304/365: "This Halloween, the most popular mask is the Arnold Schwarzenegger mask. And the best part? With a mouth full of candy you will sound just like him." ~ Conan O'Brien (2011)

2 more pictures in notes above ! :)

I hope everyone had a HAPPY, HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!! I love this holiday best of all! And why not?! My mother loved to make costumes for me and my brothers every year, and we had the freedom to go trick-or-treating in our safe and wonderful neighborhood by ourselves when we got old enough! Pumpkin patches were something to look forward to every year and we would make the 45 minute drive down to Half-Moon Bay to the vast pumpkin patches there where each of us picked our own pumpkin. Before my mom and dad released their four little monsters into the biggest pumpkin patch we could find, they would give us exactly ONE rule: "You may have ANY pumpkin you want, but you must carry it to the car by yourself." :D My perfect pumpkin started out nearly as big as myself, but by the time I got to the car, that pumpkin had magically transformed into something I could actually get my arms around! :D Dad had wonderful pumpkin face templates for us to choose for the eyes, nose, and mouth, and he would carve them for us while we watched in delight and anticipation! When the pumpkins were opened up, we'd dig out the "guts" and mom would make toasted pumpkin seeds, and later, when the pumpkins were starting to fade, she'd turn them into pumpkin pies and bread! YUMMY!! For weeks before the great night, there were Halloween decorations and excitement in the air, parades and contests and special books to read, and let's not forget the tv special, "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!" ... Halloween night, we would race from house to house getting so much candy we'd have to go home and dump it out before rushing out for MORE! We always got the most candy of anyone in our schools, and I would hoard my candy like a dragon hoards her pile of gold! :D Oh my, I have the very finest memories of this fantastic, wonderful holiday!!!

Conan Christopher O'Brien (born April 18, 1963) is an American television host, comedian, writer, producer, and voice actor. He is best known for hosting several late-night talk shows, the most recent of which, Conan, premiered on American cable television station TBS in 2010. O'Brien was born in Brookline, Massachusetts, and was raised in an Irish Catholic family. He served as president of the Harvard Lampoon while attending Harvard University, and was a writer for the sketch comedy series Not Necessarily the News. Wikipedia: Conan O'Brien