Halloween Coming

Today was our campus Halloween luncheon, a time in which many of the faculty and staff dress up in costumes and have a big potluck. I brought my wife's fantastic pear-crisp dessert (like apple crisp, only better). My whole family paid a visit to the guest of honor, a fella named Jeff who's moving on to a new job. The event was as much a farewell to him as a celebration of the season. The quirky nature of our wardrobe, the light-heartedness of the holiday...it all helped me swallow the bitter pill of his departure. He was my best friend here, always with anecdotes, always a good listener, always there for me in the early mornings for good fellowship. No more.

Sigh. At least one of my favorite holidays is coming fast. I take Halloween too seriously. I ran a haunted house (a big one, cast of 30 people, 100K sq feet or so, indoors and out). I still take my kids trick or treating (door to door, none of this 'trick or trunk' funk for me). I still remember all the old costume I had as a kid (mummy, dracula, hobo, etc)...

1. This year I wore a mattress, and on my head, an infant's bee costume.
2. A couple years ago, I wore a baby doll attached to my bottom.
3. In 2006 I was in a trash bag, cowboy hat and boots, with garbage stuck to me.
4. In 2005 I painted my face blue, wore all blue, and beat a drum.

And that's just while I've worked here. At my previous job, I dressed as a nun once, which was peculiar as I had a good beard at the time...it was all-the-more awkward when I came into a meeting late (in a big meeting room, about 50 people, when I expected 5) only to discover the representatives of the college's accreditation visiting team were there!

1. Mattress/bee....pest....a bed bug.
2. Doll attached...if I sat down...a baby sitter.
3. Trash bag--a white trash bag....I was white trash.
4. Blue and rhythmic drumming....I was rhythm and blues.