A Farmer and a Bug walk into a (not so) bar.

When I worked at the nursing home we used to dress up for all sorts of occasions. I was usually front and center and completely on board with all of it, because I love dressing up in costumes. Honestly, if it weren't for my crippling, fear induced, stage fright I assume that I would've went out to be a drama major, that's how much I love dressing up (in costumes).

For the first couple of years (you know, before the buttheads took over) we dressed up for something at least once a month. Halloween? Anything was game. Christmas? Hello, Mrs. Clause. When March rolled around I was a crazy haired leprechaun. Also, the Easter Bunny, Cupid, a Zombie, Dorothy (Wizard of Oz), a Fairy, Laura Ingalls and a myriad of other things. And I do mean a lot of things. We used to make most of our costumes (hello, being broke) and our little patients seemed to enjoy those the most. And none more so than this one:

Yes, you are seeing that correctly. Your eyes are not deceiving you. That's my buddy Ash and me at our old nursing station, taking a break just long enough to sign off on our paperwork and for Charlie to snap a picture. In our first homemade Halloween costumes since we had started there. She of course wore her bibs and straw hat. Can you guess what she is? If you guessed Farmer then you would be right. Now, can you guess what I am? I'll give you a hint. I'm in pajamas and I have a set of homemade antennas on my head. Are you confused? In case you are, I'll let you know, I'm a.....

Bed Bug. 

That's right, a bed bug. We were trying to come up with costumes one night and I had heard something on the radio about a bed bug outbreak. While I would never want to be involved in something like that (heebee jeebees), I thought that it might be a cute idea. It must have been, because everyone laughed and high-fived me and the patients loved it. Even a few years later some of them would ask me about that costume and chuckle. They would insist that we dress up more often and it would make them smile from ear to ear. And you know what? Worth it.