As seen on TV

By: Matt Frazier

Happy Halloween!  As I write this post, I’m wrapped in the blissful warmth of a Snuggie.  Yes, “The Blanket That Has Sleeves.”  Why?  Read on, my friends.

One of the girls in my new ultra-running group had a Halloween party last night.  At first I wasn’t sure if I’d go since I’ve really just met these people, but 24 trail miles and nine beers (not all at once; I’ve been on three runs/drinks with them) have a way of making you feel like you know people.   So Erin and I decided to go, but we found ourselves costume-less only a few hours before the party.

Given that it had to be cheap, quick, and easy, the options were limited, especially with the added constraint that we wanted to make it a joint costume and do something to make use of Erin’s pregnant belly.  (It’s not that big though, so we ended up augmenting it.)

We got the idea to go as Juno and Paulie from the movie Juno, and realized just how perfect it was.  Paulie is a runner; the party was with a bunch of runners and I already had plenty of running clothes.  Juno is pregnant; Erin is pregnant.  And the original theme of the party (before it got relaxed due to popular demand) was “TV and movies.”

Here they are:

And here we are:

Not terrible, huh?  At least our dog Sascha seems to like it.  Here’s another shot, this one from the party.

So what does this all have to do with a Snuggie?  Well, turns out there were prizes for the best costumes, and Erin and I won in the “couples” category.  (It didn’t hurt that there weren’t many joint costumes to compete with.)  And luckily for me, the guy who has secretly coveted the hottest invention to hit TV since the Sham-Wow, our prize was a Snuggie!  Awesomeness.

For obvious reasons to all at the party, there was no group trail run this morning.  Erin and I ran about five miles with the dogs at a trail near our house though, and tomorrow morning I’m going to do 12 miles or so with the ultra group.  I’m thinking by then, everyone but one guy should have recovered from the party.

Alright, off to battle the trick-or-treaters.  Look for a great giveaway on my blog tomorrow or Monday!