Maybe it's only temporary, but I find that I'm just not on board with the whole idea of doing Halloween stuff this year. I've already had three opportunities to dress up, but I've foregone it each time.
I could have worn a costume for the blogger party on Friday night, but I was going straight from work so it seemed like too much trouble. I was invited to a Halloween party on Saturday, but it started about the time I was ready to go to bed, so I passed on that. It was even suggested that we dress up for the spay/neuter clinic, but I was glad I didn't do so because only one guy ended up there in costume.
Of course, last weekend was just the first wave. Now there's a costume contest and pumpkin carving contest at work on Wednesday, not to mention the trick-or-treaters that evening. Sigh.
Maybe it's partly because I have blue-highlighted hair now and thus have a sort of costume going on all the time, but I just don't feel like spending hours wearing something odd, uncomfortable and probably cold. I'm still getting used to noticing strangers staring at me and remembering that I'm a part of the Weirdo-American community in the eyes of the general public.
At this point, I'm not going to put out decorations, I'm not getting a pumpkin, I'm not dressing up, and I may very well shut off the porch light on Wednesday night and pretend I'm not home. On a positive note, I'll be able to avoid a lot of candy calories...at least until I get to work on Thursday.
Am I being a Halloween scrooge or does the fun just run out eventually for everyone? What do you think?
It's funny, I get invited to multiple parties every Halloween and I always think I may go but wind up doing nothing for Halloween. Putting together a costume seems like a much bigger pain in the ass than it's worth and always hits when I'm at my busiest. When I was younger Halloween was always a lot fun but now I couldn't care less. So no, you're not alone.
Posted by: Kennon | October 30, 2007 at 07:01 AM
I think you're being a Halloween scrooge. However my views may be off kilter because I will gladly wear a princess dress or tiger ears every day of my life. (And I've got that whole colored hair thing too, and so far nobody -this year- has asked me if I did it for Halloween).
Posted by: super des | October 30, 2007 at 09:39 AM
I have been a scrooge this year too. We wanted to have a pumpkin carvig party, but are new to the area and don't really have enough friends to do it with. Plus, I will be out of town on Halloween nite, so I just didn't buy any candy to hand out to the kids in our neighborhood. Well, I am cheap on top of that.
Posted by: Stephanie | October 30, 2007 at 09:58 AM
Glad to know I'm not the only one who's not in the mood this year. It seems like overkill now that Martha Stewart and Co. have made it an industry.
Posted by: By Jane | October 30, 2007 at 11:49 AM
Used to be I couldn't wait for the chance to share a sugar buzz with the neighborhood kids. But now it seems a costume can be a hooded sweatshirt, jeans and a dab of face paint. Come on! It sure feels like we put more effort into it as kids "back in the day". Or am I just looking through my rosie glasses?
Posted by: tim | October 30, 2007 at 12:16 PM
It never runs out for me-I freaking love this holiday! Unfortunately, it just does not feel the same on the West Coast. This isn't my land. This isn't my people. My land has swamp fog, Ichabod Crane, whispery trees and crackling twigs outside. My peoples don't have Halloween "curfew" with set times to trick-or-treat.
*sigh* My fave holiday. I'm never going to get tired of it.
Posted by: monkey | October 30, 2007 at 02:22 PM
I'm with monkey on this one - I love Halloween and it never lessens for me! We had trick-or-treating this weekend and I enjoyed it, even though only 68 kids came to my door (last year over 100 kids came knocking.) Most of my neighbors had lights off and doors closed so evidently you're not along in being a Halloween scrooge.
Posted by: janer | October 30, 2007 at 02:51 PM
I have always been a halloween scrooge. Even as a kid I didn't like to dress up. I could never come up with any good ideas for costumes, anyway.
Now I just turn my lights off and go upstairs to the back bedroom to watch TV on trick-or-treat nights.
Posted by: Michelle | October 30, 2007 at 03:04 PM
I'm not a halloween scrooge but I was just so uninspired this year. Plus, I live in an area where everyone celebrated Halloween last Friday night - so the bank tellers and grocery store workers were all dressed in costumes then. I don't know what they'll do on the 31st. Will they dress up again? I'll have to go to the bank to find out.
Posted by: blaugra | October 30, 2007 at 11:34 PM