tender lumplings everywhere

the pre-party 
i decided i could make a fun "jack skellington" costume in september, even though i didn't know of any halloween places to wear it. that's one more benefit of being a latter-day saint: you've usually got a place to for holidays. after allison used me as a test subject for her make-up class last month, she jumped at the idea of helping me with my costume (another benefit of membership in the only true and living Church: hometeaching). it came together from various friends and donors: a trip (or two) to tailor maid supplied "clown white" make-up, a bald cap, and a bat ornament that would become a sort of "bolo tie"; my sister provided a short haircut; cheryl provided the pipe cleaners; jack provided (many years ago) an old suit that was the just the right amount of "too small"; jaime provided the contacts; and allison provided the artistic know-how.

work went late (i was impatient on our last shots because a) the sun was going down and we were losing light, b) the halloween party was starting when i was leaving set, and c) i really had to use the bathroom) so allison and devin snuck off to costco and i arrived with them not there. to save time, i started to put my white make-up on while waiting on their stairs, taking pictures of my face with my cell phone to check my progress. one can look pretty creepy pretty fast with a $4 jar of whiteness.
the whole process took about 40 minutes, with allison making me look like jack skellington, the joker, or a panda, depending on the moment. it was the first time either of us had done a bald cap (and painted it white) and the whole thing looked pretty dang.

the party
i had a tragic fear that i would arrive, all done up, just as the party was ending: it began at 6:30, i left allison's at 7:50, and why oh why was it in american fork?? i also had a fear that i would get pulled over whilst looking this way.  to sooth myself, i switched my cd changer from tally hall to miles davis. that helped some.
the party was into full swing when i got there and i was glad i came when i did. to be honest, i was a little surprised that people recognized me so quickly: no hair, no glasses, and make-up is surprisingly concealing. still, i had told my friends i was coming as jack skellington, though i think a lot of people thought i was just a weird dead guy of sorts (which is technically correct; if i do it again, i'd make the eyes much bigger and upturn the mouth to make it look more smiley).  similarly unexpected was the number of exclamations, "that's an awesome bowtie!  and it's so perfect for you!"  it never occurred to me that i was wearing a bat for a bowtie because i always wear a bowtie; it was just the best i could find for the costume.  i took the praises just the same.
the party was in a way cool big ol' barn, there was great food, and a good turnout, yet part of me made me yearn for the 122nd ward halloween parties of five years ago: people danced and danced a lot then. that was a great time that has since come to pass...
still, i found a nice scarecrow who could easily have been the "sally" to my "jack", and we danced a few songs. i can swing dance just enough to show that i know a little, and the awkwardness of the small suit provided a nice alibi for my lack of prowess (not that a scarecrow costume is ideal for cutting a rug, either). i like dancing, that's all there is to it.

the post-party
as the music was proving that it was not going to leave the hip-hop realm (though it should have, for a few reasons), an 80s-alternative guy in me decided i'd had my fun and said my goodbyes. walking down the driveway, i had a thought to go back. not a pointed idea, not a dull feeling; i just felt like i should go back. my first aid knowledge is dated, so i didn't think that anyone was about to have a heart attack in there. nor did i see any potential wifes in there. in fact, i couldn't think of any reason why i should go back. but, what the heck, i did anyway. 

i had a bread bowl of soup and danced to one of the few hip hop songs i like. then the elder's quorum president announced that he just got a text saying that there was a bad accident on I-15 and that traffic is completely stopped, so take another way home. then some more hip hop started, and i wondered how much longer i "had" to stay. i decided i wanted to go, and walking down the driveway again, i realized that, had i just left, i would have spent who-know-how-long stopped on the freeway.
nothing miraculous happened. that prompting to go back didn't bring forth any miracle; it brought forth traffic advice.

how cool is that? so often, i think that the little thoughts i have to do things (or not do things) must certainly lead to love or death. instead, i suspect that the vast majority are simply little "inside tips" from God, simply because He's watching out for us.