Stay tuned for our next episode of "Deja Vu", followed by a special edition of "Grad Students Gone Wild"

I think it goes without saying that the last three months have been a little surreal. This past weekend, though, might just qualify as a little more than disturbing coincidence. The University Choir had its first two concerts this weekend, and I had a solo. That, all by itself, is weird enough. Having a classical solo was the last thing I thought I'd ever be claiming again. Friday involved a longer rehearsal than usual, during which we ran through things and solidified the order of the program. Jane and Rosa had invited me to go dancing in the city, but I had to turn them down, which broke my heart... I never turn down an offer to go to the city. Nevertheless, I had an early rehearsal on Saturday morning, along with a perforance. Ordinarily, that wouldn't matter, but I had a solo, and it was a tough one... If I was going to do this thing, I wasn't about to embarass myself in front of a bunch of undergrads.

Saturday came around, and we had our morning rehearsal. An early morning choir rehearsal? Jeeze... I haven't had one of those since, oh, my Texas Girls' Choir days? Unbelievable. Besides, my coffee hadn't kicked in, and the undergrads were more annoying than I think they've ever been. After rehearsal, we got an hour for lunch, then we got on a bus... to New Jersey. Again, unbelievabe. I aven't been on a choir tour like this since... yep, you guessed it...

We got to a church in New Jersey, got dressed, sat through a mass, and performed. There I was, singing a classical solo (a weird little Benjamin Britten piece... my solo had something to do with a mouse), in a black choir dress, with a university choir. Did I miss something? I mean, the whole thing, for me, was riddled with flashbacks of my time as an undergrad in the Baylor music school, back when all of this would have made perfect sense. But now, ten years later... this was just weird. After the performace, the undergrads were talking to me for the first time, telling me I did a good job, wanting to know if I'd sung before... adorable.

As soon as the bus pulled in at Fordham, I hopped off and walked home. I got through the door to find Jane and Josh on their way out, and Jane was dressed as a zombie cowboy. I told her she should add a bullet wound, and it ended up being a nice touch. They invited me along, and I couldn't refuse a second time... besides, Sunday's choir performance wasn't until the afternoon, so I could afford it, especially after sitting on a bus to and from New Jersey with a bunch of undergrads. Jane threw a red feather boa and a pair of red sequince devil horns on me... I was a yuppy demon for Halloween. As for the party, it was really great. How could any party with beer and a pinata not be?


Here's Jane, looking lovely and morbid as a dead cowboy with a bullet hole in the side of her head.



Time to attack the eyeball pinata... Wonder Woman didn't bring her truth lasso, but the broomstick didn't do too bad a job.

Following the superhero theme, here's X-Men's Gambit, having a go at the eyeball, with questionable success.


No party could be complete without communists. Here's a random Cuban guerilla fighter, showing his comrades how it's done.

And now, for the cowboy contingent. Jane didn't crack the pinata open, so she's looking to take it out on me.


And, at long last, Tex lets loose, the great eye is toppled, and the free peoples of the Halloween party needed no longer fear the blindly swinging broomstick of doom.













Here I am as a yuppy demon, reaping the benefits of the eyeball pinata's demise.

Here's Fidel Castro, getting cozy with Reuben, who's sporting the battered eyeball. Ah, brave, brave Fidel.