This year was the first Halloween in years (possibly since I was a kid) in which I actively participated. Carin and I attended no less than four events as Marty McFly and the flux capacitor. (We were joined on one occasion by our friend David dressed as 1955. He just wrote the date in time-circuit style on a t-shirt.) Carin & I won second place at The Market’s costume contest, which entitled us to a $25 gift certificate, a bottle of wine, and some completely unwanted alcohol-logo-emblazoned clothing items. I think our chances were bolstered by my karaoke renditions of “Johnny B. Goode” and “Power of Love.”

In order to get the most out of my costume, I’m planning a stage adaptation of Back to the Future. Perhaps I can get a grant. It will have to do better than my aborted Highlander stage musical Highland! using the songs of Queen.

Stephen, dressed as Mario in the above picture, won first place along with his wife Nicole, who came as Princess Toadstool and carried a photo of their infant dressed as a 1-Up mushroom.

In other news, I voted today, and so should you. As my ballot was fed into the voting machine, I couldn’t help but think of a paper shredder. I would’ve much preferred to place my ballot in this machine: