10.22.2002 Cruisin' Halloween?

I have this love hate thing going on with living so close to Bensonhurst Brooklyn. In all the wrong ways, it's like living in a small town. In all the right ways, it's also like living in a small town. One of the coolest things I've noticed as that somewhere in its cultural gaudiness, sometimes it actually spews out a hint of homeyness.

The people here love, truly love, to put up lights and decorations on the exterior of their houses. Most other places this would only be during Christmas-time, but not in this neighborhood--it's actually more like every major holiday.

This, one of the things I really like.

So, Halloween is coming and I don't know what to dress up as. What sucks is that we would normally have to stay home instead to hand out candy to the visiting trick-or-treaters. And I could get dressed up, and try and shock the visiting trick-or-treaters, but that's really not as much fun. What one really gets are weird stares from fellow costume dressed visitors. 'Why exactly are you dressed like that while at home? …. Freak.' This is what I thought anyhow when I went trick-or-treating. Imagine an old guy opening the door and handing out candy dressed like Dracula and speaking with some mock Transylvania accent. What was really going through my mind at the time were thoughts wondering if the candy I just got was poisoned by some freaky old man, or worse, if he was some insane serial killer. Anyhow, last year, handing out candy was a little mess. We bought loads of the stuff only to run out midway through the evening. We had to shut all the lights in the front of the apartment and hide pretending we weren't home. The only thing worse than dressing up and handing candy out, is not having any candy to hand out at all.

At this point you’re probably wondering. And the answer is yes, believe it or not, there are trick-or-treaters in New York City. I have to admit it's a little different from the suburbs. Actually, I like the trick-or-treating here much better. You'll make out like a bandit. Considering most of the people in this neighborhood know each other, and there are a lot of people, bring a few extra shopping bags with you, cause by the end of a couple of blocks, they're going to be full.

Well, this is nice and all, and we noticed all the candy sales as we passed the candy aisle the last time we were at the supermarket. It occurred to me that we weren't going to be here. Instead, we're going to be visiting Houston, for a cousin's wedding. We thought about still taking advantage of the candy sales though—admittingly, it would be fun. But nonetheless, there’s a wedding coming up and Elizabeth wants me to look …. er, better. Hence, the motivation for some of the activities mentioned in previous entries.

Well, I wound up getting a Donna Karan suit... oh, excuse me, it's a Donna Karan. Well, it's nothing compared to the Armani, and yes, I am still going through withdrawals. Nonetheless, it's really nice. Abiding by Esgee's advice, I'm going to use that as my canvas, and fashion it with a sharp white shirt, cufflinks, accented with a nice tie.

I've also been exercising a lot. Especially after seeing some recent photos and some camcorder home movies, I noticed how my head has taken on the shape of a melon modeling itself after the plump body. Well, no more. I just can't believe that's me, but pictures don't lie. Well, I've been able to tighten up a little and have lost about 10 pounds so far.

Okay, after shaping me better and dressing me up, one of the final touches will be ... my head. Yes, my head. Elizabeth says that one of my talents is that outside of my boyish and playful attitude (gosh), is that an Asian guy has the ability to grow facial hair. I've never really given this too much thought, but she says that it's a real gift. Well, she has thought, and maybe it'll work, maybe it won't, but she wants to see if I can attend the ball all scruffy and elegantly rugged man-like.

I have to throw caution into the wind here. The last person who was possibly able to pull this off was Tom Cruise showing up for the 2001 Oscars ceremony casually with facial scruff and half-formally in a Versace suit. (I have no idea why I know this … but I do. I stay atop all current entertainment news. Yes, I'm a freak). But the point is that he was heavily criticized for this. What the public does not realize though was that he scored some pretty heavy manly-man points, and has really started to win back some of the vote in the hetero crowd.

Which brings me to my point-if Elizabeth thinks that Tom Cruise can pull it off, maybe .. just maybe even the Knight-master himself may have a shot. So, does this mean that I’m dressing up as Tom Cruise for Halloween? Oh yeah, the resemblance.. right there.

Trick or Treat.