Although work is not nearly as grueling as last November (not even completely full time, some weeks — it’s an off-year election), it’s still work, and I’m writing even less than I was before this month. Sue me.

You know the difference between a Christmas tree and a Halloween pumpkin? The damn squirrels don’t try to eat the tree. Last week the Rocket Scientist and I went on a trek across the hill to the coast to find the best pumpkin, and I left it outside in an artistically arranged group with the sugar pie pumpkins we also bought, and the stupid squirrels ate a hole into the flesh that is already starting to rot. I am hoping enough of it will stay good so I can carve it into a Jack-O-Lantern. (At least they left the sugar pie pumpkins alone: I have a plan for those that revolve mainly around pumpkin date bread.)

I was NOT going to drive all the way to Half Moon Bay to get another pumpkin, and the closest Safeways only had ugly “fairy tale pumpkins.” I went to a “pumpkin patch” — you know the type: the pumpkins are secondary to the little train and the hay rides and the ponies. Great for kids, but I would have had to lug a full-size pumpkin up a steep grade to get to my car. Not gonna happen. I did manage to find a Safeway a couple of towns over that had regular (if large and sort of scarred) pumpkins, so I got one of those. At this point, we are looking at one, possibly two, Jack-O-Lanterns, a couple of small pumpkins, a couple of small ears of decorative corn, maybe a pomegranate, and several pine cones, which I purchased along with the pumpkin.

It nearly kills me to actually purchase pine cones when I can get larger and prettier ones in the public park about a mile away, but these are cinnamon-scented. REALLY scented.  I was starting to get a headache from them. Usually, I put bags of groceries on the seat next to me, but this time they went in the trunk. I am hoping they will deter the rats with the furry tails.

Speaking of scents…. Part of my costume this year (I am actually dressing up!) involves a fishing net. So I went and blew $22 at Michael’s on a “real recycled fishing net.” When I took it out of the package, it smelled about how you expect a recycled fishing net to smell.  My cat took an immediate interest. After a few hours, I thought it had aired out enough, but when Railfan came in from work he yelled: “What is that stench?” I suggested putting it outside, and he quickly said “No! It will attract wild animals!” I had to admit he was right.

The net is airing outside now, and I am hoping it will get better before tomorrow night when I wear it to trivia. People are encouraged to dress up, and I am actually going to do so. Not to mention for work on Tuesday. Last year one of my coworkers came in a Nine-Tails outfit (ask your local Pokemon nerd) that he had made himself, but which looked professionally produced. He was pleased that I actually recognized what he was.

I seem to be taking Halloween seriously this year. I haven’t done so since college. I am bemused by myself, but that hasn’t stopped me from dropping forty bucks on various makeup and temporary hair dye, not to mention the net and the seashells I am going to hot glue to it.

You’ve heard of a sandwich? I am going as a seawich.

I was going to wear a skirt but decided that getting up on a barstool wrapped in a net would be hard enough. So I am wearing pants and…. my electric blue Victorian sweetheart corset. (Hey, it’s a bar.) I decided that maybe wearing the corset to work on Tuesday would attract unwanted commentary, so I am wearing a corset shaped top: It looks like a corset, sort of, except it has shoulders and sleeves.  I have also made long pearl and blue crystal earrings, and I will wear my pearls and all my blue and pearl bracelets.

I might get someone to take pictures (although probably not of me in the corset).

So, as I said, I have not been posting much. I may end up not posting at all in the month of November — I am thinking of doing NaNoWriMo again. If so, wish me luck. I can’t write fiction at all well; NaNoWriMo is really more an exercise in seeing how much I can type in one month.

Finally… If any of you live in areas having an off-year election, and you are a vote-by-mail voter…. Mail your damn ballots, already.