german dirndls, mexican calaveras, bluegrass music - halloween!

I informed Jamie that we were going out for Halloween this year.
He said he might need a tux for his calavera/sugar skull outfit.
I paused and said "no, you're wearing your bacon outfit".
He said, "no i want to do day of the dead too"....
I thought "ok then" and let it go

...but i'd paused and I've wondered at my pause.

It's not like I'm rah rah-ing my Mexican heritage in this case...
(And really, if I'm being honest - if I were going to go the "Mexican culture appreciation" route - between the two of us Jamie would probably win.)
As far as I remember, day of the dead was never really celebrated in El Paso.  I actually had to look it up in high school.
It's southern/central Mexico...Aztec native american culture honors/celebrates the life of the dead this way. And as the people merged it's remained and (obviously) evolved. So heck yeah, to me, it's a wonderful custom. We're rah-rahing that native american heritage custom. Plus it's kick-ass and I love colors and glitter...

ANNND I'm planning to wear a dirndl in a couple weeks for Wurstfest ...I don't have a drop of German/Bavarian/Austrian  - is it any difference?

No...i don't guess so -
before I bought the dirndl I looked up how/why it came about. It's basically representative of Bavaria/Germany's working class.
I have an appreciation for the working class.
And, I've not been to Germany -  but what's more representative of people/culture than their food right? I have an appreciation for german food (most ESPECIALLY the spaetzle! - YUMMMM).
Plus all the German people that I recall meeting are super blunt/to the point. I'm a fan.

So I say if you're wearing something, especially if that "something" represents a culture, if you have a basic knowledge and appreciation for that culture (meaning it's not meant for mockery or to demean) I'm good with it.

This extends to anyone wearing any comic book character (especially Rogue)
and/or
any political figure/statement - you better answer my basic questions cause otherwise *eyeroll*

next...


Lastly, if you're wearing a scary clown costume and I'm startled - I might accidentally punch you in the face (no offence)

Besides that  - wear what you want  - Halloween is just for fun, I don't over-think things :)

Let's celebrate Halloween/Samhain/Dia de los Muertos!

Oh also - we went to the bluegrass festival and it was lovely. A buncha gray hairs were passed out on their lawn chairs. ha. Nothing carries a feel like bluegrass country music.

This gal - Molly Tuttle was there - I'm now a fan

I re-read Lisa Kleypas (Lillian and Wesscliff) and Kresley Cole (Abyss) again.
Oh and tried Kristen Ashley - Furthest Edge - hmm...I mean I read it, def. eye opening but not my thing. Won't search it out.

pride prejudice crash and burn

I saw Pride and Prejudice play last weekend in Addison - gno (and glad for it cause Jamie would've been miserable). Several of the gray-hairs in the audience didn't come back after the intermission. It was quirky, cross dressing etc but once I got over that it was a unique adaptation, I enjoyed it.

So I posted #metoo - the oddest thing is that it's sounding like with all this uproar, men are questioning where the line is?

"So you know those women that dress like....?"
Answer:  regardless if she is dressed provocatively or not - never touch her.  

"But what if it's loud and she can't hear the guy?" -
Answer: A glancing touch on her shoulder/arm (preferably not on her skin)  to get her attention then.

It's not difficult.
Don't be gross. Don't be creepy. Don't be smarmy. If she's shit-faced pass til the next day.
start with being friendly and go from there
bottom line - if she wants you to touch her you'll know, she'll make it obvious,  she'll initiate contact.
And def stay away from the psycho girls - there are many out there -  listen to your red flags!

I've said it before, I'll say it again -  men should read romance novels to learn how to be (and not be) with women...

Speaking of
An Extraordinary Union (The Loyal League) - Alyssa Cole - the fb groups raved and I just could not get into it. DNF....
Idol (VIP Book 1) - he crashes passed out in her yard spiralling, she helps him,  she can also sing. not bad and
Managed - opposites attract. liked him more than her. Kristen Callihan
The Trouble with Love: Lauren Layne - 2nd chance story - young/miscommunication/broken engagement/left at altar -  my kindle said i'd apparently already read this one, so i started just to remind myself but didn't remember til 1/4 through and then by then I just re-read it all. Liked it. 

