Graveyard Cake
Here’s a cake I made for Spanky’s Halloween party tonight.
Have a great Halloween!
Some Things You May Not Know About Me
I got hit with a meme twice this week, once by Gabriel, and again by Max. They are similar, so I’m marrying them (the memes, not the bloggers) and making one. A mutant meme.
Seven things you may not know about me:
1. I had freckles but had them removed with a laser.
2. When I was a nurse I never wore the matching scrubs with my unit. I always wore whites. Not one person ever said anything about it.
3. I also wore high heeled nursing shoes that killed my feet in my first year.
4. I love people. All of them.
5. I have a bad habit of scraping the callous off my feet until they bleed. I am always on my feet, it makes no sense.
6. I was on the basketball team in middle school.
7. I am not ashamed to admit I can be the most boring person at a party. Sometimes I’m just not feeling it and I often find myself where i don’t belong. Look at #6 again. See?
Since I was tagged twice, I get to hit 12 people total. I did a special math to choose these blogs, don’t ask me to reproduce that math, it is my worst subject.
Oygirl Michele, Inked Blots Michele, Melanie, Pooks, Ginny, FinPen, Lea, Frances, Linda, Clare, tpgoddess, Bunk.
If you were tagged you have to do this and link back to this blog and then tag six other people. Do that and I’ll take you for a ride in my car.
Oh yeah, this is what I drive:
Zoom zoom zoom.
Leaf Creature Costume
We’re having a lot of fun with the leaf creature costume I made last weekend. If you haven’t seen the video, that link is :::here:::.
It was very simple to make. I bought four silk leaf garlands ($5 each) in the home deco section of a discount store, a black Lycra long sleeve shirt ($8) and pant ($10). You can find those in the exercise section, it is made of the same fabric they make swim suits and biker shorts.
I cut off the leaves with wire cutters and used the hot glue gun to attach the leaves.
Just one little dot of glue is all you need and do this while the costume is on the hanger, not on you. Be careful with that stuff, I practically burnt my thumbprint off.
You don’t want it too dense. Leave some black space so it will blend in with shrubs.
I used an old rubber mask that’s been hanging around here for the head, glued leaves on that.
And here is the leaf creature costume worn by Blane. He’s pretending to be a topiary.
Can you see him now? We went knock on the neighbor’s door to try to scare him but he wasn’t home.
How about now? Where is he?
No, leaf creature, no! Leave my Obama sign alone!
I think leaf creature has been hanging out with Spiderman.
You Have To Go See This
Okay, I made the video and you all have to go see how we are managing to keep our Obama sign in the yard.
I have done a lot of videos in my lifetime, but I have never edited one. This was my first go.
It’s part reenactment, part prank, all fun.
It’s only four minutes long and that includes the bloopers and credits.
Enjoy the show and make sure you have the sound on:
Let me know what you think, even if you think it sucks. We all had a lot of fun doing it.
Zombies, Monsters, and More
Spank and I went to a halloween shop in town last week. The building had been a furniture store in the past, so it had a lot of floor space.
Lots of scary masks.
And scared customers.
{{{Screams}}}
Some hot nurse shoes.
Which they never sold while I was a nurse.
Then over the weekend we went to Fright Fest at Six Flags in Arlington. They decorate this amusement park with spider webs, fog, you name it, and have actors dressed up in halloween costumes spread out over the grounds.
Over by the carosel they had a group of zombies just lounging around. Crowds gathered and had staring contests with them.
This one got me in his sight and wouldn’t let up. I laughed. He won.
Then some music started up and they all started dancing.
I think they did an amazing job with the costumes and makeup. The dancing is not bad either. Here’s the video:
I have never seen this park so crowded. They also convert some of the rides to haunted houses, so that draws a lot of people out there. We went in a couple of them (it cost an additional $5 for each one, or $15 for a pass to all of them in addition to park admission.
It was a fun day out and the weather was perfect. The haunted houses were done well. I followed one group of people who were so scared they were moving like a school of fish through that thing. Watching them was more fun than the haunted house itself.
Bright Idea
I got this amazing idea to make a video with the kids. Most of the time when I have the urge to do something creative, I get started on it immediately and if it involves others, round them up quickly. I told everyone about it on Friday and planned to shoot the thing on Sunday.
I wrote the script, made the costumes, got the props ready… I won’t spoil anything for you by telling you what it’s about, but I will say this. Every single person who was supposed to be in it skipped out on me yesterday. Every last one of them.
So I thought about doing the entire thing by myself. Produced, directed, written by and starring Kitty.
I realized it wouldn’t work when I just couldn’t teach myself how to ride a unicycle.
