Monday, October 31, 2005

Sugar-sick

Let's just say, I didn't go dressed as the United Nations Headquarters building. I really did mean to. I had even bought all the materials I needed to make the costume. But somewhere around Sunday morning, I realized I had a choice: I could (a) spend the entire day working on a costume that probably wouldn't look right and might fall apart at any moment, not to mention winning my own personal prize for Geekiest Costume Ever (and that's saying a lot); or (b) return those (as yet untouched) costume materials to the craft store, spend under $18 on raffia, duct tape, a straw hat, and a plaid shirt, and have a rockin' Scarecrow costume. Um, yeah. I went for option b. Instead of spending a whole day carefully measuring and cutting foam core board, I spent 20 minutes before bed sticking pieces of straw-colored raffia between strips of duct tape. I made two bracelets and two anklets, with plenty of "straw" left over to stuff in my shirt. I even got a crow to attach to the hat, to show what an ineffective scarecrow I was. Then it was off to the office party this afternoon:


OK, so here I just look like a hick, but trust me,
there really was straw sticking out everywhere.


Believe it or not, by complete coincidence, our head of publishing dressed as Dorothy, and our HR person dressed as a witch. Read into that what you will. Unfortunately, there were no other even remotely decent pictures taken on my camera phone, and all the other cameras at the party were (oh, the horror!) not digital. So I may get copies of those other pics on here in about 20 years, after my co-workers develop the film, scan the prints, and e-mail them to me.

I dashed out of the party to catch an early train, in the hopes that I would get home in time to give out candy to the trick-or-treaters. Well, I guess I missed the after-dinner rush. There were exactly three knocks on the door, one of which was the same kids coming back a second time. (To their credit, I don't think they were being greedy, it's just that we live in a condo complex where all the houses look pretty much the same. So in the dark, while looking through two slits in a mask, and already high on candy and spray confetti fumes, I can imagine how they got confused). I left the light on until 9, but no one really came after about 7:45. All the while, I could hear the candy calling to me from the bowl by the front door. But I was good. I only ate a couple of pieces right after giving candy to the first batch of kids. The bowl is still sitting down there by the front door, but it's cold down there now, and it's far enough away that I can't hear the sugar's siren song anymore. Now if I can just stay strong long enough to stick it in a bag and leave it in the kitchen at work (not on my own floor, though) I should be OK. I feel a little sugar-sick right now anyway, after quite a dose of candy at the work party, and a piece of yellow cake after dinner. Ugh. I would say something like "thank goodness this is only once a year" except that I realize there is a Candy Holiday just about every other month. Christmas. Valetine's Day. Easter. I'm starting to feel queasy just thinking about all the sugar.

I'm going to go watch the Wizard of Oz. Though I might have to fast forward through the "We Welcome you to Munchkin Land" part, though. What with the Lollipop Guild and all.

4 comments:

Jenn said...

Aw, you would have made an awesome UN building! I was looking forward to it....maybe next year!

Jules said...

I wish halloween were more popular down here... it's a great chance to dress up and act silly.

Sami said...

You look like a Southern lady about to descend upon a garden in need of weeding in that outfit. Cute!

Anonymous said...

cool. i had fun too and i got a lot of candies from trick-or-treating. but it's dad who will probably eat them.