And a spooky time was had by all

Halloweeen was held in Santa Monica this year, on those lovely tree-lined streets between the Brentwood Country Mart and the sea, where children come in like a river to receive candy.  I'm a wee bit of a stick in the mud when it comes to Halloween. Commercial. Blah blah. Hideous orange color. Blah blah. But I dutifully donned a long black wig I found at the bottom of the dress up box, some white jeans, some brown Kurt Geiger boots of my mother's I stole from her attic in the summer, a white shirt, a triple string of pearls, lipgloss and a brown puffa waistcoat, and I went as a friend of the Salahis.

Wherein I play an extra from "Christiane F."

 I couldn't understand why the Maharishi wasn't more excited about my idea for him -- grabbing a fern under each arm and going as Zach Galafianakis, but later discovered that he hadn't watched the talk show.

Our friends have the good fortune on living only two houses down from a huge and elaborate haunted house, full of ghosties and ghouls and horrible cackling Halloween clowns, a haunted pirate ship and all kinds of wondrousness. My pictures don't do it justice.

A rather elegant gentleman in a sombrero

Ghostly child on Pirate Ship

The Spooky House

Klown on Acid

Highlight of the evening was a smoky paella made by my friend Chris, inspired by Jose Andres, made in a pan as big as a tire, for the swarm of people who filtered into the house, if they dared dodge the monster tarantula that guarded the front door and swooped down on unsuspecting victims.

Rockstar paella with Andrea, Sarah & Zach Galafianakis