A good time was had by us.
Everybody, actually, to my two eyes that looked out through the lens-less frames of my spectacles used to top the American Gothic portrait used as this year’s Halloween party costume for my dear wife Karen and I.
American Gothic, Bialczak style.
Yes, we wore our classic painting get-ups in my car as we drove to Jeff and Kristin’s house a dozen miles to the west side of Syracuse. I even pulled through a McDonald’s drive-thru for an unneeded McDouble that I piled on throughout the evening by many a tasty food and snack. (Great homemade mac ‘n’ cheese, Kristin. Wonderful many things, Jeff.) The Mickey D servers had seen plenty of costumes already, I could tell. Besides, I saw holiday-appropriates of many ages inside from my driver’s view.
Our hosts. Shocking costume, no?
People were into it, all but two party-comers dressed up for the bash. I will not name names.
Jeff and Kristin also went for the her-and-him costume. He was a plug. She was an outlet. We got a charge out of it.
The Captain and Tennile?
Troy and Heather made a grand and colorful entrance midway through the night.
He told me he went for the plastic shield, but a metal one was available online for $300 or so. No way. I’m with him.
Right after they left, Michelle said something about their Jan. 30 wedding. After a night of talking with my friends, that was the first I’d heard that they’d set a date. I ran out to hug them before they got in the car. It’s great news for a really nice couple.
Working friends: Kristin, Carolyn, Kris, Julie, Michelle and my dear wife Karen.
We spent a great deal of time in the kitchen. The dining room. Back to the kitchen. It was kind of nice for me, as I grazed on chips and salsa and dip and cheese and … and … and … urp. Excuse me.
Before we left, a request came in for a kitchen group shot of the women who’d worked together at the big daily.
Beautiful way to end a great Halloween party. Thank you, Jeff and Kristin.
Did you go out this Halloween, and if so, where and how did it go for you? If you stayed in, how many trick-or-treaters showed up, and how did that compare to years past? What did you dress up as, and what were the best costumes you saw this year?
Mark Bialczak 
I enjoyed your American Gothic, great job you two! I also liked the shocking pair, ha ha! Fun times with friends and family cannot be beat. I enjoyed the day with my Mom, who actually got up for cider and donuts breakfast, then napped later in the day, we watched some scary shows and a movie with my brother. All pretty tame, got photo texts from oldest daughter and her two boys, all three are well decked out, since art and theatre are her ‘forte!’ The other ones sent their pumpkin carvings, all 6 of them (son, wife, 4 kids…) no costume photos of youngest daughter, either. I could send you how Mom and I looked on my cell phone, but we aren’t going to probably connect via phone yet. Someday, one of us will travel to the other’s area and we will get each other phone numbers, Mark! Tell Karen, this is including her, of course!!
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That will be fun, Robin. Of course! I look forward to meeting you, my friend. 🙂
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GREAT, Mark!
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Thank you, Ann.
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Mark- I just LOVED your and Karens costumes!
GENIUS!
Hope you had a great party!
Have a nice monday!
hugs
/a
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Thank you, Anna. We loved dressing up like classic art! You have a great Monday in Stockholm, my friend!
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I can’t keep a straight face looking at YOUR face in the American Gothic pose knowing, just knowing, that you burst into laughter a second after this was snapped!
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Yes, much laughter afterward, Barbara. You called it!
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Bwaahaaahaa! I LOVE your costumes! You and Karen look great! Now, I have to ask, did you already own the pitchfork or did you buy it as part of the costume? I love the plug and outlet couple and Captain and Tenille also! 😀
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I bought the pitchfork at the tractor supply store, same place I bought the bib overalls, Rachel. I figure I can use both gardening come spring!
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Yes, and the next time you get a varmint out back, you can hold it up in one hand and dress in your overalls and hold the pitchfork in the other hand for a blog photo before you drive it out to the country. 🙂
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Mark … Your puns are killing me. I love all of the outfits. Looks like everyone had a great time.
