Seasons change. People change. Offices decide not to wear their pajamas to work...

If you haven't noticed, or if you even have bothered to notice (!), we haven't been up to our normal shenanigans around here. What with our new Friday publication move, the wonderful edition of HSGametime to our print section and a little internal rearranging, it's just been too much to keep this pilot sitcom going. So like several shows before (hello Cashmere Mafia...), we are canceling our program. Or maybe we are just going on costume strike or maybe it's just a little hiatus. 

Either way, don't expect us dressed up again until Halloween. It's been real, but summer's over. Time to get busy, so to speak.

Please enjoy the photo outakes of dress up days from times before...

("memories....like the corners of my mind...")

The office is beaming with school pride today. Most of the team is wearing their college gear while Rockwall/Rowlett editor Dawn Redig and I wore high school duds. Back in the day (class of '96 to be exact) I was part of a senior spirit group and we all wore jerseys with our nicknames on the back. Mine was Squeaky. That's right. Squeaky and if you have met me, I think you know why...my voice is kind of, well, different.

Dawn wore a Rockwall-Heath t-shirt and even brought a stuffed animal of their mascot, a hawk that actually cawed when you squeezed it. Lake Highlands editor Jocelyn Delgado went all out with her Baylor foam No. 1 finger, Baylor bear, Baylor flip flops and Baylor sweats. I tell you what, those Baylor folks are fanatics! Layout/copy editor Ryan Claunch donned purple shades to represent TCU. If you look close he's making that funny hand sign thingy for "Go Frogs!" And Garland/Wylie/Sachse editor Emily Goldstein was all Mizzou. Even down to her t-shirt underneath her hoodie. Emily has decided that hand signs are overrated...Mizzou doesn't have one, which is sad because even my high school has one - our fingers spell out V-O-L for Bowie High School volunteers.

If you happen to have stumbled upon this blog post today after a hard day of work, consider this: Tomorrow is your excuse for wearing your pride on your sleeve because tomorrow is School Spirit Day. I know you teachers out there are going to have orientation and training this week. Why not have fun with it? Wear your favorite alma mater colors and/or football outfits and cheerleading duds for this week's Themed Thursday getup. And don't forget to take photos and post them in our photo gallery.

On a related note, with school in session on Monday, keep neighborsgo.com in mind that day. We will be live blogging all day over at our official blog and we would love to be able to brag about your back to school happenings.

We watch our funds around here. And that basically means that when Themed Thursday rolls around, we get resourceful. Better yet, creative because we don't like to spend money. Therefore this week's theme of TheWizard of Oz cost a total of $1 plus tax which was used to purchase Ryan Claunch's Scarecrow "costume." Who also happened to have foil that was used to wrap up Rockwall/Rowlett editor Dawn Redig as the Tin Man. Emily Goldstein, the Garland/Wylie/Sachse editor, already had a great blue dress and was of course Dorothy and I printed out a little cairn terrier that was used as Toto. By the way, can anyone spot the Horse of a Different Color?

Being the Wicked Witch was apparently a no-brainer (no offense to the Scarecrow). I already had the cape, the green eyeshadow, a normal wardrobe of all black and the demeanor...Oh, the hat was Jocelyn Delgado's -- editor of the Lake Highlands section. She was, I think, the Cowardly Lion by the looks of her curly locks, brown Baylor hoodie and red bow. We are on a budget people. Low budget.

It wasn't our usual zany fashion, but we thought it was time to dress like our boss --  Oscar Martinez, managing editor of the neighborsgo force to be reckoned with...

It was a tribute, really. Especially to his incredible knowledge and joy of music. Dawn Redig, Rockwall/Rowlett editor, loaned her extensive album collection to add to the decor of our "set." One of which happened to be an old Cars album and some Elvis Costello. The highlight: Our copy/layout editor Ryan Claunch wore a suit.

But we have found yet another dilema of Themed Thursdays: Who will take the photo? This time failed attempts led to blurry pictures. So I shot the main one and cropped one of the others just so you can see me in a tie. I can't think of the last time I wore a tie.

Part of Themed Thursdays (check our profile if you need to catch up on what that is) is being able to leave the house without everyone thinking you are nuts. This is particularly important if you are the new kid on the block like I am.

Today, of all the days in my new pad, there were neighbors chit-chatting everywhere. One of which named Mike (I forgot at the time though he remembered MY name -- I feel ya Melinda on the name tags) who walks his dog Gandalf from Lord of the Rings and some other dog I can't remember the name of. As soon as he saw me and said my name, I blurted, "It's Pirate Day at work!"

He was pretty cool though. He belted out a "Arrrrrr!" and asked where my bird was.