Halloween...
I think this is one of my top favorite holidays. I had many a childhood birthday party on Halloween and have nothing but fond memories of trick or treating with my friends, dressing in less-than-comfortable costumes and watching scary movies. A Halloween highlight: The dentist on our street always gave out tooth brushes and we always acted mad, but we went back every year to get another.

I don't have a costume today. I did, however, bring a pair of bunny ears with me and have been wearing them intermittently throughout the day. The CEO has on Halloween sox and earrings and a Happy Halloween sweater and a big pumpkin is dangling from her necklace. Other than that, you wouldn't know it was Halloween around here. This is one day of the year that I'd really like to just hang out in an elementary school so I could see all the little kids in their costumes eagerly anticipating the 3:30 bell so they can go home and knock on neighbors' doors begging for candy. I do not, however, want to be an elementary school teacher, and no matter how it may seem, this desire to be around kids for the holiday does not mean I am ready to have kids of my own.

My friend Patty read my blog the other day and said she did the same thing with a Care Bear in Walgreens on a trip to Texas last weekend. She was gravitating toward Wish Bear, however. I think it is so cool that I am not the only nut who felt the pull of the Care Bears. Whewh.

It is my pre-birthday weekend. Ever since my birthday was totally destroyed two years ago, I am scared to get excited about birthday plans and birthdays in general. I was excited last week, but now that the weekend is upon us, I am afraid of what might happen to make it not fun... or maybe I feel like I don't deserve to have fun? I really need to get over this neurosis...maybe I just need more time?

I am going to be a quarter of a century old and even thought I still feel like I am really really young, I also am worried about my life being 1/3 or 1/4 over (depending on my longevity.) I have NEVER thought this way about a birthday before. I remember wondering what Andy was talking about when he was so worried about approaching his 25th birthday. Now I know... I am 25 and there is no going back to youth. I am forever beyond college age and certainly high school age. I just have to keep remembering that I may be on the back side of my 20's but that doesn't mean that I am limited as to what I can do and what I can attempt and who I can be. We are always forming and changing and becoming and in that sense, age is irrelevant. I'd just better not notice any new wrinkles and I'd better not get any gray hairs.

Time to get back to work after lunch!