Holy DIY Batman!

Halloween and the workplace is a very tricky thing. It almost requires a DIY costume as anything store bought requires a stripper pole accessory...and those are sometimes a pain to carry around the office.
My office partner in crime who sits in the cubicle next to me shared my dilemma and we decided to go with a theme. We threw around various ideas before deciding on Superheroes. What's nice about Superheroes is there's a multitude of choices and variations...comic book, movie, cartoons. "A" decided to be Batman and I was going to be Catwoman but wanted to wear bright colors. I'm so over Black. I'd already been Poison Ivy one year back when I had bright red hair...hmmmm....what about Robin?

And what about 1960's Batman and Robin? ZAP! BAM!
Same Bat time same Bat channel.
We decided to raid our closets and thrift stores to make upcycled costumes...that and we're both flat broke.
We scoured the racks of Our Thrift Store in Franklin and Goodwill.

A" managed to find her Batman pieces for under $15.

I found a bright yellow tab top curtain at Goodwill for $3, which provided the perfect cape. A red sweater vest also a steal at $1.99.

Off to the CRaft store I found stiff felt and cut out a R and oval then hot glued them together. I made a small one for my vest and a large one for the back of my cape.

I already owned a bright green tennis skirt and like every woman, a pair of tall black boots was housed in my closet.
Masks are not allowed at work so I faked it with green eyeshadow and a black eye liner and attempted a DIY on the Black Swan's makeup that I watched on YouTube.

Work was a blast, I was convinced costumes should be wore at least once a month. Sure there were occasional people who asked who I was…I decided they had a sad childhood and not to take it personally. Cops loved it. I asked if they needed any help fighting crime today. One laughed and said, “well…actually, Yes we do!”. For the day we took down our real name tags and made some for our Alter Egos..

After work I set my camera on a tripod. set the timer and we saved the downtown area from the threat of evil. Sometimes the photo shoot is the best part.

Just try to break into this vault would be criminals!

Sometimes even the Batmobile breaks down. Thank Holy Trusted Local Transit System!

Robin: "That's an impossible shot, Batman."
Batman: "That's a negative attitude, Robin."

"Holy strawberries Batman! We're in a jam!" Robin

Robin: "Ghoti" is "fish"?
Batman: See here. English phonetics. GH becomes F, as in "tough" or "laugh". O becomes I as in "women". TI becomes SH as in "ration" or the word "nation".
Robin: Holy semantics, Batman. You never cease to amaze me!
Batman: No time for compliments, Robin. We must thwart some criminals. To the Batmobile!

Robin: "Boy! That was our closest call ever! I have to admit that I was pretty scared!"
Batman: "I wasn't scared in the least."
Robin: "Not at all?"
Batman: "Haven't you noticed how we always escape the vicious ensnarements of our enemies?"
Robin: "Yeah, because we're smarter than they are!"
Batman: "I like to think it's because our hearts are pure."

"Whatever is fair in love and war is also fair in crimefighting." - Batman

Years later when I revised the costume, while working in Nashville near the Batman building. 

Bliss

Bliss's evil twin Misery lurks in the shadows unable to give us time alone without his creepy vibe.
I ignore his beady red eyes and the smell of death on his breathe. He waits for me to fall, to be left unprotected, to utter the phrase that will be my downfall.
He can't touch me in ignorance but he knows that I know now and he displays his wicked grin each time I bite my lip.
I remain silent, no one will hear my confessions if I only say them in my head. If I could only be implicit and stay on this Island of Euphoria. But the current of words escaping the heart is powerful and so many times they break hard against the back of my teeth.
I clench my jaw, purse my lips, and swallow the crazy.

Langhorne Slim likes to dance

Concert: Langhorne Slim
Day: Wednesday, March 30th
Place: Mercy Lounge, Nashville
Cost: $10 (awesome)
Temp: 43 degrees (not awesome)

The lovely thing about working a 8-5 is not having to ask off for a concert in Nashville. It gets a little tricky when it a late concert…as the closer to 9pm it is the more likely I will have pajamas on. Normally once the comfy pants go on, they tend to hug my legs in a sweet embrace for the remainder of the evening, and changing into something I would want to meet other humans in takes real commitment.

Mercy lounge is about 25 minutes from my house if I take the slow backroads way and I always do. I'm not a fan of the highway, its full of Bullies with zero patience.

I arrived before the parking attendant and thus I parked for free. =) Langhorne Slim was hanging out in the parking lot when I pulled up. Did I walk up and say Hello? No, of course not..that would require balls and just so we are on the same page...I am a girl.

