Halloween 2005, and other things.

I knew the evening was going to be great when Aaron wore my Minnie Mouse costume for me:


Getting the ears just right.


Isn't he a cute Minnie Mouse?


The gang: Paul, Luke, Curtis, Aaron, Carl, Joseph, and Joey P.


Theresa (the mouse ears got around a lot).


I think I'll still love this picture when I'm 50.


Luke and Justin


Adriane (a vixen), Kate (a beer-runner), Curtis (the "Gobbler"), and Joey (ring-leader of the gray sweatshirt club of which I'm a founding member).


Kate and Theresa (we are each other's Wingmen- or women). Thank you for a wonderful evening, babe.

Around 3am, Justin, Paul and I went over to Denny's for a Moons Over My Hammy feast. It was funny to see the place packed with people in costumes. And at 4am, as usual, the VA state troopers rolled in for breakfast. At four in the morning they can usually enjoy their coffee in peace (I've been there a few times while they're having breakfast), but not this morning! I drove home after I dropped off the boys and crashed till morn.

Saturday, Aaron came over and we played Putt-Putt at Jefferson District Park in Falls Church. I totally beat him! OK, it was by one stroke-- but I got three hole-in-ones in a row (including the three-tier hole 13)! I guess that shows how bad I was playing before the hole-in-ones. That night we watched the new Batman movie and the new SNL with Lance Armstrong. Batman Begins was awesome, I liked it a lot-- much better than all the others. And Christian Bale has grown up a lot since Newsies, I have to say. I've had a crush on him since I was six (OK, so technically nine).

Sunday, I met up with Theresa at Fair City Mall to catch Capote at Cinema Arts. We got there early for some pizza before Bennett and BR showed up. The movie was very well done, the cinematography was great, and everything in it made me want to be part of the literary crowd of the early 1960s. I hope this doesn't make me weird. BR lent me the book, In Cold Blood, as I've never read it. Since Capote claims to have invented the genre of literature of which I want to be a part, I should probably read the book 'that started it all.'

Tonight is Halloween. I plan on cleaning the apartment and handing out Tootsie Pops.

Oh, and I start my Yoga classes tomorrow!

Poetry

Recently, a couple of my friends (Jason and Theresa) have posted poetry. So I thought I would post something I came up with:

i wanted chicken nuggets
so i came home
and made some
in my microwave


Simple, yet profound, I dare say.

The Adventures of Curtis and Joey P.

Working on Curtis' bamboo praying mantis:




See how quickly they turn on each other when the project is due in thirty minutes!


The final project was a success in my book...till someone kicked its head off!

Nintendogs

We love our new puppy. By our new puppy, I mean Aaron's pet corgie he's named Poki. Nintendogs is one of the most popular games produced for the Nintendo DS and I can see why. Even the AARP likes it: http://www.aarp.org/learntech/computers/gadgets/nintendogs.html. And she named her puppy after me!

I know what I want for Christmas! Now, to choose between the Nintendogs bundle with the teal blue DS or the Mario Kart bundle with the bright red DS....

Plus, you can play two or more player games if your friends have them through a wi-fi connection between systems. Your puppies can play together!

Links for 10/27

I used to collect these, too. Just not to this extreme. I used to have a Clifford the Big Red Dog eraser that I never used. It was my favorite. (via boing-boing)

Interesting site on the state of Copyright in Canada. (via Lessig)

Thank goodness. And the search continues...

Interesting commentary on Condoleeza Rice. (washingtonpost.com)

What is it with Xeni?

Halloween festivities start tomorrow with a party at Carl's house.

Plans Change

It's yucky and cold and I think I'm getting sick, so High Heels will have to wait till next year.

I plan on sweatpants and hot cocoa for the rest of the day.

Othello, Wongs, Space Men, and Heels.

