My Halloween Costume Cost Me Nothing and I Thought It Was Great

For 19 years, I've been dressing up as an adult for Halloween for The Q's Halloween party. After all those years of always struggling to figure out what I'm going to be, what I came up with this year was the best yet, and it cost me nothing. 

Back in 1997 at the very first Q Ball at the Asylum, we had costumes provided to us by a local theater that was putting on the Will Rogers Follies and I got the brightly colored cowboy outfit. Not exactly authentic. Luckily, no pictures survive.

There was the year I was the creepy Burger King mascot. That was fun because no one knew who I was as I stood behind them motionless, just to creep them out. 

Then I was Batman. That was fun too, but when I stood on the third floor patio of our One City Center studios hoping someone would look up to see my cape spread in the moonlight, the drunk people walking by never bothered.

This year though I decided to make it simple.

Sitting around the table at camp, someone jokingly said I should go to the party as my friend Gary and I was sold. I don't think anyone believed I would, but after I borrowed a name tag, Hancock Lumber shirt and hat and stuck a pencil behind my ear, I looked very similar to my friend Gary. In case you hadn't guessed, he works at Hancock Lumber.

I also went through the trouble of growing a goatee to go for the full authenticity of my friend Gary.

I had to explain my costume to a lot of people at The Spirit of Portland Halloween Bash Saturday night, but I expected that. Explaining it was half the fun as people asked what I was and I simply answered "my friend Gary" as they looked at me very confused.

I had to return the name tag. I think I might keep the goatee. Next year I might go as my cousin Bart.