Convenience store downstairs now selling candy corn packages

And you know what that means...it's time to leave costume ideas in the comment section. Points awarded based on creativity, ease of construction, cost consciousness, and mojo factor. Winner receives her choice of a bag of her favorite treat or a mix CD designed by me. I will set up a flickr account and put up a photo of the finished product just for the occasion.

Should I feel ashamed that my anticipation and celebration of holidays is guided by consumer outlets? Now, I will get upset when red and green decorations replace orange and black candy, but Christmas is about family and community and selflessness and all kinds of warm fuzzy feelings, not to mention they totally skip over Thanksgiving, which is my favorite. But Halloween is a day of complete paganism, gimme-gimme-gimme treats or fiction, take your pick.

Actually, let's be honest, the end of October gives us faux grownups an excuse to slip into the ridiculousness of the themed party where we drink far too much in order to make the most of our sexy ensemble (see fourth criterion above), letting some wicked vampire sink his fangs into our powdered angelic neck. But a party's a party, and I'm never a spoilsport, so I just have to be as clever as possible in compliance. Ok?

Cleverness does not include costumes for iPods. Whaaaa??? Even if I were not already distanced by the shattered state of my own sleek white rectangle, I would find this absurd. I have winced once or twice already for the growing iAccessory niche. But market sins were forgiven by my own acknoweldgement that the iPod phenomenon is mostly about style, and accoutrements along the lines of the iSkin are also just fashion. A costume, however, goes beyond fashion and into pet territory. And my mom is, of course, crazy for buying rhinestone-trimmed, Tiffany-blue collars with a leash to match for her Yorkie. Dig?

[Feeling better, btw. Respite from the rain gave me a chance to run and shake it all off.]