Chico State halloween: A trip down memory lane.

Let me state the obvious: tomorrow is Halloween. Here's something even more obvious: I'm getting in the spirit.

(Jeez, this is even my second blog about it.)

People who have spent time around me this time of year know I can go a little overboard for this particular holiday. I have sewn, glued and painted my way into a sequined mermaid, Queen of Hearts, Minnie Mouse, Marge Simpson and flapper costumes. I have forced friends to watch It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown. (They totally liked it.) And have truly out partied the heartiest of partiers. I'm still hungover from 1999. More on that later.

Sadly, this has all died down in the past few years. And frankly it's making me feel old. I'm in this weird in-between stage where half of my friends have kids and go trick or treating and the other half live in apartments and would rather go to a bar than throw a "house party," er, apartment party.

This year, I'm attempting to bring back some of the fun from the old days.

Of course nothing will top the impromptu party that hatched on the front lawn of my house at 812 W. First St. near the Chico State campus, yes, in 1999.

It all started with a few friends drinking Sierra Nevada before heading out into the streets. A friend arrived as a backpacker with a cylinder keg in his backpack, the tap coming around his shoulder like a camelback.

For some reason, hordes of people arrived. No joke, a guy started eating and blowing fire on the lawn. We were like, This is amazing. Then our dear friend in a Tootsie-like wig and a neon leotard with the letter "Q" on his chest (going as "Q-Man, naturally) performed an elaborate gymnastics routine on the 2nd-floor balcony for the crowd.

That was just at my little house. Heading out into the streets, my roommate, dressed as Ted Kaczynski in ridiculously bad-taste form, accidentally bumped his 6-foot-4 frame into a tiny female cop. Someone, dressed and acting as a tourist, snapped a poloroid of the collision and stuffed it into his pocket. He discovered it the next day. An entire group of students performed the Thriller dance throughout the streets. The Simpsons cruised around.

This was Chico State before they clamped down on the Halloween fun. Some of my older colleagues might have even better tales during the Pioneer Days run, which ended in the late '80s.

So this year, I'm bringing back the Halloween spirit. There will be ... well, black vodka cocktails, of course. Although I don't know where to get black vodka just yet. I'm hoping BevMo has some in stock. Possibly Mollie Stones. And there will be costumes. Can't tell you what just yet, but I will say this: all you need is love.

So be safe and stay out of jail tomorrow night, guys.