post halloween post

I'm not sure if I've ever written about this here before. If I have, pardon while I bore you with a repeat. It seems that telling the same stories over and over is a trait I have absorbed from doing all the volunteer work at convalescent hospitals. I actually believe the condition to be contagious.


Have I told you that every Halloween since becoming an amputee, I've slapped on some kitty ears as my "token costume", I've gone out (in a wheelchair) to some festivity, and had at least one person question me as to how I made my costume look so real??? (and we're not talking about the kitty ears, because the boneheads don't even SEE the kitty ears).

Yes. For real. Every single year, someone(s) has explored behind my wheelchair, inspected underneath my wheelchair, and then announced that I have an awesome costume....and HOW ON EARTH did I manage to make it look so real?? And these ding-dongs have all been adults!! Granted, some of them were probably a wee bit drunk (this phenomenon most often takes place when I've gone out to see TheMostImportantGuy's band play a Halloween gig).

I swear to you, next year I am going to bloody myself up and carry around a mannequin leg or something. Or dress up like test-crash-dummy, post collision. I'd quite enjoy that. Plus I wouldn't have to bear listening to the endless drunken apologies for not realizing that my real costume was actually on my head.


This year turned out to be a little different. For starters, there was no gig to go see. Secondly, I figured I'd go for something more obvious than kitty ears this year, hoping it would serve as a distraction to everything going on below the waist (kinda the same way I've learned that if I wear a boob-enhancing blouse or a colorful scarf, I can go out and get less dumbass comments).

So last night, I tried this:



An ornate mask, and long feathery boa. Then I rigged a big-ass flashlight onto my wheelchair, and went out trick-or-treating with these jokers:

that would be MyFavoriteKid on the left

We had a blast. Let me tell you, this new area I live in is like night and day compared to the old 'hood. I mean, instead of the police dealing with pumpkin hurling teenagers, they were driving around and handing out glow sticks for the kids to wear around their necks. There were hundreds of kids on the streets, plus plenty of adults, and it was pretty much one big fun block party....which is far different than it was living where we lived before.

(get a tissue, here's your token "emo" moment: I can't tell you how it filled my heart to see my kid enjoying halloween the way it was intended to be)

And get this one.
I made it through the whole night without getting a comment about my "costume".

Well. Sort of.

We were almost at the end of our evening, when a dad walked by dragging along his sugared-up, semi-glazed, (what looked to be) two or three year-old kid.

I said to the kid, "Happy Halloween, Spiderman!!!!"

He looked at me for long while, saying nothing.

I said, "Are you having fun?! Are you getting lots of treats??!!"

The kid was still sorta looking at me up, down, and a little sideways.

His dad started pulling him along towards the next house.

"Bye, Spidey!!!"

Kid turned, and in his pip-squeak voice says, "Bye Robot Lady!!!!!"

(The dad turned to apologize. I totally cracked up. I thought it was awesome, and told him so.)
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If you've made it this far, and are interested, I am performing this weekend with Dandelion Dancetheater in a show put on by "Side by Side".


Friday, November 2, 2007, 8 PM

Saturday, November 3, 2007, 8 PM

Side by Side presents
Anne Bluethenthal & Dancers, Dandelion Dancetheater, Deep Water Dance Theater, Facing East Dance & Music, Moving Arts Dance, Navarrete x Kajiyama Dance Theatre, Nina Haft & CO, Paco Gomes & Dancers

Side by Side concerts is presenting some of the Bay Area's most innovative and provocative dance makers. From Dandelion's zany romps to Facing East Dance & Music's eloquent aesthetics and Paco Gomes & Dancers ethnically based modern dance, you will be brought you to the edge of your seat. These companies come together for the first time to create an enjoyable, refreshing look at the Bay Area dance scene. Do not miss this opportunity to see some of the most exciting dance choreography the Bay Area has to offer.

Advanced and Door Ticket Prices: Adults $15, Senior/Student $12, Children under 5 free
Groups of 10 or more $12 each
CBON Ticket Line 925.798.1300
To Purchase Tickets Online: www.willowstickets.org

The show is at the Julia Morgan Center for the Arts, in Berkeley, CA.
More details here.