Today was the Information Services Halloween Party. The challenge was made between the Administrative Technology Services group and the Help Desk group as to who would win the costume and pumpkin carving contest (Kelley's very good at making challenges).
Early in the week we gathered together in Blair and Scott's office to try and work out our plans. The first round of thinking was to be the Village People. I am happy to report we changed our minds. Other concepts were discussed, but Kelley mentioned how easy it would be to convert some sweatshirts into spider costumes. More discussion followed, and we decided to pursue the insect concept, with one significant addition: we would be bugs. Software bugs. Banner software bugs.
Wednesday we had our weekly meeting, but instead of updating each other on the week's projects, we constructed our costumes. Kelley brought her sewing machine, which she apparently received from a gracious realtor. About half of us had additional arms created and sewn on. Others chose other directions.
I decided to be a bee. I had hair band with yellow pipe cleaners for antennae, with little black puffs at the end of each. I had bug eyes to tape to my glasses. Thursday night Jean helped me put about 80 feet of yellow electrical tape on my black sweatshirt. I wore a sign, "Banner Defect #10601, Back from Triage" (this is a bug I "discovered" that has delayed a much-desired web project).
Since I work in a different building, I wore my civilian clothes in this morning. But Lee and Kelley showed up around 10 AM, and I switched into my bee suit. After greeting some of my pals in Accounting I walked with Lee and Kelley to the Bursar's Office and then over to Jepson.
The Help Desk team chose to be the football players of the living dead. I'm not sure who they convinced to loan them all those spider football jerseys, but it looked pretty good. Telecommunications came as the Village People (making me doubly relieved that we changed our minds). We had two judges (who will remain nameless) come by and judge the costumes and the pumpkins.
While our pumpkin didn't earn any awards, the Banner Bugs won the costume contest. We got this neat remote controlled truck, which Louie proceeded to race against Holly's (Holly won the pumpkin contest). Turns out whichever remote is activated first controls both trucks. Holly smashed our truck into the hallway and crossed the finish line while Louie struggled to regain control.
A good time was had by all.
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© 1998 Kevin J.T. Creamer