WE DID IT!!! All Hallows Ball 2009

Wayne has been attempting a prize for 16 years and this was the year! And what a time it was! More pictures and details to follow. This year's All Hallows Masquerade Ball was held at the Tampa Convention Center.

Round 1 - We Won!

Suncoast Squares had our monthly pot luck supper last night. We also had a costume contest, so we tested the waters with our costumes that we're wearing to the All Hallow's Ball on Halloween. Wayne put the costumes together and designed and constructed a working candy conveyor belt!

We had a great selection of food! Oink! Oink!

Wayne made chocolate trifle.

I slaved over a cauldron of gourmet candy corn.

The contestants in the contest.

The winners!!! On Saturday night we will have an addition: Howard will be the supervisor who yells, "Speed it up!"

Countdown to Halloween

The week has arrived! Gonna be a busy one! Tuesday night is our monthly pot luck dinner at Square Dancing. Costume contest too! Ours are ready!

This shot was taken on the block next to my apartment building. Looks kind of like a "gateway". My neighborhood ( "Old NE" ) is having the First Annual Scanvenger Hunt on Friday night. But, I'm going to be going to dinner with Wayne and Greg and Howard, to celebrate Howard's birthday. I'll be missing Mia and Gina this year!

On Friday we're dressing up at work. Not sure what I'm going to wear yet.

On Saturday night, we're going to the All Hallows Ball, being held at the Tampa Convention Center. This year's theme is "Candy Shoppe". Our costumes are all ready!

Publix has a limited edition new flavor out: Chocolate Cookie Quarry. And boy is it good! I could just sit down and eat the whole half gallon, just like Aunt Mary taught us to!

This shot is one of the front yards of a house on the block behind me.

Sparatacus

Wayne goes Greek. Boy that phyllo dough is thin!!!
A lot of work, but well worth it! Spanakopita! Opah!

A Greek side salad . . .

And another YUMMY keeper!

Florida Orchestra Pops in the Park (Vinoy Park)

Saturday night the Florida Orchestra had their Pops in the Park Concert in Vinoy Park in downtown St. Petersburg. Last week we were having record high temperatures, and these past few days we have been having record lows!

Since we were bringing a picnic and the beach chairs, we drove part way there. It draws big crowds, so we were about half the distance from my apartment to the park.

We arrived around 6:00 pm for the 7:00 pm concert. We scouted out a parking space for our chairs, not too far from the stage. The park was filling fast.

Our "neighbors" took this picture of us. The food is actually their spread. It was more photogenic than ours!

The concert was excellent and the sound system was great!

I took this video of the orchestra finale (The 1812 Overture, what else?). Afterwards we packed up our stuff and were heading back towards the car. We had thought that the fireworks were over, but they kept going!



I caught this finale, and without thinking, (Duh!) I turned the camera on end, forgetting that I was taking a video. So, to fully enjoy, turn your computer on it's side to view. :-)

Saturday Morning in St Pete

'Tis the season once again: the Saturday Morning Market has returned to downtown St. Pete. For the first time, during the summer, it moved to inside the parking garage next door at the Progress Energy Park. Because of work, I hadn't made it down to the market while it was there.

Now it is back in full swing. Because of the Columbus Day Weekend, I was off on Saturday morning, so we decided to check it out.

This is the new 'O' sign at the Ovation condo.

Checking out the produce tents.

A new vendor this year. We decided on a knish!

I had the spanakopita and Wayne had a potato cheddar. I felt like I was in Brooklyn. Well, except for the 90 degree heat.

A variety of pastas

Reflections in the 'O'

Caught on the surveillance
tape . . .