Trick 'r Treat BsAs

Try getting into the Halloween spirit when it's a 70-degree sunny spring day.  No leaves falling.  No pumpkins.  No fake spiderwebbing clinging to the city's balconies.  The supermarket's idea of Halloween is an assortment of plastic monster mugs and a Happy-Meal-looking box of candy.  One shelf, as if an afterthought.

When planning the move to Buenos Aires months ago, I wanted to wait until November to fly here---only because I didn't want to miss Halloween.  I told Jess some bullshit about not knowing if I'd have enough money by the beginning of October, etc.  The truth was, I didn't want to miss my favorite holiday.  I had too much Halloween music, too many scary movies, to uproot to Argentina and expect to enjoy All Hallow's Eve here.  But in the end we compromised and left mid-October.

It's the Saturday before Halloween, and I've got zero spirit.  I can't afford the costumed pub crawls at 80 pesos + drinks.  I don't have a costume anyway.  And no fucking jack-o-lantern.

Yesterday, the one silver lining on the rain clouds of our hour walk through the rain was this: a whole block of cheap party stores filled with costume junk and Halloween goodness.  (And, Kayla, lots of Simpsons birthday napkins and plates)  The party shop block was just past Mannequin Street, and I figured I'd walk there today, sans dog, to put together some cheap masquerade for tonight's drinking.  But when we hit Mannequin Street (and I remembered my camera this time), all the steel shutters on the shops were drawn down.  After that, it was the textile shops that were locked up.  Ahead, we saw a crowd filling the sidewalk outside one shop on the party block.  Turns out, it's the only shop open, and the line isn't moving.  Reality is, we don't have anywhere to go tonight anyway.  No reason to hang around for a costume when all I'd be is dressed up with no place to go.

I am wearing my Dracula t-shirt.  For whatever that's worth.

Walking back to the apartment in defeat, I decided to just wear my own clothes (AKA pre-ordered costumes from Wear Your Own Clothes magazine).  We'll hit the wine bar around the block.  It will be lame, at least for a Halloween weekend, but we can't afford anything crazy, and I don't like half-assed costumage.  I've got a flannel with me.  If Facebook shows photos of me as a Portland Hipster, you'll know it's because I couldn't get a cowboy hat from the party-store district.

Positive news: I am listening to a playlist of Halloween-themed music I constructed this morning (currently Ryan Adams - "Halloween Head").  And the internet is running faster, allowing streaming of horror flicks.  If I can just watch Trick 'r Treat, I won't count this Halloween a total waste.

Note 2: If I am in Pittsburgh for my birthday next June (which is very likely), we will have a Halloween In Summer party.  Save your costumes.