An exceptional weekend in a number of ways, for a number of reasons.

Bad Candy
The TES Halloween party was an education and a blast. I’ve hosted a few parties here and there, but have never been so involved in the work that goes into them. I am damn fortunate to have a crew of capable servants and willing friends, as well as cunning and competent assistance from the TES Board.

My animal and I hit Manhattan saturday afternoon to complete our costumes and get party necessities, including one heavy-ass 25 pound pumpkin, perfect for carving. Lugging that puppy home was an experience. I really had a chance to appreciate the detail orientation of my animal, who kept the job and the schedule in mind at all times.

We made it back, and I got to work on the pumpkin while my animal was attending to the other necessities at hand, packing bags and allowing me to concentrate on one thing at a time. My housegirl (more on that later) arrived early- which was a blessing- and was able to pitch in. We set out for Costco to meet Jeff.

Jeff was a little late, but my animal made up for the lost time- I have got to get her on Supermarket Sweep. It was impressive- she was a dervish.

We parted so that my animal and I could hit a party store for the last of the necessities. Note to self: Party stores on Halloween night are, in fact, Hell’s waiting room. We made it out of there after a half hour and all the way to Paddles- where the car with my girl, Jeff, and all the food has not yet arrived.

The food from CBG is in peril, but Mosquito Pete, kith and kin, steps up and makes it possible. Everyone arrives, and my volunteers are on the spot along with other helpful hands getting things downstairs. We open late- but we open ready.

And in the end, it turns out to be a great party. Michael lets Ken Soulhuntre play wth his airgun and shoot girls in the back of the room. Pete and Tink make great music mixes. A pinata is single tailed, caned, then eventually beaten to death by Officer Trish and her nightstick. Police brutality. I spend some time re-aquainting myself with Tink, who is sniffing around my boots looking to get back under them where she belongs. My animal is at her deadpan best as her media avatar, Wednesday Addams; my girl is dressed as a bumblebee, and I get to take the Old Man out of mothballs for another Halloween.

It went late, it went well, it turned a tidy profit and everyone seemd to have a great time.

…one great big festering neon distraction
Six Flags on the last day of Frightfest, courtesy of Ken Soulhuntre. All the things I hold dearest, reduced to pasteboard and neon, blinking lights and overpriced trinkets. A painful display of gaudy merchandizing at the expense of all I find special.

It was perfect.

One of the things I hold dearest is, after all, travesty. My fascination with the brightly colored and worthless illusions of the sideshow know no bounds, and I find something deeply sacred about places dedicated to nothing but amusment, distraction, escapism, fascination- and seperating rubes like me from their money by any means, sacred or profane.

This is church.

I was with my animal and my girl. It was a good day to be a Daddy, a good day to be an owner and a Sir. The weather was perfect, and Kimiko and Tatsumi were a joy to be with. The group dynamics were exceptional, and my time with them all- as well as moments with all of them singly- were memorable. From waking in the hotel room Soul provided for us, gathering my animal off her place on the floor, calling my girl from her cot and waking upto tucking my girl in for the first time and leashing my animal to her place at the foot of my bed at home- it was an idyllic day among the neon, the lies, the smoke and the mirrors.

…carpet tacks and sealing wax, of cabbages and Kings…”

There are a number of things worth talking about, but for now they all just get bullet points:

I have good friends. Some are far away, but there is no question that they are my friends.
Everything is better when your servants are hard at work while you relax.
My animal just keeps making me more and more pleased with my choice in her.
I love my life, and all the room for improvement just shows me it can only get better if I try.
I have a good boy, who is starting to grow up as I watch.
I have a twin who is finding herself under decades of stratification and pain, and she is making me proud of her.
I have a pixie who finally understands, and is going to get her chance to show me how much she’s learned.
I have a girl who wants to find a place and is working hard to make it there.
I have an animal who has a place and proves she deserves it every day.

In my own life, I will Be King.

To those who made it out to the TES party- thank you. You made it worth doing, and I hope you had as much fun as I did. To those who helped make it happen- thank you.

I’m going to go pass out, now. it’s been a long weekend- but a very good one.