sweatshirt. White face paint, even though it's looked crappy every year when I've tried it.

I two-thirds managed to follow the rule about buying candy you don't like so you won't be tempted to eat it all. That's a mighty big box of chocolate sitting in the corner, though. (Whine or anti-whine? Not entirely clear. I'll come down on the anti-whine side, I think.)

kathy a. said...

well. i can already see that the costume contest might include more categories than originally contemplated. but that's all cool!

candy update: my beloved wiped out an entire bag of whoppers treats, in under 24 hours. at least i have a birthday present idea for him now.

Miranda said...

Kathy A - I love the jack o'lantern picture.

The kids are all just wearing store bought costumes but they tend to fill in the details creatively. Dancing Girl is Supreme Ruler of the Universe and Zilla is a Singing Ninja.

I'll tell my costume tale tomorrow if I get a chance.

Unknown said...

Halloween? Oh, it that today? I guess I just forgot. Well, that's a lie. I didn't forget. I just don't care. Daughter is being transferred from hospital to ART for another week. I really miss her. It feels like she's been gone forever.

Bought a new car this weekend but geesh, I have a TON of stuff to do like buy insurance and get my drivers license in MA. Yeah, still driving on the CA license.

Found out yesterday that son has NOT been taking most of his meds. Now I have to start doling them out again, like he's 3. I am not happy. We have to start all over again. WHY?

Son has been suspended twice from school. He refused to do an ISS, so he got a real suspension which goes on his 'permanent record'. Does he care? He does not.

We went to Red Sox rolling rally today. I am tired. Really tired.

Didn't buy any candy for Halloween because we never get any trick or treaters. Nobody sane wants to walk up our driveway, which is a huge hill, in the dark, and spooky. Had I a fortune I would line it with lighted pumpkins and make a big cemetery on the front lawn, but I don't so it remains dark and spooky.

I miss candy. Maybe I'll get some tomorrow. Or after Halloween when it is marked down.

Have a good week, Pixies.

Andy said...

The washer in my apartment building broke. The landlord replaced it with a washer that charges money, effectively doubling my laundry bills. On the plus side, I can now safely set aside all my delusional plots to find a free dryer and run some sort of bizarre, fly-by-night laundry operation just to stick it to Big Laundry now that my washer is no longer free.

As for costumes, my plan was to be Zombie Jesus this year, but I have no costume party to go to.

Anonymous said...

Whine: Research collaborator is visiting this week and taking.a.lot.of.time.

Antiwhine: Research collaborator is visiting this week and we are getting a lot done. She is thrilled, my students are thrilled, I am happy but very tired.

When is Thanksgiving break?

Madeleine, try http://www.dharmatrading.com/tie-dye/materials.html for tie-dye that works(!) and does not bleed(!). The dye takes 24 hours to take hold, but the colors are fabulous!

KLee said...

My entry this week is piddly, so I'm going Old Skool: my daughter has turned that invisible age corner, and trick-or-treating is no longer cool.

I miss all the cute little costumes, but then again, she's no longer three.

I'm old.

Waaaahhh! Damn you, train of thought! I'm not your friend anymore!

Mykal said...

Jet lag in a major sort of way. I've been back nearly 5 days and I still feel like crappity crap. I'm spending 9 hours a day sleeping, and the rest of the time wishing I was sleeping.

Official layoff date was annouced, the day is next Tuesday. I will have whines either way next week.

Anti-whine: Vacation to Japan! was amazing. The amazingness is hard to think about though b/c I am so freaking tired from jet lag.

BroccoliEater said...

whine: I am not the Cool Crafty mom I thought I would be, sewing fantastical costumes for my kids like all the moms on my block did growing up.

DD, at least, is getting the occasional handmedown costume courtesy of my mother, who saved all the costumes she made me.

But in a larger whine, my son actually *prefers* the cheapo storebought costumes because they are of his favorite licensed characters. Bah, humbug.

Anonymous said...

Whine: real life in the nicu is way scarier than Halloween.

That's not as drastic as it sounds, but I'm soooo tired. And it is scary, especially this last week.

And the nipples.

