Hot Toddy Time.

I am sick.  I've been fighting it for about a week, but it's finally caught up to me.  Usually my way is to give in completely at the first sign of sniffles, and get that shit over with.  But this is October and with my favorite holiday season in full swing, there's been just too much I have not wanted to miss out on.  November 1st, I will happily succumb to whatever cold or flu symptoms decide to immobilize me, because frankly, what am I going to miss?  Remembrance Day?  There's a party no one wants to skip.

For those who are unfamiliar with a Hot Toddy, which I am currently sipping before bed, it's a drink consisting of tea, honey, lemon and a big old shot of whiskey (Wiser's special reserve being my brand-of-choice).  It's hot, tastes like ass, but clears your various respiratory cavities and beats the hell out of Neo Citran.

In light of it being less than a week until Halloween, I've been fighting this cold like *insert a famous old-timey boxer here* on steroids.  I've also been hanging out with a friend of mine who's been visiting Canada this month after not being home for two years.  There's been much to do.  Last weekend she came to my house and we went karaoking, then for sushi and shopping on the Friday.  Saturday we took my girls on an impromptu visit to Castle Village where my little one braved the Museum of Horror, while the eldest child stayed upstairs in the gift shop and hung out with the owner's daughter.

The rear of Castle Village is a park/walking trail referred to as the Enchanted Kingdom, and there's a trail with a bunch of nature facts on signs, and there are houses that you can look inside to see different fairy tale tableaux eg. Snow White, Red Riding Hood, Goldilocks, etc.  My friend commented that Goldilocks looked like she'd already had her run-in with the bears.

Oh we got chip truck fries and poutine for lunch.  I am told chip trucks are not common in the U.S.?  Or, at the very least in SoCal.  Interesting.

This weekend I drove down to the city Saturday morning so Sammi and I could participate in the Toronto Zombie Walk.  On the way down I stopped a friend's place in Anus-Ville (her particularly cute nickname for Innisfil) to pick up a very cute mosaic she had made years ago, and was giving away to clear some space.

Due to my general inability to gauge drive times, we had a pleasant but short visit and I was off to the city once again.  After lunch we got all zombied up and headed for Trinity park.

Zombies drive cars.  True fact.

 Running about 30 minutes behind, we caught up with the zombie hordes somewhere outside of Kensington Market.  I was truly impressed with the creativity and innovation put into some of the costumes.  There were theme zombies (we saw star trek zombies, Grease Zombies, no less than two Zombie Jesus', Scooby Doo zombies and so on), as well as some that were absolutely breathtaking in their gruesomeness.  There were also people in the parade dressed as Zombie Hunters.  One duo in gas masks were darting through the crowds screaming "Run! Don't just stand there taking pictures!!"

What really got me was people's ability to stay in character.  I made a really bad zombie, on that level.  I was to excited to stop giggling and smiling and taking pictures to be at all convincing.

At the end of the walk, back at Trinity park, we were treated to the musical stylings of The Von Drats, a pretty kick-ass surf-rock band.  I'll be looking them up for sure.

Oooh, quick fun story!

I never ever ever get singled out or picked for stuff at public events.  EVER.  Even as a kid, I was generally over-looked when I would shyly stick my hands up when the magician would ask for a volunteer.  I'm always a few rows off when the band starts throwing guitar pics and drumsticks.

So we're right up front for the Von Drats (it's a band in the center type layout, so some of the guys are facing us and some aren't)  Bass-Guy keeps throwing out T-shirts between songs, and although I'm screaming and jumping like a long-term fangirl, and not some who has just stumbled upon a free show in the park, he keeps throwing right over my head.  So the third time, he's got the shirt ready, and makes eye contact and I give him the sad puppy face.. and HE THROWS IT RIGHT TO ME!!

Being me, I drop it, because I suck at catching, and some girl tries to thwart me by stepping on it, but I manage to swipe it out from under her heel because gawdammit, that shirt was MEANT FOR ME!  So Yay, I got a free T-shirt.

And a bitch of a cold.  By the time we had gotten back to the park I had to pee bad.  There were NO open washrooms in the area, so we decided to make our way back to the car.  It had also started raining by this point, so we walk for about an hour in the rain, in single digit temperatures, our zombie make-up smearing down our face.. no doubt adding to the effect.

And that's what got me.  I felt like ass by the time we got back to the car, and pretty much have been since.  I crashed by 8:30 that night, and barely survived lunch with another two friends before I decided it was in my best interests to go home.

I picked the girls up, and because I have been promising for weeks we finally decorated the house for Halloween, seeing as there is only a week left.  You know the deal, caution tape, spider webbing, foam tomb-stones, decapitated heads, disemboweled babies.  Same old, same old.

actually, I'm really proud of how my head came out, and I've been getting many comments on my baby.  I consider 'disturbing' a compliment this time of year.