Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life - H

Halloween - my favorite holiday. Not sure exactly when it happened but at some point in my adult life I decided that Halloween was the greatest thing ever. Well, not so much the pagan origins and everything, but to dress up and play pretend. And to decorate the house with dim lights, dust, and cobwebs. I mean, come on! It's the one month I don't feel so domestically-challenged, you know? And I love all the vintage-y halloween decorations out there. Some glittery, some paper mache, none too scary or cutesy-crafty. I've rocked some smokin' costumes in my day...the standard stuffed pumpkin as an infant, both a Snoopy and Witch costume (the kind with the face masks and entirely plastic jumpsuits), a princess with the most amazing hat ever (although now I think it probably just looked like a sparkly dunce cap!). In the mid-80s I'm pretty sure I dressed as a punk rocker three years in a row. And in college my friends and I went as the cast of the Wizard of Oz. I've been a geisha girl and a bag of jelly beans. A couple years ago I won first place in a costume contest for being the Corpse Bride (Tim Burton, anyone?). And just this weekend I came up with an idea for this year's costume whilst sitting in a movie theater.

Harry Potter - Okay, I held out as long as I could before jumping on the band wagon. A friend began reading the series when JK Rowling started putting them out all those years ago and he swore they were amazing. My response was always, "You've got to be kidding me...they're, like, children's books." And then I started working with kids again and a couple of years ago I borrowed each and every book from one of my counselors' aides. And I'm not ashamed to admit that by the fifth book I had myself a little crush on Harry himself.

Harwelden Mansion - this is the fabulous venue where I've wanted to get married forever. Ever since I attended the Pep Club's Spring Fling in the ninth grade. I want a small gathering of my closest friends and family there with a touching (but short) ceremony as the sun sets, a champagne toast, hors d'oeuvres and dancing, followed by a sparkler send-off. Interestingly enough, a good friend of mine had a similar wedding there several years ago. Crazy how great minds think alike! Of course, at this rate I may never get married. So I'm thinking maybe she should just make an extra copy of their wedding album so I can paste my head and that of some gorgeous underwear model's in their pictures and just pretend...

Hiccup Hiccup In My Teacup - So I really just felt like I needed an extra entry...When I got a severe cases of the hiccups a few years back a coworker walked up to me, extended her arms out, offered me an invisible cup of tea, and said, "Hiccup hiccup in my teacup." And the hiccupping ceased. Since then, I've used it on everyone I've run into (with the exception of strangers, of course) and I would say it has a 95% success rate. Try it; you'll like it!

Hooters on Scooters - the baddest, most fabulous gang of scooter gals around! The largest all-female scooter riding group out there. And I'm a part of it. Just one of the HOS. Well, at least I was. Got a couple rides in with those lovely ladies. And a cool t-shirt. But more importantly, their cause (breast cancer research and awareness) is close to my heart (figuratively and literally, I guess). I lost a very dear woman in my life to breast cancer three years ago. And my stepmom has been in remission for a number of years now.