Halloween is Weird When You're a Grown Up

This week's theme is: Halloween: The Aftermath. I assume most of us celebrated Halloween on Saturday, as tonight is mostly about Trick-or-Treating with kids. So this week we'll be sharing what we did on Halloween this year (or if nothing, we can share a story from the past).

This year's Halloween was the Halloween that almost wasn't. First, I wasn't completely sold on the party I was invited to. I'm going through weird feelings of social anxiety right now, where I mostly want to retreat within myself and be a hermit all winter long. Anyways, I started thinking about a costume anyways.

I've always wanted to be Joan from Mad Men, as she's one of my favourite character's on TV.

My other costume ideas were:

* Kate Middleton (I make fascinators for my Etsy shop, and I could have just bought a fake sapphire ring)
* Robin Sparkles from How I Met Your Mother 

Anyways, Joan was easier because I could use mostly my own clothes. I bought a vintage pencil necklace years ago (because of my unhealthy Joan love), so I had that. I have a pencil skirt - though mine was a bit shorter than the kind she wears (hey, on Halloween it's okay to slut up costumes, right?). I also had tights, black heels, a bright pink blouse, a brown cropped jacket, and a brooch. I bought a vintage silk scarf and pearl-like clip on earrings.

The other hard part was the hair - a 60s updo! Thank god for You-Tube and people who make hair and make-up tutorials for just about everything! I watched the video a few times, got some extra hold hairspray and a box of bobby-pins. It was a success!

Look at that hair! I'm so proud of myself, I might just do this on a normal day now.
Make it my new thing. I'll be the girl with the updo.

Anyways, the original plan was to meet up at a girl's house, arrange rides and then all travel together to the party - which was in this weird commercial space that my friend's boyfriend has turned into an apartment. But just as I was halfway ready a friend texted me that our other friends were already at the apartment. She gave me 15 minutes to get ready and then she was going to pick me up. At first I kind of wanted to just say nevermind and stay home, but I decided to just finish my hair and make-up and get dressed.

The party was okay - the space was pretty crazy. People were skateboarding and there was a swing hanging from the ceiling. I wasn't really feeling it though...so I sat on the couch and sipped a martini (part of my costume as well) and watched the others play beer pong.

There were a few highlights thought. I beat my friend at pool three times (dating a Brit is really rubbing off on me), and a girl dressed at Black Swan knew what my costume was (unlike everyone else). I mostly felt old and awkward and kinda wished I was curled up on my couch watching Beetle Juice or something Tim Burton instead.

The next day I had no hangover because I didn't drink that much. I did boring errands with my boyfriend and wondered if there was a middle ground between drunken dance parties and looking at tools at a hardware store on a Sunday afternoon.

I think I need to go to the pub soon.

So, Happy Halloween!

Tom, I hope you have a fantastic story for us all!

It was fun being a ghost & and Canadian Zombie in the cartoons last week!

Full Costume!

A Very Awkward TASG Halloween

So, this is a day late, for which I apologise. Last night I tried to post a stalling message that read something along the lines of:

"DUE TO OBSCENE AND IMPROMPTU DRUNKENESS, THIS POST HAS BEEN DELAYED. NORMAL SERVICE WILL RESUME TOMORROW."

However, my drunken thumbs wouldn't let me send it. Damn them.

This, I believe, was a blessing in disguise, because I didn't have this idea until this morning. Now, I know it's not technically a comic as it's only one picture, but I am immensely proud of myself.

So, without further ado, my imagining of a TASG Halloween:

Putting Away My Summer Clothes

So cold!

Welcome back to The Transatlantic Support Group! We took the summer off to chill out and not feel the pressure to blog weekly for a bit, but as the cold weather rolls in so do we. Blogging is really an indoorsy activity, so it only make sense.

We started this blog around this time last year because there's just something about fall that makes 20-somethings a bit sad. Maybe we miss the back-to-school feeling. As students we got so used to major changes happening this time of year. New classes, new people, that we're let down when autumn is just a colder, sadder version of summer.

But let's not start out a new TASG season all depressed - let's reminisce. Let's talk about our summers.

WHAT I DID ON MY SUMMER VACATION

by The Canuck

• I went to England in May

• I got into a relationship that was long-distance for most of the summer. Scary, but good. I am officially an insane version of myself!

• Had a lot of cold pints on patios with amazing people.

• I listened to new music from bands I love and bands I've just discovered.

• I saw a few movies: Bridesmaids, Bad Teacher and Harry Potter (3D!)

• I saw the musical adaptation of Billy Elliot with my mom and two of my aunts.

• I ran my first 5k race and ran my second 5k charity fun run.

• I met up with old friends from years ago.

• I visited my university for the first time since graduating in 2007.

• I went to the driving range.

• I threw a goodbye party for a friend who left for college.

• I took plenty of naps.

• I learned to enjoy mornings and wake up earlier.

• I nearly gave up coffee, but still have the occasional cup at work, but only in the morning.

I'm sure I did more than that, but that's just a quick re-cap. It wasn't the best summer ever, but certainly not the worst.

Hope you all had amazing summers - or at least not the worst.

Tom - Mr. Wednesday, I can't wait to here from you love! (I'm dating a fellow Brit, so I'm allowed to talk like that now, right?)

Less Than Sober Moments With The Yank

Believe it or not, alcohol not one of my favorite things. I like to go to pubs and drink beer with my friends occasionally, but I usually try to avoid getting absolutely trashed. Maybe it's because I know I'm a lightweight and that if I have more than two drinks I become downright obnoxious. Maybe it's because my social circle lacks that person who can always hold it together enough to drive home so I end up attempting to act responsible. Or maybe it's the fact that hangovers are horrendous and I have never said to myself "Oh man, I am so glad I drank that much last night!"

