Grab the Lapels

Sunday Lowdown #196

THIS WEEK IN REFLECTION

Welcome to November! When the leaves are falling, the wind is blowing, and almost everyone has lost power, which the electric company predicts will last at least two days, except us. But we chose to sit in the dark! Yeah! Okay, why did we sit in the dark? Bill @ The Australian Legend said Wolf Creek, a 2005 independent horror movie out of Australia, “scared the shit out of” him. Of course I had to watch it! Not because I want to be scared. No, honestly. I like to do things that my friends have experienced so we have something in common. I should have guess the movie have torture in it, given the year of its release, and at one point I paused the movie, looked at Nick, and said, “Go do something else.” No point in holding your spouse hostage, am I right? I do hate movies where the whole point is torture, but what really scared me was how Australia is so big, and so much of it is empty, and I don’t know what keeps more folks from doing whatever they want and hiding the bodies. Like, maybe ya’ll should be required to wear a bell so at least other folks have a warning? Maybe?

Backing up a bit: our first Halloween as homeowners did not go as I hoped. I wanted tons of kids to show up, but the only two trick-or-treaters I got were the neighbors, and I had texted their mother first, asking her to bring them over. I waited and waited, and it was like a scene in a Pixar movie, the kind that makes you cry. And then I got a text from Nick, who was sitting in his home office, which faces the neighbor’s house.

They’re such sweet little boys, and their kitten followed them over (and promptly invited itself into my house, lol). This means next year I’ll go all out just for them.

This week, I also partook in another buddy review with Sugar & Scream. Like many current popular movies and shows, My Best Friend’s Exorcism takes place square in the 80’s, right there with Culture Club and big hair, stone-wash jeans and muscle shirts. Again, doing these reviews is a way to experience the same thing as your friends. Since most of my friends are online, it’s the doing rather than the being together that brings us closer.

One night we went for a walk, and I found a woolly bear caterpillar. Of course, I had to pick it up.

THIS WEEK’S BLOG POST

I am indeed catching up on blogging. I’ve read all the comments directed to me, and I’m getting through the list of your posts I have not yet read. Mainly, I’m trying to keep a steady pace lest you wake up, find a dozen comments from me, and are overhwhelmed. This week’s review was Conversations with a Fat Girl by Liza Palmer. What a disappointment; the consensus was I took one for the team. On the other hand, I recently finished a more nuanced look at body size with Biscuit and felt rejuvenated.

NEXT WEEK’S BLOG POST

I’ve now officially read every Susan Stinson book. She’s a wonderful author whose fat lesbian characters are the most defiant, amazing, interesting people to read about. Next week, check out my review of Venus of Chalk, a story about a woman who leaves her lover to visit her aunt in Chalk, Texas, because the aunt’s best friend just died. Our protagonist hitches a ride on a public transpo bus being driven across the country because it’s slated for demolition.

BOOKS ADDED TO THE TBR PILE

Owned Books on TBR at Beginning of Year: 202
Owned Books on TBR Last Week: 192
Owned Books on TBR Today: 192

Thanks to Karissa @ Karissa Reads Books for her not-recommendation recommendation.

33 comments

  1. Ooh, I don’t know that Roddy Doyle novel! I wonder if it’s had a different title here and there. Sorry you didn’t get many trick or treaters, what a shame. Not sure how you can change that, Our thing here is leave a light on and something on the step or in the window and they’ll knock, I’m on a long street of terraced houses and most of them go by that – we just had one doorbell ring this time.

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  2. It’s weird. For years we hardly had any trick or treaters, but the last two years we’ve had probably about 50! I guess the composition of the neighborhood has
    changed enough that there are more families. We also have sidewalks which make for safe walking. It’s fun to give out candy but when it gets dark I just leave the bowls out on the porch and let the kids help themselves until we shut it down about 8:00. I’m glad you had your neighbor kids and kitten visit!
    Hope you have a great week, Melanie!

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    • It’s true that the majority of our road are elderly folks. I don’t mean grandparents, I mean more like great-grandparents, people in their 80’s and 90’s. I’m think the composition of the neighborhood will change in not too long, if you don’t consider that too grim.

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  3. Okay, well, I’m really pumped for you to read and review Life Without Children since I can obviously relate. I’ll go ahead and say it’s pretty great and if the author says it’s not, they’re lying.
    I love doing buddy movie reviews with you! It’s always so much fun. I wish I could dedicate more time to doing book reviews again. I plan on getting a couple more books in by the end of the year if I can.
    I’m bummed that you didn’t get more trick or treaters than you did. I know how excited you were. I left mine hanging and hid in our room, watching a horror movie. Which I won’t lie, was nice too. Hopefully next year we’ll be able to go bigger for our favorite holiday.
    It’s so strange that you found a caterpillar this late in the year! Should have took him home and moved him in with Toadman. Speaking of toads, my coworker’s dad is currently obsessed with a toad at their house. He lost his dog earlier this year unexpectedly and has turned his love to the wildlife in their yard, including a rabbit. It’s quite cute. 🙂

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  4. You watched Wolf creek, “l” wouldn’t watch that. You do know that Australia is about the same size as the continental US – give or take – don’t you? Yes, perhaps – ok, more than perhaps – more empty , but the Us does have quite a few empty spots too. Just saying.

    As for Halloween, we forgot to buy treats so just as well we had no trick-or-treaters. I wasn’t really surprised though as we are an aging neighbourhood now. I don’t know of any young children in the vicinity. And Halloween is still not a big tradition here though it grows every year – because, well, if there’s money to be made, businesses will encourage it even though it’s never been our tradition.

    I will try to read your post of this week soon. I’m in Melbourne for a week and time is pretty committed.

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    • Ha! I guess I forget how big the U.S. because it really feels like 50 countries. Our empty space is pretty tree-filled, which doesn’t feel quite as scary as the vast desert I picture in Australia, though I am learning, over many years, that you guys have some tropical bits going on over on the east coast, and that there are tons of cities, too. But it ruins the fun to think of your cities, Sue! I think of Australia being more like Canada, actually. There are some parts in Canada that no one lives in, and the majority of residents live in one or two provinces.

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  6. You’re going to have to approach Halloween as a long term marketing exercise. Get one family of kids to extol your lollies (and the excellence of your costume and decorations) and the following year all the kids on the estate will be beating down your door. Perhaps as a side measure you could become known as that crazy lady on the farm.

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  7. Oh, the image of you waiting at the door for trick-or-treaters is so sad! We just left our bowl out front since we were out with our own kids but we never get many. Our street has no sidewalks or lights and it’s a dead-end so most people don’t venture down. Our next door neighbours used to go all out but this year they only had a few decorations and told us they just bought candy for the kids on our street since they were they only ones showing up.

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  8. I like Bill’s suggestion of slowly building a reputation as the local lady who does the best Hallowe’en – you can make it part of settling into your local community! No trick-or-treaters here, but honestly I don’t really like having strangers come to my door when it’s dark (obviously young kids are fine, but it’s more commonly teenagers who trick or treat in my area), so that’s fine by me.

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  9. Aw I’m sorry you only got two kids for Halloween, but bein out in the country, I think this is probably the best you can hope for LOL. Growing up in a rural area we always drove to my grandmas’s house to trick or treat in her urban neighborhood – more bang for your buck!

    Also good point re: Australia – lots of places to hide bodies! Like, their population is so concentrated in a few areas, you can drive for hours without seeing a single person in the middle. That alone is a creepy thought…

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