On the subject of being someone else.

BOO!

You miss me. Sorry, been busy. 

Today is Halloween, the day we all can be someone else for a day. Sadly for me, no such luck. I am just stuck being me. However,  I thought I'd take you on a very scary journey back in time for some of the most outrageous things I can remember from Halloween.

These days, it's not Halloween, it's a Harvest Festival, or a Costume Carnival, as no church or school is apparently allowed to call it what it is. We usually take the kids to the local church for a night of games, tickets, cheap toys and candy, all in a safe environment. Then, it's a quick trip down the street for more candy for the kids. Most of that candy sits for the next year in a bin in our cupboard. Ah - enterprise!

I am working tonight - doing hockey play by play for television. I am dressed as an announcer, or at least I am playing one on TV.

I am trying to remember the last time I actually dressed up and I think it was in 2001 when I produced a show for the Washington Huskies and I dressed up as Rick Neuheisel, complete with coach's shirt, whistle, and secret playbook. To the cynics who asked if I had cash or poker chips coming out of the playbook... no.

That was pretty much dressing as I usually do though. It's been a while since I have been in full costume.

My wife seems to remember me putting on my letterman's jacket and taping my glasses for a dance once, but I think that was a sock hop and not Halloween.

I think I have to go back to the 90's when my girl friend at the time and I wore bright orange ponchos with huge smiles on them. We were happy campers, well, that's what the costume was supposed to be.

In the 80's, now that was my glam era. For one party, the theme was unsuppressed desires, and I went as a purple panted punk rocker with glitter in my hair. Again, I seem to remember that wasn't for Halloween either.

When I worked at a huge night club called Confetti, we always dressed in costume, so when it came to Halloween, we had to go over the top. One year was after seeing Cats, and I decided to do one of the characters - Rum Tum Tugger. This was before Cats was seen as corny, and it was a hit play.

There I was in a black body suit, feathered boa (the character wore feathers around his neck), collar, tail, cat ears on top of the most amazing silver and black wig and full makeup. I guess to say it wasn't understood, as one woman asked me if I was supposed to be Tina Turner. She said this as she pinched me. She promptly left the club, but I still remember it all these years later. 

We also had another contest for the best superhero, which I won as Commander Confetti - complete with a red top, yellow trunks and blue leggings with white stars. To top it all off was a red satin hat with a rhinestone C with confetti coming out of it. On my back was a gold cape with my character's name in rhinestones. And finally, I wore metallic silver nike basketball shoes.

My most normal one was probably a Dallas Mavericks complete uniform with warmups and a jersey with my name on the back. I bought it because I thought it would be cool. The shorts were not though... at least in these days.

I guess those wild days are over, however I think I have one good costume party left in me, and there are those who have already said that there is just one costume for me, especially now that I have lost some weight, and given my penchant for singing a certain song. Yes, it seems like the consensus is that I should go as Amy Winehouse.

Maybe someday, not tonight. 

Hey, I warned you it might be scary! (something tells me that Anonymous will be quacking in here in the comments. Oh sheesh.)

Yours truly,

Johnny Blogger