I had never seen or read Shakespeare's Othello, but I have never been more moved by a work of literature. Friday night, Theresa invited Bennett, BR, and I to see Shakespeare Theater's run of Othello featuring Avery Brooks. Theresa's mom is on the faculty there and reserved stand-by seats for us. Although we didn't get to sit together all four of us had the best seats in the house!

After the play got out, we wandered around Chinatown looking for a place to eat. We finally settled on The Big Wong. Walking past the tanks of dead and slightly-living fish may have deterred the faint at heart, but no, we were determined to eat in this subterranean Chinese restaurant. The typical American-Chinese fare was chock-full of MSG goodness, but we were hungry, and it hit the spot.

Saturday, after an unsuccessful run to the Halloween shop at Party City, Carl and I grabbed lunch at HaveaBite in downtown Fairfax. He had never been there before (it's less than half-a-mile from his house, go figure). Afterwards I stopped by Aaron's house and we went to Guitar Center to browse. We made our usual Metallica metal-head jokes before heading in, and I almost died in the middle of the store when, after being there two seconds we hear a salesman with a ponytail say to a couple of guys (also with ponytails, one with baby-stroller) that a certain pedal would give them a good Metallica sound. Oh, the tried-to-contain-it-but-failed laughter!

Aaron tried out a Vox amp with a flying-V that I picked out. It was hard to hear over all the pre-teen and teenage boys rocking out on out-of-tune guitars, but the Vox had a good sound. I picked out a nice light-blue Fender that I want. It will go nicely with the baby-Vox I saw.

When we got home we changed and went to the George Mason field house to use the gym. I used the elliptical for an entire workout and I didn't give up. Yay! Afterwards we watched The Day the Earth Stood Still, one of my favorite films, and the new SNL.

Tuesday I'm going to the 17th Street High Heel Race. It should be tons of fun.

From The Washington Post:

Traditionally held on the Tuesday before Halloween, this annual neighborhood event features elaborately costumed drag queens racing down 17th Street (from Q to Church streets) and attracts a large crowd eager to cheer them on.
The race begins at 9, but the real fun takes place before the main event, as the contestants parade up and down the race course showing off their outfits.
To get a street-side seat at an on-course cafe like JR's or the Fox & Hounds, stake out your spot by 6. (There's plenty of space along the sidewalk, though crowds often block the view.) The informal block party continues long after the last Mary Jane (size 13 EE) crosses the finish line.

Good News!

I've been officially accepted into the Extended Studies program at George Mason, so I can start my grad-program this Spring! Yay for not being bored at work (after January)!!

Aaron Snitzer's Personal Spokesperson

And as such, I'm proud to announce that this past weekend, Aaron completed his first metric century. He rode 100+ kilometers (roughly 66 miles) Saturday afternoon. Way to go!

Mile-marker zero on the Mt. Vernon Trail.


And Aaron is now the proud owner of a Welsh Corgi named Poki. Just last night he taught it to sit, lie down, and shake hands! Yay for a new puppy! I can't wait to play with it!

Cutie Pie.

The Great Candy Debate (among other things).

OK, OK, so no one likes Necco Wafers. Your loss.

Last week I applied to the George Mason Extended Studies program after having coffee with my former professor and Writing Center mentor, Terry Zawacki. If I can take a few classes next term in the non-degree program, I can apply them to the Professional Writing and Editing Master's when I start in the Fall (if I start in the Fall).

Friday I got off work early and didn't want to stick around the apartment. Feeling pretentious, I walked through the park and up the street to our Starbucks and sat with my grande soy latte and read this week's New Yorker. I told myself that this week I would read an entire issue and I'm almost finished! Now I want to collect old old maps and visit the Sydney Opera House.

The past weekend went by lightning-fast. Saturday I spent the day cleaning and getting the apartment together in one way or another (I organized my magazines). I also watched Daniel Day-Lewis' In the Name of the Father whichis an excellent film. I gave it five stars.

