Today, Saturday, is the first day of twelve days of vacation. 12 days! Yay!

I spent my first day running errands, putting a tent up in a dining room, making lists of essential items and seeing Star Wars. Tuesday, SB and I leave for a road trip to Austin, Texas. There we will meet up with friends from Madison and Chicago, plus my very special friend, Dave, from NYC. I think we’ve planned the perfect balance between cushy vacation time, lounging in hotels and crazy, zany time, camping outside Austin at an art festival.

Tonight I’m going to finalize my space pirate clown costume(s) and decide if I have enough bug spray and sun screen.

This past month, past six months, has been hard, taxing on my happiness, hard on my health. A week ago I made some decisions that should and already are making life much better. I’m taking charge, causing change. I will have more to say on this as the month progresses.

For now, it’s all about the vacation. First up, a look back on 2005 thus far, with photos I finally bothered to develop.

If I’m going to work at a Klown bar, an establishment serving only clowns, I’m going to need to be a clown myself.

Clown outfits include:

• Bright colors
• Face paint
• Funny hats
• Big shoes
• Sashes
• Off scale props
• Wigs

But how to be an Intergalactic Space Pirate Clown?

How can I not be a pirate anywhere I go?

Common pirate attire:

• Velvet, silk and leather
• Boots
• Sword
• Hat
• Sash
• Colors are commonly red, black and gold

What about a space pirate?

We’re getting close….

Intergalactic means two things space travel and aliens.

Space travel requires a certain style:

• Shiny silver material
• Big shoulders
• V type top
• Hoops in skirt or pants legs
• Cape
• Boots
• Gun

Aliens have style too, though it’s a little more loose:

• Green or blue skin is common
• Strangely shaped head
• Antenae
• Extra appendages or lack of apendages
• Shiny clothes

That’s it! I’m joining the circus! The Intergalactic Circus is hiring people to work at their Klown Bar. Sounds perfect! I’ll be leaving a week from today.

No, really, I’m off to join a wild circus outside Austin, Texas for one week. Now what to wear…