Dammit Steve

I need help.

Halloween is approaching, and I don't have a costume.

Here's the problem: I like the obscure douchebag hipster Wes Anderson character costumes, but I work at an elementary school, so I usually have to go with something a bit more identifiable. My first year as a teacher I had a kick-ass Groucho costume, and I've also done Speed Racer, Ben Franklin, and Indiana Jones. Nothing too special there. One year I was Hamlet, but again, they didn't really get it.

Last year I was a bear (that's our school mascot), three years ago I was Steve Zissou. "Oh, so he likes pretentious movies" was the response.

I have a Buster Bluth costume, from a recent Arrested Development party, and of course I have an entire floor of a house devoted to costumes, so I'll figure out something. But I always put off my Halloween costume choice until the last minute, because I keep thinking I'm going to come up with the Best Costume Ever. I came close, once.

It was 1993. I was in college, and worked at a movie theatre. I had to work Halloween night, and it was also the same night we were premiering Gettysburg. So I rented a Civil War soldier's uniform and went as General Admission.

I'll try and dig out a picture and scan it in sometime. Right now it's late and I need sleep. I will undoubtedly be up late putting together a costume.

Hide the Goats

Got this sent to me yesterday. I'm not sure what I like more, the filthy-mouthed old lady or the fact that a McCain presidency will lead to more goat-bombings.

O'Bama for Americay

Of course, I had to post this.

Obama for President

Not only did Colin Powell endorse Senator Obama today, but the Chicago Tribune endorsed him as well.

This is the first time in the paper's history that they have endorsed a Democratic candidate for president. Nice.

And I'm not sure what other people thought of Sarah Palin's appearance on SNL this weekend, but earlier this evening I described it like this: it's like when you cast someone who can't dance very well in a musical and you just have everyone else dance around them. Wearing fuck-me boots and reacting well to Alec Baldwin and Amy Poehler isn't that hard to do.

I've been a bit busy for the past week, so I haven't been able to write about a couple of recent trips I took. Hopefully I'll get to them later this week. For now, enjoy the fall foliage banner.

Door County is NOT Closed...Yet

Me and T and the Duders and A-Rog and Mrs. A-Rog are headed up to northern Wisconsin for a few days.

Much beer will be drank. And red wine. We shall visit the Peninsula Players again. I will make fires. Murray will be there as well.

The leaves will be turning. Walks will be taken. Gigantic breakfast burritos will be consumed.

It will be glorious. See you Tuesday.

Gene Kelly is Rolling in His Grave

Two things to celebrate today:

1) This blog turns five years old today. For realz.

2) Tiff finally took the couch.

She's been saying she wants this old thing for....three years now? I inherited it from an old friend who I believe found it on the side of the road. But I could be wrong about that.

Lots of fond memories of that damn couch, but I have a small living room, and I don't really need two couches taking up all that space. It spent the summer in my garage, where I would occasionally retire to have a post-rehearsal smoke and work out the final kinks in Heroes and Villains. (I really hope it didn't have too much of a smell to it, Tiff.)

The ironic thing is that she won't even be around to enjoy this smelly old garbage-picked couch. She just headed to L.A. to be in Xanadu for a few months before it heads to Chicago. So I should be proud that my crappy old couch is now in the possession of a burgeoning Broadway star.

Good luck in California, Tiff. And don't forget: no matter how big of a star you become, you should keep that cruddy old stained couch to remember your humble origins.

Ride the Grey Wolf

Thursday Neil Gaiman appeared just a few miles from my home to read from his new novel, The Graveyard Book. My friend Lorie is always up for seeing authors in person (she's an editor for a fairly large publishing company) and so she had a crash course in all things Gaiman (Coraline and Volume One of Absolute Sandman.)

The event was held at the Tivoli Theatre in downtown Downers Grove. It's an old movie palace with a working Wurlitzer organ. Before Neil came on we were entertained a bit. I took a rather poor video, but you can at least get an idea:

Instead of waiting for hours to get a book signed, Neil signed them early and instead spent a good hour reading chapter 3 from The Graveyard Book.



I took a piss-poor video of that as well, but instead of posting that, here's the entirety of chapter 3, if you care to give a listen. You can watch the entire book being read, actually, by going here. I highly recommend it. Gaiman's got a fantastic voice for reading.

Halloween Kit Kat

It's October the first. 30 days until Halloween. This picture's for Issy--do you get these over there? They're not that great. But not bad either.