Saturday night we celebrated Shane's (insert undisclosed age here) birthday. It was a lot of fun to hang out with John's gang. Unfortunately, I left my camera at home, so unlike the 65+ pictures of John's birthday, I have none of Shane's. I stink.

Sunday I woke up early to the pulsating sound of jack-hammers pounding away at the giant hole that was once the old Duck-pin bowling alley. I decided that it would be the perfect time to drive back out to Warrenton (it's becoming a weekly tradition that needs to stop until gas settles down a bit more). I brought my mom's birthday present with me: Kevin Spacey as Bobby Darin in Beyond the Sea. It's a great film and I loved every minute of it. Definitely check it out.

Sunday night Aaron and I went to our usual spot for Pho (Viet House on Main Street) and then I headed home to catch some zzz's before work in the morning.

We'll see what this week brings.

And it's officially here!

It's Fall in Virginia! Wet and rainy and cool.

Available now at your local grocery:

Foozer

Monday night, Aaron, Theresa, Bennett, and I attended the Weezer-Foo Fighters' concert at the Patriot Center. The Kaiser Chiefs were their warm-up act.

It was rockin'.



Patriot Center filling up for the sold-out show.


Theresa and Bennett.


Weezer played first.


Kate and Aaron (we look goofy).


And the Foos with their lasers.


We got stuck in traffic after a moment of confusion on my part-- but my intentions were good. We dropped off Bennett and Theresa (in reverse order--actually, Theresa jumped out of the car) and Aaron and I stopped at IHOP for breakfast. The slew of kids that were sitting in front of us at the show were there and being really loud. Maybe they didn't know they were being loud. We were the ones that wore ear-plugs during the show (all four of us did, it was freakin' loud!).

I got home around 2:30 a.m. and crashed. Aaron gave me a wake up call when he left his house for work and another from his office (thank goodness). Made it to work on time and enjoyed the rest of my day (by picking up my dry-cleaning and watching All the President's Men).

This week.

Pants- tailored.
Clothes- dry-cleaned.
Car- registered.
Oil- changed.
2006 Calendar w/address book- bought.
Dress-shirts- ironed.
Dental floss- stocked.
Bike- ridden.
Danny- cultured.

This weekend we went into a soggy Washington to visit the Corcoran.

Note.

What is it with the one-napkin rule at Subway?

Writing, In General.

"In later years, holding forth to an interviewer or to an audience of aging fans at a comic book convention, Sam Clay liked to declare, apropos of his and Joe Kavalier's greatest creation, that back when he was a boy, sealed and hog-tied inside the airtight vessel known as Brooklyn, New York, he had been haunted by dreams of Harry Houdini."

The first line from The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon.

And I keep thinking to myself: I will never be as good as Michael Chabon. And I have never used the word "apropos".

Biking and Weekend Stuff.

Friday night Theresa and Mary came over for A Very Darcy Evening which turned into a What Not To Wear marathon. It was fun times.

Saturday, Aaron came over and we rode from my place all the way down to the Mount Vernon Trail. We ended up riding past National Airport and back. 34 miles. I did the first ten miles with my new pedals, no problem, but then I fell. I got my right foot out of the pedal fine, but then put my body down on the left side before the foot was actually out of the pedal. Go me. I scraped my elbow and cut the back of my leg and got my first road burn since elementary school. It was actually kind of funny.

Aaron thought it the perfect time to take pictures. A couple stopped to ask if I was all right (they saw that my seat was twisted), and then the girl got something in her eye. It made a pretty funny picture. I've got to work on hills. Hills suck.

Saturday night Aaron and I went over to Carl's house and visited our friend Dan, who I hadn't seen since June. Then Aaron and I went to his house and watched the new Saturday Night Live.

It's Sunday afternoon and I'm watching What A Way To Go with Shirley MacLaine and every other big name in 1964 Hollywood. It was one of my favorite movies when I was younger. It's still fun-- and funny as hell.