Things are very quiet at work lately – apparently school closes for Carnaval week, so lots of adults take the week off, either to spend Carnaval-ing or (since plenty seem to dislike it) to travel elsewhere with their families. Apparently Monday is the big party night of Carnaval, so we changed our previous plans to cook (as we usually do after class) and instead ate out at one of our favorite Italian places, which sits on a good people-watching corner. After that we walked around some more, and stopped in at a few extremely crowded bars. I tried to dance a bit but Rudder wouldn’t. (He mostly won’t, to anything that’s not the music he listened to in college. Poophead.) Since we couldn’t take the next morning off, we stayed out late enough to feel like we’d really experienced Carnaval, and came home early enough so that geting up for work wouldn’t suck too badly (though even Rudder decided not to work out this morning).
Sheep that I am, the part that bothered me all weekend was not being in a costume. The problem is that I have gear that would work: a couple of RenFaire stuff bodices (I may have gotten rid of one), a belly dancer top and coin belt, a hard hat, a feather boa and a couple of masks from Mardi Gras (obviously, not to be worn all together, though that might be amusing too). They’re all in storage somewhere in Arizona. I could have bought a costume, of course, but then I’d have one more thing I wouldn’t use much. Also, I inherited a reluctance to buy costumes instead of making them; my mom refused to buy our Hallowe’en costumes due to cost, I think (plus, it was the 1970s, so plenty of her clothing or my father’s would work!) and then as I got a little older I noticed how cheesy most storebought costumes were. (The ones here do seem to be a bit better, though.)
I’ve been good about not buying things we don’t have room for, and Rudder pointed out the other day that this is all good preparation for living in an RV, where we’d have even less stuff and space. I do miss having my stuff, though. Clearly I’m far too much of a hedonist ever to be happy renouncing my wordly goods. I don’t know how we would/will do in an RV; I suspect it will all depend on how clever we are about finding room for books. I won’t enjoy living with only part of a wardrobe (though not needing work/dress clothing much will help) but it’s like food. You know how there are some things you don’t like but will eat, and some you absolutely can’t choke down unless starvation is the alternative? I’ll miss varied clothing, but I can’t do without books. Libraries won’t work if we travel much, but I think Bookfinder will be my friend.