Postmortem

Well, it's that time again... the day after Hallowe'en. I think I've come down from my high by this point (at least, until I hit the leftover mini Wunderbars). So, here is my story of yesterday - a complete blast from start...



...to finish.



This was the original fancy dress I came up with first thing in the morning. Nothing to write home about, eh? However, I had some fun with it. It was inspired by the acquisition of this t-shirt the day before yesterday at the dollar store:


I loved it immediately. The coworkers were also all favourably impressed.

So, about 10 a.m. I hit the workplace candy stash:



...not to mention my own secret stash:



By 10:30, between that and the 4 extra large black coffees, I had caught a good buzz. So, I decided it would be a very good idea to have a wand:


Good thing I have yarn sitting around the office all the time. I had spotted the broken antenna on the floor in the upstairs lunchroom the other day and given it to my former boss. So, yesterday, I decided to ask him for it back. He looked at my rather suspiciously and asked me what I wanted it for (doesn't he know I only use my powers for good, not evil?! sheesh) but did eventually give it to me.

I then of course had to prance around my workplace floor and then the old workplace floor showing off my wand. The old boss said, "What's that, a sceptre?" so of course then I had to run around knighting everyone (he really should know better).

Oh, by the way, don't ask me what I was dressed as - haven't figured it out yet myself. The original thought was a cowboy junkie:


because of the boots. Most of the coworkers thought I looked like a fairy godmother (but in reality this is probably only because I brought in all the candy!

Oh, I just realised that not one of the 98 photos I found this morning on my camera actually features a shot containing the infamous fuschia cowboy boots. This despite the fact that I told the 20 or so people who were snapping photos, "Please get the boots in." I guess it's true if you want something done right you have to do it yourself. So, these are the boots in question:

But I digress. Where was I? Oh yeah... anyway, so based on the co-worker feedback, I was dressed as a cowboy junkie stompin' boygirl beknighting fairy godmother. Hmm.

By the time I finished parading around the two floors showing off, I was completely wired. So, I decided to go to my favourite local hardware store, Rotblatt's. This is one of the junkiest shops I've ever been it - it sells hardware store stuff, beat up used office furniture and an assortment of other junk usually found only at ye olde dollar store.

This is, in part, what I scored there yesterday:


Have you ever been to a hardware store that sells spray-on hair colour? I love that place!!!

A little aside about my workplace - it's so cutting-edge law wise that people come from all over to consult with us:


Heh. Heh. Heh.

Actually, that was the coolest acquisition from Rotblatt's yesterday - a $1.00 space suit!

So now it's a reality - I am, indeed, a space cadet. Brouhaha - a Space Odyssean.

This meant, of course, that I had to do another two floor tour making beeping noises. By the time that was done, I had to hit the road to get to Parkdale for some serious Hallowe'en fun.

I was greeted there by my friends B and K, and JJ, of course:


Clearly he'd already had a couple (I wandered off course en route into the Dollarama, which is usually good for half an hour at least. However, the specific objects of my desire, plastic fruit, were nowhere to be seen. SOB). So, immediately I started on the catch-up mission.

Not for long, though, because soon it was time for a little stroll down...



...to check out the spooky sites with S, a little person staying with B and K.

Just a couple of the delightful displays I saw:

My very favourite Hallowe'en display ever... an altar!!!

A fabulous pumpkin...


And a monument straight from the Wishful Thinking in the 21st Century school:


(for anyone reading this outside of Ontario, this is who is not so fondly thought of by some of us, despite the recent majority election win.)

The spacesuit was also a big hit with B, K, JJ, S et al:


Oh - and I almost forgot - check out the fan I found in the garbage down the street from my apartment building on the way to work yesterday!


The mood got more and more festive as post-handing-out-candy grumpiness changed to frivolity:

Although I must say, having not been around children for some time, I found the behaviour of most of the trick or treaters disheartening. No "trick or treat", no "thank you"... just "gimme". Where has the Spirit of Hallowe'en gone?
There wasn't even any candy left!

And, by the way, when did babes in arms start qualifying for Hallowe'en candy? I tell you, I'm way out of the loop because I don't have kids, that's for sure. I thought it was a cardinal rule of Hallowe'en: "If you can't walk yet, you don't get candy." Apparently, I was wrong.

I did recognise at least a couple of these childbearers as operators of nearby neighbourhood smoke shops. If I still lived in the 'hood, I have no doubt I would have located some of the Maynards Wine Gums we were dishing out (all that was left at the Guardian drugstore when I had to run out to restock the dwindling candy supply!) in a matchbox next to the till priced at 40 cents each when I stopped in for my daily Dunhills. SIGH.

So, once we had all bitched and whined about the ignorance of people today and had the requisite daily Liberal-bashing singsong (this one inspired by Dalton's tombstone, with the inevitable refrain of "Alas, alack, whither the NDP?"), I cheered myself up by trying on some more costume stuff:


Then the tunes got cranked and the dancing started! Hurray for Linda Ronstadt!!!



Me doing the headless chicken...



And... this photo, aptly enough, was photo number #666 taken on my camera:


Then many, many hours later, it was finally time to go home.

Today has been the inevitable crash after the high. On top of it is, it is that most dreaded day of the month in the Brouhaha Calendar of Unfortunate Events - RENT DAY - in which I get to write a four-figure cheque and ruminate on how much loot at Rotblott's or the LYS my share of the rent would get me.

To top it off, when I staggered into the subway station with $100.00 clutched in my hot little hands to buy my monthly Metropass, the attendant looked at me sympathetically and said "I have some bad news for you, dear." I had forgotten that the Metropass cost was going up... to $109.00!! Sigh. I had no other money on me and had to buy tokens instead. Grrr.

I should sign off so that I can start planning next year's costume. Yeah, right.