Sunday is Halloween. Saturday is the Halloween party. Matthew and I need costumes. We considered a couple’s costume (Simon and Garfunkel, etc.). It’s now T-minus seven days.

Any ideas? I don’t want to spend more than $5, maybe $10.

This is so, so wrong.

(But it’s so, so funny.)

http://www.daddydesign.com/Barney.html

I have my first official “cool” interview for the Headin’ Out page on Wednesday. It’s with Mr. Matthew Sweet, who’ll be in Omaha Nov. 4. Since Jason left, I took over the Headin’ Out page, in addition to my other duties at the paper. Turns out to be a fabulous opportunity, since I’ll get to chat with musicians, artists and the like.

Like on Friday, when I spent the afternoon at the Joslyn Art Museum. They offered a special preview for media folks of their new exhibit, “From Renaissance to Rococo: Masterpieces from the Collection of the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art.” How great! The exhibit is gorgeous, and I’d recommend it to everyone. (Read Wednesday’s Headin’ Out page for further details.)

Matthew, who joined me, loved it, too.

Ever notice that we didn’t start calling milk “white milk” until we discovered chocolate milk? Milk is only milk when it’s alone. When it’s next to chocolate milk, it’s white milk.

Hrumph.

I realized that I need the four seasons as I need chapters of a book. I need change. I need a beginning and an end. I need to be able to say, “I made it.” The four seasons allow that. The mist clings to my spectacles, indicating that fall has arrived in all her beauty, all her glory. While visiting my sister in California last week, I realized how stagnant the weather is. Sure, it’s gorgeous 95 percent of the time there. But there’s little change. There’s nothing that says, “Fall is here. Winter is here. Spring is here.” (Summer is always there.) I need to hear the crunch of the leaves underneath my Chuck Taylors. The leaves say, “You survived the summer. Something new is about to begin.” And it always does. Fall, perhaps my favorite of the four seasons, turns the page. It’s about adapting to cooler weather. We scurry indoors when the rain and cold and wind lick our faces. We venture outdoors so that we may return indoors, under fleece blankets with those we love. Here in Nebraska, we are given the opportunity to retreat night after night, embracing the cold outdoors only for a second, knowing the sweet splendor of hot cocoa, warm slippers and fiery furnaces.

There’s fog settling in right now. It is breathtaking to watch it slowly creep atop the city, ushering in a night of calm for some, turmoil for others. But under that blanket of Mother Nature is a serenity that, tomorrow, will still be fall. Almost as if we’re on a schedule, knowing we have few days until winter begins.

And then it starts, all over again.

Ted Kooser will be at UNO next Wednesday.

The details.

Today was one of those days where I drank in everything that is fall in Omaha. Driving around town, having lunch in the Old Market, was gorgeous. It was cloudy, so the changing leaves didn’t compete with a brilliant blue sky. I wore my orange wool coat from the Gap for the first time this season. (Lovely.) It was chilly, too. Sweaters make me smile, as do vanilla steamers from the 13th Street Coffee House, be it in Omaha or Bellevue. (Sigh.) They make me feel so warm and toasty inside.

Then there’s Frank the Cat, who’s acting crazy tonight. Could be the weather. Could be his kitten-y ways.

Fall is here. Now, come give me a hug.

My last full day here in California was lovely, as were the previous days. After a quick stop at Target, Katie and I drove to Huntington Beach. The weather was perfect as we walked along the boardwalk, lazily strolling in and out of the stores. Lunch was at the Sugar Shack, this great little diner. I had fresh fruit and an egg salad sandwich. Delicious.

We then walked along the pier, which juts out into the Pacific Ocean. That’s where I took this, my only photo from Sunday.

My flight leaves today around 2. I arrive in Omaha shortly after 9 tonight. As much fun as I’ve had here, it’ll be good to be back on N Street. I miss Matthew and Frank the Cat :-)

While Wendy is away, Matthew turns Frank the Cat into an alcoholic. At least he’s drinking good beer and not something awful like Bud Light or Busch Light. Ugh.

I can’t believe tomorrow is my last full day here. My trip went by fast. Katie surprised me with a manicure this morning! We were planning to see Conor Oberst, M. Ward and Jim James (of My Morning Jacket) Thursday night in L.A., but the tickets sold out. In lieu of the concert, Katie got me pretty nails. How sweet of her :-) While I was getting my nails done, Katie had her eyebrows waxed. Oo, la, la.

After our beauty visit, we drove to Hollywood where we made a stop at Amoeba Music, this fantastic independent music score. It’s two stories of music, and probably the largest music store I’ve been in. Even though I very rarely purchase CDs, I picked up The Faint’s “Wet From Birth.” It’s a delicious album. (Matthew and I saw The Faint play Sokol a few weeks ago, by the way. A great, great, great show.)

I also managed to take two photos of iPod billboards I saw around Hollywood this morning.

We left Hollywood and drove to Santa Monica, where we had lunch and did more shopping. Then, it was off to Henry’s Marketplace (again! yea!) for groceries. Tonight, we’re grilling salmon and catfish. I can’t wait. We may go for coffee after dinner.