Halloween has come and gone, as has our visiting House Guest. Amber had a good time. Yesterday, we drove out to Duluth, MN and spent most of the day hiking at Hartley Nature Center. It was nice because I got to show off my old workplace. I miss the place; I had my first teaching experiences there as one of their Naturalists. I held my first professional seminar there, “Inclusion of GLBT Youth into Outdoor Education”, which made several connections for HNC with the local youth groups. It was a place that I actually felt like I made an impact.

After hiking the trails, and taking silly pictures, we went to the mall to eat at Applebee’s and then perused the many books we couldn’t afford at Barnes & Noble. Thankfully I was talked out of any books I did think about buying because later we ended up at Michael’s and I bought a new drawing book for the figure drawing sessions I’ve started going to.

While it seemed that the day was going to end on a good note, the world just didn’t think we deserved that. It was dark on the way home and Ash was driving. She’s not a speeder, not usually, but last night she happened to go a little fast. There was a reason though. She had slowed down because there were some deer on the side of the road, and, as she was speeding up to get back to normal speed, she looked for her hazard lights to warn the car behind her. Unfortunately, it took too long and she sped up a bit too much but just as she caught herself, the car behind her turned on its lights. It was a cop.

The good thing? The cop was nice and just gave her a warning. The bad thing? The cop was mean and fined her $160 for not having her dad’s car up to date with registration in TEXAS. We are in northern Wisconsin. Ash registers her dad’s car every summer she goes back to Texas. This summer she didn’t go home, so we were waiting until we went to Texas next month for Christmas. One more month. It’s not even her car, it doesn’t have Wisconsin plates, and because of some legal issues with her insurance, she has to physically be in Texas to register the car. She didn’t go in August (when it expired) because we didn’t have money, and yet this cop said that she was supposed to figure it out and fined her $160. It’s ridiculous, we don’t have that money, and Ash is going to take the issue to court with her dad’s blessing.

It just seems like we keep getting these little breaks of happiness, only to have the world slam some form of negative energy back on us. We’ll get through it, we always do, but it just gets tiring after awhile. I just want some good in our life, and I want it to stay good.

We’ll figure something out. This morning was nice. We woke up early and I made fluffy pancakes as a Good-Bye breakfast for Amber. She’s gone now, and the rest of the day is going to consist of us trying to stay warm and cleaning house. I’m already sick of cold weather.

Is it time to go South yet?

Links. Got to love them. My Daily Links are up and you know what, let’s have a free for all. Want me to link to you? All you have to do is comment here and I’ll put you up. Oh and link back to me. That’s pretty easy right? Link exchanges are fun.

Instructions?

01. Link to me.
02. Comment here with your site.
03. I link to you.

Easy as pie. (Seriously, what is it with that saying? Pie is not easy.)

I guess you could say this is my way of celebrating Halloween. We did get some trick or treaters, my favorite being the kid dressed up as a box of Puffs Kleenex. It was pretty elaborate, though I have no idea what would possess a kid to dress up as tissues. It had to be his mother’s idea. He probably just wanted to be a box, she thought it was boring. Thus Puffs Kleenex.

Anyway, free WordPress themes! I finished my first three and they’re up for personal use only, guys, nothing more. No commercial use. Please leave the credits in tact (you can move it, but I want to be able to find my link back here fairly easily). That’s really all. If you like these, let me know, and I’ll start making more. Want a personalized one? Commission me! If I get any interest, I’ll post some commission rates and we’ll go from there.

Purple Prose A very purple 3 column theme with some flowery brushes and pretty curls. A true reflection of the idea behind Purple Prose – also known as horribly written cliche fiction. Live Demo | Download

Evening Stars A 3 column theme featuring the night sky as the main source of inspiration. Sea grass, stars, and a cool color palette make up the serene feelings behind this theme. Live Demo | Download

If you have any problems with any of the designs, or need to ask some other question, feel free to contact me through comment here or email. I’ll try and help out in any way I can. I might make a page purely for my themes, but I won’t do that until I make enough of them to really deserve a full page. If you download or use any of these, let me know! I’d like to see my work in action. Any suggestions? I’d like to hear them!

Maybe not now though. Now, I’m tired, and tomorrow is going to be a big day. We’re going to Duluth (the closest city with a Cold Stone Creamery) for some shopping, hiking, and fun times. It’s been a hectic week, and this weekend is going to be one of ease and relaxation. Good luck to that.

And good night all. Happy Halloween!

I feel strange today. Not in the “Oh it’s Halloween, spooky spooky!” strange, but more of a “I don’t exactly feel like myself” strange. I suppose that does have to do with what day it is though. Halloween is my favorite holiday. There is no other holiday that allows you to dress up as something ridiculous, fantastical, or otherwise completely out of character, and not have people on the street judge you for being insane (well, to be practical about it, you will be judged, but more for what kind of costume you have on, not for simply wearing one – and, in all honesty, you might still be seen as insane). And for dressing up, instead of embarrassed looks from strangers who happen to have the misfortune of being on the same street as you, you get candy! Chocolate bars, jolly ranchers, sweet, sticky, gooey, yummy, unhealthy, rot-your-teeth candy! And all you have to do is put on a mask or a cape or a paper bag and you’re set (though I hope you all put more thought into it than that).

I love Halloween. Maybe it’s that child in us, or that need to be more than we appear. Halloween gives us the freedom to be exactly what we want, regardless of reality, expectations, or morals. Be a princess, a vampire, Sarah Palin with an Obama button pinned to your vest (“She’s a true Maverick.”) There are endless opportunities and choices and it all happens on one day.

I digress.

I feel strange today. Why? For the first time in I don’t know how long (quite possibly this is the first time this has happened), I have not dressed up. Did I think about it? Of course. But the problem isn’t a costume or lack of one, this year I seem to lack the spirit. And on a deeper level, it might have to do with the problems I’ve been having in defining myself. How can I be expected to be excited in being something else when I don’t even know who I am on a normal day. Maybe that should make it easier, but I can’t help but focus on who I really want to be everyday, not just for one holiday. I want to have a set identity for my day to day life before I continue to go all out for my favorite day of the year.

I don’t know if that makes sense to some people. Regardless, I’ll still probably find something to wear to hand out candy. I have a set of wings… Maybe I’ll figure something out. The flaw of Halloween? In an aisle of a thousand faerie wings, not a single pair really work.

Happy Halloween.