Happy Halloween!

Have I mentioned that I love Halloween? My officemate Neal came to work as a pterodactyl! Look at that pterodactyl head across the desk from me!! It's the best!



LOL, pterodactyl at a business meeting. And R2-D2!



I wasn't any one particular thing, but I definitely had the Halloween Spirit! I suppose I could be considered a witch doctor.



All the Halloweeny things!



Ben and I took Felix on a Halloween woods walk. We decided to try a path we hadn't taken before, so we weren't sure how long it would take.



One minute we were enjoying a beautiful sunset...






And the next minute we were plunged into darkness!! Thank goodness it was a full moon! We had to RUN to get through the woods with a tiny sliver of light to spare. We were in complete darkness (save the moon) by the time we got back to the car. We were both totally silent when passing the pioneer cemetery, totally freaked out that we were passing it on Halloween by the light of the full moon. EEP.

Uptown Halloween Block Party

Ben and I took Felix for a walk to check out Uptown Halloween Block Party! We walked up early, before things got too crazy.



The Wild Honeybees were playing at Central Venue, and the Honey for the Heart parade ended there, so there were lots of wild paper mache costumes around.



Felix wasn't allowed inside, so I just popped in for a minute to check it out.



Outside, we ran into Rachid and family! He hardly looks different in this mask!



Felix was a very patient boy.



Aya came to say hi!



Lara!



Doing a walkthrough.






With Lara, Aya, Rachid and Amina.



Bands!



We got a beer at The Union and hung out on the rooftop patio for a bit. Again, Felix was a good boy!



A donut and a giraffe! God, I love Halloween.

Trick or Treat!

Tonight was Athens Trick or Treat! Dad has a friend staying at the guitar shop this month, and his wife Rebecca is in town visiting. She and Mom joined me in front of my house to pass out candy! Amina and Aya were our first customers.









We got a lot of action!



I was dying of jealousy over this costume. It's so cute!!



UNICORN! The other kids were cute too, of course.






Minecraft!



Chucky!



Kate was a chef!









Here come Michael and Dad to join us!



Family photo.



Neighborhood kids! Plus Aya's back!






It was warm at first, but got chilly fast.



Once Trick or Treat was over, we ventured to Mer's house for a chili party!



Sarah is a salad!



Sissies!



Kate and Sarah!



Phil and me!



The kids were jacked up on candy. So wild!



There was breakdancing.



And lots of sliding.






Chad rocking Sarah's tomato.

Cooking Club TEAMS: Italian

We are trying something different for awhile with cooking club. Instead of everyone cooking a dish, we're dividing into two teams of three. Three people cook, and three people show up to relax and eat! Summer was first to host, and the theme was Italian. Summer, Valerie and I are a team.

Summer set out a delicious spread of Italian cheeses and olives.



I did a variety of veggies on the grill: Grilled radicchio with pears and balsamic, and grilled asparagus wrapped in pancetta with citronette.



I also made shiitake bacon! This is real bacon on the left, and shiitake mushroom bacon on the right. It didn't really taste like bacon, but it was really flavorful and delicious.



Summer made homemade shiitake carbonara. It was THE BEST. This was the serving platter and I probably could have eaten all of it!!! The pasta was incredible.



Mangia!



Mini breadstick!



Valerie made a delectable lemon pine nut tart.



Yum!



It was a nice day for a light sweater, and singing by the fire.