Halloween

I guess it just depends on where you go - the illustrious Katy Strange mentioned last year that she didn't really have any trick-or-treaters, and that she had to push the party organizer to do anything. Over here in Bournemouth, however, there was definitely a feel in the air that it was Halloween. (Granted, the stores didn't get as decked out in Halloween nick-nacks as the states do, but that's just because they're all covered in Christmas EVERYTHING. [And have been for some time...] ) Still, most stores carried a small section of costume accessories, and the town organized a family Halloween event down in the lower gardens - face painting, magicians, the local dance troupes danced to Enya (sure, why not), they had a pumpkin carving contest (as pictured - it was quite lovely seeing them reflected in the small river, though I did rather miss the smell of carving my own pumpkin, then letting it burn with a candle in it until it started to go) I do seem to remember that we have a great picture of young Bonnie holding up a smily-face pumpkin, with young Scott angrily stabbing his unmercifully in the background. Good times.

But what is a costumer to do, with such a short time to prepare and no Jo-Ann's in sight? I took stock of my wardrobe - at which point "little black dress... black heels... eureka!

(I did actually have a cigarette holder, I just couldn't get the touchpad to work with a glove on, so I had to have one hand free and glove-less)

I ended up buying a fall and the tiara and - yes - I made the joke several times that it was more hair than I will EVER have on my head throughout my entire life - combined - and I kept laughing as it gave me another probably 4-5 inches of height that I kept forgetting about until I'd get it caught in something. On the plus side, I managed to fool quite a few people into thinking it was my real hair - after putting these in hundreds of times on actors, it was the oddest sensation putting it into my own hair, as the sensory muscles of my hands knew what to do, but I couldn't see what I was doing. I imagine it's equivalent to field stripping a gun blindfolded but, not having done so (and, I'm sure, those who would do so would get a kick out of me comparing it to putting in false hair) I can only imagine.

The party here in the Halls started at 9 - at some point we left for Benn-with-two-N's house, then wandered off to Adam's in Winton. Most people called me simply Audrey Hepburn, though I did get a "Lady Di". Of course, I was going with Mionne in a full bunny [think mascot type] costume (a bunny wearing a bra and panties stuffed with sweets, no less), and that rather attracts the eye a bit more. The pot dealers were out and about at the second party and Patrick and I had rather a laugh at one of them who was quite completely off his gourd, but still trying to explain to us that pot opens up your mind - all the while forgetting what every other word he was trying to say was. He tried to explain American history to us (which I got quite a kick out of), eventually leading to his explaining about a movie about pot - when I guessed he was referring to Reefer Madness, he took it into his head that I obviously must be / have been a pot-head. I didn't even bother to try to explain to him that not a day would go by in the SPU theatre without someone singing "Reefer Madness: the Musical". When even standing upright on a level, unmoving surface is difficult, explaining the madness that is SPU theatre is a bit out of the question. :)

After rounding up the posse, calling a cab, and getting back to the halls (probably around 3?), we ended up hanging out, talking, and eventually - as all good evenings should end - putting in Arrested Development. Again, I was the obnoxious one laughing at all the jokes before they happened (though I tried to be quieter about it this time). Around 5:30, Patrick and Ciaran left, leaving me and Zara (who actually lived in Winton - closer to the second party - but had followed the crowd and come back with us), who crawled in to bed exhausted... then ended up talking US and UK politics until nearly 7.

All in all, a pretty damn fantastic Halloween. :)