Been going with the new Turnpike Troubadours - Pipebomb Dream - last few days. My favorite of the pre-release - it certainly does have a little of that Old 97's twang. I'm diggin' it.

I just gave the suicide prevention line # to a guy that called at work.
He called from Oklahoma, I couldn't hang up on him - he mentioned his wife left him and he was sick and alone and on and on.
He sounded reasonably intelligent and rational...until he just kept talking in circles and about how "they" are out to get him etc....
I had no idea what to do.

All I can think is that this is how bad things happen....
Brendan Jenkins' - Finger on the Trigger song playing in the background in my head.

he said he wasn't a threat to himself or anyone else any more. Any More!
omg...this is awful.

There's something seriously going wrong in this world.

to the limit

dinner with V&J and we vented to each other over cocktails :) .
Also went to the Fair with the M's this weekend.
It was freaking hot and it's $40 for us to even walk in the door. It's crazy. I mean at least once in a lifetime sure but I think this is my 12th time? oy ....No idea why they love it so much?

I wrote to my Senator today
(Cornyn - not Cruz cause I was done with that guy since he campaigned for the man who said those awful things about his wife)  -

..not about women's rights, or immigration or taxes or anything important like that.

I wrote saying - "Please tell our President to stop talking. I'm embarrassed to be represented this way on a daily basis. It's exhausting. We apparently don't have a lot in common -  but as a fellow Texan, please -  stand for us."

Why? Because there are people dying in PR, there are wildfires in CA, military service men were just killed overseas....it's never ending the awfulness that is happening...
and he's tweeting asinine/juvenile mockery!...
I just saw a fact check that said the President ytd has told over 1100 lies. *sigh*
As a granddaughter and daughter of veterans. As a Texan. As an American.
I'd never imagined hitting this limit. I'm so embarrassed.

Finished:
Buns (The Hudson Valley Series Book 3) -  Alice Clayton - my least favorite of the series...there's a depth missing in her people. I still like her though. 
The Cad and the Co-Ed (Rugby Book 3) - Penny Reid - ditto above....
Where Dreams Begin - Lisa Kleypas - i liked this one, widow, boot straps, instant chemistry. I learned that Ravenshill doesn't have his own book and vented on the OSRBC group....they understood. That's so nice.

wtf

i'm weary.
I'm not sure Jamie knows how close I am to taking a week off to just get away from here.
Like Montana and sit and look at trees.

sadly though....the first thing I thought that morning was:
"what does the shooter look like?"
cause if he's anything but white, that group - black, latino, muslim etc. is going to be horrendously targeted.

And so he's white guy and I go onto the "conservative" fb pages I follow to see their opinion -
and they're blaming the "antifa/hillary lovers left."
*ugh*

I'm sad and I'm pissed off that this keeps happening
And i say this as a person that has, most always, had a gun in the house.....
so I wrote to my U.S. rep to stop silencers, armor piercing bullets and automatic machinery to civilians.(not that I think it'll do anything but maybe collectively? if there are enough people writing in)
*sigh*

Went to see Turnpike Troubadours last weekend - it wasn't the same -
maybe cause I'm older,
maybe cause i'm weighted...
Jamie said there were a bunch of kids running around with shirts that had pro....
well shit...it doesn't matter....
I'm weary
this totally sucks.

Read/Finished:
Sweetbitter - Stephanie Danler - i tried to like this one. Especially for my love of food. I don't like the "flash" writing style though....just a quick glimpse of a story doesn't work for me.
The Hook Up  Kristen Callihan - believable instant chemistry...good one.
Sara Ney How to Date a Douchebag: The Learning Hours - he's self deprecating or dealing with bullies (including from his "other") for most of the book. Not a fan

The Player and the Pixie (Rugby Book 2)  - Penny Reid - didn't get the character depth well here. Both were shallow.