[dressed as Charlie Chaplin] So apparently no one dresses up for Halloween here. I wish I had known that before I used grease paint for my mustache. And I can’t even take off my hat… because then I’m Hitler.-Pam, The Office

The second night we were in Oregon was also the weekend before Halloween. Match and I decided to go down to the local bars and do a little people watching. I scrounged up a weak attempt at a costume: some mouse ears and a tail my mom had in the attic. Match wore his plaid shirt and was going to carry around paper towels and be the Brawny man. At the last minute he chickened out and just went as himself. Turd!

I thought we’d see more crazy costumes but we really didn’t. There were a few slutty girls, and a few funny costumes, but overall pretty typical stuff. It was still fun to get out of the house and people watch for a few hours.

Next year we’re going to kick Halloween butt and host a big ol’ party at our new house. How was your Halloween? Did you do anything fun?

[Haley walks in with a revealing nurse costume]
Claire: What the hell is that?
Haley: What? You told me to put on an old costume.
Claire: Not from when you were eight. Are you trying to get candy or Japanese business men? Change it. Go.-Modern Family

This week Becca asked us to post our favorite Halloween photo and describe it. It was 2008, and it was my first Halloween with Match. He was The White Rabbit and I was Alice. It was the last year I wore a slutty Halloween costume, and the first time I’d ever worn a couple’s costume. I couldn’t pick just one photo, so here are a few.

Match was fighting a losing battle with his rabbit hood falling over his face.

This is my absolute favorite picture of the night. I love that Match played along with me and wore that ridiculous hood all night.

We haven’t dressed up in a couple’s costume since, and I really miss it. Hopefully next year we will when we have a Halloween party at our house! There’s still hope that we can throw something together up in Oregon too. We’ll see what I can dig out of my parent’s attic. What are you doing for Halloween this year?

Rachel: Monica, we need more candy.
Monica: What? There’s only been like 4 kids!
Rachel: Yeah I know, but one of them just said that she loved me so I just gave her everything.
Phoebe: No wonder you’re pregnant. -Friends

This weekend I was having a little pity party because we didn’t go out and celebrate Halloween. I did a ton of driving this last week for work and I just wasn’t up for driving the hour and half drive to Geeky’s party, or driving to the city to celebrate with Tahoe Couple. I also didn’t buy a costume this year because I just wasn’t feeling in the spirit. I think it’s because I really wanted to go to a party with Match. Most of our friends are couples and I’d feel like a third wheel if I went out without him. Plus I’m definitely feeling over the huge bar crowd scene.

I resigned myself to an uneventful weekend and figured we wouldn’t do a whole lot. Friday Match ended up selling one of his old car parts for a pretty good little chunk of change and surprised me by deciding that he was going to take me out on Saturday night with some of the money. It was a much better alternative to the night I was planning, curled up in front of my Industrial pc, entering online sweepstakes and facebook stalking.

We bundled up and strolled downtown to this little sushi restaurant that we discovered early last month. The Giants were playing so we asked to sit at the bar.

We yelled at the TV along with our sushi chef, and we took shots of sake when they scored. The Giants ended up losing but we had a great time anyhow. I meant to take a picture of the tasty sushi but we devoured it before I got the chance. It was a great, unexpected date night.

This morning I grabbed Monkey’s old costume from last year and we dressed him up for his walk. We got into the act a little bit too.

Don’t you love how he’s sticking his tongue out at the camera?

We tried to get him to do his best squirrel impression but he couldn’t get too far up the tree.

After we got back from our walk Match was digging around in the garage and noticed some of the decorations for Halloween weren’t out. He asked me about it and I told him I didn’t think he liked decorating for the holidays. Then he shocked my socks off by going outside and actually putting up the fake cobwebs himself, without any prompting from me!

It made my day and I loved that he tried to make our little stay at home Halloween weekend special. We spent the evening passing out candy to all the adorable neighborhood kids. We had so many little trick or treaters we actually ran out of candy. In the years past we’ve only had three or four total, and this year we went through two full bags of candy! I loved seeing all of their happy little faces and adorable costumes. I’m definitely looking forward to next year and a cozy stay at home Halloween.

Peace isn’t a permanent state. It exists in moments. Fleeting. Gone before we knew it was there. We can experience it at any time, in a stranger’s act of kindness, a task that requires complete focus or simply the comfort of an old routine. Everyday we all experience these moments of peace. The trick is to know when they’re happening so that we can embrace them, live in them. -Grey’s Anatomy

This week I feel like I’m running on auto pilot. Now that we’ve moved further from work I now have to get up at 545AM instead of 630. I know it’s not that much earlier, but a before 6AM wakeup time just isn’t natural. I shouldn’t complain because Match will be having to get up around 4 something to get ready for academy starting next week.

I’m still getting used to the house so inevitably I run into the walls or trip over things as I get ready in the dark while trying not to wake up Match. That’s going to be one positive about him starting academy so early-he’ll be up before me so I won’t have to tiptoe in the dark.

The commute time has gone from about 20 minutes each way to almost an hour. The good news is I love me some books on CD so I catch up on my “reading” while I cuss out the driver who cut me off. I have a sailor’s mouth in traffic, I just can’t help it!

When I get home, I have been immediately tackling the daunting task that is unpacking. We gained a house and some square footage but we also lost a lot of closet storage. We used to have a walk in closet at the duplex (sigh, how I miss thee!) and now we just have two standard closets, one in each room. We have more garage space so if I get creative I’m sure I’ll come up with a storage technique for Match’s 80 million grandpa sweaters. Seriously, that boy has a LOT of sweaters. You’re sure to see pictures of them when winter approaches. I love them, but I also love to tease Match when he wears them. They’re knit and he really does kind of look like a grandpa in them.
His uniforms are also taking up half of the spare room closet which is prime real estate.

While I’m in my unpacking frenzy, Match has been playing the dutiful house husband and making me dinner every night. I’m really going to miss that when he starts academy next week!! Not only does he cook for me most of the time, but he does it really well. I love to cook the fancy meals but I’m terrible with the day to day stuff. I get in a food rut and just cook the same thing every night.

I can’t wait to be done unpacking and back to a sense of some routine. I haven’t worked out in weeks and it’s driving me crazy. A combination of the move, the daily commute and this awful heat wave we’re having has drained me of any exercise motivation. I’m hoping to find it again soon because the holiday season is sneaking up on us. Speaking of the holidays, I’m so excited for Halloween. We’re in a prime neighborhood for trick or treaters. I’m trying to decide what I want to do for Halloween and I’m not sure if Match will even be around. I plan to dress up even if it’s just to pass out candy. Do any of you know what you’re going to be for Halloween? Are you starting to get back into the fall routine or are you struggling to find your rhythm like me?

Ted: How many days are there in October?

Barney: Ah, thirty?

Ted: Dude, I thought we cleared this up last year.

[flashback to last year]

Barney: [as Borat] I like Halloween very much. Is nice! [flashes thumbs-up]

Ted: [in a Borat-style accent] Is also tomorrow.

Barney: Damn it! -How I Met Your Mother

This is my second Halloween with Match. Last year we opted for a couples costume, the first I’d ever done, and I loved it. Match also had to work that year, so we didn’t get to party it up too late. I had wardrobe malfunctions and an unbelievably tight Alice Costume, while Match spent the night trying to keep the White Rabbit hood on his head. This year we’re doing individual costumes, and instead of sexy, I’m going for silly. I’ll reveal the costumes after I take pictures, just to keep you guys guessing. (more…)