A Squarepants Halloween

I LOVE Halloween. If I had the time and money I'd be like Heidi Klum when it comes to costumes. Needless to say it's been a while since I've dressed up (Sara, Hali and I dressed up as Alvin and the Chipmunks in nursing school but before that it had been a while). I was invited to a friend/coworker's halloween party on Saturday (10/28) and I was excited! I also love Spongebob and thought there would be no cuter couple's halloween outfit for Austin and me, than Spongebob and Patrick.

I went searching and on amazon for all the things I would need for the costumes. Austin was going as Spongebob and I was going as Patrick so I went on online and got to shopping (I swear I spent a small fortune on building these outfits).

Amazon had pretty much everything I needed so I bought Spongebob's white shirt (I went with long sleeves since I thought it was going to be cold, it was not lol), red tie, and socks. I tried to get his Krusty Krab work hat but I couldn't find it anywhere (😢) so I had to buy a plain white hat and get to painting (IMO the hat turned out GREAT). I also bought a net and a spatula (I wanted to get some stuffed jellyfish to go in the net but I didn't think about that in time, but they did come a day late and i will keep them because I kinda want to go as Spongebob and Patrick again 😅).

My entire Patrick outfit came from Amazon besides the boots and jellyfish earrings. I went with the Patrick from the Spongebob movie (you know, the one with the fishnets and boots).

I bought a pink one piece suit, a green skirt (that I had to paint the purple flowers onto, it was a lot more time consuming than I thought it was going to be), fishnet stockings, a pink wig, a "Krabby Patty" purse, jellyfish earrings (I also bought some pickle earrings inspired by a specific SBSP episode, they're so cute!), and a stuffed Gary the Snail. I found a picture of "Patrick" inspired makeup and got to work (It was funny because Austin literally put his clothes on and he was done with his outfit. It took him all of about 5 minutes. It took me 2 1/2 hours 😑).

I finished getting ready and we were almost ready to go. Austin grabs my phone to get directions and sees the message from my friend Taylor saying she's sick and not sure how long she will be at the party (it's in Alpharetta which is almost and hour and forty-five minutes away). At this point we're all dressed up in costume (it took me 2 1/2 hours of my life that I'll never get back) and I'm super proud of them both, we were going somewhere.

I get the wild idea that we could go to Atlanta to a club/bar crawl and show off our costumes there. (For those of you who don't know Austin he is quite a shy individual. He had a month to mentally prepare for just my friend's party of which there were only suppose to be about 16 people, and now I'm springing on him last minute about wanting to go to ATL where there is sure to be hundreds of people if not more. Needless to say his anxiety level went from 0 to 1,000; and me being the self-centered shit I am, I didn't even think about that, I was just thinking of showing off our costumes).

So he doesn't want to go and I do and now I'm in a bad mood, but I make the executive decision that we won't go to Alpharetta or ATL, that we'll just go eat in Blue Ridge and go to a few places up here to show off my hard work (I think I was also hangry because after I ate I felt better and seemed to have more logical thinking). I realized despite his anxiety being the main reason he didn't want to go, Austin was right for other reasons too. It was a 4 hour drive round trip, 6 - 8 hours total (drive included if we spent 2-4 hours down there), we didn't account for the dogs if we were to be gone that long, if we both drank we'd need somewhere to stay (since it was last minute we didn't have a hotel), the parking was sure to be god-awful, anyway the list goes on.

After I ate and had time to think about it I realized he was right. He apologized for "being the way he is" (regarding his anxiety among large groups of people) and told me he didn't want me to go without him and my heart broke. I made him feel like this and I felt like shit for it (as I should have). I can't recall apologizing (I really hope I did) but I remember telling him that he didn't need to apologize to me about anything and that I loved him and that I would never go without him.

We finished eating and drive to McCaysville to a music venue that was hosting a band and a costume contest. We get there and it's dead and I'm *disappointed* (as much as I'd like to think I'm a good actor there was no hiding the look on my face). So Austin being the sweetest man alive finds somewhere else for us to try. We drive about 10 minutes farther to a bar and their contest is about over so I tell him to just go back to Tooney's (the music venue). Even more disappointed now, we get back there and get parked and I'm just trying to gather the mental strength to get out of the car and go inside because at this point I'm disappointed and sad and just overall, over it (I'm literally the biggest baby, I don't know how Austin puts up with me).

Then I realize, as much as I want recognition and attention for our costumes, I don't need it. I'm grateful to have an amazing man that will LITERALLY do anything (including make himself uncomfortable) just to make me happy. I also realized that instead of being sad/grumpy about not going to a big Halloween shin-dig that I can be happy just being present and spending time with Austin (and if I'm being honest the appreciation he had for our costumes was enough to fill a stadium, he's 1000% my hype man).

As we're talking about it and both tearing up, we completely change emotions and find something (I don't recall what) to laugh about (he is literally my best friend y'all). We get inside and after having changed my thought process about the whole situation, I was genuinely happy. I was no longer thinking about anything other than having a good Halloween with my best friend. We had a beer, we laughed, we danced; and even though there weren't many people there we got lots of compliments and also made it in the top 10 costumes of their halloween contest (we would've won if there wasn't a bunch of people there who didn't know who TF Spongebob and Patrick were, crazy 😂). Over all we had a really good time and honestly I'm glad we didn't go to Atlanta (I swear I've never felt more old in my 32 years of living 🤣). I was tired and yawning by 10:30 and my feet were killing me. (Don't worry I made sure to tell Austin he was right and that it was a good thing we didn't go lol).

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Shortly after we got home I got to thinking about the best description of what Austin means to me and what he does for me. It took a while but it finally came to me (this is some extra cheesy pizza right here 🍕). I realized that I am a ship and he is my anchor and my helm. Without him I would be forever drifting haphazardly into the ocean with no direction and no way to stop; but with him, I'm able to stay on course through life's journey and steady during life's storms. I know, I know it sounds corny but it's true. But never have I ever felt like two people were more made for each other than he and I...I'll make another post regarding how we met later on.

Morals of today's story:

• NEVER make someone feel bad for being themselves, and if you accidentally do, apologize and make sure they know they are perfect just the way they are.

• Dress in that crazy, goofy costume; people will judge you whether you do or don't, so you might as well do.

• Make sure you add up the cost of the items in your online shopping cart before you check out so it won't be a surprise when you spend $300 on halloween outfit stuff. 😵‍💫

• Find someone that you can be yourself around and when you do love and protect that person with your whole heart.

• Don't sweat the small stuff. It's not that serious sis.

• Girl, if you're over 30....you know good and damn well you can't hang like you could in your 20s. Go home, throw on some comfy PJs, put on a face mask (you know your dry ass skin needs it), wrap yourself in a warm blanket and curl up on the couch and watch a movie or read a book. You'll be much happier there than at any club, I can assure you.
  

Thanks for reading. Follow along and grow with me.

-CJ