Halloween and the Hatchet

Is there anything more embarrassing at Halloween than having a costume on that no one gets? Well, horrifying costume mishaps and malfunctions aside, that is.

So there we were, at a friend of a friend's Halloween party on Saturday. We knew no one. Our friend wasn't there yet. Both Eric and I have bouts of introvertedness and mine was flaring up like mad!

You?! Introverted? Never! you say aghast.

No, my electronic friends, it is true. We're what I like to think of as sporadic introverts. Certain things set it off. One of my big triggers is going to parties where you don't know anyone, don't feel like you fit in and no one gets your costume. Bingo! I was ready to go home as soon as we realized that our friend wasn't there. Time at party: less than 5 minutes.

Eric had a better time, even though not many people recognized who he was he at least ways fit the Halloween spirit of creepy and scary. There was the occasional comic book reader that took one look at him and knew exactly who he was. Very gratifying.

Pictures? Of course!

The transformation. From this mild mannered lawyer dude:
To this:
Who is he? Say it with me comic book geeks: Ghost Rider! No, his head isn't on fire, but what do you want with grease paint and a decided lack of super powers?

It took me longer to apply his makeup than it did to apply mine. His eyes immediately got all red from the black paint, but he was fine and has no lasting effects or strange skull-shaped chemical burns. Phew!

Then there was me:
Can you tell what I am? C'mon! Try! It's a play on words...

No it's not Martha freakin' Stewart! Iron Chef! Get it? The iron...in my hand? I'm dressed like a...Awww the hell with it! I should've bought the chef's jacket earlier in the week, but forgot about it.

Phooey.

Next year I'm going as Medusa. I think I can wrap some slithery plastic snakes into my tresses in a convincing manner. Otherwise I'm just stayin' home!

Caitlin, on the other hand, had an excellent day at school today and went trick or treating with friends around the neighborhood this evening.

She's a...?

A pediatrician! Yes, that was her self-chosen title. She loved telling all and sundry that that is what she was, not just a general practitioner. Hah!

There was a mini-parade at her school where the kindergarteners filed in to and out of each classroom, showing off their costumes to the upper grades. That was pretty chaotic, especially while the kid's parade was being trailed by a score or more of proud, confused and giggling parents. There was much eating of cupcakes and drinking of heavily sugared drinks when we returned to the party in the classroom.

Then, at 5 we went to a pizza party, bundled up against the 34 degree weather and marched around the neighborhood, extracting sugary tribute from the natives. The sacrifice was received with much rejoicing and deemed more than sufficient this year. The kids seemed to be working on their personal best times to ring bell, holler mystical candy summoning phrase, extract tribute and race to the next doorway. The running probably made all the difference in staying warm and whining about the cold. Or possibly just the difference between getting one pound of candy or THREE in the time allotted.

Caitlin received one big scare when teenagers jumped out from behind some black plastic near Pop-pop and Nana-Sue's house but she recovered, if a little shakily, and went on to receive more candy sacrifices before calling it a night. We then dumped the pile on the kitchen table, sorted out anything involving nuts (recycled into our own bowl to give away) and sent the slightly sugar spastic, but very tired good Doctor off to bed. We didn't get very many kids at our place, but those that we did get at nine-fifteen! got whole fistfulls, just so we could get rid of the most candy possible before the night ended. We now have one unopened bag to return to the store tomorrow!

Now I can throw out the remnants of last year's Halloween and Easter candy! Hurrah!