Words_The Hoop, The Hoop, The Hoop is on Fire!

What the hoop?
I came home tonight from class to find a familiar circular object, which I could only deduce to be a hula hoop, tightly wrapped in brown paper set against our fridge. I thought it funny and terribly ironic how one of my roommates had an apparent interest in one after I had recently scoured the Boston area for anything remotely resembling a hula hoop to accompany my Sufjan Steven's Super Teenage Hooper Heroes costume for Halloween (thank you Sufjan).

Come to find out that hula hoops are not year round accessible and are in fact seasonal items, which left this important piece of my costume up to my imagination. Well, thanks to Mandy and her candid resourcefulness, we crafted a poor man's hula hoop out of bubble wrap and streamers. Honestly, the result wasn't half bad.


As I casually inspected the wrapped item, I realize that it's actually addressed to me and that the return address is from Brooklyn, NY. Perplexed, I begin to unwrap the hoop like a kid on Christmas, laughing hysterically at the idea of someone mailing a hula hoop. Let's be honest; it's probably one of the best ideas ever.

After finally tearing away the last piece, I realize I'm not holding a $7 hula hoop you buy at the grocery store, but a very sturdy, red, white and blue sparkled well made hoop apparently from Candy Circle in Brooklyn. It had undeniable pizazz, a little soul, and a definitive Sufjan vibe. I let it go a few revolutions around my hips, taking note of its stately yet consistent movement. Needless to say, it was awesome.

Who the hoop?
The next question I needed answered was: Who sent it?

I instantly thought of Mandy as she was my initial creator in crime. I texted her: "DID U SEND ME A HOOLA HOOP???"

"Nope," she replied. "Maybe Roberto?"

Hm, maybe.

Robbe happened to call as I chewed over this possibility. I told him the scenario. He instantly said he didn't send me the hula hoop. But after a few minutes he confesses, "Actually, I know the person who did it."

How the Hula was Hooped
After Halloween, Robbe had the amazing idea of sending an e-mail and photo of my Halloween outfit to Sufjan Steven's label Asthmatic Kitty with the subject line: "My girlfriend was a hoola hooper for halloween and..."

He included language about me needing to be recognized and went as far to say that I might be more in love with Sufjan than I am with him so any recognition would be life changing (I would die).

Miraculously, someone from Asthmatic Kitty replied, thanking him for the e-mail and photo (which he circulated to the entire AK family) and also gave me generous props for my costume. Even more miraculously, Robbe received another e-mail from a different staff member asking if they could put the photo on their Flickr site (it never made it...yet). And if that wasn't miraculous enough, they contacted the woman who made Sufjan's hoola hoops in his actual BQE film and SENT ONE TO ME. These retail for $25-40.

So, needless to say, I'm in Sufjan/BQE/AK/hoola hoop heaven, and finally, my last remarks in the style of the Shleighbers: "Robbe is awesome. Asthmatic Kitty is awesome. Sufjan is awesome. Me is awesome."

The (awesome) end.