Dave and I did our usual. We stayed home and handed out candy to the trick or treaters. We only got about 35, but they were adorable. 😉
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Good job, you and Dave, keeping the kids in candy, and spying the costumes, Judy. 🙂
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so glad to see your costumes! Perfect, you and dear wife Karen. And so relieved there were no pitchfork accidents. The other costumes are great, too. Clever friends you have.
I was a load of laundry, which was a simple as cutting the bottom from a laundry basket and stuffing myself with clothes and a box of detergent. My family mocked me mercilessly when I somehow got myself stuck in it. Was not amused myself, but there you have it. Good time had by all 🙂
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Liz, that must have been a great costume! Thank you for airing your dirty laundry to me, as always. 🙂 I’m glad you got unstuck from the basket before Larry and the kids just started tossing more soiled clothes on top, right?
There were good costumes at the party we went to, you are correct. We had fun, no wounds.
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You two look great!!
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Thanks, Aud. I loved getting this together with my dear wife Karen! She’s a costume master!!
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You and Karen are fantastic, Mark! So glad you all got together and had a blast. This year, Dave & our 2 boys at home headed to Coronado for a short vaca/business trip. This was the first year in 10 years that I didn’t hand out candy to sweet little neighbors and we didn’t throw a party at our home. While I missed doing so, it was fun to watch my 9 year old dress up like a pirate at the beach! He trick or treated in downtown Coronado and all the businesses were very generous. It was packed! Red wine, chocolate, and a walk on the beach for Dave and I was my favorite treat 😀
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I must say, Angie McFly, if you must be away to combine business and pleasure, Coronado is a pretty good choice. Being a 9-year-old pirate on that beach for Halloween should create a lasting memory for your son. Arggggh indeed! That’s one beautiful spot in our world, my friend. Touche to you and Dave.
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Coronado is one of our favorite places where we often have conversations that begin with, “When we win the lottery…” 😀
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Yes. For sure! My dear wife Karen is a California Girl, and she’s brought me to Coronado twice. Heaven.
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Well, that is what I like to see – a costume with an element of *danger* 🙂
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Roll the opening music to ‘Get Smart.’ Er, make it ‘Mission Impossible.’ … Thanks, Snosks. 🙂
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Awesome, Mark! I’m glad no one got hurt with your pitchfork, whew! 😀
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Safety at all times, my dear wife Karen reminded me as she carefully lifted the pitchfork from my hands and placed it in the corner of our hosts dining room. Again. And again. And again, Christy. Thanks! 🙂
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Great costumes! 😀
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Thank you, Amanda, for Karen and I’s farmer and wife “American Gothic.” We loved finding the right clothes and accessories!
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those are fantastic costumes, you and karen were perfect and happy you didn’t pitchfork anyone. i love the others too, especially the plug and outlet and good surprise about the wedding. as for me, i was mother nature, had a massive school parade, gave out candy at home after, grands went out at their houses, and it was a rain/snow mix. )
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You are a great Mother Nature, quite natural, Beth! I still want to see a photo if one exists, please and thank you. Sounds like a great day. Except for the snow part, that is. Yikes!
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ah, it was a great day, indeed, mark. we shall see about the pic, i’ll check out what my teaching partner has on hand )
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I hope there is a photo somewhere, Mother Nature!
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Great costumes! I also love the plug and outlet! If I ever get myself a hubby I am totally making him dress up with matching / couples costumes with me!
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A hubby should be proud to dress up in a couples outfit with you, Cheney, when that day comes! A few years back Karen and I went as Wilma and Fred Flintstone, and she put a Milkbone in her hair to help keep the bun together. I love my dear wife!
Yeah, the plug and outlet is pretty clever. Edgy!
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Edgy, and weirdly sexy, lol!
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Yeah, Cheney. Slyly I said to Jeff that the ground plug isn’t needed ’til everybody else goes home …
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You and dear wife Karen look great. I stared at the outlet and plug scratching my head for several minutes then the light bulb came on. That was a creative idea. Looks like you guys had a ball.
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Thanks, Kim. I had fun with our costume this year.
