Halloween approaches: Costume decisions!

I’m suffering through some of the worst writer’s block I’ve had in quite some time, so I’m struggling even now with every word I put on this post. But I need to start pushing myself, I have too much to do.

For Halloween, my Hutchinson Community College KNEA-SP Future Teachers group is holding a trunk or treat. It benefits the Reno County Food Bank and is a donation drive. We’re going to have a car decorating contest, story telling tent, etc. (Press Release will be at the bottom of the post). It’ll be nifty and awesome, if you’re in Central Kansas on Halloween night, grab a can of kid friendly food and head on over. I’ll be manning the admissions table.

Did I mention the costume contest? Yeah. That… Now.. uh.

How do I put this in plain language…

Halloween is my Christmas holiday. I LOVE THIS HOLIDAY SO MUCH IT IS UNBELIEVABLE.

So there’s a nifty costume contest, and by gods, I wanna win.

I’ve narrowed it to two costumes, and I’m having an official vote. Between here and my Facebook page, I’ll be taking votes as to what character in costume I should be. Reminder: I’ll be dressing up even for classes as this character.

My two options are:

Abby Sciuto from NCIS:

I’ve been her a couple times now for Halloween. This was taken at the Wicked touring cast aftershow in Wichita KS Halloween night, 2009.

OR

Luna Lovegood from Harry Potter:

I have since tweaked the outfit – I have a much better fitting uniform underneath the robe, I have fingerless gloves that match the scarf (but it was too damned hot to wear them that day), etc. I have yet to wear this for Halloween and have only worn it once.

So, I ask to all of my digital and otherwise friends: Who do I portray for my favorite holiday of the year?

You can post a comment here or on Facebook. I’ll add them up and announce the winner in a week.

~

Official press release is below for more information on the event:

Spooky stories, ghoulish goodies, and creepy contests are all in store at the Hutchinson Community College Future Teachers Group Trunk or Treat, located in the small parking lot around Stringer Fine Arts Center on 11th street in Hutchinson. The event is open to the public from 6:30-8:30pm on Halloween night. Admission is a can of kid-friendly food that will be donated to the Reno County Food Bank or $1 per costumed trick or treat participant.

This event includes HCC students holding both a “Trick Your Trunk” car decorating contest as well as the “Mysterious Masquerade” costume contest. Over $50 in prizes will be awarded to First and Second place in both of these contests. A haunted reading tent will be available for spooky storytelling throughout the event. Early Bird prizes will also be available to the first 75 costumed participants. There will be plenty of candy to share. Children under 10 MUST be supervised by an adult chaperone.

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Fan Day 30: Seeing Clearly

I would say this is a euphemism, but quite honestly – I went to my eye doctor today for the first time in a couple years. (I went to a crappy one previously). I thought my eyes were just wrong, they had gotten so much worse, I couldn’t see, my one eye feels funny, my left eye always hurts, etc etc etc.

Turns out my prescription has been too strong for over two years and I actually don’t need thicker glasses. I need WEAKER.

So I’m in contacts for the next week while my eyes slowly adjust to being correct. I will get glasses next week. My eyes feel very very very weird. Everything is half blurry. I’m assured it will get better.

However, in the meantime, once my eyes start reverting… MORE FREERUNNING.

So, here’s for my last post: I am a fan of seeing clearly.

Thanks for reading folks.

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why it’s important to be myself

I am typing tonight as my cat is curled up around my feet, my head is firmly resting comfortably between two pillows and two stuffed animals, and I’m watching Battlestar Galactica. Again. Actually, for the first time in a long time since I hadn’t had a way to watch it previously.

I’m tired. It has been a very long month, if not a couple months. My room feels like a disaster (though it’s not that bad – cluttered, not dirty, there is a difference). I did a ton of laundry over the weekend, after all my insanity was done.

This week I’ve had a few interesting conversations. I’ve been taking classes online this semester – unfortunately next semester I will be driving 3 times a week at 50 miles one way – but I’m taking 5 classes (15 credit hours). While it’s very difficult, it’s doable, and the classes are mostly useful. I can’t say that I really LIKE taking Macroeconomics, but I am learning things. Plus, raising my D in the class is just not an option I can afford to miss.

The disadvantage is that I never get to really meet my professors. I can email them and talk to them, but I don’t get a great chance to interact much. I had to go on campus to talk to my advisor about classes next year (Brit and American Lit I, Film History of World War II, and Music Appreciation, if I’m lucky).

Since I was on campus and having to do some research anyway, I decided to drop in and meet one of my professors I didn’t know. It was lovely to meet him and absolutely helped my week out. Being able to make silly references to anything from Doctor Who to Nathan Fillion to the Bunny with Sharp Pointy Teeth.

Also, he reminds me of David Tennant. Which is awesome.

