I have a really hard time deciding what my favorite TV show is since I watch so many great ones. People ask me all the time and I can never give them a straight answer.  I end up trying to rattle off all the shows I watch, which is a long, long list and then they look at me like I really am a TV junkie. Because, let’s face it, I am. I do know though without a doubt that The Walking Dead is on my top five list.

I’ve never been a huge horror fan. I used to be braver when I was younger and hit all the haunted houses during Halloween and watched most horror flicks. The older I’ve gotten, the more skittish of horror happenings I’ve become. So a show like this you wouldn’t think would be a favorite. It’s so much more than a show about zombies though. Don’t get me wrong, the zombies are awesome – they are beyond believable. But it’s the personal stories and the struggle of this group of people fighting to survive in this new world that keeps me coming back for more.

Sunday night’s Season 7 premiere was probably the best episode the show has ever aired. That’s just my humble opinion. It also could have been the adrenaline rush of waiting since April to see who of all the beloved characters faced their bitter demise with the help of Negan and Lucille. And then to find out that it wasn’t just one but two main characters was brutal. I cried like I lost a couple of loved ones in a surprise car accident or plane crash. My husband and daughter kept laughing at how emotional I was. But I’ve lived with these characters for a long time and it was terrible to see them meet their end in such a gory, gory way.

Through all the tears though, I appreciated the craziness that is Negan. He is quite possibly the most evil villain, ever, to appear on TV. Zero remorse. And Jeffrey Dean Morgan is portraying the character exactly as everyone had hoped.

I don’t read the comic books but my husband does. He’s been telling me about this heinous character for years and that he would eventually show up. When we’d heard he would finally be on the show, we were giddy with excitement. Or at least I was – my husband doesn’t get giddy. He was still looking forward to seeing him finally appear and the chaos he would ensue.

As I sat bawling my eyes out and then watched The Talking Dead right after the episode to reminisce with the cast of the show, I thought back to the first season and my very first encounter with the show.

It was July 2010 and my husband and I were at our third Comic Con in San Diego. The conference progressively has gotten more and more crazy crowded as the years have gone on, making it virtually impossible to see much more than one room’s programs a day, especially if you want to get into the big hall, Hall H. You just sit, stay and watch the whole day’s schedule because if you leave, someone else is dying to take your seat.

In 2010, we could still jump rooms and see lots of different panels, both TV and movies. We were big Lost fans and one of the characters, Jin, played by Daniel Dae Kim, was in a new re-boot of Hawaii 5-O. We were excited to see it. Both my husband and I had seen the original series when we were kids so it was very nostalgic it was coming back. And to have one of our favorite Lost actors in it was a big plus. We camped out in the small room to see the panel and after hearing the actors and seeing the clips they brought with them to tease the upcoming new show, we were satisfied and ready to move on to our next destination that day. A bunch of people were staying in the room though and others were pushing their way in to find any possible empty seats. I went to get up and the guy next to me said, “Are you really leaving?” I told him yes and that we were on our way to the movie room, Hall H, for whatever the rest of the day had on the schedule. I don’t remember. I just know it was something we wanted to see. He shook his head and said there was a great new zombie show panel coming up based on a popular comic book.

“Zombies?” I questioned.

“Yes, it’s great! You should stay!” I thanked him for the information and we left anyway.

We got home after the long weekend and I started seeing commercials about a month later for this new show on AMC called The Walking Dead. I figured it had to be the show the guy was talking about. But on AMC? It couldn’t be any good – it wasn’t HBO or Showtime. Although the network did birth both Breaking Bad and Mad Men so it was worth a shot. But zombies? Really? I was intrigued enough though to watch and I’ve never regretted my decision since the show premiered on Halloween night 2010. I do regret that I didn’t stick around that day for their first ever Comic Con panel. And to think I was there for Hawaii 5-O which turned out to suck. Sorry if you’re reading this and you’re a fan but it just wasn’t great. I had to cut it from my TV list after a few episodes. The Walking Dead however has kept my attention for seven seasons and I can hardly wait for every Sunday to roll around.

Here’s to Glenn and Abraham! Thank you for being such great actors – so great in fact that I felt like you were part of my life and that I was attending your funerals. You will be missed but revenge is a dish best served cold. Rick and family are coming for you, Negan, no matter how long it takes.

I have a confession to make. I’ve been a lazy ass once again and have not kept my promise to myself and others. It’s been many, many moons since I’ve posted on my blog. But, I was recently inspired to get back into the swing of things and write again. Thanks to my girl Nikki for the motivation!

Now that I’ve gotten that off my chest, it’s time to get down to the business at hand – Halloween! It’s the most glorious holiday.  Yes, I said it – even better than Thanksgiving or Christmas. Don’t get me wrong – I love turkey dinner and presents but Halloween is a night to be someone you’re not. To be creative and eat lots of candy. And pumpkins! Everything pumpkin. It’s really the kick off of the fall season with so many awesome events and great sweet treats. And the decorations! For a shopaholic like me, it’s the perfect time to stock up on even more spooky treasures. And I Halloween-ize everything that’s standing. Our yard and house are the best on the street, to the point where people take photos with our yard decorations. That’s just how fun it is.

I’m basically the Griswold of Halloween. (My hubby is really the true Griswold since Christmas is his obsession.) It started at an early age and almost 39 years later it’s only amplified with time. I learned from the best, my mom. She has always been the ultimate holiday-decorator and costume-maker. That’s where I fall down. Since leaving home for college back in 1996, I haven’t really made a costume since. I became a store-bought kind of gal. For years my mom would spend all her waking hours making my costumes. The one that she would likely say was the toughest and where she wanted to throw in the towel was the year I wanted to be Tweety Bird. I think I was in preschool and I never missed a chance to watch The Looney Tunes. So she got to work on creating my fluffy yellow costume, complete with aqua blue eyes. It was head to toe awesome but I do recall at some point in the process, when she was giving her sewing machine the finger, that she asked my dad to just take me somewhere, away from the house, as she held back Niagara Falls-level tears. The costume came out great and you would have never known it gave her so much trouble.

Another year I was a much simpler bunch of purple grapes. A purple leotard, purple tights, purple make-up and purple balloons made for a much easier costume.  And I even won for my grade that year at the costume contest. I won most year’s BTW – that’s how excellent my costumes where and it was all because of my mom’s handy-work.

Another memorable costume was 8th grade’s choice – the Statue of Liberty. I have always been a huge fan of Lady Liberty. We dyed a bed sheet light green, made a crown and a tablet, got some sandals, and painted my hair and face green. I was sort of Hulk/Jolly Green Giant green for a few days afterwards. That color really sticks, especially back in the early 90s.

I was also a mouse in a wedge of cheese one year. The wedge of cheese (complete with holes in it) was  made out of cardboard and spray-painted yellow. The mouse was easy – ears and a tail, along with a nose and whiskers.

Our neighbors always loved to see what we’d come up with each year, as I went door-to-door, trick or treating. Lots of great memories made.

In the last few years, I’ve continued to dress up but gotten lazier and lazier about my costume choices. I’m definitely more focused on making sure Syd has something good now. I haven’t even figured out what this year’s get-up will be. But I will – I always do and won’t just wear a Halloween-themed shirt. That’s for my hubby. 🙂