Halloween sweatshop hell: The more attentive readers might wonder, "Did she ever finish those costumes? Or did she just say 'the hell with it' and open up a bottle of Ketel One and then pass out, with her head on a pile of spider patterned tulle?" Look here for your answer.
the sociopathic contractor: I haven't been crossing paths directly with the contractor. He has ceased putting pylons into the street, which makes my life less unpleasant, but he did violate his permit by working late at least once, with a huge, cacophonous cement truck (I didn't call the police on that noise violation because I was, for once in a blue moon, actually going out that evening, although I could have). His workmen parked in front of my driveway one day, but the husband had them move.
The sociopath's permit provides him with a fixed space of 30 feet and the right to have cars ticketed or towed which park there. The reality is that he shifts it about and actually takes up more than that, as well as unallotted space on the other side of the street. Recently my friend Joyce came to visit and parked near the construction. She looked for the signs, but there wasn't one by her car. When she left, she discovered that the evil contractor had moved one of his signs next to her car and that she'd gotten an expensive parking ticket.
In order for her to be ticketed, the contractor had to actually take time out from work and call the Department of Parking and Transportation to ask them to send out a Cushman. This street is not patrolled and ticketed unless it's street cleaning time. What a petty jerk he is. I noticed that yesterday a neighbor parked by one of his signs and didn't get ticketed. This added believability to my theory, which is that the contractor saw Joyce go into my house and that's why he called DPT. (There is paranoia and then there is having an actual enemy. The Sober Husband thinks this is the first, while I'm in the second camp).
"I feel like some industrial sabotage," griped Joyce, who is joining me in the club of people who hate the little contractor.
"I hear you," I said. "We gotta wear gloves, though. My fingerprints are on file with the state of California."
18 comments:
what a beautiful family you are! and the little witches are so so glamorous!
ps. lola is quite the picture diva, isn't she?
pss. who is the SH supposed to be? he looks a little like The Exorcist.
Tell Joyce to fight the ticket on the grounds that the no-parking sign was placed after she parked. I was towed on Nob Hill years ago when a construction zone appeared a day after I parked. I fought the ticket successfully, starting myself on a 5-year spree of fighting every ticket the evil DPT imposed upon me, with an 80% success rate (and I knew they were right on the 20% I lost). Oh, and I did this entirely by phone and mail, and never took time out of my schedule to appear on Harrison St.
And the next time you see the evil contractor/neighbor, smile, hold up your pinkie finger, and slowly let it droop down. Mr. Big Noise = Teeny Weeny Peeny should get the message!
Hughman, you are so revealing yourself as a non-Geek. He's the Tom Baker Dr. Who. Ha.
Pie-ho, how the hell are you? You are so right about contesting the ticket.
i actually watch dr, who!!! but i don't remember the scarf and the hat. just rose and the daleks.
That's modern, high production values "Dr Who." Tom Baker is from what might be kindly called "Golden Age" Dr. Who.... crappy production values, bad acting, preachy plotlines.
I thought he was Arthur Weasly.
Arthur Weasley, good one!
Don't expect me to defend his costume. I've told him repeatedly that I will make him a fabulous costume, but he has to tell me WAY AHEAD OF TIME what he wants.
i think he would be a fab freddie mercury.
he's be an awesome Frank-N-Furter.
Those costumes are gorgeous.
Marketeer/Carol Ann
Fantastic job on the costumes!
(I'm going to try hard to find the pictures of me as a "fairy unicorn princess" when I was their age. It's not as professional looking, but Mom definitely deserves bonus points for the effort.)
(Also, is it "their age" or "their ages"? It seems like it should be the latter, but that's not how people/I say it aloud.)
You all look fantastic - and hughman is right - what a great looking family. SH is Tom Baker era Dr. Who btw. Tom Baker now does the voiceover on one of the best comedies - Little Britain - don't know if it's available in the US though.
tom baker does the VO on little britian!!?! i LOVE vicky pollard! we do get it here on BBC America. (I also love Hotel Bablyon)
The girls are so beautiful! Wow! And the costumes are gorgeous. I'm speechless!
Oh those costumes are beautiful. Are Iris' sleeves really lined? Wow. Anyhow your kids are super cute, the whole family is.
Frank 'n Furter would be an awesome costume; I would so love that! The Sober Husband is too conservative sartorially to go for that, though (even with bribing, I don't think I can get his skinny legs into fishnets). Freddy Mercury is wonderful, but would anyone really get it? I'd have to put a nametag on him: "Hello My Name Is FREDDY MERCURY."
A., the sleeves are not only lined... they are also rimmed with sequins. We did hot glue gun the sequins on, though, I must admit. I could NOT face handsewing them on. I did have to handsew the flaring wristlets into the ends of the sleeves, though. Keep in mind I made TWO of those medieval witch/princess costumes (one for Iris Uber Alles and one for her friend). That was more than enough handsewing for one year.
If you went with the black and white harlequin unitard that Freddy used to sport, it wouldn't matter if people didn't get it.
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