Breathing Easy

I have just finalized my Halloween costume for 2005. It was a close call, as I had nothing planned until a half hour ago, no real group theme, and was basically saved by discount costumes on sale at Safeway. I won't give away my costume yet (tune in next week for more), but I will give you a hint -- it's inflatable!

Halloween in San Francisco is a huge deal. This being largely a godless, pagan city bursting with creativity, the costumes are really on another level. San Franciscans really enjoy any excuse to dress up in stupid costumes, which is why Bay to Breakers is so popular and everybody leaves town for Christmas. In fact, here's how I rank the fun level of holidays in San Francisco -- note the relationship between costumes and popularity:

1. Bay to Breakers. Pretty much a party to-go, with shopping carts bearing kegs and nasty naked men and trout who run the race backward (running upstream) and a whole posse of Elvises. Incredible. The whole city is covered at speeds ranging from a full-out run to a light stroll -- definitely the most San Francisco-specific event there is. Starts early (7:30 am), but worth it. I averaged just over one mile per hour last year. Hey, there are hills.

2. Halloween. 500,000 people flood the Castro with eye-popping costumes. Major streets are shut off; creativity explodes. Two years ago, a working chainsaw was confiscated at the gates....

3. Almost everything else. (Get out of town!)

4. The Fourth of July. (Not much patriotism, fog hides fireworks, no space to BBQ, etc).