Thank goodness it's November.

That means two good things: First, I'm only here for another 8 months and then DONE. Second, it's no longer Halloween.

I do not like Halloween. Many ask why and I don't really have a good answer. I do know, however, that I get stressed having to come up with a costume. I can't generate the imagination enough to come up with something really good. I once went to a party at the neighbors' annual Halloween bash. One of the hosts wore a cage over his head with small toy rats inside the cage ala 1984. I thought it was a brilliant costume. The next year he wore a brown t-shirt with a target on it. On his head was a deer antler head band. What was his costume? The Far Side comic where the deer had a target on his chest and his friend says, "unfortunate birthmark". ANyway, I think it's why I don't like Halloween. It makes me feel uncreative in a way that I would like to be but can't pull off.

Living here in Vegas is worse. There are haunted houses all over town. Everyone goes and there are parties galore. Nevada day is around Halloween so kids get the idea that Halloween is a holiday. Let's face it, the people here are always in costume. Just two months away from here made me forget (or was that just my inner being soothing itself after the onslaught of tacky get-ups?) how gruesome the people are. Old, old women wearing make-up that would be too heavy to carry. Then the super bleach blonde hair. How about the look with hair dye. Blond on top with a dark brown or black underlayer. And all the tattoos. While I admire the art work that goes into a tattoo, I don't find an overly tattooed person to be attractive. No one here carries her own, genuine hair color. Nor do they wear their own nails. Eeek! Step into a nail salon and it's busy with women getting nail tips. Who the heck really wants all that fakery?

My close proximity to all this horror only makes me dislike Halloween more.

Happy November.