Skip to main content

Halloween #TBT

I know "time flies" is a cliche, but it's exactly what I'm feeling. I was going to write about last year's Halloween, but then I remembered the Halloween on my mind actually happened two years ago! I'm too young for time to go by so fast. Yet it does. 

Our Titania and Bottom costumes
Today I find myself reminiscing about the Halloween when Ryan came to visit me in West Virginia, and we made the drive to the gorgeous, sprawling Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum in Weston. (Click the link for pictures and more information.) I had heard about this place for years as a paranormal investigator, not fully realizing it was so close to where I lived in the Mountain State. 

It's one of those huge Gothic structures that dominates the landscape. The town of Weston itself needs some tender loving care. Although it is making progress, plenty of the buildings and homes are "blighted." But then you turn a corner and this magnificent former asylum stretches out behind the main street. 

We took a ghost tour there completely in the dark except for the light of our flashlights. It was unlike any ghost tour I'd experienced because after telling the stories, the guide let everyone explore on their own.  After that, we made our way down to the BYOB Halloween party, where we drank Mothman black IPA beer, people watched and listened to a live rock band. 

"Robert Smith" at the asylum party
It was a great night, barring the fact that when we got back to the house, I found out my drunk roommates and friends accidentally let my cat out of the house into the cold, windy evening. "Cold and windy" is putting it lightly. The wind howled like banshees, and it was so cold we weren't sure the cat would survive if she didn't take shelter. I called for her and looked everywhere before finally going to sleep. In the morning, the mayor of my town drove around looking for her. I ended up finding her hiding underneath the porch. She was so frightened that the only sound she could make was the tiniest squeak. 

Now I'm living back in Georgia. It was recently 90 degrees Fahrenheit, and the leaves are still green. I'm working the ghost tours for fun this year, even though I work full time. I'm still planning how I'd like to enjoy this Halloween season. Last night we relaxed during a dark and stormy evening, courtesy of Hurricane Michael. I lit a pumpkin candle, and we ate dinner while watching the very beginning of the vampire movie Byzantium. Our wi-fi kept resetting because of disturbances on the power line, so we couldn't finish it.

Fall colors in Canaan Valley, WV.
I wish you all many spooky blessings this season. And remember, be careful out there. You never know what you might find when you venture out into the night. (This is where I wink.)
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Odd Ghoul Out's 2019 Concert Clip Show

It's been a decade since I first got into goth music and subculture. And, with my tongue firmly stuck to my cheek, I observe how I am  still  a baby bat! I'm young enough to still be called a "baby" at shows and club nights yet old enough to recall, with deep nostalgia, vying for a spot directly in front of the stage at my first Peter Murphy show nearly 10 years ago at a now-relocated venue in Atlanta... I also remember with fondness—and some embarrassment—writing a cliché poem for Peter Murphy, referring to him as the "original Bat." And, instead of keeping it to myself, I actually threw the typed poem up onto the stage directly following the show, hoping he'd pick it up and keep it in his breast pocket. Ah, the folly of youth! I don't recall there ever being this many bands of the goth or goth-adjacent persuasion playing in Atlanta since I got into the subculture. That's not to say there weren't plenty of bands playing this city. I only f...
2 comments
Read more

Ten Things of 2018

For the majority of the past ten years, I've wanted to say "good riddance" to that current year and hope for a better coming year. But even though this year did bring loss, change and sadness, it also brought me great joy. I've felt a deep sense of gratitude for this year. Here are ten big things that happened in 2018: I settled in to my job and house. Ryan and I started planning our wedding. Ryan's youngest brother was diagnosed with glioblastoma. He passed away in April.  I competed in a charity dance competition with a Waltz routine. We got married on July 21st in Thomas, WV (where I did my AmeriCorps service).  Reader, I married him. We had a "mini-moon" in Asheville, NC. I didn't have enough time off work for us to have a "real" honeymoon. We'll be planning a honeymoon for 2019.  Ryan's brother got married in September. Ryan's cousin got married in September as well. (2018 will be the Year of Weddings.) I...
4 comments
Read more

Let's talk Goth, Consumerism and #zerowaste

Disclaimer:   I do not claim to be an expert on low waste (or "zero waste") living —far from it . The purpose of this piece is to explore what it means to belong to the Goth subculture in the context of consumerism and making sustainable choices. There are many ways to live sustainably, but this piece will focus on reducing waste. This piece does not seek to shame or blame anyone but rather to challenge throw-away attitudes that dominate our world—and the modern Goth subculture—by offering another perspective. Respectful discussion in the comment section is welcomed.  W hen I hear the words "zero waste," I often think of people making videos to show off three months of trash fitting inside a little mason jar, their magical Whole Foods shopping trip, or even a tour of their impossibly-tiny capsule wardrobe. Search #zerowaste on Pinterest and you'll come up with pictures of tidy little beige pantries with uniform mason jars filled with chia seeds, nutri...
2 comments
Read more