Mail Christmas

Today was something like Christmas. Mail Christmas. A couple weeks ago I ordered a board game from the Dude's childhood that he really wanted, The MAD Magazine Game. Today it arrived and it is as foolish and nonsensical as the Dude promised it would be.

The goal of this game is to lose your money. It's the anti-monopoly. You move counter-clockwise, you may only roll with your left hand and the cards are random. Some are only valid on Fridays or if your name has certain letters in them or if you're a girl.

And if your name is Alfred E. Neuman,
you get this if you land on a special square.

Even the board has foolish rules. For example, there's a dead end.

The other mail delight was our Halloween costumes. The Dude is going to be Zoolander's Mugatu (I first wrote Mugato. Apparently that is something else). Mine I'll keep secret because due to my bulbous state and lack of craftiness/inclination, I had limited options. So for fun, I'll reveal that at a later time.

I have one more item arriving to me soon, and that is my winter coat. I picked something that only buttons up halfway and has a lot of room, which struck me as perfect for my current circumstances, but which also could look chic and retro once I've shrunk again.

The colour is pretty much amazing.

Sometimes I feel silly when the mailman brings me yet another package. I'm always home in my pyjamas. I wonder what he thinks I do all day.

Party with Super Grover

My first week of married life has been... just like all the past weeks of my unmarried life. Ha! But seriously, it's been nice. The Dude's been working normal hours, so we haven't been holing up and enjoying each other's company and letting our lives sink in a bit. But that is what a honeymoon is for. We're going to be evaluating our options very, very soon. I'm being vague on purpose. How cryptic of me.

Tonight we're going to the McPal house for a belated Halloween/birthday/housewarming party. I haven't seen their place since they took possession of it, and there's plenty of hard work to feast our eyes on. Their last coach house was so lovely and their new house has all kinds of endearing potential. And the stories surrounding its renovations and McPal's dad are the stuff of literary gold.

The Dude is attending this party as Super Grover. It really is one of the better costumes pretty much ever. I'm a pin-up sailor, which in other words could be called nothing special. It's a costume I had bought for Fake Prom Goes To War, but had settled on a '40s inspired nautically themed dress instead. So as not to be wasteful, I'm wearing it now. But I'm already fantasizing about next year when I can be a Ninja Turtle, or Hello Kitty.

Before I go, I'll leave you with a couple teasers from the wedding. We haven't gotten our pictures back yet (That'd be remarkably quick!) but we have gotten some lovely shots to tide us over while we wait.

In the days after

You know you have an amazing group of friends in your life when your beloved cat dies and you're sent numerous messages, texts, emails and offers to spend time together. I feel lonely without Smokey, but I'd feel a lot worse if it were not for all the lovely people I've made friends with over the years.

My good friend (And maid of honour) was over the night before Smokey passed. She's allergic to cats, but still got next to my little kitty and gave him some love. He accepted it and went back to sleep. She helped take my mind of him and we talked about wedding stuff, her being from out of town, so this was an opportunity to show her my ideas.

The day after he passed, McPal and his boyfriend came over with wine and homemade pumpkin cheesecake. McPal then served, even as the guest. We raised a glass to Smokey. Buddy B's girlfriend invited us over the next day to swim at her place and afterwards we ate and watched Halloweeny movies. My understanding pet-loving boss gave me a last-minute day off to mourn Smokey.

The Dude, throughout all of this, has been helpful and caring, even though it's his loss too. He cleared away all of Smokey's things so I wouldn't have to walk into a room and see them. He's been handy with all the hugs I want. I can and do talk to him about missing Smokey whenever I feel the need.

I've been so well taken care of by everyone, so well, in fact, that a cold I developed Sunday has not had the chance to resolve itself yet because I've been so social instead of holing up to recuperate. Throw in some stress and there you go. Saturday evening I was rickety and haggard, wondering why the Dude had overcome the worst of his cold, but mine was still raging in hackland. All the same, time with friends was time well spent.

I'm on the mend now. Other than a Halloween photoshoot yesterday, I've been taking it easy, staying warm and drinking fluids. And now I have a new Miss Manners to read. Oh yes. I'm a fan of hers and all her teachings. Her writing fills me with joy. I've held off buying her wedding and child rearing books because this way I have new things to read as I hit milestones, rather than absorbing all her awesomeness in one giant binge. T'was my maid of honour's idea and now I'm super happy I listened. So that's how I'm going to spend my day.

