Go upstairs right now and try on that present

"Clown was not that kid's first choice of costume," said my friend. And there on the sidewalk was the grumpiest-looking 8ish-year-old kid you've ever seen, wearing a colorful wig and a huge nose and some stupid clown outfit, and I felt bad for laughing at him but I'm still cracking up every time I remember it. Maybe his mom really likes clowns or maybe the costume store was out of cool costumes or maybe it was a gift from some ridiculous relative. I hope he at least got some ice cream or something for being paraded around in that stupid costume.

Anyway, it's Carnaval, which isn't a super big deal here but it does mean that there are lots of kids in costumes. The happier ones are dressed as things like butterflies or cows or medieval-looking soldiers with swords. You also see the occasional adult dressed up. Like just now, when I looked up from my little notebook to see, standing at the walk-up window at the cafe where I'm sitting, an adult clown, bored and smoking, who looks almost as unhappy as the kid clown did. I don't think she noticed me burst out laughing -- I bit my tongue and pulled myself together pretty quickly.

These grumpy clowns are way funnier than any happy clowns I've ever seen.