As I wrote earlier, the other happy vegan and I are "teaming" for a costume this year. Usually both he and I find "couples costumes" annoying, cloying with cuteness, and a bit juvenile (sorry to those who I've offended). But, we've struck a happy medium this year on the "good cop/bad cop" theme. He's going as Capt. Paul Watson. I'm going as the evil do-er... a whaler/poacher who has been arrested by Capt. Watson on behalf of Sea Shepherd.
We had a few loose ends to tie up for the costumes today, and a need for some other supplies down in Key West. Neither of us had the desire to go into the city, so we were keeping fingers crossed we could get what we needed on the fringes of town, and we did. I managed to score the last vials of fake blood probably in the whole City, and he managed to get his "theatrical hair" needed to channel Capt. Watson.
We came home, and immediately set out to finishing our costumes. Admittedly there was a little blip when I discovered he had removed a piece of plastic I put inside my whaler's pantsuit to stop the paint from bleeding through... he was "helping" and I didn't realize it. So, the red paint bled through to the front. All I can say is there will be a little extra blood on the front of my poacher's jumpsuit. Such is life. While in Key West, we even managed to find an inflatable whale (yes, seriously, an inflatable whale) for my harpoon.
My costume is not nice; I'm the REALLY bad cop on this tag team. But, the illegal hunting of whales being done by a certain country in the name of "research" is not nice either. As the REALLY bad guy on this couples costume, I shall be dressed in a poacher's fishing jumpsuit which has the words "under arrest!" and "crimes against aquatic a-frolic sea creatures" painted in red & black across the back. I'll have my whaler's ship ID tag on the front, and be covered in the blood of poached sea creatures, carrying a harpoon covered in blood, with that inflatable whale attached. And, through all that, I'll be wrapped in chains, under arrest, since Capt. Watson was able to catch me and stop any more evil deeds I might contemplate.
My costume is shameful. I wish there wasn't so much truth in what I'll be representing. A saving grace of this whole costume in my eyes is that we are spreading the word about the horrible deeds being done, which are of course illegal and disgusting.
We support Sea Shepherd and all their efforts. Our costume, which keeps in theme of the festivals "Aquatic A-frolic" tag line, might not be what most people would think of for a sea party. And, that's the point.
There's a great saying I like to use every now and then on my "quote of the day" part of the daily breakfast menu that goes "think occasionally of the suffering of which you spare yourself the sight."
The other saving grace is that I've got a mask, a hood, and a head band. No one will know who I am (unless you read this, haha) while I'm walking the streets in shame as a whale killer.
So, there it is. Our costumes are hung in the closet with care. We're going down with a group of people on a bus chartered by our friends who own another business on the island. I'm not sure what to expect when we get on the bus, but I have a very good idea of what to expect in Key West. Maybe it's more appropriate than ever that all I can hear is Ozzy Osborne's "Crazy Train" as I picture the bus pulling into Key West. Hm, maybe I'm just thinking of Ozzy because he says he's gone vegan after watching Forks Over Knives. Either way, he got inside my head today.
"All aboard, ay ay ay ay.... we're going off the rails on a crazy train."
Wish us luck!
No comments:
Post a Comment