4 posts tagged “halloween”

Locked all the kitties indoors (not safe to be a cat, especially a black or dark grey cat, on Halloween!) and turned off the lights to limit the amount of people who ring my bell (I don't expect to be home till after 10pm) and headed for my chiro, where this convo transpired:

Dr. Sal: How are things going?
Me: fine. blahblahblah... Lucha Vavoom... blahblahblah... quit drinking 30+ days ago
Dr. Sal: That must be why you've lost so much weight. You look great!!

It's about freakin time someone noticed that I'm thinner!

Dr. Sal did some good back, neck, leg, wrist, and jaw adjusting and I feel about a billion times better than yesterday.

Got to work - team meeing cancelled (HURRAY!!). Carlos isn't around - which means I have a little time before the slave driving begins (he keeps me VERY busy). Potluck was already over and there are lots of desserts & soda left. I got my raffle ticket for the iPod (had to wear orange & black or a costume). I won't win - which is too bad cause I could really use one for workout and refuse to buy one.

Photos of office Halloween costumes just came out - most are boring (and I think the best costume prize should have gone to someone other that who I think won it). Here's Jesus (not the gross neighbor; the cutie coworker) - dressed as a sailor (looking REALLY fine in real life). Gladys (our receptionist) and I have been trying to convince him to "try out a 40+ woman some time". He's a good sport - takes the harrassing VERY well. He and Gladys decided to spend their lunch hour test driving new Mustangs. (I continue to wonder if they *have* hooked up already.) I couldn't go because my work shift was just starting (awwww). So I'm consoling myself with junk food (but lookie me - I'm not actually eatting it, just have it sitting on my desk).

No plans for tonight. Got invited to a Halloween party but I suspect it will be over before I can get there. No word from the FGNs so I don't know if they're not having their annual Halloween party or if I just didn't get invited (I'm voting for the latter).

Happy Halloween!! I hope everyone gets the treats (or the tricks... or the tricks who are treats) of their wishes!

Happy Halloween... most especially to CupCate and to Iain since he's apparently bummed about not getting to celebrate a proper American-style All Hallow's Eve again. (Iain, is there any consolation in knowing that I'll be working all night and won't be partaking of any traditional celebration either?)

On that note - the best Halloween tip I read from a list posted by the Red Cross (cause it's not only smart but will also look cool):

• Use a glow stick instead of a candle so your jack-o-lantern isn't a safety gamble!

In other news:
LUCHA VAVOOM KICKED ASS! What a fun night out that was! Sucked that I didn't have anyone to share it with - especially since that meant I couldn't leave my prime spot in order to get water or use the bathroom (next time I'm paying for the better section - the one with seats!). Details and pics to follow - after I've had some rest and can sort through which shots worked out and which didn't. Standing, for nearly 4 hrs, was sooooo not the thing to do with a screwed up lower back and bad knees. But totally worth it! I'm DEFINITELY going back!

Los Angeles / Hollywood Zombie Walk 2006

I admit it; I am disturbed by how easily I transformed into a Zombie! Why didn't anyone tell me this is just about the easiest Halloween costume ever? Looking good = effort. Looking bad = eeeaaaaasy!!

I tried to post my photos to flickr but, realizing the photos could be compressed by re-saving, I took them back down. But good ol flickr, it read the 2-way traffic and, despite having posted NO photos, now says that I'm at my limit for the month. I hate retard software. I get get paid to hate retard software and I'm good at it.

That said: My (very crappy) photos of the LA Zombie Walk can be viewed at my Yahoo!Photos location.

The walk was a semi-surreal experience. When I arrived at the parking lot closest to the meet location (Hollywood & Vine), it turned out the "Scream Awards" were going on across the street... a source of confusion for many. I was the 6th person to arrive. Not knowing what to expect, I was simply happy there were other people there (not that I would have really cared had I been the only freak on the corner - as I knew not many people would take notice).

By the time we started our westbound journey, our group was probably up to about 50 people - some fresh from movie shoots. By the time we headed south, and rounded Hollywood High School, we were roughly 150 to 200 zombies strong. The sun had set by then and it was LOTS of fun to randomly terrorize businesses and bystanders. Traffic was now stopping to stare and trying to figure out what was going on. Unfortunately, the majority of the group seem to be fitness-freak Zombies... more about the dress up than the whole effect... and power-walked the entire path, quickly leaving about 30 of us more "dedicated" zombies who were dragging our feet, literally, behind. No matter, we had a great time - swarming cars, performing "interpretive" zombie dances to the musicians in front of the Hollywood/Highland (Kodak Theater) complex, and freaking out tourists (Q: Why are latinas so much more inclined to act terrified?!? I'm not knocking it - it made things fun for us - I'm just wondering).

I'm already looking forward to next year's walk!

Kingdom Party (Gay Days at Disneyland)

While getting my zombie photo taken by the FGN (Fabulous Gay Neighbors), I learned that it was also the Official-Unofficial Gay Days at Disneyland and the main afterparty, Kingdom, was scheduled at the Anaheim House of Blues for that night.