But I do have a special list of things I do when there is alcohol in my system. Some are more incriminating than others. The list is as follows:

- Laugh loudly at things that aren't that funny. The time I drank vodka and watched "Labyrinth" with some friends was nearly a disaster. Sure, it's got a kitsch factor, but it's not worthy of a laugh attack every time David Bowie comes on the screen.

- Sing every song at the club. If I'm not careful, I can easily transform into that obnoxious person who exclaims "I LOVE THIS SONG" within the first few notes of every new track.

- Appreciate the music of Ke$ha. When I'm sober, I think the music of Ke$ha is appalling. But when there is alcohol involved, I just have to dance to it. I will even go so far as to sing along. Last time I went dancing, my friends found me singing "Tik Tok" in it's entirety with a random gay man. There were hand motions involved and everything. Horrifying.


- Dance as though I'm in a choreographed music video. I have no problem dancing when I'm sober, but when I've had a couple of drinks I tend to get really into it.


- Play charades on a friend's front lawn. Ladies and gentlemen, this is why I stay away from tequila. I stood with my arms extended and yelled the words "I AM A MAILBOX" to an entire neighborhood. I think I forgot that you're not supposed to talk in charades.


- Talk in a variety of fake accents. Usually I go back and worth between Indian and Eastern European. I've also been known to have really long, deep philosophical conversations entirely in a fake accent when under the influence of alcohol.

- Send incoherent text messages. Phones need to come with built-in breathalyzers.

- Email Tom and Allison to inform them that I have been drinking. Usually I put something really clever in the heading ("Drunk Lauren Is Drunk!").


- Wear a sparkly red cape in public. Even when going to a gay nightclub, cape-wearing is not a sober activity.

There's probably more but I will stop incriminating myself at this time.

A Slurred Word from the Brit

If ever you feel like you need a drink, please refer to the above photo as a reminder of how bad an idea it can sometimes be.

Reading Allison's list of things she does when she's had a drink but would never do sober set some bells ringing. Singing, dancing, hugging, texting people I shouldn't; it's all a bit too familiar. One thing I always find myself doing when drunk which I've never had to do sober is running for the last train, leaping up the escalator at Fenchurch Street in a mad rush to catch the 00:25 departure. When sober, I won't even run for a bus.

I think I've blogged before about the time a bouncer escorted me off a dance floor after I fell over and I accidentally held his hand as he led me through the crowd. I don't think I've told anyone about how I was sick all over my dad on Boxing Day (I blame the bacon sandwich, not the hangover). The list of my alcohol-fuelled embarrassments is long and...embarrassing.
People at work have noted that after two pints I sound like someone from Eastenders (the bald one in this video here). I stress I sound nothing like this normally. My laugh also transforms into a pantomime cackle, and I think everything sounds like innuendo.

My friends, I am not a man who can hold his liquor without making a complete twit of himself. There may come a time, in the distant future, where I can nip to the pub for a swift pint without feeling the need to dance, cry or pull stupid faces.

And while part of me is impatient for a respectable drink, there's another part of me that's secretly in love with Drunk Tom, because he's more fun, less inhibited and sounds like a TV character. I don't think I'm ready to grow up just yet - besides, the sun's coming out for the first time this year and it would be rude not to greet it with a bevvy or two.

Cheers!

*pulls stupid face*

The Tipsy Canuck Strikes Back!

I'm going to let you all in on a little secret - some insider information about the behind-the-scenes goings on here at The TASG. We email each other a lot - not always blog related. Usually about something funny or interesting that happened in our lives. Sometimes these email threads inspire post ideas. An email I sent Tom and Lauren Saturday night (or early Sunday really) inspired this week's theme:

Things I Never Do Sober

2007 Classy Formal Drinking

* We here at The TASG are not raging alcoholics, but we do drink socially. Don't judge us!

I'd love to fill you in on what my email talked about in reference to this topic, but that's just not possible. It's a bit personal in nature. But there are plenty of things I willingly do when I'm intoxicated that I would never do sober.

1) Dance - I am not really the type of person who enjoys dancing in front of people - unless I've been drinking. I am shy and awkward on the dance floor, but if I've had a few glasses of wine at a wedding I suddenly can't get enough.

2) Sing - Not by myself, but along with music playing at the bar (either the stereo or a live band). Especially if it's something by The Beatles. I love busting out a little "Hey Jude."

3) Hug people - I'm not usually a touchy-feely person, but if I've imbibed a bit I suddenly feel more open to hugging.

4) Talk to strangers - I don't usually strike up conversations with people I don't know in my everyday, sober life. But I can be quite the charmer at the pub.

5) Text people I shouldn't - There are people in my life who I shouldn't text late at night after I've been drinking. I would never do this sober.

6) Not care that I am wearing my sweater inside out at a keg party - This is a true story. I'd taken the sweater off because I was hot, but put it back on later inside out.

7) Walk home without shoes - My shoes hurt my feet, so I took them off.

8) Talk loudly about how badly I have to pee - Usually this happens when I'm walking home and really have to pee.

9) Flirt - I am an awkward flirt most of the time, but sometimes the demon rum transforms this Canuck.

10) Write my phone number on a guy's hand - I did this once and he didn't call. I don't know if this situation would have happened sober. Not likely.

Hey Tom!, don't make it bad. Take a sad song and make it better!

Cheers!