Dressed to the dozens

Last night the temperature dipped down into the low 30's (Fahrenheit), and by midnight it was below freezing.

The cold and rain forced a reschedule of the St. Joan of Arc parade to this evening, but the revelry of Twelfth Night went on. Vaughan's Lounge threw its annual costume party. Costumed revelers entered for free, but if you were a costume scofflaw, you had to pay a $20 cover charge.

I wore a combination of odds and ends - a purple wig I bought last year for Mardi Gras, a mod-patterned tunic, black leggings and my witchy boots. At the last minute a friend lent me a mask, which seemed to put the finishing touch on things. I put on make-up for the first time in over a year!

The funny thing about wearing a costume is how well you recognize people you know. Some folks, no matter how crazily dressed they are, are immediately recognizable. Other people, you have no clue.

Last night two people who I see almost every day totally did not recognize me. Yet at the same time, another person immediately knew me. Later I asked him how he knew me when they didn't. He said it was my voice he recognized.

Other time, I had people come up to me and say hello like we were old friends, and I did not know them.

The band is the Storyville Stompers

And it's also an odd costume phenomenon that you can strike up a conversation with a stranger much easier when you're both in costume. Funny!!

I decided it was time to go when the tie-ribbons on my mask began to relax and the thing started slipping down my face, no matter how many times I re-tied them. Also at some point my wig started getting crooked and wonky. I finally plucked the thing off my head and called it a night.

This weekend is yet more revelry, marking the season to come!