Hello and welcome back to the world's favorite blog.A few days after my last entry, Richie and I went to the Fryeburg fair to see what kind of mischief the woods people have been getting into. Wow were we in for a suprise. I am no lightweight, mind you, but we were astonished at how many really humongous, morbidly overweight people we saw. As Richie puts it, there were women, young women in their 40's, who had "front butt". A syndrome where your belly is so large, it is literally down between your knees and the seam in your stretchy pants creates a cleavage like your bum. Were they feasting on vegetable tempura and rice cakes? No, not at all.. Use your imagination.. Richie and I weren't real hungry for fair food after a while.
Well, we're part of the way through the holiday B.S...
Halloween was pretty uneventful as I never see any kids at my door for treats. Good thing because I never buy any. If I did, the trick or treaters probably still would never see them. Yeah, sugar is my drug of choice. Still, even though I didn't have any plans, I perused the giant halloween party store in South Portland to stay "up to date" on the latest devilish offerings their creators have imagined. I must say that things have changed a little since I was a kid.
I had a batman costume when I was five and I thought it was amazing. It was more or less a smock that you wore, hanging down about to my knees, with the batman logo emblazened on its chest. It had a molded plastic mask that was thin, cheap painted material. It had a elastic band that was simply stapled on each cheek to hold it on your head. Nice and simple, no frills and the elastic band almost lasted long enough for the one night it was designed for. Curiously, the eye holes were too close together, or I have had a big head since birth. I think it's the latter. My mom has confirmed that for me many, many times.
Today, we have moved forward from the simplicity of a $5 "complete costume in a box" to some really elaborate things. The designers seem to be pushing the limits of what the market will bear as far as how gory, complex or sexy something is, and how young the potential customer can be. We had Casper, Batman & Robin, Snow White, Scooby doo, Charlie Brown.. etc. I could list a lot more, but the point is the same. Today we've got costumes, some starting at $50 and $60 bucks, that are way over the top. Either way too revealing, or so scarily shocking that it would never have been imagined 25 years ago. In the simpler time of years past, it was enough to feel like you were that super hero and let your imagination hide the fact that you didn't have a cape or a belt loaded with gadgets. That was what the fun grew out of. Now, most are trying to out-do the neighbor kids. Sadly, the costumes made today are so current with the latest movie or video game, that they'll be out of vogue next year. I think a costume should be like a tux. Classic and always appropriate.
Thanksgiving was great. I called Shelley to see what I could bring for turkey day and she said she had everthing at hand already. "I'm not doing anything fancy, just nice and simple." Ha. She's so cute. I showed up at her house and there was so much food. The table was beautiful and had decorations and candles. The whole house smelled of family cooking. Warm and humid with all the different recipes vying for stove-top space. She cooked a huge bird. HUGE. I don't know how she got it in the car. Everything was delicious and perfect, especially the turkey. Not all of us were in attendance, however. The Cheney's were in New York visiting Ashley's future in-laws, (she's gonna get mad at me. he he) and Mom was home ill with a 24 hour bug of some kind. She's better now, thankfully. After feasting together, we played several non electronic table games and it was, as usual, a gas. (and it was a gas... Richie was there.)
My pals were out of town. The Morg's and Ferg's ventured off to Maryland to visit more of the Morg fam. I am still waiting to hear how the 'Stang performed on its first road trip excursion. Maybe I'll catch up with them this weekend.
All we have now, is to plod along until January 2 or so. That means getting past the meaninglessly sanitized and politically correct "Holiday" (can't call it Christmas) and the New Year. I don't mind the new year. It gives a sense of cleansing and renewal in a strange way. Hopefully 2008 will be that for all of us. "Holiday", however, has lost any connection to what I remember it being. Much like Halloween, its just not like it used to be when we lived it back then. I haven't put up a tree for 7 years. I don't know why really. Might be that a real tree is a waste of a nice living little tree, and to me, a fake tree is just retarded. Not that it isn't great for those who have them, they're beautiful, just that I don't want one. I know.. it's the smell. Plastic just doesn't have it.
Psoriasis update: As most of you probably know, I am having serious issues with the psoriasis in my feet. The weekly Enbrel injections are managing the disease quite well everywhere else, but in my feet it is not working. The Wednesday before Thanksgiving, I began a new puva treatment on just my feet that hopefully will give some results. It requires applying this goo on my toes a half-hour before the treatment, so I have to be careful about the timing. The goo makes the skin receptive to the puva light. I'll keep you posted on my progress. Please, whatever your faith, keep me in your thoughts. I have been losing many night's sleep and it is getting somewhat overwhelming. If you've ever had a night where you just couldn't find a comfortable position to be in, add to that the factor that your feet feel like they're on fire. That's a pretty accurate analogy.
So, to John and Roy.. stop flogging my blog. I'm here and I hope you're happy now.