Only thing that would make this better is a fat happy cat snuggled in my arms while I read.

Patry Hardy, Sicky Icky

I'm sick. The Dude's brother's wedding is done, the Halloween party is over and I've contracted a sore throat bug that's been going around and I can barely swallow. Dude's out getting me some Buckley's in the chill and rain as I write this. God love 'em.

This weekend really kicked my ass, whilst kicking some ass in general. The wedding was a pretty attractive and delicious affair, which every wedding should be if it can be managed. I always get a little teary-eyed during the vows or the dance. Usually only if I have faith in the union. And since I do for this one, I got a little misty while the officiant was reading off the vows and seeing the bride smile at the groom. I love love.

I couldn't help but think of my own upcoming nuptials, though it's a year away. And when the wedding was over I thought of the "now what" part. They're going to continue work on their house and everyone is going to be curious about potential children. Marriage always seems to lead in that direction. Few people get married without wanting kids, and in fact I think a lot of couple choose marriage because they want children and don't want to procreate outside of marriage. I've heard a number of people ask why get married if you're not going to have kids? But some couples just want to be together for life, and share everything sans children. And those marriages charm me in different but equally nice ways.

Honestly, I can see the appeal, too. I think I would regret not having children. I want the joy and challenge of raising them. But I'm not a baby person. Oh, I like babies the way an average human being does. And babies born to people I care about give me a happy feeling. But I don't really respond to them the way I do to kids. Kids, I like. Hell, I feel like I'm on their wavelength sometimes. Kids and I tend to get along.

If I had to adopt in order to be a parent, I'd want to bypass the baby part. I think only my raging maternal post-delivery hormones could induce me to fall in love with and happily care for an infant. But a 3-year-old kid? That would be more my speed.

But here I am digressing from my weekend. McPal and his boyfriend's Halloween party was the very next day and I was the queen of hearts. I kinda spent a little more than usual on my costume this year and I lucked out when a makeup artist friend of mine offered to do my makeup. These two things won me the best costume prize! w00t! It's a big chocolate ball of happiness. When I'm feeling better, I'll dig in and gain 4.2 pounds.

The party itself was bitchin'. What a good time. I love people who dress up. Though I'm sick and don't want to go anywhere or do anything, I'm still kinda bummed it's over.

Ooh, the Dude is back. Time for some relief from my achy sufferings.

Me and the Dude at the party.
I hope I need not point out that is a mask.

Cute Town

Hellllo, October!

I love me some good October, I really do. I love pumpkins, Thanksgiving and Halloween. And it's also the month the Dude and I celebrate our anniversary. Four years now. T'is a record relationship length for us both.

We got our Halloween costumes ready to go. I'll be the Queen of Hearts and he'll be the White Rabbit, only a psychotic version. I really went all out this year. I couldn't help it. I really love dressing up in costume and you pretty much only get to do it once a year. I've always tried to be a little frugal about it: re-using costumes, buying only what's on sale, throwing things together with what I have lying around the house... but I wanted to for once give into my id and blow some cash on a fully accessorized shebang of fun.

So that meant not just a costume, but the accompanying petticoat to give the skirt flounce, and customized socks with playing card clubs on them. I'm not saying how much I spent on all of this after tax and shipping. But I'm going to look effing fantastic.

Since high school ended I've been haphazard about Hallowe'en most years. I bought a cheapo nurse costume second year and wore it twice in a row to Halloween pub night. Then it ripped. I think I skipped the following year. And then after that I was a police officer. The costume fit terribly, but a few pins here and there and it did the job. Then some more nothing.

Bo-ring, right? Things got more interesting with Rainbow Brite. I had some good fun with that, though it was a lesson to pay more attention to the way my body actually looks, as the torso on that dress was a lengthy nightmare on me. Whoever has the body to fill out that costume the way it's meant to, you have my congratulations, but that person is not me.

Then came my favourite to date: the bumblebee. It was actually a "sexy bumble bee", but on me it was not, the way most things are not sexy on me. And I don't mean this in a disparaging sort of way, it's just a fact. I really have to go out of my way to appear "sexy". I'm short as hell, petite everywhere and I have a very innocent look about my face and a juvenile voice. Hence, a short skirt ain't that short on me, and with no cleavage and my childlike looks, what was sexy and adult is suddenly cute and adorable.

It'd bother me, except that means I can get away with a lot more without looking like a skank. And that's what will happen for the Queen of Hearts. I know. I've tried it on. Cute Town, here I come.