And I ran out of light. It’s an outside project.
We rescheduled the shoot for Tuesday and although it is not a halloween video, I’d like to have it all done before then. I have a lot of other things I’m working on and I want this thing out of the way.
It kinda sucks when your kids get older. They aren’t readily available or spontaneous like they used to be.
In other matters, here’s my scary new avatar just for this halloween season:
I just have to check out the new polling feature on WordPress so here’s my first poll:
“Hey Girl, Can I Hit You Back?”
If you haven’t seen the latest ETrade baby commercial, hit this:
Just when you thought the dancing baby couldn’t be topped…
Things We Can Learn From A Dog
During my first week selling real estate, a client of mine had left his mobile phone in a high rise I’d shown him. It was late at night when he realized it was missing and I had to call the listing agent to get back into the property. It was embarrassing and I’m glad I had no idea who I was talking to on the phone, Carolyn Shamis, The Queen of Real Estate in Dallas.
She was extremely cordial, calming, and eventually bought dinner for my client and I at one of the finest restaurants in Dallas.
I stole this from her website and think it’s brilliant.
THINGS WE CAN LEARN FROM A DOG:
1 NEVER PASS UP THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO FOR A JOY RIDE.
2. ALLOW THE EXPERIENCE OF FRESH AIR AND THE WIND IN OUR FACE TO BE PURE ECSTASY.
3. WHEN LOVED ONES COME HOME, ALWAYS RUN TO GREET THEM
4. WHEN IT’S IN YOUR BEST INTEREST, ALWAYS PRACTICE OBEDIENCE.
5. LET OTHERS KNOW WHEN THEY’VE INVADED YOUR TERRITORY.
6. TAKE NAPS AND ALWAYS STRETCH BEFORE RISING.
7. RUN, ROMP AND PLAY DAILY.
8. EAT WITH GUSTO AND ENTHUSIASM.
9. BE LOYAL.
10. NEVER PRETEND TO BE SOMETHING YOU’RE NOT.
11. IF WHAT YOU WANT LIES BURIED, DIG UNTIL YOU FIND IT.
12. WHEN SOMEONE IS HAVING A BAD DAY, BE SILENT, SIT CLOSE BY AND NUZZLE THEM GENTLY.
13. DELIGHT IN THE SIMPLE JOY OF A LONG WALK.
14. THRIVE ON ATTENTION AND LET PEOPLE TOUCH YOU.
15. AVOID BITING WHEN A SIMPLE GROWL WILL DO.
16. ON HOT DAYS, DRINK LOTS OF WATER AND LIE UNDER A SHADY TREE
17. WHEN YOU ARE HAPPY, DANCE AROUND AND WAG YOUR ENTIRE BODY.
18. NO MATTER HOW OFTEN YOU ARE CRITICIZED, DON’T BUY INTO THE GUILT THING AND POUT. RUN RIGHT BACK AND MAKE FRIENDS.
19. SNIFF EVERYTHING BEFORE EATING
What’s Coming?
I took Spanky shopping at the mall last night and noticed for the first time it was too easy to find a parking spot. Walking through the parking garage, I got this eery feeling. There’s only one day of the year when it’s easy to park. Super Bowl Sunday.
That’s long gone.
Getting into the mall, same thing. No people. And it was quiet. Spank and I just looked at each other, like, when are the zombies gonna jump out at us?
We passed by the Helzburg Diamonds shop and I thought about that robbery there over the summer. A gang of guys crashed the jewel cases with crowbars and made a major grab right there in broad daylight. They had a video of it on the news so it wasn’t hard to recreate that scene in my head.
I hate malls. They are so incredibly depressing even when full of people, but when it’s empty, the melancholy just creeps into my soul and hangs around like dampness in a basement.
We didn’t buy a thing. Spanky found the dress she wanted for the dance but didn’t feel like buying. I guess it’s contagious, people not buying, you don’t want to buy anything, either.
I worry like hell for all those people working in there, maybe they won’t have a job very soon. Stuff like that bothers me.
What Would Elvis Do?
Ugh. Someone over at A Hamburger Today came up with this idea for a
Hamburger Fatty Melt which is a hamburger patty smashed between two grilled cheese sandwiches.
You read that right. Two grilled cheeses and a hamburger patty.
I don’t even think a Cajun would eat that. At least not this one.
You know what people wanted to know when they saw that recipe?
Where’s the bacon?
So he put bacon in the grilled cheeses and on the patty and called it The Bacon Hamburger Fatty Melt.
Oh yeah.
My stomach hurts just looking at it. Still, guess what I cooked just hours after seeing that? Grilled cheese. Ah the power of suggestion.
Who Stole Obama?
