stuff is cool

Of course, I am sick again, this time with neck pain that makes it hard for me to hold my head up. It started on Thursday and got progressively worse. I am pretty sure it has something to do with my spine, just moving higher up. However, thanks to the magic of alcohol, I was able to make it through the weekend without wasting the money I had spent on our Halloween costumes. Here, in our majesty, are Marie Antoinette and her lover (I made up a random one), Monsieur Jean-Baptiste:

This photo is courtesy of Michelle and Andrew, who had a small gathering at their apartment Saturday night. We have many pictures on our own camera, which we will post as soon as Danny gets around to it. Very scandalous.

As I was leaving the office today, I saw a young man, maybe 20, curled up on the lawn next door, just off the sidewalk, as if he had stopped and fallen over in his tracks. It was not a place to stop an have a nap. Plus it was cold and rainy and he was in short sleeves. I rushed back inside and my boss came out with me. We were debating whether or not to go shake him when the neighbor, Gloria, came out, too. We all thought it might be that he was passed-out drunk, or on drugs, or (this was my input) in diabetic shock (having seen how out my brother was when it happened to him).

Gloria went and got her husband, Doug, because we were afraid if any of us woke the apparently-unconscious guy he might be startled and lash out. Plus, Gloria’s husband speaks fluent Spanish, so if the young man DID come-to, and only spoke Spanish, Doug could at least talk to him, if he was coherent enough to speak. We wanted to cover all the bases.

My boss had gone back inside to be with her baby, and Gloria was in getting her husband. For a moment I was alone out there with this unconscious fellow, and as I stood there, a car drove by and someone hung out the window and screamed this strange, cackling scream. I felt, perhaps, it was someone who knew the guy. It was kind of a mocking scream.

Well, then Gloria and her husband Doug came rushing out. They had heard the scream and thought it was me! In any case, Doug shook the young man, rolled him on his back, patted his face, and kept shouting at him to wake up. Nothing. He checked his pulse, and felt that the young man was breathing, but barely. Gloria called 911 and we three stood and waited, at a safe distance. It was blustery cold, by the way, for the first time this season!

About 8 paramedics and firemen came in less than two minutes. There might have even been more guys. They just kept coming. They surrounded Unconscious Guy, did the same shake-and-shout routine, did some medical stuff, and loaded him into the ambulance and drove off. All we could report to the paramedics was that we had just found the guy a few minutes ago. I mentioned the screaming person, not that it would really help. But I think maybe the guy was possibly just dumped there or intentionally allowed to attempt stumble home in an unhealthy state.

Our office (located in a house) is in a normal, fairly quiet neighborhood, but our particular street is very busy. There are people walking by all the time. This guy just didn’t make it where he was headed.

I don’t know, and won’t know, what was wrong with him, or if he is OK, but I will certainly be praying that he is.

I stopped by Party City to check out their selection and casually asked to see their Marie Antoinette wigs. They’re sold out. So I guess I will be one among many Marie Antoinettes this weekend. Maybe the only one at Miche and Andrew’s, but, sadly, likely not the only one at the HMNS party. DAMMIT. I should have figured.

These are courtesy of Mr. and Mrs. Frost. The new Mr. and Mrs. Harold are unfortunately absent from this series, but Danny and I got some fabulous shots of them that we’ll post.

Shannon and Meg

Shannon, Meg, and Mary

The MRTs

The WhitPaolos

I’ll post ours from that niight as soon as Danny uploads them to our gallery. No pressure, Danny!

Have you ever been interested in so many things at once that you don’t know what to do with yourself? I’d like to research the identity of the “Man in the Iron Mask.” I’d like to finish reading John Keel’s Our Haunted Planet. I’d like to finish reading Johnathan Strange and Mr. Norell. I’d like to read Antonia Fraser’s book on Charles II. I can’t read so many things at once.

I am intrigued by the theory that The Man in the Iron Mask (which was actually a velvet mask) was the Duke of Monmouth, Charles II’s illegitimate son who led a rebellion against James II in 1685. The theory is that James II couldn’t have his own nephew killed, and so sent him to prison in France, but he had to be hidden for fear of being recognized. It doesn’t seem likely but since I was already curious about the man’s identity, now I am even moreso. Monmouth is a romanticized character in my personal view of history.

Ah, this is actually my kind of night: reading, reading, reading. Too bad it’s Friday and I feel like we should be out. Whatever, this is very enjoyable.

Well, I turned 27 yesterday. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the best birthday. I was sick to my stomach all day, and it didn’t go away by dinnertime. I sucked it up and went to The Aquarium anyways. We got to look at all the awesome fish. I love the giant aquarium there, because we can see stingrays and eels and sharks.

Last night we saw something I didn’t even know existed: a half stingray, half shark. Oh, man. I was fascinated. Danny and I always name all the creatures we see in the fish tank. So the shark-stringray was first called Felix. But then somehow Danny and I got on this Prison Break kick, and we renamed him Wentworth, since Danny said he was the Michael Scofield of the outfit but he didn’t like a Michael. He kept going to the surface and sticking his nose out into the bubbles at the top like he was figuring out something.

By the way, I don’t think I am even going to watch Prison Break anymore after last week’s episode. It’s gone the way of 24: too much tummy ache for not enough payoff. This season everyone is in Panama and the amount of sweat is starting to gross me out.

Heroes is also kinda boring me this season. LOST, it’s up to you! I have to wait a long time, though. Sigh.

Anyways, when my food arrived last night, I was so ill I made Danny put the plate on the other side of the table. Some birthday dinner!

Still, life has been fun lately. Last weekend we attended the wedding of Pens and Jen, two very dear friends. Their reception at the Majestic Metro was a total blast. I even danced, though it hurt my back. The music was too fun not to hit the floor with my friends! When that party wrapped up, we just hopped on block over to the Crystal Ballroom at the Rice Hotel for Hana’s wedding reception. We refrained from dancing at that one, but got to see my Maid of Honor, Carrie, for the first time since Danny and I have been engaged!

Danny got the pictures off the camera, but hasn’t uploaded them to our gallery yet.

So, instead, I will show you the print my mom got me for my birthday:

It is Mary, Princess Royal, younger sister of Charles II, circa 1640. My mom saw the original painting when she was in England, and when she got back she was amazed to see it on my wish list. So she got it for me AND framed it, and it looks gorgeous. I don’t know where to put it. I kinda want it to be a fixture in my house forever, so my kids will grow up with it and kinda be comforted by it and my little girls will pretend she’s their imaginary friend. Wow, I have strange fantasies for my future.

Anyways, GREAT gift, mom!

This post has become more rambling than usual. Oh well. I’m 27!

So, in preparation of the weekend’s cavalcade of weddings and parties and ice cream socials and barn-raisings, I called my aunt Elsa to see if she still had my Grandmom’s wheelchair. Unfortunately, items like wheelchairs are often just leased from medical suppliers, so, no, it was gone. But I do now have my grandmother’s walker. I would have preferred the chair, at least for the Greek festival. But I might lean on the walker instead. Danny would probably prefer me leaning on it to me hanging all over him.

I am in my own bed right now, which is the only place I feel relaxed enough to be semi-comfortable. Which means I’ll likely doze off in a few minutes, since I just took my pain meds.

Soon I’ll post of pic of me with my sexy walker (it’s like a cane- ON STEROIDS!)(I am on steroids too, actually)

Jen is marrying Pens this weekend, and in honor of their fast approaching nuptials, I share with you this sweet picture of two team Awesome brides-to-be. Come Saturday, she’ll be a wife!

And here are the two goofballs we’ll be marrying: