I watched Robin Hood: Men in Tights this weekend. I grant, it has been an extremely long time since I saw Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (probably for the best, really), but why was Mel Brooks so good at parody? And why doesn't anyone else do parody well anymore? I mean, granted Men in Tights is like the best bad anachronistic parts of a Ren Faire full of early 90's references, but it's still super funny.

And no one has such a gleeful smirk as Carey Elwes with a sword in his hand. _

Walked over to coworker's desk to deliver printer cartridge, and stood there talking about pets for a bit. And then suddenly realized that the music he was listening to was familiar, in the Freshman/Small Chorus way, and said suddenly "are you listening to Bach?" Stunned stare. "Yes." "Is it the Mass in C Minor?" "I think it's B Minor." "I think I sang this once."

I'm sure I sang it once.

I think the Mass in C Minor that we sang was by Mozart, actually, but we also did some _

I have been continually waking up at 6:20 for no reason. I think, perhaps, I have the heat set to go up at 6:15 and it's waking me up. Maybe I should change that. _

Last night, when I called 911 about the apparent gas leak at my neighbor's house (it smelled incredibly like gas in front of their house, and I didn't know who else to call, I figured if it was meant to be the gas company, they'd give me the number), my phone went into "Emergency Mode." I had to hit a series of buttons to take it out of emergency mode. I wonder what emergency mode is.

Gas leak is fine. The fire trucks were there within five minutes, I swear, and the firemen walked around for a while, and now it no longer smells like gas. _

Other MA people, did your ballot have some proposition about Israel? What was with that? I had heard people talking about the first three. I had to read the last one five times and I'm still not sure what it was asking me. _

Conversation yesterday with my boss (she works remotely, and we talk for about an hour at the beginning of every week). "Well, I offered to help A-- with entering the evaluations...And there are like 6000 of them." "Oh, good, that should keep you occupied."

Yes, it will. Even if there are three of us working on them. _

Oh, drat. I was all excited about Sherlock after the potential new roommate left (I liked her rather a lot), and my roommate has co-opted the TV to watch basketball. Now I am left to decide if I'm going to watch it on my computer, or watch Psych. Or finish rereading Small Gods, I suppose. _

Tonight, after work, I have to go to Charlestown to vote (because I forgot to change it when I moved to Somerville), and then try to look like an alive human being while showing around a new potential roommate, and this is my favorite of my the potentials based on their emails. Really, though, I just want to go home, curl up under blankets, eat soup, and watch Sherlock. And maybe make a float out of ginger ale and rainbow sherbert.

The thing about almost never getting sick is that when I get a little bit sick I feel like death. I'm not that bad, really, I just have a stuffy head. I have at various points convinced myself I have a fever, but my thermometer has yet to say my temperature is anything higher than 97.6 (this in and of itself is actually higher than my regular temperature, but I've always been told that you shouldn't worry about temperature fluxuations of less than 2 degrees.) _

Out of the blue last night I got a sweet email from you step-niece saying she misses me. I was touched. I wrote back that I miss her too and that I'm looking forward to seeing her at Christmas.

Really, I should just figure out ways to get to Allentown more often th _

At some point, I really should drag myself out of the house. I should get soup and ginger ale and mint tea. But I am cuddling with Sam, and that's nice, and it's cold out. _

Less obscure Halloween things:

Tell Tale Heart Cupcakes

From Literary Halloween

This is pre-oven, and pre-more batter on top. We used Martha Stewart's Devil's Food cake recipe, and put cherries in the middle. They were then frosted with Bailey's and coffee buttercream to look vaguely like floor boards. (But, oddly, I have no pictures of the completed cupcakes.) They were absolutely delicious.

From Literary Halloween

And Katherine made "Magnetic Poetry" crackers, which reminded me of the Word Market in The Phantom Tollbooth. They were delicious. And Halloween themed. _

My obscure Halloween...

From Literary Halloween

From Literary Halloween

From Literary Halloween

I am so absurdly pleased with my Halloween costume. Even if it is so obscure that no one can possibly Get It for another year and a half. I am beyond thrilled with the sweater, which I started knitting in mid-September, and I am pleased with the skirt. And I love the hair style. But it is the details which really thrill me, the code lipstick, the francs and carte d'identite (thanks to Julia and Katherine), the "seams" in my "stockings" (foundation and eyeliner, so very very 40's). _

I am, again, looking for a new roommate. I swear, there is nothing actually wrong with my apartment. It's just that the girlfriend of oneo f the downstairs guys moved in when we renewed the lease, and then they broke up. So, if anyone is looking to move to Boston...Or knows anyone who is trying to move to Boston... _

Sent from my phone. Please excuse any typos.
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Sent from my phone. Please excuse any typos.
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Also, my nails are done. They are even length and painted red.

Again, cryptic. I am actually doing everything incredibly deliberately and working very hard on not actually saying anything. _

Thanks to Katherine and Julia, I have (fake) carte d'itendtite, francs from 1940, a clothing ration book, and a skeleton key. I have a grey 40's style pencil skirt, the orange sweater is finished, and I am still in borrowed possession of a grey paisley vintage silk scarf. I also have foundation and a brown eyeliner pencil since I was unable to find seamed stockings; it seems perfectly appropriate (I realize that many women in the 40's just used the eyeliner, but I imagine they had tanner legs than I, no one would ever fall for my legs being anything other than bare).

In the morning, I will write lines from Tam O'Shanter on a small piece of paper and put it in a lipstick. I might wind up with a blonde wig, but I might just do my own hair in victory rolls and be done with it.

The most awesome and cryptic Halloween costume I have ever put together. I am so delighted and thrilled. _

Last night, playing the new Rock Band game, I realized that I am older than Kurt Cobain, Janis Joplin, or Jimi Hendrix were when they died. And that was disturbing. _

Last night, we taste tested cannolli from two different North End bakeries, the two which have devoted followings for "the best cannolli." We determined that, definitely, the chocolate cream from Modern was better, but while Julia preferred the ricotta from Mike's, I prefered it from Modern. But, there were delicious crushed pistaschios on Modern's, too. _

Sent from my phone. Please excuse any typos.
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