Oct. 31st, 2005

billeyler: (square dance)
This morning I woke up thinking that having it be both Monday AND Halloween was woefully anticlimactic...so I wasn't looking forward to the Wilde Bunch party tonight. I'd already done two parties as it was.

Although our office is so totally out of celebrating anything, being as we're so scattered through the theatre and our 'bonding' only takes place during the sparcely attended Tuesday staff meetings, the rest of the campus (student-wise) seemed to blow off classes today to costume as extravagantly as possible. Contests galore all over campus, and lots of eats for the students.

But for me, it was just a normal workday, although I was a bit anxious about what we'd do tonight for the dance party.

So, I rushed home at 4, costumed up as a poor man's Dracula, complete with blood running down over my chin. I wanted to be out the door of the house before sunset this year, and just slathered it all on. I even put gel in my hair to slick it back, which scared me, since I've NEVER put "product" in my hair. Ever.

In the past few years, SOMEONE has gotten our house number as THE place to go for candy bonanza. Last year, I'm sure there were 200 kids and parents that came to the door. We had to start rationing the candies after the first hour, and it was really scraping the barrel bottom by the end. This in the midst of a game night.

This year, as sundown approached, and I was furiously working through Cederizing my Halloween music on my computer, I turned off the automatic porch lights, and shut the curtains, removing the minimal decorations I had out front. I did fill up a bowl with candy and put it by the door, so that if Danny got caught after sunset with the doorbell ringing before he could escape to the dance, he'd be prepared.

Quick glance in the mirror when I left. It looked more like someone had taken a ballbat and slammed me in the face, bruising me all over, rather than me looking like Dracula...oh, well! No time to finesse!

The Wilde Bunch went all out for food and festivities this year, and the evening was a great success. We kept the overhead lights down after the C1 hour, and kept the mood light and social. For the newer dancers, I did sort of a reverse musical chairs number with 8 couples in a circle and one couple in the center...I did facing couples dances in the circle and said "LADY GO" or "GENT GO" so they had to run out and replace their gender. This was totally impromptu, but it worked! I had 9 couples out in a big circle and that's the first thing I could think of to mix it up. Kris even thought it worked, and she's pretty picky!

Great costumes tonight, with 7 participants in the pageant....lots more had costumes, but were too busy eating to be in the contest. "Karen" won with her excellent Alice in Wonderland outfit; Lee came in 2nd with his creative "Genie" outfit. Sad news that David Gant, one of our star newer dancers is moving on to Tampa to both be involved in the MCC there, and to start an LGBT center. I knew he'd be moving on, and am glad there's a square dance family for him there now! We'll have a special tip for him before he moves Dec 1.

So after all said and done, I staggered home. Danny had come home a bit earlier. The house wasn't egged, and there were no nasty notes from the disappointed flocks of kids. Sighs of relief.

Another non-holiday holiday done and gone!
billeyler: (square dance)
This morning I woke up thinking that having it be both Monday AND Halloween was woefully anticlimactic...so I wasn't looking forward to the Wilde Bunch party tonight. I'd already done two parties as it was.

Although our office is so totally out of celebrating anything, being as we're so scattered through the theatre and our 'bonding' only takes place during the sparcely attended Tuesday staff meetings, the rest of the campus (student-wise) seemed to blow off classes today to costume as extravagantly as possible. Contests galore all over campus, and lots of eats for the students.

But for me, it was just a normal workday, although I was a bit anxious about what we'd do tonight for the dance party.

So, I rushed home at 4, costumed up as a poor man's Dracula, complete with blood running down over my chin. I wanted to be out the door of the house before sunset this year, and just slathered it all on. I even put gel in my hair to slick it back, which scared me, since I've NEVER put "product" in my hair. Ever.

In the past few years, SOMEONE has gotten our house number as THE place to go for candy bonanza. Last year, I'm sure there were 200 kids and parents that came to the door. We had to start rationing the candies after the first hour, and it was really scraping the barrel bottom by the end. This in the midst of a game night.

This year, as sundown approached, and I was furiously working through Cederizing my Halloween music on my computer, I turned off the automatic porch lights, and shut the curtains, removing the minimal decorations I had out front. I did fill up a bowl with candy and put it by the door, so that if Danny got caught after sunset with the doorbell ringing before he could escape to the dance, he'd be prepared.

Quick glance in the mirror when I left. It looked more like someone had taken a ballbat and slammed me in the face, bruising me all over, rather than me looking like Dracula...oh, well! No time to finesse!

The Wilde Bunch went all out for food and festivities this year, and the evening was a great success. We kept the overhead lights down after the C1 hour, and kept the mood light and social. For the newer dancers, I did sort of a reverse musical chairs number with 8 couples in a circle and one couple in the center...I did facing couples dances in the circle and said "LADY GO" or "GENT GO" so they had to run out and replace their gender. This was totally impromptu, but it worked! I had 9 couples out in a big circle and that's the first thing I could think of to mix it up. Kris even thought it worked, and she's pretty picky!

Great costumes tonight, with 7 participants in the pageant....lots more had costumes, but were too busy eating to be in the contest. "Karen" won with her excellent Alice in Wonderland outfit; Lee came in 2nd with his creative "Genie" outfit. Sad news that David Gant, one of our star newer dancers is moving on to Tampa to both be involved in the MCC there, and to start an LGBT center. I knew he'd be moving on, and am glad there's a square dance family for him there now! We'll have a special tip for him before he moves Dec 1.

So after all said and done, I staggered home. Danny had come home a bit earlier. The house wasn't egged, and there were no nasty notes from the disappointed flocks of kids. Sighs of relief.

Another non-holiday holiday done and gone!

May 2022

S M T W T F S
1234567
89101112 1314
15161718192021
22232425262728
293031    

Most Popular Tags

Style Credit

Expand Cut Tags

No cut tags
Page generated Jul. 15th, 2025 02:39 am
Powered by Dreamwidth Studios