Friday, October 31, 2008

Happy Halloween!

Some last Alameda Halloween photos...

We're going out for a walk tonight in this neighborhood to see all the kids trick-or-treating. Hopefully we'll be going with some friends, but either way, it's fun to see all the little ones, especially since the houses are done up so wonderfully. I'll try to get some more pictures but it's so dark (and rainy) that I may not be able to.

I like how the entire house in the photo below is done up as a Jack-o-Lantern. Can you see? The eyes in the top windows, the nose, the mouth in the bottom...

I have always loved the ritual of going out on a Halloween night walk. Even when I was in high school and way too cool for trick-or-treating, I would put on some ghoulie makeup (not that far of a stretch as I was in my 'goth' period then) and go out for a walk and imagine the ghosties swirling around me.

In my 20s I usually went to San Francisco to a party each year, but I secretly would have been happier just wandering around Alameda, watching the kids, listening to the spooky music that the classical station plays each Halloween, answering the door for trick-or-treaters.

And now, in my 30s, I get to do just that. Plus, the streets of Alameda are sort of one giant Halloween party tonight, so it's like getting everything all at once: party, kids, trick-or-treating, spooky music, answering the door... etc.

Last night I carved pumpkins and we watched The Omen. I didn't think it was very scary. In fact, I thought it was very NOT scary and was quite disappointed that I had wasted all that time during which I could have been finishing The Terror.

My costume was a hit today. Although, people either thought I was Sarah Palin (which got really annoying) OR they told me I should dress more like this every day. Maybe it's time to bring out the vintage jewels again. I used to wear them a lot more. Although frankly I think people just liked the beehive hairdo.

I always get sad at the end of Halloween. September and October are my favorite months, and I find the early onslaught of Christmas stuff incredibly depressing. I think I'll have to make a super-excellent winter TBR list to perk me up.

5 comments:

D'Arcy said...

Palin's glasses aren't even cats-eye, are they?

Daphne said...

No! They're rimless and square! I'm guessing it's because I had the beehive *plus* glasses. That does NOT equal "Palin"!

Anonymous said...

Love the jack-o-lantern house! You have such a fun Halloween neighborhood. Mine has always been very quiet in spite of there being an elementary school not four blocks away. But there is also a community center that always has a kid party so I think safety paranoid parents generally go there. Too bad since I love it when kids come to the door.

Daphne said...

We only got a few trick-or-treaters this year, I guess it was too wet for them. Too bad.

Kate said...

Your pictures over the last week-ish have been great, I wish I lived in your neighborhood! I particularly like the stucco house with the graveyard in front...sort of understated creepy.