When it really comes down to it, I think Halloween is my favorite time of year.  It's like the magical culmination point of horror coupled with spots of eroticism and pop culture all wrapped into one night.  Well, I guess Halloween is more like a week, because there's just about a million haunted houses and parties all week long.  Also, that's about how long a hollowed-out pumpkin stays fresh-looking.

I love to decorate and carve pumpkins too, but this year I didn't.  It just doesn't feel right to drag out decorations and put them up without Mike, which is why I won't even be having a tree this year for Christmas.  Granted, I'll definitely be stocking up on decorations for next year's holiday season, but they won't grace this particular half-way packed, box cluttered apartment this year (or any year, for that matter).

I'm sure a few of you know that I usually play hostess to a small Halloween get-together every year, but I've taken a little hiatus.  I really, really love to cook and entertain everyone, and I'm sorry I'm skipping out on what might be one of my last chances to do so with the people I grew up with.  Instead, I spent this Halloween week at a couple different places, wearing a couple of different costumes.  I found myself first at my good friend's Halloween themed engagement party.  It was a little surreal, but in the best way.  After being apart for so long, a small slice of high school was collected in one place.  It was like drifting back to something old an familiar only to find that we've all become very different while remaining very much the same.

I decided to dust off my Queen of Hearts costume for the occasion, and after making sure I was securely duct taped (hint: Halloween costumes small = huge, always order the x-small if you can), I traveled a familiar route past Fairview, past the gas station where Sanday, Katty, and I used to get green pepper pizza; and found myself in Arab.  I really wanted to bring a bottle of something to give to the happy couple, but because Arab has only recently become wet, I really had no idea where to look for the liquor store.  While I'm given to wandering throughout towns during the daylight hours, looking for interesting things, I wasn't about to drive around WrongTurnsville looking for a liquor store in the dark.

It was chilly, I was not dressed for it, but it was an amazing evening.  The bride-to-be's mother is a caterer, so not only were the decorations super fabulous, but the food was amazing.  They even had shrimp in a giant cocktail glass, chocolate dipped strawberries, and mini bacon-cheddar potato skins.  I was really impressed and even took the time to look at her portfolio.  I really think I've made my decision about who's going to make my cake and food at our wedding.  Here's a link to her catering business, located in Arab, AL, Cake-N-Eat It 2.

We all caught up, took pictures, toasted, looked fabulous, and ended the evening on a high note.  I'm really disappointed that I won't be able to make it to her wedding next year because I'll be in Germany, which is why I made it a point to most definitely show up that night.  It was worth it, and I'm sincerely sorry I won't be able to see her beautiful, peacock themed wedding.

Last night, I made a quick trip to Wal-Mart to pick up some quesodillas and spray-can hair dye, sufficiently bloodied myself up/ trashed my bathroom, and drove an hour to Athens for the Sigma Tau Delta Halloween party.  In case some of you don't know, Sigma Tau Delta is an English honors society, so it'll come as no big surprise that the party has a literary theme.  Every year, members are invited to come as something, anything to do with literature or English.

This year, I decided that I'd pay homage to the great Stephen King by buying the official Carrie costume for the occasion.  I was a little disappointed, but if you're willing to spend an hour or so altering it and bloodying your own hair because the wig was worthless, it actually is a great costume.  Granted, the back doesn't have blood on it and the fabric was pretty sheer (I had to buy a slip), but I don't think anyone noticed or cared.



Afterward, myself, one of my (don't laugh) ghost hunting friends from Drama Production class, and his girlfriend went over to McCandless Hall on campus to hunt for the less-than-elusive ghosts.  It seems like every time we go there, something actually happens.  It's like a little thrill, because who expects to return over and over to the same place to have strange incidents present themselves every time?  We both took plenty of pictures, but I've yet to go through my set.  However, we did hear what sounded like heavy, booted steps on the balcony overhead.  Isn't it funny that we didn't go looking for ghosties because of Halloween but just because it's our regular practice when we're gathered in one place?

For me, these little get-togethers feel like the closing chapter of the book that is Cullman.  Granted, I'll still be lurking around north Alabama until about my 3rd year of graduate school, staying with my parents and occasionally winding up on the Athens campus, but the end of yet another era of my life is approaching.  I don't think of it as a bad thing at all; in fact, I don't really feel like I've ever had any real ends to my eras, only beginnings of sequels.  It's an ongoing story that can definitely be divided into individual pieces, but when there's an infinite number of sequels, I suppose there isn't really an end at all.

Well, despite there being no real end, I still won't be living in Cullman anymore after April of next year.  I've never traveled much.  I've been here my whole life.  My life isn't going to be worse for leaving here, but there are so many things I'll miss, despite how much I said I hated it here when I was younger.  If you can look past some of the negative things, this really is a good place to live.  It's safe, everyone I've known and cared for is right here, and it's always been home.  That's why even though I'll be ever returning to here for visits, to have my wedding ceremony, to go to school, I must still give this town a proper goodbye.  Even though no matter how I vote this Tuesday, the new or old laws won't affect me, I wish this place only prosperity and advancement while still remaining quaint and novel.

Good luck everyone; I know we're never going to lose touch.