I went shopping yesterday afternoon with Peter, one half of a couple we’ve become friendly with who live in our building. I was looking for a few bits and pieces, which I didn’t find, while he was looking for last minute costumes for the Halloween street party on Church St.

We spent a couple of hours going back and forth between all the costume shops on Yonge St, before settling on a Top Gun costume (the pieces bought from the Army Surplus store for much less) and some things to make a Frankenstein costume. In the end, they didn’t go the street party, instead going to the movies to see Carrie.

Despite the wasted effort, it was cool to see people walking around in broad daylight in their costumes.

There was a leather cat woman, a guy in a red skintight body suit with additional things on him (Peter said he was a particular superhero character but I can’t remember the name), a mum and her four-year-old daughter with skeleton make-up and skeleton costumes (underneath their winter coats), and two guys who came into the costume store wearing home-made Halo costumes. The costumes these guys made were epic. One had even fixed a small fan into his helmet to keep himself cool and created a place on his arm for his iPod to attach. Such effort. Truly awesome.

After we got back, I had a nap for an hour or so, then Glen came home and he napped for a bit. He was tired and had a headache, I was tired, and it was raining and meant to rain all night. Plus it was a Thursday so everything was conspiring for a rather lack lustre Halloween.

However, we made the effort. Kevin and Adam didn’t end up coming to our place (we’re close to Church St so it’s handy) because they weren’t feeling 100% but Chan came over about 8, we got ready and then braved the cold.

Really, it wasn’t that cold, about 14°C, and my costume kept me reasonably warm. A bit too warm when we went inside a club. Then it got uncomfortable.

When we got in the elevator to go downstairs, a girl who was in the lift with us wanted to take a photo with us. That was kind of cool. And a few people took snaps of us down the street.

There were as many people in costumes as I was expecting. Perhaps they thought that with the rain they’d just go out for half an hour and putting on a costume wasn’t worth it.

But for those who did make the effort, there were some great costumes. There were some really creepy ones (like in the photo), which I loved, but there were all sorts of others. Outside there weren’t too many scantily clad ones but when we went in Woody’s there were a few more.

We spent a bit of time there, then went to get food, then we went back to Woody’s because we’d forgotten Chan’s jacket in the coat check, and by then it was about 11:30, we were tired and had had enough so we went home. Next year Halloween is on a Friday so that might work better for the celebrations.

I thought these were the creepiest of the night. Especially as they were just standing in the shadows.

Very smart to go as jellyfish and use umbrellas.

More creepiness.

The Grim Reaper and his bridge. I loved these ones.

Plenty of colour out there on a grey night.