Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Scary Stuff

My Halloween costume didn't come out as well as I'd hoped, or as well as my pirate one last year.


What am I supposed to be? A cowboy? Waylon Jennings circa The Dukes of Hazard years? A fat hairy Texan?

Nope, nope, and I'm that every day, but again no, not what I was shooting for. I'll let you stew on your guess for a second while I bring you more pics.




Rob and Arlene as tourists.
















Their Daughter, the panhandler.





Their oldest daughter and boyfriend.


The party was held at our friend Janet's house. Janet and my wife hang out together so much that everyone in our circle jokes that I have two wives . So ...








... we went as a polygamist sect.

But the costumes of the night went to Janet's son and girlfriend. Say hello to Sweeney Todd and Mrs. Lovett.



And more pics ...






I thought I took pictures of all the other costumes but several came out too blurry, probably a result of all the Sailor Jerry's I consumed, and several more people I apparently missed altogether.
Are you dressing up for an event this year. If so what are your going to be and if not who what would you dress up as if you were?

42 comments:

WordVixen said...

Bwahahaha! Travis- that costume idea was absolute genius! Hm... The three of you look good together...

Love the guy dressing up from Reno 911 (was he wearing skates, too?)- and the blurriness of that last photo actually suits...

Sugar Jones said...

You guys have way too much fun in Texas! That's a pretty funny group costume there. I especially enjoy the kid panhandling for a Happy Meal. Nice touch... I believe Social Services is watching your home now. ;)

Twitter.com/SugarJones

Carleen Brice said...

That's pretty damn funny!

PAPATV said...

T - you're totally rockin' the Western Wear. Are you wearing a snake skin belt? Crocodile attache? Steel toe kicks?

Janna Leadbetter said...

That's so great! LOVE what you and the "wives" did. And the tourists were pretty awesome, too. :D

Cloudia said...

You make cute polygamists...er...that is....
Loved the tourist couple - we see their twins all day long here in Waikiki. Real authentic...MY halloween costume? I just don't have to file my horns down for ONE DAY A YEAR! BWAAAAHHHH! BOO!
Aloha Travis!

Angie Ledbetter said...

Love that the party was for all ages, with even teens joining in.

I may steal my daughter's costume from last year. She had a big sandwich board on, all rounded and full of cotton balls painted gray, gray clothes underneath, and carried a spray bottle full of water. "Partly Cloudy with a Chance of Rain." (Everyone who couldn't guess what she was got spritzed. LOL)

Duck said...

That's funny, I thought you were going for an Amish thing there with that hat...

Poetry Sue said...

hmm polygamy is fun... so they say...

I'm planning on being "the very tired single mother of a 3 year old trick or treater" this year...

its going to be hard but I think I can pull it off... LOL

March2theSea said...

hhhhhhhhahahaha..awesome costume!

Kristen Painter said...

I was going to say Amish, so I was close. Sort of. In a way. Or not.

Barbara Martin said...

Travis, are you supposed to be Joseph Smith?

Lyzzydee said...

Well that outfit looks as if it was meant for you!! I have a fancy dress party to go to and we have to dress as a london underground station, that should be interesting!!

Spy Scribbler said...

Love it! Hah! A polygamist sect. That's great!

Rocketstar said...

What's the name of your sect? ;o)

G. B. Miller said...

Nice shots!

Actually, since I'm going to work on Halloween, I may dress up as an actual working government employee, with frizzed out hair.

But what I would really want to do, is recreate my dead pizza delivery driver, complete with the Jeffrey Dahmer pizza special.

writtenwyrdd said...

Love the costumes! You look so much like my brother in that first photo it's scary, but in a good way.

Last time I dressed for halloween was when I was 20 and I went as a flapper. I'd look like grandma's sofa with a clashing antimacassar if I tried that these days!

Merry Monteleone said...

Okay, I wouldn't have gotten it without your wives attached. Great costume, though.

Katie Alender said...

That is the cleverest costume! Hilarious.

Gregory Anderson said...

Man, I was waaaaaay off.

I thought you were going for a Billy Jack meets the Village People at a Biker Rally motif.

Looks like fun was had by all, anyway.

That Janie Girl said...

I love your costume idea!

That Janie Girl said...

Have I ever told you that I have a friend named Travis Erwin that lives in Midland?

You'd like him, I think.

He owns part of the Coors/Miller distributorships.

Jess said...

Dude. Your wives nailed it. Great costume idea, especially in Texas! LOL! :)

I am going to my child's classroom party, to which I will likely be a pregnant Muggle.

I think I should go as a nun or a cheerleader. It goes well with the pregnant belly.

David Cranmer said...