Antiwhine: the neighbor brought over some chocolate "for the trick or treaters." Ha! How about for stressed-out mama!

Anonymous said...

So my Dad got "fired" from his job of 25+ years for an extremely lame-o reason. He worked for a large newspaper and the position that he held for 23+years was eliminated so they moved him to a job that would be perfect for an entry level journalism major. Unfortunately for him - he barely graduated high school so needless to say the job wasn't a good fit.
This is not the whine.
Of course it started out as my whine but when my mom let slip that this was the second thing he got in trouble for and that's probably why he was fired I wanted to know what the first was. My mom won't say anything except, "misuse of company time". What the H-E-double hockey sticks does that mean? Does that mean my dad was looking at porn at work? Too bad I am not at all close with him and it would just be way to weird to have that discussion with him.
Great! My dad is out of work, and just when I should be feeling sorry for him I now get the heeby-jeebies when I look at him.

Elizabeth said...

(((esperanza)))

Costume whine: D is whiny and ungrateful about the fabulous Naruto costume that T. has spent excessive amounts of time and money making.

Costume antiwhine: T enjoys making the costumes. N is thrilled about wearing the Buzz Lightyear costume that T made for D two years ago.

Costume whine 2: D is sulky that all the adults make a fuss over N in the Buzz costume, but have no clue who Naruto is.

Regular whine: Tired. Busy at work. Ripped up bathroom for renovation -- finding scary things in the walls.

antiwhine: bathroom will be much improved when it's done.

kathy a. said...

hugs to margalit; hope this next week is better. yay about the car, though.

((( esparanza ))) sending healthy baby vibes and crossing fingers.

madeleine, i second Im's suggestion about dye from dharma trading. [full disclosure: son works there.]

Anonymous said...

Antiwhine: I live in a new neighbohood this year and all my halloween decorations did not get destroyed / stolen last night, like they did last year. I'm sure I whined about that last year. But I'm still angry about it.

Antiwhine, related: It's Halloween!!!! Hands down my most favoritest bestest day in the whole wide year. Candy for all!

Mrs. Coulter said...

Update from last week's whines: my health scare from last week is apparently a false alarm. The follow-up appt. with a cardiologist showed no abnormalities.

So my antiwhine is that there is nothing wrong with me. Wheeee!

Yankee T said...

Whiny Ode To Halloweens Past And Teenager Present:

No ghost or pumpkin in the house,
No bumble bee, goblin, princess or mouse
I have instead a kid in high school
Who is her very own brand of ghoul.

I long for baby Orphan Annie
Instead I want to spank her fanny
For the mumble, the grumble, the stomp and fume
When all I want is a cute costume.

I know from experience she will outgrow
The surly look from head to toe
The other two turned out ok,
But why can't it happen to her TODAY?

Happy Halloween! Enjoy your little ones while they're little.

Anonymous said...

(((esperanza)))
(((margalit)))

Yay, Mrs. Coulter!

Liz, you cracked me up with the RHPS story.

The kiddo is a storebought Green Goblin, not nearly as much fun as previous years' costumes to my mind. However, given that half his classmates have no idea who he is, he may rethink this catalog thing next year. (He could've been a Death Eater, but that freaked me out a little too much - I probably should've let him, given that I saw at school today a Harry, a Hermione, a Dementor, a Tom Riddle, and a perfect Luna Lovegood.)

I carved my pumpkin as a Red Sox "B" and it came out well.

We're giving out candy I don't like -- Wonka stuff and pumpkin-shaped gumballs. That was the plan as (whine) I have a fair amount of weight to lose if I don't want to buy a bigger winter coat.

Madeleine said...

Hooray for Mrs. Coulter's false alarm! Boo on Andy's landlord.

Yay for non-stolen decorations. We can't leave a pumpkin outside, not because of the primate hooligans (though we did get that once) but because of the bushy-tailed hooligans. The squirrels in our neighborhood looooove pumpkin.

Thanks for the tie-dye suggestions. Like Sara, I am nowhere near as crafty as I aspire to be. But I might try it.

kathy a. said...

