Top 10 Tuesday

1. Halloween--*SPOILER ALERTS, I GUESS* So, of course I went to see the movie last week with my fella-horror-whore, Jeanette. I wasn't too blown away by the film; however, I'm very blown away at its revenue. With a budget of only $10 million (it has so far made +$90 million in less than a week), it brought back all the creepy nostalgia: his reflection in the window as he's stalking his prey; the vehicular accident gone gory and awry; the scared little kid who isn't crying wolf; the stark contrast of Michael Myers' figure inside the house, staring out from a dark window; the quick, easy, dumb murder just so Michael can get his hands on something sharp or blunt; the list goes on and on. Like the white-haired Michael Myers himself, his mask, too, has aged but the rage and horror and calculation still resides. I remember seeing the preview months ago and being impressed with the scene in the hospital courtyard; it led to me having high hopes about the film somehow penetrating Michael Myers' psyche, but it did not. There were no breakthroughs. Michael Myers continues to be a killing machine who may or may not still be alive (killing-machines don't quite do anything for me. I want psychology. I want trauma. I want reason. Even sociopaths have sob stories). Laurie Strode--however--her psyche was ever clear. A pent-up, reclusive, wayward mother hidden away in her fortress in the woods, she was ready for the "boogie man" at any point with her booby-trapped home of hidden assault weapons, escape hatches, and igniters. Clearly a victim of post-traumatic stress due to an assault 40 years ago (sound familiar?), her downward spiral, its nuances and mania, and its reciprocity to her daughter are what inevitably save her life. But is she actually saved?

2. Aunt Charlie's Wedding--My Aunt Charlie got married this past weekend! It was a small, modest wedding and it was very nice to have the whole family come together for a circumstance that isn't depressing or unfortunate. Our little family could really use some good news and cheer, and we got it not only with the wedding the but with the birth of my great-niece, Issabella. What really moved me the most was that my cousin Steve put together some placards for my Aunt Linda who passed away from ALS in 2017 and for my sister Mandy who passed away from cancer this past January. Wow, I can't believe it's already been about 10 months.

3. The Haunting of Hill House--As many of you horror fans know, Netflix came out with a horror series very loosely based on Shirley Jackson's horror novel of the same title. I so badly want to watch it but first I felt the need to read the novel. I have been a long-time fan of Jackson's writing ever since I was forced to read her short story "The Lottery" in junior high school but had only read her short stories and her novel Hangsaman. The book, my dears, turned on many lights in my head and I felt so softly for the protagonist, Eleanor (a name that is highly revered in the hall-o-fame of spookiness and actually means "bright, shining one"). Eleanor is a sensitive, naive woman very in-tune woman (Ever hear the phrase "if the walls had eyes..."?) who later becomes (or so it seems) possessed by the house to the point where she hears the wind stroking the floor in the upstairs bedroom, and the bird outside, arriving to and then abandoning its nest. She is awkward, mousy, envious, and and quite frankly, alone despite any amount of family or any company. In fact, it is written in the novel (twice!) that "whatever walks there, walks alone". Anyway, I was doing a little bit of research and learned that Shirley Jackson drew blueprints of Hill House and thought I'd share because, well, I love blue prints and maps, especially of the imaginary variety. So, enjoy!

4. "First Man"--Brian is a giant space nerd *swoon* and so am I but I'm not as knowledgeable as he. He really wanted to see this movie--I wouldn't quite call it a biopic of Neil Armstrong because I was left with many questions about his personal, and what seemed to me, very private life (very Ryan Gosling-y character). The movie is over 2 hours long and I was told, historically accurate. Actual footage from the launch to the moon itself was used in the film, as well, which was pretty awesome.

5. Morning Walks--There's just not enough time in the day and I'm becoming a bit unhinged with the fact that daylight saving is creeping upon me. When I hear the word "creeping", I think of the short story "The Yellow Wallpaper" (by Charlotte Perkins Gilman)--the main character is a young woman being gaslighted by her doctor-husband as she becomes unhinged in a room where its yellow wallpaper takes on a a personae of its own. Anyway, I digress. The shortening days, the darkening evenings, will inevitably be getting to me or may have already. So, it's time to get up earlier and move my body, breathe, and just start my day--my winter--my hibernation--on a good note. So, I started today. It was supposed to be a run but Altoona's sidewalks are atrocious in the daylight let alone in the dark. Very uneven--in fact, so uneven that I may turn them into a personal collection. A photo collection of Altoona's sideways, rising, cracking, uneven, broken sidewalks. I shall also take my little white dog Cosmo. He doesn't like to hike like Silas does. He is more of a hood rat, taken by dark alleys and telephone poles. It'll be good for us. Maybe once daylight saving comes, I'll catch some awesome sunrises. Because it's damn dark now. But I like dark. And creepy. Speaking of creepy...

6. Creep--I've always loved Radiohead and most of us know the overplayed, over-covered song "Creep". Radiohead with their minor chords, wolves at the doors, their white elephants, and sitting ducks, is a very stellar band for this spooky time of the year. Anyway, I came across this cover and enjoy it for the most part. I've been listening to it consistently. Some of its nuances make me cringe but in a way, I really like it. Makes me want to shmoke a fat shigar and drink shum wishky.

7. Converse--This is a big deal, so feel free to laugh. Last year, while my feet were still sensitive and healing from breaking my ankles, I purchased two pairs of Converse on sale. They're not your typical Converse shoes, either. They're fancy and awesome. However, we all know that they're actually cheaply made and terrible for your feet. Anyway, when I wore them last year, they really caused issues and I had bad pain in my right foot. I was really sad. So, I put them away. Well, now that it's turning into shoe-wearing season and my feet are a whole lot more tolerant, I tried wearing them again and success! I can't find pictures of them online right now, but trust me, they're awesome.

8. Snow--While driving back home to Altoona on Sunday, we encountered snow near Summit (outside Ebensburg) on Route 22 eastbound. I'm not ready for snow, but it was worth noting. I love every kind of weather when appropriate.

9. Letter Writing--I'm a philatelist (stamp collector) and I'm very excited to have recently received new pen pals. I love writing letters and sending post cards. I want to get more creative and thoughtful with my snail mail, though, and am looking forward to sending special mementos to my friends and family.

10. Pumpkin Carving--Brian and I carved pumpkins on Monday! He carved a mountain range into his and I was lazy and turned my pumpkin into an alcoholic. And not just any kind of an alcoholic, but a cannibalistic one. He's drinking pumpkin shandy.