Pumpkins

So !!! Bailey and I and two of his human cousins went to Petsmart this weekend to participate in their Halloween event. Our plan was to get to the event, leave before a certain time so we could get home to see the San Francisco Giants play the Phillies in game 6 of the NLCS (in philly), with giants leading the series 3-2, and only needing to win 1 more game in the next two to advance to the World Series. Well, first of all, the weather was horrible in SF this weekend. It was rainy, showery, misty, and well, just plain wet. So… I held off putting bailey’s costume on for the costume contest until we got into the store. Anna, one of bailey’s cousins – agreed to wear the monkey costume I purchased (took a few hours to convince her)!!! Who could say no to a kid in a monkey costume holding a corgi dressed up as a banana? Well, Petsmart did. Let me tell you the story. So…… with our experience in the last three Halloweens at Petsmart (Bailey was a Pirate the first year – see this post), and was a Banana last year (monkey-less) and came in third place– see this post, and  well this year…. Ok I’ll get there.

 So, we scoped out some of the competition before heading to the restroom to change into our costumes (Bailey into his banana, and Anna into her monkey). Saw a few bumblebees, a turtle, a banana split, a submarine, a flying monkey, a hot dog, etc. All the dogs were in costume. We were the only ones who showed up with a matching human! We walked out and surely enough, there were lots of ooohhss and aaaahs. The order to the event was 1. Photos, 2. Parade around the store and 3. Costume contest. These three things were scheduled to happen in a 2 hour time frame. 3-330 for photos and the rest of the time for the parade and contest. Well. To sum it short, it was more like 3-4:15 photos and 4:15-4:30 was the parade and contest. We arrived at 2:30 so waited nearly and hour and a half for them to wrap up pictures. The store was soooo unorganized and had four trainers manning the photos, and no one cared to announce to the crowd about when the parade and contest was going to start, so we just all sat around, bored. We found a ledge to sit on, and got some cute photos of bailey and anna, and bailey nearly went to sleep on the concrete floor. When it came time for the parade, we walked around the store, stopped 3 times for owners to clean up after their dogs, while the petsmart folks took pictures of their own dogs walking the parade line, instead of the customers’ dogs. Jeez that’s really cool. So, at the end of the parade, there was an announcement…. “The contest winners are….”… WAIT WAIT WAIT. WHAT?? The contest?? Its over??!?!? When did we vote?!?!?! Anyways, apparently they already prejudged and picked out the two winners before the parade started. A yorkie wearing a flying monkey suit won first and well, a large brown poodle wearing a banana split costume won second. We were shocked.

So was my poor cousin Anna who was walking around in a monkey suit for 2 hours.. let alone bailey wearing a slightly embarrassing banana suit for 2 hours as well… hahha. Anywhoo, it also appears that the store was under new management since last year, and the new manager walked by and didn’t even say hi to any dogs or people. Last year, the voting was made by the public. They had a runway sorta thing, and every pet walked down the runway and votes were casted based on level of applause. Highest applauses moved on in the contest, Top 10, Top 5, Top 3. It’s generally more fair (unless you bring your 10 person family) hahah. But, I wished they had done it this year. Instead, they left it to the non-social Petsmart training staff. I love pet events, but I wish that of all places, a large retail pet store would be much more organized and considerate! Come on!!!!! I realize I just may be overreacting and just bias (of course I am bias), but to give 2^nd place to a large poodle in a store bought banana split costume over a banana corgi WITH a human monkey is just unbelievable. I was so bothered I didn’t even take pictures of them…. But we’re over it, although my cousins’ still asking about me emailing Petsmart and complaining. haha

Onto another topic.. we  went home and enjoyed seeing the Giants win! World Series here they come! Tickets are averaging a few thousand dollars.. and .. well.. Bailey wanted to take me but he doesn’t have enough money in his piggy bank. Maybe next year.

But HOORAY.. we're going to the World Series!!!!!!

Now onto pumpkin carving. This is the first year I’ve ever bought a pumpkin. Okay. Yes. Strange…. Hahah but yes just don’t ask. First time I bought a pumpkin: 2010…. My first purchase would’ve been last year… except last year we saved a pumpkin that fell off a truck and it was lying in the middle of the road. I was taking an afternoon walk with bailey and he started barking at it, so we took it home (ok that’s not why I took it home, but I felt like .. “what the heck is a pumpkin doing in the middle of the street in San Francisco???”). It’s head was cracked open, but still worth saving. We carved him, and named him Jack. Jack didn’t live too long, but Bailey and I were happy to have saved him for at least a few more weeks. I know, I’m weird. Haha.

While I had the cousins over, we decided to carve the pumpkin I bought last week at the supermarket. I cut off a top, and I let the two kids gauge the innerds out. Boy they thought that was the coolest thing ever and even smeared it all over their arms thinking it was some exfoliating treatment. I think kids just like how goopy and slimy it feels. Interesting. Bailey didn’t want to miss out on the action, so he started eating some of the innerds, and I had to shoo him away for fear… well I believe pumpkin seeds are toxic to dogs? Not sure but better safe than sorry. Anyways, I carved a regular jack-o-lantern face on one side… and Anna came up with a good idea to carve a corgi on the other. I decided to free hand it, not knowing how it would turn out, but it actually turned out pretty good, except I wish I had carved it bigger. =) Bailey thought it was pretty neat, so we dressed him up in his banana suit and got some pictures of him with the carved pumpkin. I read online for some tips on preserving the pumpkin.. and they recommended a bleach based solution, so I took out my bleach cleaner and went outside and sprayed the entire thing with bleach cleaner and now its on the front stairway/entry area next to the Happy Halloween sign. We’re officially ready to celebrate. Bailey LOVED trick or treating last year (with the cousins of course, that would just be plain crazy if I just took him hahahahahah!!!), so we’re excited again to go this year. Two houses last year even came out with dog biscuits when they saw him, but bailey has a thing about wanting to be the first one up to the door and he almost acts like a robber in a sense he tries to make a mad dash into the persons house.. ahem. Oops. Just kidding.

So, if we don’t get around to posting again until after Halloween, I hope everyone has a safe and fun weekend!

Oh and I liked this profile shot of bailey I got at the dog park! sooo handsome!