YT, you take my breath away!

hooray, mrs. coulter!

late-breaking anti-whine: kittens! cute little anti-social rescued foster kittens! i get to socialize them, when they come out from under the furniture in a day or 2.

Leslie M-B said...

Lucas, who is 2, just emerged from six straight days of stomach flu. Mr. Trillwing and I both got it last night. Blergh.

I was really looking forward to doing the whole Halloween thing with Lucas, and now I'm not sure we'll be able to do so.

Jenny F. Scientist said...

(((esperanza)))

Minor whine: I just drank a cup of coffee. I thought it was decaf. It wasn't. Twitch.

Unknown said...

Yankee T, your daughter and mine must be twins separated at birth. You caught the mood exactly.

Andy, your landlord is almost as big of a schmuck as mine is. Booo to landlords who are cheap.

Hugs to Esperanza. The nicu days grow dim when your kids are teens. It seems like so long, but actually, it goes by in a blur.

Diane...sorry about your dad. But I get the creepy thing. It might not have been porn, it might just have been fantasy football or something like that.

And last but not least, Ms Coulter. PHEW. I was so worried. I'm very happy for your clear prognosis. EXCELLENT news!

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the hugs, everyone. Things are already better this evening.

Elizabeth said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Elizabeth said...

Blogger is cutting off the full URL for the specific post, but if you go to my blog (www.halfchangedworld.com), there are photos of the boys in costume.

Anonymous said...

Happy Halloween to all of the wonderful whiners.

Liz Miller said...

Esperanza, I hope you and the sweet baboo are out of the NICU soon and home, safe and warm.

Hugs to all who need them!

Holy crap people, we had to come home and empty out MM's pumpkin bucket before continuing on to LovesHighSchoolMusical's house. It had gotten so full he couldn't lift it anymore.

If we ever smilesmilesmile after this year, he's going to be a whiz at the door-knocking stuff.

Liz Miller said...

Old Skool Whine:

Whiiiiiine: The Police are coming and playing in a concert here that I really, reeeealy wanted to see. I've never seen them in concert. But I'm not going. I can't go.

The concert date is November 5th. Monday, November 5th.

E-Day is the 6th.

Whiiiiiiine.

Miranda said...

Well, I'm sad that only my youngest wanted to trick or treat with me tonight. Since his allergies are really acting up, he didn't want to be out very long.

My daughter and her older by two years friend went out together. The two moms nearly drove them insane with conditions: Stay on the sidewalk, here's seven glowing things and a flashlight, call us every twenty minutes, don't talk to strangers, say thank you, are you sure you want to do this?

The moms were also out and about with the younger children and we have a very close-knit neighborhood but the girls were so proud they were together.

My oldest is fighting with his passive-agressive ex and is taking advice from me. Gosh, there was so much in that last sentence to expound upon and/or worry about.

Good news: It looks like my husband wants to be reasonable. We are looking to formally separate next year once I am done with school. Knowing that there is an end date and that we both want to be as low-key about this as possible feels like a giant weight has been lifted from my chest. If only we could have found a way to work together before this point...you know?

kabbage said...

Another Old School Whine:
Cognitive dissonance induced by Christmas carols coming on the car radio while I'm dodging trick-or-treaters.

Sue said...

Hugs for esperanza and margalit and style points for Yankee T - you are truly amazing!

Anti-whine: Great therapy session today. It's like my weekly fill-up with hopefulness.

Whine: The usual. The Headache with bonus Depression on the side.

Queen of West Procrastination said...

Hugs and candy are being doled out!

My whines are small, gross and whiney:

a.) It hurts to wink my right eye, thanks to the biggest pimple this earth has ever seen;

b.) And I (at the age of 26) have developed corns on the toes of my right foot. They're really gross and I've had to apply corn plasters to them. And, in spite my pain, I can't seem to tell anyone around here about them because people are grossed out by corns, apparently.

Anti-whine: only a few more hours until Cheap Candy Day!

JenR said...

It's not Wednesday anymore... I can't seem to remember to whine on Wednesdays.

The asthma isn't better, despite the new inhaler. But the baby seems to be doing fine, so I hope they won't add more medicine to try to fix the asthma.