Costume luck

The show is this weekend. As of Tuesday I still didn't have a costume and I was getting worried. Jeff had told me to get in touch with Chuck A., who heads up the theater department at RCC. Duh! Of course! I have connections. I sent him an email when I was at work. Later we talked on the phone and he gave me lots of good leads. On Tuesday afternoon Paige and I drove to Cal State San Bernardino and rummaged around in the closets in the basement of their theater. We looked through several costume closets. Almost all of them were way too small, or they were wrong for my character. We found a good one at last. Man, I'm really happy with it. Twenty bucks to rent it!

It's a dark eggplant purple with black lace trim. It's the kind of Victorian style skirt that's flat in the front and BIG and bustley in the back. There's this half hoop skirt thing that you wear underneath which gives the dress its structure. The costume is actually too big for me. Last night I took it to Virginia's and she pinned it up (Thank you, Virginia!). Today at lunch I stitched it. It fits pretty good now. After the show I'll take out the stitching. The sleeves are a little weird and they're too short for my beefy arms. Yesterday I went to Goodwill and found a lace shrug that fits me and has the right kind of sleeves. More good luck. Tomorrow I'll finish doing all the alterations and repairs. I also need to make a headpiece of some kind. I'll just slap some sequins and feathers together.

Tonight was our last rehearsal. I wish I could have worn it for that. The skirt is very big in the back. I'm afraid I'm going to do a quick turn and take out a few tables. It would have been good to get in some practice with it.

I also have to figure out how I'm going to fix my hair. Hoo boy. Lots to do tomorrow. I haven't mentioned the little birthday celebration we're having for Dad. Debbie and Bob are flying in and we're going to have a party at Air Force Village. Dede and David are coming down. We're going to pick up some Mexican food from Olivia's and Stacey and Scotty are bringing Margaritas. Blood sugar be damned, Dad's getting a Margarita. It's his 80th birthday and probably his last. I don't really know how aware he is but he still knows us. He's going to be very glad to see Debbie. I hope he's perky tomorrow.

AND Lindsay's friends, Chelsey and David, will be here. I have to do some cleaning as well. I also have to go to Porter's to pick up my car. Dang! Anything else?