No Costume, No Candy!

Rob, Beverly, Tammy, Robin, Vancie, and yours truly (the black guy with the white eye), Halloween 1983

For some, Halloween is a celebration that allows them to really let loose - no fear of embarrassment,  no fear that they won't fit in or will be ridiculed for acting out of sorts.

I'm one of those guys. I've been going full on for Halloween as far back as I can remember.

Rick the Seamonster, Mike as Robin, Chris as Batman, Tim the clown, and TJ as Taco Vader, HAFB 1984

There are of course, people who do not find Halloween to be fun. I once read a study in some prestigious medical journal that found that most of those people were surprisingly not introverts - introverts relished the chance to disguise themselves and mingle with people. 

No, this study found that most of the people were either the type that just did not like to see other people having a good time ( a condition closely related to Schadenfreude, likened to envy, and commonly referred to as "Jim-Rome-with-a-stick-up-his-ass-ism"), or the perpetually bored (see also, Hipster).

Chris Long (nka Bakunas) and Joaquin Rodriguez, Halloween 1988

Halloween is that rare celebration that does not require one to celebrate a holiday of specific cultural, political or religious significance. It has become a cross-cultural, bipartisan, irreverent celebration of life in recognition of the eventual end that awaits us all. It allows us to recognize the imaginary demons we are all under siege by on a daily basis, and to thumb our collective noses at them.

Chris Long, (nka Bakunas), Halloween 1990

Halloween allows each and every one of us the opportunity to become who or what we want to be for at least one night. We can parade around as a Hero or Villain, Demon or Saint, Alien or Animal, without having to owe up to whatever physiological compulsion lies beneath the disguise. 

Nicole as the hot party chick, CRB as Marc Anthony, Shawna as Raggedy Ann, and Jerry as Steve Bartman, CBJ Halloween Party 1, 2003

Of course, Halloween also allows us to have a good time with a group of people in on the joke, everyone sharing in on the spirit of playfulness and adolescent desire to just let go.

Brad as Elvis, CRB as Gossamer, and John as Vyvan, CBJ Halloween Party 2, 2004

It has been my good fortune to have befriended people who are of a similar mind as myself when it comes to Halloween. For almost the past decade I had been privilaged to co-host a spectacular Halloween bash with two of the best friends a man could ever hope to have, Brad Bundy and John Hines (R.I.P. 1977 - 2010)

By 2005, the CBJ Halloween party was something all of our friends looked forward to.

With the help of Cara (JPH's sister), and Timmy D., we were able to transform Brad and John's house on Tennessee into Halloween party central. It was the party of the year, and it always ended with the classic question, "Okay, so what are we going to do next year?"

.CBJ Halloween Party 3, in 2005, really started to take off. This was the lower bathroom decor.

CBJ Halloween Party 4 2006: Pirate Brad, Chia Pet John, and Corpse Groom Chris

This was a party that would be talked about all year. Of course, Brad, John and I all being masters of procrastination, we did no actual planning for the dealio until a week before the last minute. Every single year we would say we were going to have our costumes ready by June, and every single year we started work on them on October 15th or so, at the earliest.

                        Cara Hines with her brother John, Halloween 2006

       CBJ Halloween Party 4 in 2006 with the Chiquita Banana lady and Holly's treasure chest 

John the slick huckster, Brad as Borat, and CRB as Young Frankenstein, CBJ Halloween Party 5, 2007

The fifth Halloween party Brad, John, Cara, Tim and I hosted, things had begun to really gel. Nearly everyone showed up in costume, and just about everyone brought food or drink to contribute to the cause. 

                              CBJ Halloween Party 5, 2007. LeAnn, Roy, Elyce, and Candy

However. the number of people attending, coupled with John and Holly becoming parents (of the beautiful Olivia), put a kabosh on a Halloween party on Tennessee Ave for 2008.

Cambria as Medusa and CRB as Spaceman Spiff, Halloween 2008

Halloween 2008, Cambria Waite hosted a fun party in Aurora. The crowd was not as large as the CBJ parties on Tennessee, but a splendid time was had by all.

Halloween 2009, back in business as the baddest Halloween party on the block

The year 2009 welcomed the return of the Halloween party to Tennessee St., bigger and better. The crowd was as well costumed as ever, and the party lasted until the wee, wee hours of the morning.

                          Chris Bakunas with Elyce, Halloween party 6, October 2009

Halloween 2010. John had been taken from us on Oct 1st. This was a celebration of his life and a memorial.

On October 1st 2010 we lost John to an impaired driver. Only after intense discussion and debate was it decided to have a Halloween party as both a memorial to John and as a celebration of his life. 

                              Britt, Leann, CRB, Elyce, Janzy and Stacy, Halloween party 7, 2010

John loved the Halloween party more than Brad and I combined, and looked forward to it more than any other night of the year. Every toast that night was a toast to John.

In 2011, the party was moved to W. Arizona Ave, A good time was had by most.

Chris Bakunas and Elyce, Halloween 2011

Last year the party was finally held at my house. So many great people showed up in great costumes, it felt like the heyday of the CBJ Halloween parties. 

Halloween 2012. An off year for Brad and Chris by anyone's measure.

This year was a down year. Between Brad's work schedule and mine, plus the vagaries of life (You know exactly what I mean, fellow sufferers of the vagaries of life), Brad, sister Pat, brother Tom, Tim, Kelly, Josh, Fred and I just spent the evening handing out candy to the young folk.

We had quite a few trick or treaters show up, more than we've had in over a decade. I liked that. For a long while it seemed like people were afraid to participate in Halloween. 

There is nothing to be afraid of on October 31st. Quite the contrary, it is the one night of the year when you should poke at Death with a sharp stick and say "Screw you, I've got at least one more day of a good life coming to me."