Comedic Timing?

I unintentionally made an entire movie theater laugh last weekend.

I was at the movie Red. We were all engrossed in its tranquil opening scenes when out of no where the bad guys appeared on screen, and I gasped out loud.

Really loudly. In fact, it may have been more like a combination yelp/scream.

At first when people started to laugh, I thought that I had missed something funny in the split second that I had yelped and closed my eyes. But when I asked my date why everyone was laughing, he said:

"They're laughing at you!"

Oops. At least this time I did not leave the theater with a bruised elbow. That happened in another movie when bad guys startled me, and I banged my funny bone on the plastic cup holder.

I blame my jumpiness on my younger brothers, who spent our growing-up years hiding behind doors and in hallways waiting to spring on me.

They would also laugh at my tormented reaction, but then they would get pummeled.

I almost pummeled my roommate the other day when I screamed like a baby when she walked through the front door. I was engrossed in the mail, and she was wearing a hood. I don't think she thought it was very funny.

But no one got pummeled at the movie theater, and I was happy to offer the afternoon-movie-goers some additional entertainment.

(N.B. Please excuse the sheep costume in the picture. It was the closest thing I had to a surprised/shocked/startled shot.)

It's All So Magical

I used to dislike Halloween.

It enables the proliferation of 3 things I do not like: stereotyping of large groups of marginalized people, the sexualization of women, and gore. Plus coming up with a costume that is unique enough, cute enough and modest enough is stressful.

However, my Halloween-loving roommates have completely changed my view of this holiday. Their ghoul parties, witch parties and dance parties have made this a season of whimsy and magic. Their creativity makes Halloween feel more enchanted than frustrating.

Because of the many festivities, for each of the past two years, I have had to have three costumes. It's been a blast, and my roommates' large supply of costumes, craft skills and make-up artistry have significantly decreased all costume-related stress.

2009
(From left to right)
70's lady in a 70's dress - My friend Laney and I wore matching wigs to the dance party
Ghoul - A group of friends gathered for a "spooky dinner"
Disco Dancer - Yep, same wig but different dress for another party

2010
(From left to right)
Sheep - I was one of seven sheep and and the cotton gluing took hours and then littered the dance floor
A "Tea Party" - As in the political movement. Ha!
Witch - 30 of us gathered for "spooky food" then a witches' stroll through a local bookstore

Many more pictures of things such as the "flock of sheep" and a "close-up of the witch's moles" can be found on facebook.