Halloween: Little Costumes

On October 6, 2013October 5, 2013 By R. PettyIn Random FunLeave a comment

It’s my favorite time of year. From Oct. 1 to Oct. 31, I watch horror movies, read ghost stories, and wait to jump out of my skin. My son, who does not care for the scare but loves Halloween, helps me get into costume and loves to dress up. He’s a teenager now, but he loves to go out one night a year and become someone (or thing) else.

That’s the beauty of costumes. Costumes transform you into something you can’t be every day. They allow us to explore our creative side and toss reality out the window, Whether you go cute, sexy, or fierce, something about dressing up frees our spirit. I also have a blast shopping with my family and friends to coordinate and pick the perfect costume.

Halloween doesn’t have to be “evil”. In fact, I witness vandalism and evil almost every day of the year, especially if I watch the news. People who enjoy the holiday the most have fun and get excited, and do their part to make it their own. It’s really no different from any other themed holiday, but if you play your cards right, there’s a lot more candy!

This week, we dug out the old pics and posted some of our best childhood costumes. Oddly enough, my pictures have yet to be found. But have no fear! My son was willing to help and allowed me to post some from his younger days. I promise, if/when mine turn up, I’ll post them 🙂

Picking up a pumpkin — Pre-costume but too cute not to post. A love for Halloween starts early.

I’m pretty sure this was the costume that year. A little Winnie the Pooh.

Vampire getting ready. — The next year, I was a vampiress and he was Blue from Blues Clues. What am I looking at? Look at the bottom of the pic, and you’ll see 🙂

Little Blue — Yep, that’s him! He was a little Blue 😉

A few years later: Batman Beyond and much less serious…

Be sure to check in this month, as we post more costumes and celebrate the awesomeness of the season!

Halloween Costumes: A Personal Retrospective

On October 2, 2013October 5, 2013 By James CastroIn Random FunLeave a comment

Fall is my favorite time of year. The crisp air, just cool enough to be comfortable and maybe require a light jacket, but not the bitter frozen temperatures of winter. The sound of dried, fallen leaves blown by the wind. The strange orangey glow of an autumn sunset. The smell of fall is indescribable, but one that is always one that is the most indelibly tied to memories of haunted houses, costume shopping, and playing with my Freddy glove replica.

I’ve love Halloween and since I was a kid. I always dressed up as something (minus about two years in high school and the four years of college). I can’t remember them all, and there were a couple years where we had to skip trick-or-treating. One notable incident occurred when I was 5 or 6. Living in Las Vegas, it rained horribly and drowned out the annual Halloween excursion. Instead, we rented Nightmare on Elm Street 1 & 3. As a 5-6 year old, I was terrified and it had a lasting impact. I mean I couldn’t even be safe ASLEEP according to that film! I always credit that experience to my current stoicism. I was scared of essentially everything for the next 2-3 years. And have never really been scared since…

The times missing trick-or-treating were rare, however, and most of the time my sister and I went through the neighborhood, dressed as SOMETHING, collecting our bounty, and being scared by houses with good displays (one kid dressed as Jason, stood perfectly still, then ran after kids when they got close!).

Unusually, I never dressed up as monsters or anything scary. I was always something fun or goofy. In the 80s, it was all about fun. Here are some classic 80s costumes from my Halloween past! Some of them may be out of order, the dates weren’t always clear, but it’s mostly right!

Circa 1984. I’m a pumpkin. I don’t remember the costume…but I DO remember that candy pail. Apparently I chose to coordinate to match that year. I loved that pail, but they never hold much candy.

84ish — Circa 1985. Of all my lil kid costumes, I remember this robot the best. I have no idea why. Something about that gold mask…

Circa 1986. My sister and I as matching skeletons! I remember seeing this same thing in the *Karate Kid* later. It was just a black shirt and pants with glow-in-the-dark bones on it. I used them as pajamas later. I remember now it had a skull mask that cut into your eye sockets…

85ish — Circa 1987. I LOVED dinosaurs. In fact, I STILL love dinosaurs. I wore this costume to play dinosaur for a couple years after I wore it for Halloween. Oh and, ahem, RAWR!

85ish2 — Circa 1987 again. The dinosaur showing the foam plates on my head. My sister was a black cat that year! As an aside, I LOVE the Real Ghostbusters loot bag.

87ish1 — Circa 1988. I have to admit I have no idea what I am here. My mom doesn’t even remember. I’m apparently some kind of Halloween video game robot. That’s my best guess.

87ish2 — Circa 1988. These are my body-popping moves.

87sh3 — Circa 1988. Just to show it had more weird stuff on the back.

Circa 1989. I’m supposed to be the Joker here, but it might come off a little too regular clowny. I also remember I tried to use spray on hair dye that didn’t work because of my black hair.

Serial Comma: To Use or Not to Use

On September 29, 2013October 12, 2013 By R. PettyIn Grammar and PunctuationLeave a comment

Grammar geeks all over the world will battle this issue until the end of time. It’s almost as controversial as abortion, health care, and gay rights. The debate: the serial comma (aka the Oxford comma) and its relevancy.

What is the Oxford comma?

This is a comma usually used before the word ‘and’ in a series.

Ie: For dinner, we had mashed potatoes, fried chicken, green beans, and rolls.

In school, we were taught to always use that comma. No exceptions. However, when I worked on my college newspaper, I learned that Associate Press says to remove it. What?! It felt like my world turned upside down.

Should You Use the Oxford Comma?

It depends. If you’re writing a college paper, probably. Although, I’ve heard some professors don’t care. If you work for a magazine or newspaper, probably not. If you’re writing for your blog, decide and be consistent.