Great costumes!... Btw we need you to get to the bottom of this headline that is all over the news: Chase Bank Hoax Threat Letters Sent from Amarillo, Texas

Charles Gramlich said...

When you include your harem...uhm, wives, the outfit works pretty well.

Joshua said...

mad hatter and sweeney todd at one party.....freaking sweet!

the walking man said...

I think the piece of the puzzle missing in your costume was either no beard or a rich full one Travis.

I've never been in a costume but if I were I'd make it easy and be Moses. Why Moses you ask? I already have the rocks in my head and the beard.

Chris Eldin said...

AHHAAHHAHA! I literally spewed coffee when I came to the part about polygamist sect.
You guys are having too much fun.
:-)

Junosmom said...

Just as you wrote this, I finished the book Shattered Dreams by Irene Spencer about her life in a polygamist family. She lived part of the time in Texas, though mostly in Mexico. Your costumes look dead-on!

And I heard that news about the envelopes being sent from Texas, too. But they were sent to banks, not to publishing houses ;-)

Terrie Farley Moran said...

Hi Travis,

Great costumes. What a creative group. My wednesday post links to you because I talk about DonorChoose.

Terrie

Aaron said...

Nice costumes!

I've got a pimp Austin Powers getup. Pictures forth-coming in November.

DrillerAA said...

Brilliant idea for a family costume. Maybe not politically correct, but very funny.

Patti said...

HA! must be a texas thang cause i so knew what you were!

husband works for a utah company and has to fly there periodically. i ALWAYS tell to forget the airport girt and bring me a sister wife. i could use the help around here....

word.

ssas said...

Those are brilliant, Travis!

I have no costume this year. I'm going as "a speaker at a science fiction conference" since that's what I'll be doing Saturday night instead of attending the neighborhood party!!

Lana Gramlich said...

Looks like it was a great time. I LOVE the polygamist sect idea--scandalous! *LOL*
Last year I wore my Rennaisance getup at work on Halloween. It was nice to breathe again once my shift was over. I doubt I'll do that again. I may do an "executioner" thing, but I need a long-sleeved (preferably high-necked,) black shirt to complete my ensemble.

Josephine Damian said...

A polygamist sect! Too funny!

Based on the first photo, I was leaning toward an Amish guy.. maybe a WITNESS spoof.

Anonymous said...

i love your polygamist sect costume.

this year, i'm going to try to turn some of my grief into a positive outlet. i am going to wear my tom brady jersey and steal a pair of crutches. i will be tom brady this year. sad. sad. sad.

Anonymous said...

That is an awesome costume idea! Actually, I was quite impressed with all of the costumes.

I will not be dressing up this year, unless I put on my cat ears and go to the kids' preschool as a pregnant cat. Hmmm. . ..

Mary said...

Great costumes! Rob and Arlene’s are a hoot! And what a hilarious surprise to find yours was that of a polygamist sect! Genius. :)

Cheryl Wray said...

Most EXCELLENT costumes and pics. I LOVE your costume/s. Truly inspired!! Sweeney Todd is great too!

(Gary and I are being Batman and Catwoman. We shall see how that goes...)

KrisMrsBBradley said...

I love costume parties! I will have to remember the Polygamist sect idea for next year. My husband always calls the wives of our 2 closest friends "wife #2" and "wife #3". That would be perfect for us!

Sepiru Chris said...

Dear Travis,

This comment is slightly more generic than some of the others...

Thank you for your postings.

OxyJen at http://jjdebenedictis.blogspot.com/
put me onto your blog. I am trying to find my storytelling voice, and have problems containing my post length.

OxyJen suggested that I check out your stories; I can see why she did. You encapsulate your stories quickly, misdirect and then surprise the reader(sometimes) while I am still deep in my third digression. Or regression. Or Jungian therapy session...

I want you to know that even if the allegorical girls on the dance floor aren't begging you to spin them around, the literary companion of your dancing spins others around. There is a reason that so many people post comments on your site; I presume that you know it. Nonetheless, it is always nice to hear it from others. You. Write. Well.

I have a tendency towards prolixity which I attempting, dismally, to curb. (This should have been obvious a while ago. I am hoping that St. Peter pardons my sins by matching them with the number of nonsinning (instead of purely nonsenseing) words that I can produce.

I will be studying your storytelling successes for inspiration on not just timing, but length, too.

Of course the comment that thicker was better, albeit regarding non-paper straws, leaves me scurrying sideways.

Thanks for sharing them (the postings, not just reminiscences of straws gone by), and yourself.

I look forward to your success with those agents and to reading more of your posts.

Cheers, thanks, and best wishes,
Chris