I brought my lead weight with me. There are pros and cons to bringing your lead weight to a concert. A pro of course is the photo documenting of the evening. Another, that Strangers will come up to you and strike up a conversation who probably wouldn't have even smiled at you otherwise. Other photographers flock to you and assume you know the secret handshake and begin speaking in photog. We're only slightly cooler than Trekkers…and its a hardly noticeable difference.

The cons began when you want to dance. Its a careful balance of holding this Cannon ball so there is minimal shaking of your life investment but optimal shaking of your ass.

I met a nice couple from one of the Carolinas whom I shared a table with, and we chatted about the best brunch in Nashville and concerts until the show started. I met a drunk guy who assumed I would know how to work the settings on his camera and kept asking me to "make it brighter"…which I really wasn't sure what that meant. I do wish I could have just made him brighter though.

Another photographer approached me ever so slyly and fell into the character of my nemesis for a few moments. He was actually kind of cute which let me just say, is as rare as a cute Trekker. He wanted me to know that he wouldn't be afraid to elbow me to get his shot. I conceded and added that I was okay with elbowing if we could agree to avoid the face. He then said we should probably agree to no hair pulling then too.

I should probably talk about the actual concert…it was dynamite and you should have been there. =)
Enjoy some pictures.

I kind of heart the Banjo...but mainly because of Steve Martin.

Its obviously not so much about the sound at this point but the passion....plus it looks cool and it causes a audience response of some type of hollering.

He was standing on a speaker here where I tried to shoot his tonsils.

The regular bass seems so lame when you see the stand up bass...not as travel friendly though.

The hat trick was attempted and failed throughout the night. The first time was uncomfortable for the audience but the more he failed at it the more endearing it was. By the time the hat actually landed on his head it was like the end of Rudy. =P

Sometimes you need a Tutu...

I've always wanted to be a dancer. It claimed the top spot on my list, next to singer/songwriter and Princess (secret princess of course and some day someone would reveal this truth to me…I'm still waiting). I was a Ballet dancer in grade school but I was also a little lazy in grade school and shit at sticking with something. I'm talking to you Guitar and Piano…and foreign languages.
When I approached my parents about dancing again years later, my father very appropriately replied with, "most dancers end up dancing on tables",  and that was the end of the discussion. I don't mention this to say that had it not been for my father I would have been a Prima Ballerina in some prestige ballet company dancing Swan lake and quite honestly perhaps retired by now because I'm no spring chicken by Ballet standard. No, I'm not stupid. I say this because every time I dance I think about that statement…every time some stranger says to me, "are you a ballerina?" it crosses my mind and nearly escapes my lips.
When I was in junior high, I thought about dancing again, but much like my singer/songwriter dream it seemed quite the long shot. Being the realistic kid that I was, I decided that a Accountant would be a safer dream choice.  I was a very mature child and also quite good at math and organization…and perhaps a little weird.

My Belly dancing instructor has been trying to break me of my Ballerina habits still engrained in me after 20 years. When I walk into a dance school, I still hold my body as if going through the positions. Doing a turnout without even realizing it. I crave the plié and the petit jeté. Belly dancing is more relaxed…they love to tell you "just let the fat jiggle!!". But Ballerinas have no fat!  I weigh 106 for Pete's sake...what is there to jiggle?
After watching "The Adjustment Bureau" on Tuesday I couldn't take the longing anymore. I was a little dramatic when I got home, as I was also wanting a true love soul mate who was damning the authority to be with me. Still being the smart realistic kid that I am, I choose to go with the dance option.

I went online today to look for classes. I'd looked in the past with no luck. Adults don't seem to interested in taking Ballet. And yet there seems to be a almost disturbing amount interested in Hip Hop. Landing on the Nashville Ballet website I noticed a small link that said…."Adult Classes". I am now filling out registration papers. I plan to take all the classes I can until I progress to the more advanced classes.

I sprained the ligament on my right foot last week. Its wrapped in a ace bandage and I can't walk normally. Was I hiking? Was I jumping down from a tree or running the track in the backyard? No, I was doing something really strenuous ….casual walking then dancing around my house. My class starts in 2 weeks so hopefully my foot will be usable by then. Foot, don't ruin my dream!!

I've taken classes here and there over the years but most of the dance magic happens nearly every night at my house. I have the New York Ballet workout book. There's no barre…or teacher, or tutu but none of that is needed when the music starts and you can feel the moves in your soul before your muscles form them. OKay, sometimes you need the tutu…