Mail Call

This weekend (as in the one that's just ending) is The Clothing Show. I've been a couple times, mostly with friends, and I love it: the deals, the variety, the treasure hunt that is sample shopping. I've gone alone once, but my heart wasn't in it. Without a buddy to talk you into that adorable dress you're not sure about, or to drag you into a shopping cubicle you ordinarily would avoid but where you find something awesome, it's not quite the same.

I didn't even notice it was coming until it was too late, and so I online-shopped instead for a dress to wear to a wedding I'm going to next month. I never really need an excuse to buy a new dress, but I do so love having a reason. It means getting something less practical for day wear and indulging more in something pretty.

I narrowed it down from these:

Okay, so this is not really wedding appropriate, so I didn't seriously consider it.
But it's sooooo cute. I didn't get it, and now it's all sold out. For the best, though.
I don't really have anywhere to wear something like this.

This was a front-runner for awhile. It's practical in many ways.
I could dress it down really easy, it's neutral coloured, adjustable straps,
and built for a small bust.
But... no. The magic was just not there.

This was my next choice. It's actually polka-dot with a bubble hem,
two subtle details not immediately apparent. The colour is adorable, too.
But it's strapless and bubble hems are not really something you can hem if it's too long,
which on me it could be.

This is my choice. It comes with detachable straps (Obviously not pictured here),
the length is a little short, so on me it should be a bit above the knee, the colours are great,
it's got a high waist and it'll be easy to dress up and down as needed.

I also bought this because when I saw it,
a handful of fun outfit combinations popped into my mind.
It's a real eye-catcher and it'll pair perfectly with basic black tops,
ballet flats and bold accessories.

On top of my happy shopping, I'm also waiting on Halloween costumes in the mail. I'm going to be the Queen of Hearts and the Dude is going to be a scary version of the white rabbit. I'd go with Alice, except I kind of wanted my red hair to work with my costume instead of against it. I had also thought about Pippi Longstocking, Orphan Annie, Raggedy Ann, Jessica Rabbit, Strawberry Shortcake, or Sally from Nightmare Before Christmas. Well, that's not really true. I definitely didn't consider Jessica Rabbit.

I love getting things in the mail, even if it's from myself to myself.

Halloween

Last night I went to McPal's Halloween/birthday party. I was a bee, looking predictably cute-and-not-sexy as I normally do in slutty costumes. Sometimes I wonder how far I can push it, as when you don't have boobage, you can get away with a lot.

The Dude went as an insomniac and spent the evening coming up with back-stories: Kid from Nightmare on Elm street trying to stay awake, first stage of zombie infection, strung out on heroin, Christian Bale in the Machinist, etc... Next year we'll be more organized, though it was fun doing up his face with makeup. When I was done it looked like he'd never slept a day in his life.

I was thinking about the holidays and how some lose their magic when you're no longer a kid. Easter and Christmas being the big two. However, Halloween progressively gets more awesome. This is partly due to having total say in your costume.

When I was young, I wanted to be a genie or a harem girl. I thought they were pretty and had no problem with showing my stomach. Why would I? It was pre-puberty years so the thing was not on my radar and in any case it was flat as my 10-year-old chest. But that was a no-go. My mother was not the type of mom who allowed her "tween" daughter to sexualize herself. A lot of moms these days have no beef with their girls buying thongs and such, but I suppose the early '90s were a more decent time? Sounds ridiculous, but it's true looking back.

Anyhow, on top of modest costumes, being Canadian, trick or treating meant either wearing your snowsuit underneath or over top of your outfit. This one kid from California was in the neighbourhood for Halloween one year and was planning on going out in his T-shirt. We all laughed at him. He learned the hard way that night when he had to go home early.

Once in grade three, I was allowed to wear only a heavy sweater under my angel costume. I came down with pneumonia that year and was out of school for a month. Yeah. It's gotten warmer, though, these years and I haven't seen the snowsuits (or the snow) on Halloween for a long time.

Another reason Halloween has gotten awesome is having your own money, which means buying your own candy of your choosing without having to trick-or-treat for it. It also means having your own place, so partying at your leisure with booze and letting loose. Of course if you have your parents on Facebook and some indiscriminate friends, you may still be in for an earful, but otherwise it's awesomeness.

Finally, adult costumes are the shit. Between better craftsmanship, stronger creativity or plunking down the money on something bitchin', costume parties yield better results. Halloween is truly better when you're grown up.

