Today’s Weight: 157.0 lbs. I’m not going to argue with my body at this point. If it wants to just drop weight as it pleases, I’m psyched. Again, I didn’t even exercise yesterday, unless you count a 10 minute Fela Kuti dance party. I did drink a lot of fresh juice and go to the sauna, however.

Today’s Plan: FREAK OUT!!! One of my best friends is coming for the weekend, and will get in tonight. I’ve got to finish a massive project for work, clean the house, go grocery shopping so I have something to feed us all weekend, then hopefully get a large portion of my costume done before she gets here. I already did some basic housecleaning, like throwing out trash, cleaning the litter box, starting laundry and dishwasher, but there’s so much more to be done. It will probably end up being last minute, of course. Luckily, we were roommates for about 7 years in college and then a little later, so she’s seen me at my filthiest. In comparison to freshman year, this place is as clean as an operating theater.

The Costume: I didn’t write about it in my other blog yet, but I’ll be posting pics. I’ve sewn half of the mask, which is made out of felt and includes a lot of hand stitching, and it looks fabulous so far. I’m really excited to have my first intricate costume in a few years, and finally something that people won’t ask “Who are you supposed to be, anyway?”

In the last few years I’ve gone as multiple things each Halloween, since it’s a big thing here in New Orleans. Last year I copped out and was a witch and a cat (though a professional makeup artist did my makeup for the cat costume, so I was more like a Jellicle than a stupid ‘sexy cat’). The year before, I was a modern Statue of Liberty and I can’t remember what else. I can’t remember what I was in 2008, but in 2007 I was Lizzy Borden, which was a fantastic costume that I put a lot of work into, and only a few people ‘got’ it. Other years I’ve been more loosely defined things, like a phoenix, a nyad, or a dryad, a dead bride, things that I put a lot of work into making good and then it didn’t really end up how I planned. My Mardi Gras costumes are normally better, I think. I was a candy sugar skull two years ago, and before that I was an evil space babe a la Flash Gordon.

Hopefully my owl will finally put me back in “Wow – great costume!” land. We’ll see…