Because my outfit sounds like sleigh bells when I walk, I have actually gotten into sort of a Xmas feeling. I have been listening to Xmas music for the last part of the day. Of course it is special Xmas music – Excelsis: A Dark Noel. Goth does Jingle Bells type of stuff. I love it. Started out with This Ascension’s Carol of the Bells and let it random play from there. This is the song we heard at Death’s Guild that winter0 and I danced a waltz to. Quite enjoyable. I even posted about getting this music and what went into doing so, so I won’t repeat it here. I just think it is funny that I get so upset/annoyed that Xmas stuff is in the stores before Halloween and here I am listening to Xmas music on Halloween.

And this got me thinking about Xmas shopping. Before I can bug my brother on what he might want this year, I figure I should have my wish list ready. And lately I want a lot of things, so I put them into a list so I wouldn’t just go and buy them. I am not pushing for anyone to get me anything off this list but I figure it might be interesting to some people. It might even give you ideas what to get your friends/family and were to find it. I have done work on something out on the web, I must post about it. [/compulsion]

BTW, does anyone know if there is a song based on the Ground and Center scene in Mercedes Lackey’s Valdemar Arrows trilogy? I know there is music (nanidesuka exposed me to it) and I am thinking there is a song about that but I can’t figure out which one or what album or what it is called.

Here it is, Halloween. A time of year I look forward to each time. I am not enjoying it much this year.
cut for pictures

This year has been looking like a mellow one in terms of Halloween. I deserve it after last year, doing 6 different costumes/events for the season.

Cut because pictures are at the end and I have to protect people’s bandwidth, don’t I?

Well I did it. I finally found two words that give only one result in google.
gotta make you work for it

From yndy, an on-line tights store with some really yummy products. Most everyone I know that would be interested in this place is here on LJ so I figured I should post it.
yndy, you are Evil, and we love you for it.
Share and Enjoy!

For those that are really insane, I have pictures uploaded. I have no html pages so there are no thumbnails but you can click on each one from the directory.

Someone already asked me about them. Actually we are up to two people, er three. So I figured I would get them out there for those of you biting on the bit for more pictures.

Trip to LA Costume College, My friend Herschal and the emergency room trip

Dance events Gaskell’s, PEERS, and October Gaskell’s (starting around picture 736)

Fairies at Fairyland (Cynthia’s birthday picnic, or at least the frolicking at the end of it.)

Arrggg! The Pirates of the Caribbean movie night

Parties (Jim and Rachel’s birthday party,DHP, Nice Boots)

Danger Twins (tea, cemetery picnic, Faire, Housewarming party)

For the most part, my life has been ok. Not great, not bad. I don’t really have qualifiers for how things have been going so I am still sticking to the stock answer of “Fine.”

Yesterday on the other hand, was rather crappy. It didn’t start out well and it ended even worse.

droning on about the day, getting long

A friend sent me a link to an article about Fall and Nature putting on her best dress.
It covered some typical things about Fall having a sense of death, fallow ground, bring the focus to the shortness of life and our sense of mortality.

Sorry, that is not my sense of Fall. I read things like this and, while I appreciate what they are talking about, I have strong knee-jerk reactions to all the quiet, peace, doom, gloom. This could be because I can’t stand to be “normal” and therefore have to chose a different point of view but I don’t think so. Or it could be that I don’t consider death to be a dark thing. I look at it as something positive, an ending to suffering, a release.

My view on Fall is a sense of opening, of freedom, expansion.

School provided contact with other people, new information/activities/knowledge an end to endless days of staring at the TV.

The change in the weather means I am no longer confined to indoors where I can control the temperature. I can layer up to whatever level needed and go anywhere. Since moving to the bay area, Fall means I no longer have a restriction of where I can drive to. Rain appears and makes me happy. The sky is overcast and I am free from the sun.

Halloween is a wondrous time in Fall. I can lose the facade of normalcy and be whoever/whatever I want. I have the options to expand to fill any niche my personality has. I can stretch out.

Even the darkness has a use. You can tailor you light to what you need instead of being stuck with what is available. You can sleep in without the sun waking you up. You can feel the comfort of fireplaces and candlelight. I have always tried to live in places that got very little light from the outside because I prefer being in control of it myself.

Fall is not a time to close down, it is a time to open up. It is a time to drink deeply of the bounty that the work during the summer provides.

I think the reason I have such a knee-jerk reaction to the other point-of-view is not so much because I don’t share it but that my primary point-of-view is not represented. It seems like no one else appreciates the opening/expansion/release/freedom/options that are inherent in Fall. Once that is covered, then I can relax enough to appreciate the closing/withdrawing/stillness that others seem to see.

Now, I really do have work I need to do. This just really wanted to get expressed.

It must be fleet week, I hear jets over the City.

Tomorrow is Friday and another Grace After Dark Labyrinth thingy. I will be going to that, it runs til 9pm. Also, Rosin Coven is playing at the Starry Plough (9:30pm, $9, 21 & up – Japonize Elephants play first, don’t care if I miss them.). I would like to go to that. Not sure if I will make it. The labyrinth thing can be physically/emotionally draining. Would like company to see Rosin Coven. Anyone interested? I figure, if I don’t ask, then the answer is the same as no, so what’s there to lose?

Many people have told me I need to get this coat. It is $150. Right now I can’t justify that kind of money. Another friend suggested starting a “Get Gina A Way Cool Coat” Fund. So I am putting the idea out here and wherever else is spreads. If you would like to donate to the GGAWCC Fund, it will be greatly appreciated. No need to feel badly in any way by not donating, no donation too small. The recipient of the fund is under no obligation beyond getting this way cool coat and looking smashing in it.

For your reference, all moneys will go toward the coat. It is likely this coat will be bought since there has already been a tentative promise of some funding from a source or two already.