When I used to go to Disneyland Gay Days, it was an organized, private party thing - we paid an inflated admission (part of it going to charity) for private afterhours admission to the park (something like 8pm to 1am) during the holidays. It was freakin' cold but Disneyland is beeeeauuuuteeeful at the holidays!! There's no better way to attend Disneyland than a private afterhours party - with gay men!! Roughly 20,000 people instead of the usual 60k to 120k, so you can easily get on as many rides in those 5 hours as in an average 15-hr day in summer. Plus everyone was in a GREAT mood. One of my fav memories is of standing in line for Bear Mountain and hearing members of the gay men's chorus, far enough ahead to be unseen, singing Disney tunes. And men trying on princess hats and all the various evil-witch head-dresses... hysterical! And watching Main Street turn into one giant cruise-a-thon, as the party closed, was priceless!

But that was the good ol' days. Now, people go on their own, during the day & with the general public - but wear red shirts to ID that they're part of the unofficial event. I missed the event at the park but zoomed home from the Zombie Walk, taking off as much makeup as I could while I drove (sometimes traffic jams have benefits), and playing phone tag with the FGNs in an effort to get a ticket to the party.

I showered, shampooed, false eyelashed, and finally got to Downtown Disney (the food/bar "mall" between Disneyland and California Adventures [fyi, CA Adv. SUCKS. Save your money!]) around 11:15, totally annoyed that valet parking had already been closed. But I found a great parking space, had no prob getting a ticket to the party (except the cover had risen from $30 to $40) and got in while Jennifer Hudson (?? from American Idol; about to appear in Dreamgirls) was performing her set. I hung out on the upper patio, enjoying the drag-queen versions of Cruela Deville, the Queen of Hearts, Ursula, and the Evil Queen from Snow White.

I chatted up anyone who passed and once Jennifer's singing ended, quickly found my FGNs - happy to start my first night out with them at a real club event. We had a couple drinks, I played dollar-in-the-bra-backbend-with-the-gogo-boy again, I met - and totally loved - the FGN's friend (Scott), and then we all danced for the rest of the night - with me working us to "prime" spot in the center/front area of the dance floor - where I was surprised/amused to run into one of the straight female regulars from Miss Kitty's Parlour in LA. I don't think she's a faghag so it was kind of odd to cross paths at such diverse locations (I believe she said she knew the party's coordinator).

The temperature in the club quickly turned to roasting (HOB Anaheim is roughly 2' x 2') and men began to peel of their shirts. Yummy for me!! I snapped a quick cell-pic as two very hot men next to me started making out. In fact, I think nearly every man near me was making out with someone. Since I was in the center of it all, and pretty much the only person not kissing & groping a hot guy (I hate when that happens!!), I choose to believe I was the grand impetus for it all, fulfilling my destiny as the Goddess of Hedonism and Desire!

As I took a break at the bar, a total stranger insisted on buying my drinks for me - never introduced himself or anything... just insisted that I let him pay and then walked away (I LOVE gay men!!). And another, oddly placed, concert performance began. In the middle of the DJ's great mixing, two guys came out and started singing. It took awhile to realize they were live, not lip syncing (I'm still not 100% on that) and it was funny to be in a slightly elevated position and able to watch pretty much the entire dance floor stop, stare, and visually express, "Who in the hell is that??" After their last song, I heard the singers call themselves "Jason & DiMarco". I know I've heard the names before but have no idea why... and they weren't good enough to bother to look up.

The party closed down around 1:30, much to the relief of my very sore feet (xx miles walking like a zombie followed by 2+ hrs dancing in 5" stilettos = OUCH!!). I hauled myself outside to sit down & peel off my shoes while the "sidewalk sale" (gay cruising at closing) wound down. I got a laugh out of catching the Disney Police (who are so NOT the friendliest people on earth) tailing us for awhile - apparently thinking we were drunk... no doubt because we were covered with sweat, I had kicked off my shoes, and I was still hobbling awkwardly as my toes re-learned how to bend. As we waited for one of the FGNs to figure out how to get his car keys from the long-closed valet (note to self: Knock on the closed windows - there are still people inside), a guy I had seen inside the club - James (per his "It's my Birthday" Disneyland badge) - stopped to tell me he thought I was a totally hot dancer and had been disappointed after working his way thru the dance floor to dance with me - only to find that I had moved away. Again, I LOVE gay men! A staight man never would have bought my drinks, nor given me such a nice compliment, without expecting it to lead to something... or at least expecting me to expect it. It's wonderful to be able to know a compliment is compliment, and a nice gesture is a nice gesture, and neither has any "hidden meaning" beyond friendliness and good manners.

Home at 3am, I crashed & burned and spent the rest of the weekend... literally ALL of Sunday... in bed. Not the most productive use of time but it sure felt good. I wasn't (and still am not) in the mood for interacting with people and it was nice to be able to avoid the outside world, and my responsibilities, for 24 hrs.

I found out just in the nick of time - I'm gonna try to get up to LA to Zombie Walk this weekend!

What: L.A. ZombieWalk 2006

When: Saturday, October 7th at 6:00 PM

Where: Starting at Hollywood/Vine, we'll head West down Hollywood, South down Highland, then West down Sunset until our poor undead dogs start barking.

What to wear: Plenty of blood, pale makeup, scars and wounds, funeral suits, scrubs, work or school uniforms if you've got one and can wash it without too much trouble, bridal gowns, clubwear, pajamas - we need zombies from all lurches of life!

For more info: http://www.zombiewalk.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=161

To research, or start, Zombie Walks in any other place in the world: www.ZombieWalk.com

Lots & lots & LOTS of photos on flickr!!