The comma was originally deleted to save space in newsprint, and with everything going digital, that’s no longer a concern, so it may make sense to use it. I’m a fan of using the comma because you can change the entire meaning of a sentence without it:

Not using the Oxford comma — Photo from: kickyandfun.tumblr.com

I don’t argue usage often because, much like religion, the decision to use the Oxford comma is a personal one. My rational is I can list more reasons to use it instead of not using it. It does clarify meaning, it does help the reader pause, and it separates items in a series. Saving space is not enough of a reason to not use it.

And even though my job requires me to remove it and follow AP style, I do use it if there is more than one ‘and’ in a sentence because AP doesn’t address that instance.

Ie: On our vacation, we hiked and biked though the mountains, ate seafood, and went to an amusement park.

Therefore, I recommend using it unless otherwise told. I don’t think the Oxford comma will ever disappear, especially with more than 30,000 Facebook fans and possibly millions of hard-core grammarians supporting its usage.

What are your thoughts? Are you pro or anti Oxford comma? Tell us why in the comments section!

Off the Top of My Head: Boss Zagstruk!

On September 25, 2013September 24, 2013 By James CastroIn Art, Games, Random Fun4 Comments

This week i present more Orks!

I love the rules and fluff behind Stormboyz. I’m hoping the rumors are true that they can be used a anti-air units in 6th edition.

Boss Zagstruk is a terrific addition to a Stormboyz unit. His high-initiative powerklaw, deep striking, and commissar abilities make him worth the points to me. An extra bonus is he has a great mini, and is fun to paint!

I give you my Boss Zagstruk. Again one of my earliest painting attempts but still loads of fun!

SONY DSC — I like dry-brushing fur details. This was my first attempt at that.

If you’ve missed my other orks:

Black Reach

Dreadtrukk

Warboss with Attack Squig

Why You Should Watch Shark Tank

On September 22, 2013September 21, 2013 By R. PettyIn TV ShowsLeave a comment

Season five of Shark Tank premiered this week, and to say I was excited would be an understatement.

The cast of Shark Tank — Photo by: boss.blogs.nytimes.com

After months of waiting for the new season, I snuggled into my spot on the couch and tuned in. I’m not a fan of reality TV, but something about Shark Tank resonated with me a few years ago. I remember my husband watching one day, and after watching for a few, I was hooked. But why?

Shark Tank is about the American dream of owning your own business and building its success. It’s about everyday people who dream big, create a product or service, and try to get it out to the masses. And of course, it’s about making money.

I think we’ve all fantasized about being our own boss and working our own schedule. Some of us are bored with our jobs, some of us have great ideas, and some know there’s more to life than working 8-5 Monday through Friday for the rest of our lives. Shark Tank gives us hope.

The Show

I won’t bore you with a full review, so here’s a quick summary: Entrepreneurs deliver a quick presentation and try to convince the five investors to join in their venture. Sound boring? I thought so too. I was wrong.

The show’s perfect mix of drama and reality make it a must-see. The Sharks can be ruthless but fair. They sometimes do fight over a business or product, but it’s usually when something is a really great idea or really successful. Other times, there are some really bad ones, and it’s pretty entertaining to watch the presenter get eaten alive.

Life Lessons

Shark Tank is on our list of Inspiration and Resources because it’s a reminder that with hard work, long hours, and dedication you can achieve your goals. Some of my favorite success stories are those business that received an investment, allowing them to expand and create new jobs in our country.

The Sharks are funny, sympathetic, and real investors who give good advice to small business owners – whether they receive an investment or not. Sometimes they’re wrong, but that’s the beauty of the show. At the very least, the entrepreneurs benefit from appearing on the show by also presenting in front of millions of people.

I face palm at least once during the show from either a horrible idea or from asking myself, “Why didn’t I think of that?!” Watching the show inspires me to figure out what I want to do with my life. I keep a list of ideas and products. I don’t talk myself out of anything, and I know the only person holding me back is me.

If you haven’t seen the show, you should give it a shot to at least see some products and ideas people like you have developed into a business plan. You never know what you’ll achieve if you set your mind to it.

Enjoy a sample of the show!

Off the Top of My Head: Painting My Waaagh!

On September 19, 2013September 19, 2013 By James CastroIn Art, Games, Random Fun5 Comments

I mentioned in one of my very first painting posts how much I love orks. Though I still consider myself an imperialist at heart, orks are so much fun to paint and play that I knew when I got the Black Reach starter set I’d be able to make use of both sides.

I’ve gotten a bit better than I was when I first painted that Black Reach warboss. I’ve been able to do some layering, and I’ve gotten into basing (I really enjoy basing) and making some custom additions to each model.

This was my first warboss after the Black Reach guy. His attack squig and armor left plenty of room for customization. I gave him a spike with some space marine helmets on it, but it was metal and it ended up breaking the resin pole. I just glued the hell out of it to make it stick in the end.

I gave him a couple of helper grots (both metal) and ammo crates. The Ultramarines bomb is actually from a Trumpeter 39(H) French military tank set I had. The rocky base is terra cotta (which I highly recommend, it’s light, breakable for customization, and can be painted and textured to provide any look!) with some extra bits around to give it character.

He got a little dusty and he was hard to clean without snapping resin pieces off. It adds a bit of character 😉

My favorite part of painting this guy were the human heads hanging from his belt. I gave each one a different wound. Obviously, basic rudimentary stuff (I’m not ‘Eavy Metal!) but they were a lot of fun!