Some arrogant freak had the nerve to walk into my yard and steal my Obama sign. I wish I could say it doesn’t bother me, I can get them for free all day long. As long as it bothers me, the ignot who stole it has met their goal. To piss me off.
My first reaction besides anger was to wonder who would do such a thing. Is it a bunch of teenage pranksters? That’s what Blane thinks. I’ve probably put way too much thought into what type of person it could be. A racist? A religious zealot?
I’ve also probably put too much thought into what they might think about us. Do they think we support an islamic terrorist who is going to convert America into a communist country?
Too much, I say, because I really need to think more about getting even with the bastard. They don’t won’t see/hear my preference for president? I have a two story house, I could put an Obama banner across the upper half with honking lights and another sign that says, “steal this, bi-otch.”
My sign isn’t the only one missing. All the Obama signs in this neighborhood are gone, gone, gone. The McCain signs are still there.
Okay, I’m going move on, get another sign. But how do I keep that one from getting stolen?
I could spray it down with some mace or pepper, but what if some little kid or a dog happens to wander into the yard and touch it? I guess rigging it with a dose of electricity is not a good idea either (yes, I’d have a hidden camera if I did that).
I could chain it to the tree.
Wrap razor wire around it.
Rig it up with a car alarm that squeals, “You’re assaulting me!” if someone just looked at it funny.
I shouldn’t have to do this, it is my own property we’re talking about here. What do I have to do to practice free speech in my own yard?
Any ideas?
Simple Halloween Costumes
I’ve been looking through the photo albums for some halloween costumes and have these two so far. Many more to come… I love making costumes and these were simple to make with things I had around the house.
Here’s Blane Jr. when he was just a tot.
That’s just a sheet and some makeup.
And Blane Sr. as Edward Scissorhands.
I wish I had a shot of the scissor hands. I took some black plastic sheets from those school binders and cut them to look like those long shears. We had just watched the movie and Blane had the act down to a “t”. Everyone at the party wanted to just hug him. He won a trophy that night, but I can’t remember the category.
I find the best costumes I’ve made were the simple ones when I was in a time crunch and had to come up with something for that night. My mom is like that too. She is the absolute best costume designer, ever.
I’ll put some more photos up here in the coming days before halloween.
One Mo
Sweetpea will be eighteen in a few weeks which means she will get to vote in the upcoming presidential election.
She has registered already and is awaiting her voter card. Yay for her, yay for us, yay for everyone. That makes one more vote for a better country and a better world.
Don’t forget to register to vote if you haven’t already, some states require you to be registered by this Saturday. If you will be eighteen by election day but are not eighteen yet, you can register now in the state of Texas, I’m sure it is the same in the other states if your birthday comes close to election day.
Now watch this video which uses reverse psychology to get the youth to vote. It also has voter registration links and is funny and entertaining and has cuss words…It also does not tell you who to vote for so don’t worry about it dissing your party or candidate.
Naz Tay
I had to borrow Sweetpea’s car yesterday because Blane had mine. I was in a state of shock as I hadn’t seen the inside of it in a while. It looked as if it had never been cleaned. Much like her room.
The floors were completely covered with empty soda cans, candy wrappers, school books, artwork… even clothes. If I had the time, I would have opened all her doors and cranked up the leaf blower on that interior. I didn’t, I was running late.
Getting out of our driveway takes great skill and patience. Precision driving.
We have these rear entry garages with a narrow alley behind the house. Here’s a photo.
If you’re lucky, your driveway lines up with the neighbor’s behind you. Not the case with us. Ours backs up to a tall wooden fence.
I start the car and the CD player is on but between songs. I usually like Sweetpea’s music so I don’t bother to change anything. I concentrate on getting out. I’m late. There is a film on the windows and the sunlight is giving me no visibility. So I roll down the window and am backing out when the music starts.
Hip hop/rap/crunk, not typical for Sweetpea, but whatever, I’m backing out.
And the lyrics start up. Loud. “Back That Ass Up…” (Repeat a few times)
Okay, I’m no prude, I can handle it. I actually think it’s a little funny because I’m backing the car out. The song gets worse, however. Seriously nasty, like worse than Lil Wayne’s “Lollipop.” I stop the car to listen to the lyrics, I mean how bad can a song get?
Bad. So bad I can’t even repeat what I heard.
I was not the only one concerned about these lyrics. The neighbor heard it all and decided to peep her head out the gate to see who was playing that. I hurried up and shut the music down, gave her a weak wave and drove off. Guess they won’t be trick-or-treating at my house this year.
My God I’m so embarrassed.
I need to wash my kid’s ears out with soap. Mine too. My ears, my ears!
