Take a Chance...Be Outlandish!

My little sister turned 30 on October 31st (which makes me feel old). To celebrate she had a big costume party yesterday with friends and family. We drove to Phoenix on Thursday for the party and were really excited about our costumes (or at least my costume). Brody was a Nascar driver for Halloween (because he loves Cars), so Chrystal and I decided we had to build our costume around his.

This was the first costume party I'd been to in like 10 years, but leading up to a costume party I'm always thinking that my costume is dumb or that my personality is too reserved to make anything too funny work. But just like in business you can't get a payoff without taking a chance and risking. And with costume parties it can mean putting your own comfort level at aside, just like it can with business. Here are some of my favorites costumes that required people to take a risk.

Peter Pan Gone Wrong: Tammy (my sister) as pregnant Wendy, Jon (brother-in-law) as washed up daddy-to-be Peter Pan, and Malena (niece) as Tinkerbell.
Bugsy and Trixie - My parents as gangsters
Ulysses(U.) Daman: Andy as a former junior high basketball phenom who now lives at the YMCA in Harlem. Always ready for a game! And this really didn't require Andy to move out of his comfort zone...this is pretty much how he is.
Magnum PI: Mark showing some skin
He shaved his beard and glued it to his chest to sport the signature chest hair. It was all spotty and kept falling off.
Lightening McQueen Fan Club: Lighteing McQueen (Brody), McQueen's pit crew (Chrystal), crazy trailer park trash fan (me).
The short shorts boys
I had a ton of fun because a bunch of people didn't know who I was. My parents came back from getting ready at the neighbors house when I was in the garage. I was bending down behind the car looking for something and when I stood up they had no idea who I was. My dad's first thought was, "This guy looks crazy and am I going to have to take him out." And yes I am holding a 24oz Old English '800'. I tried to drink it but it was so gross I dumped it out and filled it with apple juice. It was funny though because everyone thought I was really drinking Old English. I even went and found some beef jerky chew (had to go to three stores) so it really looked like I had tobacco in my lip (but it ended up burning my gums which was a bummer side effect). Oh, and the mustache is totally real!
And I won most popular costume and got a $25 Starbucks card. So take a chance and be outlandish...you never know.