Last minute Halloween party means last minute costume.
I’m walking down the consolidated aisles of Walmart at 7:30 on Saturday night. The costume packages are all 50% off, and the models on the labels are all pre-teen. I don’t think I’ll fit in the tights of this Batman costume, and this vampire cape only goes down to my waist.
I’m suddenly struck with a fit of nostalgia. Remember that time when I was at that party with Becky, who was wearing a witches mask, trying to engage her in a conversation after we met at the Honest Lawyer1? Remember when we went as Supertroopers to the party at the girls house? Remember when I got drunk off that bottle of Earnest and Julio Gallo?
I hurriedly grab a black cowl and bloody knife, and walk to the checkout line. With my full-length leather trench coat, I’m hoping it’s enough to gain acceptance to the party, but not too much to stand out.
So the plan is to get there early. That way I don’t have everyone looking at me when I walk in the door. Bail when it gets too loud, or the people too drunk. But everyone invited through Facebook was told eight while I was told nine, and I’m almost last one there.
This is not going according to plan. I remind myself that I’m in control, and can leave when I want. This is enough to get me through.
Greeting me at the door is Ramsey, Trolley’s six-month old pup, who already knows how to sit and play dead. Too shy to look around and make eye-contact, I pretend to play with him until Trolley picks me up in the hallway.
Princess Leia offers me an orange vodka Jello shooter. I take one, my first taste of alcohol in over two years. It burns in my stomach within seconds, and I fight back my anxiety. Successfully. For good measure, I eat another California roll to absorb the vodka.
Downstairs, we watch The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning. Strange how horror movies are…humourous when you’re sitting on the couch with a mafioso, a fairy godmother, and Raggedy Anne and Andy, while a group of girls dance upstairs. Everyone’s picking apart the plot holes, including Jordana Brewster’s anachronistic low-rise jeans.
It’s all cliques and couples here. I’m the only one by myself.
To hide this fact, I walk around taking pictures. A pirate offers to take a picture of me with my camera, but only with the girls dancing in the corner. I feign complexity of the camera so I don’t have to sidle up to a bunch of female strangers, and randomly break into their dance circle.
Before long, I notice that I’ve been there for longer than I planned. But I’m getting old, and nine is too late to start a party. I realize that Halloween still exists during the quiet drive home. It’s not about the candy, or the youth, or the trick-or-treating. It’s the spirit.
And if that spirit means dressing up, decorating your house, and getting drunk if necessary, then that’s fine by me.
- If you ever read this Christine, I will deny everything. [↩]
I love the honesty in this post.
Both an easy and hard post to write.
That pic of you and Trolley is really engaging. You usually shoot things so crisply and in high light; I like this; it’s different. I also envy the hell out of whoever owns that house. Ah, space.…..
The party was a chance for me to play around with second-curtain sync on my flash, and try to balance fill-in light with ambient light. In order to do so, I had to use a high ISO, which introduced a lot of noise. Normally I try to adjust for noise, but after watching the new Texas Chainsaw Massacre prequel and seeing the way noise was used in that movie, I was inspired to keep it, and added a lot of contrast to give the photos a different (but consistent) feel than my other ones. I use techniques like this sparingly, but it works for themes like Halloween. Glad you picked up on it.
@Jeff I hope you had fun! I did. I really appreciate you coming.
@Xibee It’s my house, and thank you :)
Nice post. I stumbledupon your site a long time ago and love your photos and insight. I share you anxiety and reflection in awkward social situations. Very nice post.
@Trolley — Yeah it was an awesome time, and a very much needed party. Felt like I was back in university again.
@BrianR — Thanks. It’s always nice when someone can relate, whether it’s me or a reader.
I loved the costumes! Great photos.…and I’m glad you had a chance to relax and have a good time. I went to a Halloween party at my usual Friday hang out spot but I did not dress up. I had been (and unfortunately still am) sick all week and couldn’t bring myself to use my brain to come up with something genius. I still enjoyed myself though.…the costumes were great! Four full grown Teletubbies and Amy Winehouse were my favorites of the night. The things people come up with.….
Yeah, I’m really impressed with how all-out people went with their costumes. It’s always nice to see people really in the spirit of Halloween.
Amy Winehouse must be a lot harder to do, now that her style is all wacked and cracked out.