That seemed to start my week out well, despite the crushing amount of homework I had. It got done, but barely. My head fought hard with itself. It was not an easy thing. But I made it.

I was pretty close to just tossing up my hands and saying “oh fuck it” this week. Thankfully, I have some amazing, amazing friends who would stay up late and talk to me on Skype, make me feel better about myself, and have some amazingly deep and sensitive conversations. Other conversations that took place really helped my overall thoughts and made me realize HOLY CRAP NAB IS 3 WEEKS AWAY.

Then I had a breakthrough of sorts. And I blame a TV show. Not in a bad way, but after I got all my homework done, I sat down and had a DVR fest of Jump City: Seattle. Jeremy kept saying “you need to watch this, you need to watch this you neeeeeeeeeeed toooooooo.”

He was right.

If you’ve never watched this show, start. It’s on G4 on Tuesdays. It’s about parkour/freerunning, theories, holy crap can he really do that in competition? It’s about amazing things people can do when they put their minds to it. Some of the stuff they do is just astounding and mind blowing.

I had a few friends around DC that did this a few years ago, and I watched them do it and did a few things – mainly just learned to fall correctly (which I mostly knew because of skateboarding aeons ago) and a couple basic things. Not nearly enough to do much of anything.

Anyway, I watched the entire series so far. Twice. (5 episodes). And I realized a few things.

First, I need to get over my insane crippling fear of heights.
Secondly, I need to get back in shape.
Third: I feel like making a real change.
Fourth: I want to be able to do a backflip. Always have wanted to. Could do back handsprings and such, but never really mastered a backflip…
and last, which I keep discovering: running full bore at an inanimate object is rather fun… it’s more fun when you’re able to go over it and not hurt yourself.

So yes, I’ll be flat out honest and say that Jump City kind of is a new inspiration for me – I don’t ever expect to be as good as they are, but it’s a goal. Sometime I’ll be able to do a few things I want to do, and maybe more. Just taking it slow.. for now. I know I need to be a better shape than round (ok, I’m not -that- bad but I’m not like I was.) and if this is the way to make it there, at least I finally want to do something for myself.

It does mean I’ll have to get contacts, because glasses and running over and around in things simply doesn’t mesh. And I’ll probably change my hair around a bit. Because I want to feel a difference. I want to feel better about myself, have fun doing it, and hey, if it means I’ll be able to one day do a few nifty tricks? perfect.

but in reality, it’s a huge step because I’m finally doing something for -myself-. A few things, actually, but some of those just remain private.

So the girl who can’t run a mile is going to try to start. All in hopes one day of doing some pretty awesome things.

And I can’t say that any of this is a bad thing.

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hm.

I’m not sure when the shift happened, but suddenly I no longer fit into most of my dress clothes.

Which wouldn’t be bad.

Except that my new job requires dress clothes.

And I’m going to a nightclub when I’m in Vegas and I need a dress.

I tried on everything from a 7/8 to a 2 xl.

I found one that mostly fit, one that kinda fit, and about 90-95 that were ‘LOL you have to be kidding me.”

Yeah… I’m definitely screwed on many levels when it comes to clothing. I don’t consider myself fat, but I definitely have thighs, calves and hips. And arm muscles. And apparently clothing nowadays requires none of these.

mrgh.

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it is very depressing when I am superficial.

And I am being very superficial right now.

See… I have a lot of hairs on this head. A lot. I have very very thick hair. (ignore the shiny silver ones.)

It gets – very – heavy if I do not keep it trimmed and thinned/layered regularly.

It’s been almost 4 months since I got anything done with it. It really really needs it. I don’t like looking scruffy. (ignore the fact that quite often it’s just tied back or with a hair clip anyway).

I.. just can’t justify paying for it. And this bothers me.

I guess looking at my unemployment, seeing that next week (provided I get no more, which I’m not sure where all my paperwork is currently), I might get $3, and that could end any support? (it shouldn’t. I’ve only been on it a year and I believe there are 3 more tiers I can exhaust)

It’s very very sad/scary to me, somewhat, that I still can’t find a job, and it’s been a year.

A lot of my friends ask me what I want for the holidays.

Honestly? Help me find a job. I don’t know. I hate asking for things that are not necessities. I’d love money so I can get new glasses (the ones I overpaid for last year are already breaking and it is not an option to NOT have them). I’d like to be able to go to the dentist (just to keep my teeth okay). I’d feel better if people would donate money to places that I wish I could donate money to instead of get -me- things.

Yes, I have amazon lists and the like, but I’m in a thing in my head at the moment when I am.. well. I love things. I really do.

But, I have a goal in mind. A goal to get me somewhere better, and (in my mind) much more grown up. And I can’t do it without saving money.

So.. I hope my friends understand I’m trying to save money. I hope they like my homemade presents they will get. But mostly…

I really want a haircut.

This has been a random blog post.

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