Meanderings: September 24, 1999

Friday,
September 24, 1999

Thank all the Gods, it's payday. Normally we're usually in pretty good condition, but this was vacation month, and we came home to a much smaller bank account than normal. See, you can request bank cards in Europe that act like credit cards -- in England they're called "debit" cards, because whatever amount you charge on them is immediately debited from your bank account. On one hand, that means no credit or grace period for paying off a big purchase -- on the other hand, you can book hotel rooms, rent cars or buy stuff and know that, as long as you have money in the bank to cover everything, the charge is paid then and there. We have a $700 bill for hotel rooms that Lyndon put on his First Card (a VISA-associated equivalent of Amex), and then we're completely paid up on the vacation. So that's nice.

Also, I have to go to Kilotex sometime this weekend and start looking for tulle, boning and leather offcuts. It seems that a friend has invited us to attend the Rubber Ball, a fetishwear ball hosted by Skin Two in London, and I have to produce appropriate costumes for us to get through the door. The theme is usually skin-tight stuff in leather, rubber or PVC, but I'd look like a black reflective duck on legs if I did that, so I've decided we're going neo-Romantic -- I'm making Lyndon a corsair's costume with leather breeches, a harlequin-patched leather vest and white billowy pirate shirt (the boots we'll get over here, from this store Tina and I found when we were looking for boots for her Eastercon costume), and me. . .well, it looks like I'm going as Tyetania, Queen of the Bondage Fairies.

Okay, now go and get a damp cloth and wipe off your monitor screen.

That's better. And just to reassure a few folks out there who are having a hard time reconciling their image of me with bondage gear -- no, we don't normally get into fetishwear. However, I do love costuming, and we wanted to spend a long weekend in London anyway, so this sounds like a fun way of combining everything into one interesting package. Besides, I have this fantastic idea for my costume -- not only are the preliminary sketches completely gorgeous, but it's going to completely blow away any preconceived notions of the usual Rubber Ball get-up (think Glinda the Good Witch in leather, and you start to get the right idea).

Of course, getting in and out of the taxi in that wig is going to be a challenge. . .

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