I have some friends on Facebook who are new parents. The focus was naturally on their children's costumes. And that's to be expected. But it seems to be a circle of life thing, when you're old enough to finally do exactly as you please, you procreate and try to do what your kids want, while preventing them from doing it totally their way. Think I'm going to hang on to my freedom a little longer. There's more fun to be had.

Can't Take The Heat

Happiness is an organized closet. Actually, happiness is when your living room is no longer cluttered in junk because the closet is organized. Total bliss is when your boyfriend does it himself and you reap the benefits. Eventually I'm going to post some pictures of the place all finished and junk. It really feels like an honest-to-peaches home.

Unfortunately, as I mentioned before, there is a heat issue with the downstairs neighbours. There's always something. We thought it was going to be smooth sailing with these sisters at first. They introduced themselves right away, were friendly, and we were charmed by their pleasant Australian accents.

But then it turned out they don't like turning on the heat. We couldn't understand it at first. I thought perhaps it was just warmer down there. The Dude thought perhaps they were cheap. Well, the Dude was right. I was a little right; it is warmer downstairs, but they keep turning off the heat because they're trying to cut down the bill.

This would be a decent energy-saving idea if it weren't for the fact I work at home and shivering at a desk in a 14-degree apartment is not going to fly with me. So the heat goes on.

We're trying to be reasonable about saving money on the bill. We've planned to insulate a door, shrink-wrap an old window in the hall, and live with 18 degrees instead of a more comfortable 20. But that still has not seemed to ease their minds downstairs.

One sister knocked on the door the other day and told Dude they wanted to cap how much they would pay and have us pay the rest. Our lease agreement says we are to pay 30% of the utility bill, as we occupy roughly 30% of the building. So we're not going to be subsidizing their share of the utility bill.

It's just so awkward. They're from a much warmer country than Canada. One sister said the gas bill was outrageous. We looked at it, and, well... seemed pretty standard for a Toronto winter. Heating bills get high in this city in December, January, February, and turning off the heat at any time in -15 degree weather is so not going to happen. How do you politely get the point across to your new and otherwise pleasant neighbours that if they can't afford their bills, that's not really your problem?

I know that for them they had a sweet deal being able to turn off the heat while everyone was gone at work. But that deal was, you know, a deal. Now the "sale" is over and it's not up to us to make sure they can still afford the gas. We moved in knowing we can afford it. I feel kind of like we're being controlled by another household's budget. I hope this gets resolved.

In happier news, my bee costume arrived. And I was right, I don't look sexy, I look cute. But that being the story of my 5'2" baby-faced life, I'll take it.

Buzz, buzz, buzz, I'm a bumble bee
Cutest little bee that you ever did see,
I like to make my own honey
Buzz, buzz, buzz, I'm a bumble bee

(And a total kid, deep down inside)

Halloween Goods

I ordered my Halloween costume last night. And like about 89.4% of young women out there, I chose something sexy. Why? Because I suppose I like to indulge that side of myself once a year. Most of the time I dress very modestly. I sometimes channel my inner sexy secretary-- who is also very covered up. Floofy skirts make me happy and I don't have cleavage. Those two things create a bit of a look.

I do wear the odd short dress or skirt to show off ye olde legs, which I do think are quite nice, but then invariably I have to get on the TTC, which means very little between me and the seat when I sit down. I don't care for that.

The costume in question is a bee. It's not scary, it's not original, but I'm hoping I'll look as cute as a bug in a rug, pardon the pun. Past years of adulthood have included a nurse and Rainbow Brite. I think I was a cat once, but I can't remember.

I was definitely a cat when I was still in school. I was also a vampire, Cleopatra, an angel, a princess, a fairy princess (I was economical that year, to my mom's relief, and merged the princess and angel wings together), a French maid (this was in grade one and the dress hit me mid-calve), a cheap doll (using various things from around the house. Most people didn't get it), an '80s girl (older people thought that look was still contemporary and didn't want to give me candy), a pilot (a friend and I wore her dad's old pilot uniforms, which were waaaaay too big and tromped around the neighbourhood), and when I was wee, I was a clown and then a witch.

Last year the Dude and I carved a pumpkin and he took photos of it. Before him, I think I let Halloween slide a lot. This year we're going to McPal's Halloween/birthday party. I've fallen in love with the holiday all over again. It makes me feel like a kid, only a big kid who's going to show off the goods.

Somehow, though, this will look only cute on me and not sexy.

I have a way of doing that.