The End of the Season

The boys lost their final league football game Friday night. We thought we might have a chance at a wild card berth in the district play-offs, but, sadly, we lacked enough season points to secure our place.

The boys are taking it quite well; they are such good sports.

I'm sad. I really came to enjoy the Friday night games, which, for someone with a lifetime of football apathy, is saying a lot.

Thankfully, there is always next year (God willing and the creek don't rise). And, in the meantime, we have basketball to distract us. I think practice starts today.

 

This shirt also works for basketball. Go Team!

Hello, November

Another new month! This year is almost over; I can hardly believe it. Happily, November is my birthday month, and, I am going to make the best of it. I've given some thought to this month's goals and a lot of them involve me taking better care of myself, which, considering the fact that I have felt like complete shit since roughly June, is probably wise.

- Cut refined sugar and Diet Pepsi completely out of my diet. AGAIN. I forget how good I feel when I am eating a cleaner diet; I need to remind myself of that fact when the sugar cravings hit.

- Start exercising again. This doesn't have to be a huge chore, it could involve something as simple as a walk on my lunch hour, but, the bottom line is: I have to get moving again.

- Host Thanksgiving dinner. Hopefully, my mom will be able to make it (Stay off my turf, Old Man Winter!).

- Purchase five more Christmas presents and order Christmas cards.

- Treat myself to a facial and a massage.

- Figure out a way to relax. Maybe I should learn how to meditate...or, I could take more baths, with wine.

Last month's goals, it should be noted, were completed in their entirety. But, no pressure, November.

This Is What Happened After Dorothy Goes Back to Kansas

She grew up.

Hold me.

Who You Gonna Call?

Ghostbusters!

I love my co-workers. Who else could I spend a solid month plotting and planning Halloween costumes with? And, who else would think to download the theme from Ghostbusters to play on a cell phone when we made our grand entrance at the office Halloween party? No one I can think of. Kort even spent countless hours crafting the ghost costume to our lone male counterpart's exact specifications, so that he would be recognizable as the Ghostbusters logo and unrecognizable as himself. It goes without saying, she did a fantastic job.

After the party at work, we hit the streets of Hooterville, reverse Trick-or-Treating at the offices of our partnering agencies. The cops were thrilled to see us coming, as were the staff members at the courthouse, the employees of City Hall, the librarians at the library, and the senior clients of the Alzheimer's daycare. Sadly, the only people who seemed to take no joy in our visit were the social workers at the Department of Human Services; but, they tend to be a sad bunch, in general.

Anyway, we were awesome, and, I have another costume to add to my collection. Heeeyyy, skeleton Ghostbusters, anyone?

Next year.

Throwback Thursday: The Politically Incorrect Halloween Edition

I come by my love of Halloween naturally; when I was growing up, my parents encouraged Trick-or-Treating, Halloween parties, and decorations.

I can distinctly recall the cardboard skeleton that my mom would hang on the front door and the Gurley pumpkin and witch candles that she displayed on the end tables in the living room (I wonder what ever happened to those candles? They sell like rare treasure on eBay...and I digress), so, it comes as no surprise that I get a little excited about my own home.

Someday, I will find you, rare vintage Gurley witch...someday, you will be mine...

And, costumes? My parents always made sure we had costumes. When they could afford to do so, they purchased ready-made costumes for us at the local Ben Franklin. The masks were rigid plastic affairs, adhered to our faces with a combination of elastic band and condensation that had formed under the masks with every breath we took.

When finances were a bit tight, mom was forced to recycle old costumes (See duplication in photos above), or, to get creative; crafting costumes from things we had around the house. Those homemade costumes were some of my favorites, and I am grateful to have had a parent who went to the trouble of creating them.

That said: Looking back, it becomes apparent that we lived in far different, possibly less culturally sensitive, world, and, costumes that were perfectly acceptable at the time seem a bit...stereotypical, now (and I'm being kind when I say that).

Exhibit A:

Ummmm.... clowns and princesses...ok...the Mexican national? Yeah...maybe not her finest work.

Exhibit B:

Blackface? Oh, dear Lord, no.

My parents also got into the Halloween spirit, and my favorite non-PC costume of all time has got to be Exhibit C:

Shotgun bride, because rednecks were funny.

Actually, rednecks are still funny, and, I say that as the descendant of a long line of Tennessee bootleggers.

Anyway, I'm glad we have these pictures to look back on, not because they serve as a lesson in tolerance, but because they remind me of a simpler time, when people didn't immediately assume malice for what entertainment could explain.

Second Verse, Same as the FIrst

Since I blogged about the indoor Halloween decorations, I guess I should blog about the outdoor decorations.

I've already showcased the skeleton crew, but, in addition to them, I do have a few other decorations on the porch.

The jury is still out on whether or not we will be haunting the porch on Halloween night; the jury, in this case, consisting of the Man-Cub and his fearless friends. If they decide that they want to spend their evening scaring the piddle out of the bladders of middle school girls, we will pull the remaining eight hundred boxes of decorations from the attic. If they choose to spend their evening begging for candy from the neighbors, however, I think we are suitably decorated for the enjoyment of the Trick-or-Treaters who visit our home.

At least, that's what I'm telling myself; I may, however, stock up on paper towels to be utilized in the event that the children are not appeased and feel the need to hurl eggs at our house.

Halloween Decorations 2015

It occurred to me that I haven't blogged about my indoor decorations yet this year. I try to do it annually because looking back at posts each year helps me remember where I put stuff; it is the easiest way for my feeble old brain to tackle the chore each year, when the fourteen Rubbermaid totes full of decorations threaten to overwhelm me.

Please indulge me.

Or, you know, click the little X in the upper right-hand corner.

Whatever works for you; we cool.

I am really not looking forward to putting this all away....