Halloween

In the last couple of days, I've been sunken into boring house stuff that I don't want to do. There's after-party-clean-up (yes, there's still some of that nearly a week later), laundry, and then regular cooking/dishes mess that is required if we're going to eat, and I have a messy kitchen to contend with. I just don't want to do any of it. Waaah. I'm being a big baby about it all, and I know that, and it's embarrassing, honestly. I don't like myself when I get like this, and that demotivates me even more. I know I'd feel a whole lot better if I just finished something. Correction: if I finished something productive.

Today, with it being Halloween AND a Friday means that there will be a late night block party on our street, whether we like it or not. Our neighbors across the street and down 2 houses have a haunted house in their back yard that they do every year. There are even signs for it around the neighborhood. It's a big deal. I've never seen anything like it that was privately funded, and executed. Out front they have a large boat, and they make it look like a pirate ship. And I have no idea how they do the haunted house in the back having a pool in their backyard, but they do! Last year we moved in 2 weeks before Halloween, and had no idea what we were in for. This year, having seen the hysteria last year, we know what we're in for. And frankly, we'd like to retreat, and be able to have peace a quiet instead. That's because we're party poopers of the finest sort.

Actually, it has more to do with my husband's autism than anything. I think I could get into the groove of a good block party (although I'm really not a fan of Halloween) if it didn't make such an anxiety- and anger-riddled experience for Hubby. In the years when we had no idea about his autism, I really thought he was overreacting to the noise and any perceived rule-breaking he detected brought on by this sort of event. In his mind, everyone else's right to make noise ends where it is a nuisance to him trying to do just "be" inside his own house. While that's the way it ought to be, it seldom is the way it is (loud motorcycles driving down the street, cars with thumping bass, neighbors' dogs barking incessantly, etc) and it certainly will not be the way it is tonight. On top of the people noise, it will stir up every dog in a 5 block radius. The tension in our house will be palpable. I plan to go outside and watch. I don't know what Hubby will do.

Our church is throwing a Fall Fest, and we'll take our little cheerleader and Hello Kitty (recycling the kitty ears!) there to gather more candy than they can eat, bounce on a bouncy thing, play some carnival games (only they will be rigged for WINNING), and then come home and put them to bed. Then I'll go outside.

Something else is really bothering me today too. I took a shower, and forgot to use conditioner when I washed my hair. No big deal, I have some spray stuff that can make my hair smoother and condition it a little, right? Well, I used "spray shine", and I used too much. Now my hair looks greasier than before I washed it. I'm not a glamour girl. I can handle not looking perfect all the time. I do have a CHI straightener (and I love it), and a ceramic curling iron that get used at least 3-4 times a week. I can probably rescue this hair situation somewhat. But it's bothering me. I just had to get that off my chest.

I don't wanna be a crybaby. I do'nt wanna be sitting here complaining.

I really think that Halloween is putting me in a bad mood. I don't like it. I don't like the glorification of witches and goblins, and people looking gorey. I don't like the superstitious heritage this non-holiday has, and I can't really get over that. I do not ever want to own a T-shirt, lawn decoration, knick-knack or whatever with "Happy Halloween," or a jack-o-lantern or other "halloweeny" thing on it. I'm the Halloween version of Scrooge, and I'm OK with that.

So bah, humbug. I wish you the best on this last day of October.

I still have Weird Al in my head. This one, "Trapped in the Drive-Thru" is a parody of "Trapped in the Closet" by R. Kelly. Wikipedia describes it as "an excrutiatingly detailed narrative set to music about a couple getting burgers at the drive-thru." If you're married, if you've ever been a part of a long-term relationship, you can totally relate. The video is the best of the animated videos of any of the songs on this album. I'll warn you, it's 11 minutes long, but worth the watch.