Never say I'm such a dork that I can't hit a curve ball when it's pitched to me. No pasta with golden fennel for us last night. It's time for the Second Annual SOBO Pumpkin Carving Extravaganza.

For sustenance you start with Chinese food. I'm not sure how it happened, but Neel and I ended up with all the leftovers and didn't manage to pay for a thing. Because we're having rain (!), we moved the festivities into Tyler and
Catherine's Garage-Mahal. It was the perfect fall night. Cool and
windy with water dripping from the trees.

It's hard to be patient while the grown-ups sit and eat and talk, and pretty soon Callum was urging us towards the pumpkins. Jean, Paul, Zack and Mack couldn't join us this year (we missed you guys, but fully anticipate your presence at Halloween), and Callum felt keenly the responsibility that comes with being the only kid on the premises. It's. time. to. start. carving.

Rebecca spends some time thinking about her design,

but guest-carver Ryan dives right in on his first pumpkin ever.

Neel goes at our pumpkins with the precision of any good scientist. And you know, I tried to figure why I didn't get many shots of Tyler, but I think I was mostly taking action shots. Tyler, Catherine and I did a lot of supervising. Those are Tyler's legs behind Neel. He's getting something for Rebecca to make some freckles on her pumpkin. I'm telling myself that it's not based on me.

Callum has to inspect everybody's work. Here they are, all lined up together. Like neighbors.

My favorite part comes later, after all of the carving is done. Pumpkin-seed time. My spices vary from year to year and I never know exactly what I seasoned the seeds with the year before, but this year's batch was particularly good. Garlic salt for the base with a pinch on cayenne, some cumin and the smallest dash of some cinnamon. Toasted at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes for the perfect midnight snack.

Boo.