Halloween Debate: Costume? Apartment Warming?

Halloween has long been my holiday. First for simply aesthetic reasons (it gives me a chance to play around with the special effects makeup and costumes, and see what creative stuff others can do), then for more spiritual ones (as the real end of the year cycle, the last gasp of life before the cold, dead winter envelops everything).

This year, though, October has royally sucked. The march to the end of this cycle has been painful, stressful, and, ultimately, a wee bit disheartening.

Of course, as with all things, that just makes for a tremendous amount of opportunity on the other side of the dip.

I've been so busy and wrapped up in things--and the coffers have been so emptied by things earlier in the year--that, for the first time in a very long while, I haven't even bothered to hit any of the Halloween stores to pick up new costume parts. In fact, I've been hard pressed to justify thinking about costumes at all. As of now, I have no costume ready to go that I haven't worn recently.

And I've got a handful of parties to go to.

Which means I'll be scrambling to throw something vaguely costume-like together today. Sometime.

It's a busy weekend. Tonight is a housewarming party/prep for tomorrow's rallies at a friend's place in Columbia Heights. Saturday is both the big annual Halloween shindig at my friend Jeff's place and Spellbound's Halloween celebration (I hope to make it to both). Sunday night is the annual Spooky big-deal club Halloween extravaganza (also doubling as my friend Sheila's birthday thing).

Normally, I'd have at least two costumes together. So it's kind of depressing to have none.

I'm sure something will work itself out.

My Own Shindig

Okay, I'm not planning anything big (yet), but if anyone wants to mosey over to my new place (I'm in apartment 34, yes, finally out of basements) on Sunday (Halloween proper) starting around 1 p.m. and going until around 6 or 7 p.m., you will be welcome with open arms.

As I said, things have been stressful and it would be fantastic to have a bunch of friendly faces and good energy around to really push the negativity out before it has a chance to settle too much.

I don't have the budget to put together the spread that I'd like to (so that'll wait until Spring), but I can promise some vague entertainment and probably some snacks. Definitely a good conversation.

So, feel free to wander on by.

One way or another, I'll see bunches of you this weekend. And all will be... better.