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That photo of you two – one of my favourites. Just love the looks on your faces and although I’m from this side of the pond I knew the painting straight away. Perfect.
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Thank you, Rachel. We knew we had to not look happy!
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Love all the outfits. I stayed home with my lovely computer all night. Didn’t see a trick or a treat all night either. Kind of quiet around here. 😉
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Oh, by the way, great picture!
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🙂
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I did go out, but not in costume. I went to help with the “Treat” Walk for the little kiddos.
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That was a kind choice, PJ!
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The Devil said he is envious of your pitchfork. I tweeted this to the Sunday Blog Share hash tag, so you might get some new readers today! 🙂
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Thank you, Austin. I appreciate your Twitter-ness!
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You should get on there and post some of your stuff. Plus, you’ll network with some great bloggers!
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Looks like great fun! My husband and I dressed up like a tired middle-aged couple, stayed home, and gave candy to the kiddies.
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I know the tired part and middle-aged part and couple part, DebraB. We have out candy until party departure time, happily. 🙂
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Oh my gosh, Mark! I love that picture – you guys look great! I don’t think I’ve ever seen a picture where you were not smiling though…
Diana xo
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Thanks, Diana. Every time somebody took a picture of us, my dear wife Karen and I would repeat to each other Dour! Dour! Dour! to replicate the art as close as we could. 😦
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It’s hard to do when you typically smile a lot, isn’t it?
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It was good excercse for my other facial muscles, Diana. 🙂
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One of the bowlers on another team Friday night came dressed as a witch (She was going to a party after league) with a dress that went a little below her knees. I kept waiting for her to trip the foul light with it…
Oddly enough, the one place I didn’t see anyone dressed up that evening was at Mecca when I went in for work. I guess all the Halloween fun was over by 10 PM for everyone…
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I thought you were going short with the dress instead of long. I had hopes for a good witch instead of wicked for you, Bill, fair instead of foul. 🙂
I would think a place like Mecca would be crawling with post-happy-hour costumed louts?!
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If I’d have been a wicked witch, I’d have used my flying monkeys to knock over some of those splits!
Apparently the crazies had already evacuated the store by 10. If we were open past midnight, I might’ve seen some dressed up doozies wandering in for some Alka Seltzer…
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Yeah, I bet the 24-hour Meccas get hammered, so to speak, by those smart enough to seek Alka and Pepto.
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What a fun-looking Halloween party… and you had me hooked at chips and cheese. 🙂
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I know, right? The foundation for every party, every occasion. Chips and cheese, Rose. Yay and Yay-er. 🙂
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I definitely got a charge out of this post, Mark …
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My comments about the hosts’ couple costume got pithier than I allowed myself here, Jim. 🙂 Just a little. I never saw that one before this year, that’s for sure.
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HA!!!! Fantastic! You and Dear Wife Karen are picture perfect!
I love the plugs! And the twist on Captain and Tennile!!!!
I love adults who put a childlike love of fun on life. 🙂
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Thank you, Colleen. We were childlike Halloween night. You got that! 🙂
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If by “going out” you mean “stayed home and did laundry,” then yes! 🙂 We had some kids come, but there’s still plenty of candy left for Josh.
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Oh! Your costume was everyday mom! Josh still banging off the walls from sugar high?
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No, he and Evie Cat are having a competition to see who can snore loudest. Every now and then I hear his daughter offering her contribution from the other room.
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Ah, yes, MM, the wood-sawing competition. All-in, no knowledge of the contest needed. 😦
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I love all the costumes! I didn’t do anything, but as a good friend told me once, I can always do something next year. 🙂
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Yes, only 363 days left to plan, though, Jeanette. ;-0
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Your costumes look great MarK. I didn’t get out at Halloween his year. You and Karen look the spitting image of the farmer and his wife. Bravo! Your friends’ costumes are also great – especially the plug and outlet.
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We tried to get the painting down right, Paul. Don’t mess with important art, you know. I laughed hard when I saw the hosts’ costume. What a hoot. Thanks.
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