14. Happy Halloween! ...and a Brief Encounter with Jack White

Halloween was quite the success, this year. I always have a few requirements for my costume. I usually start with a traditional costume and try to do a good job with it. I also don't try not to pick ugly or too-skimpy costumes. It is usually cold in October, after all. Here are examples from years, past:

Catwoman - The best part were the metal finger picks poked through black leather gloves for claws.

Werewolf - The challenge was attempting to make a hairy female look good.

Home-made arm and legwarmers.

Traditional Pirate - Hook hand not optional and not to be confused with Pirate of the Caribbean-type.

Mummy - Entire spandex one-piece made by yours truly. Just stopped to do a little shopping. PS - that is a real, original 4Loco - remember those? Terrible idea...

So, the challenge this year was to become Frankenstein's monster. Without further adieu...

She's Alive!!!

Skittles-Soaked Test Tube Shots. I just had to have the green one!

That was the big costume of 2012 for me, but what's a girl to do when there's a second, last minute, mid-week party to attend? Why, you just throw on your children's size costume Top Gun Fighter Pilot flight suit that you enjoy wearing every other day of the year, as well. I would wear a one-piece outfit every day if I could. I would sleep in it, ride my bike, go to class - all of it - with just one zip from crotch to neck! That would be a dream come true.

Oh! I almost forgot! My new best friend, Jack White, and I exchanged words at a talk he was giving, for no reason, really, at UCD. I heard about it kind of last minute and thought, why not? I went by myself and, I don't know about you, but if you're going to have a run in with a celebrity, I like to at least do my hair - maybe have some make up on. It's just a reaction, I guess, when you're going to be in the presence of someone you think is cool - maybe I think, "Well, even though we'll never talk and you don't know me and couldn't pick me out of a crowd, at least I feel like I, at least, look cool, too." Something along those lines...

But the unexpected happened. He actually did pick me out of a crowd. I am not the type to raise my hand for anything, especially not at a Q&A thing like this. I wanted to ask him about working with Wanda Jackson, though. I had this whole, long dramatic conversation going on in my head. I was getting really general with it about changing the kind of person I am and I moved all the way to Dublin and wouldn't it be a good story if I did ask this stupid question and am I even sure if he was the one who produced Wanda Jackson and how stupid would I feel if it wasn't him or if I asked the question too loud or too quiet and I better just raise my arm or this whole thing is gonna be over! So, I kept raising my hand like a wuss and then putting it down when the woman in charge of calling on people called on someone else.

My good friend, Jack, finished answering a question and then, as the woman called on someone else, (I didn't even have my hand up, yet, or maybe it was up in one of those non-commital, could be stretching, could be a question moves) he stopped her and said, pointing to me, "That pretty girl with the black hair who keeps getting ignored." What a thrill!

13. Happy Birthday to Me

...And we're back! After a brief hiatus, I'm back to tell you all what I've been up to in the next couple posts.

I celebrated my birthday on October 12th. The biggest difference is putting 24, instead of 23, on the elliptical machine in the gym. Also, I am now the age I will be when I graduate with my masters and move home(?) I love my birthday. I like to tell everyone I run in to on that day. I'd really like it if everyone could organize some sort of parade and give me a high five and a fruit roll up when I walk down the street. I would do the same for other people if they wanted, so, it's only fair.

Hayley and Stephen came to town, which made it an even bigger cause for celebration. We went to Cinnamon, my favorite restaurant in the whole city! Instead of going in to a description of everything we ate,which I think can get boring because no one else ate it but us, I'll just say, we shared everything and it was delicious. I highly recommend it if you're ever in Ranelagh.

Mouthful of Brownie with Pistachio Ice Cream - YUM!

Then, we went to The Bernard Shaw, a divey, arty pub with a painted double-decker bus in the back where people buy pizza. This was followed by Against the Grain, a pretty good beer place where we had shots of a 32%abv beer, called Tactical Nuclear Penguin. Finally, around 1:30am, we found ourselves dancing in a crowd at Whelan's. Surprisingly, we made our flight to London right on time the next morning.

Saturday, we went to Borough Market for lunch and the best, somehow strawberry-flavored, coffee ever (from Monmouth) before meeting up with Hayley's group of British best friends. At the end of the night, for the second night in a row, we found ourselves dancing. This time, at a gay bar, called The Joiners. Actually, this wasn't the first time I found myself dancing at this particular bar after 4am - and I suspect it won't be the last. Miraculously, I awoke before 11am on Sunday and found my way to Camden Town, solo.

Going to Camden Town was the goal of this trip to London. It's like if St. Mark's Place in New York from 2 years ago exploded. After that, I couldn't get a hold of Hayley to meet up and had one of those poorly planned missed meet-up panics. You can't go home because you don't have a key and you don't know if you just missed them or if they haven't gotten there, yet. Those are the worst... Needless to say, I finally found them and, after giving her a reasonable amount of grief, we had a good night. I went home early, so I wouldn't miss my flight early the next morning

I missed my flight the next morning, anyway.