From balloons to boos and the businesses in between

Last week, our cover story was about the different businesses that benefit from the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta.

This week, we're doing the same thing with the businesses of Halloween.

We talked to the Albuquerque Little Theatre, which for the first time is renting out its vast collection of costumes. There's also candy stores that are gearing up for the holidays and troupes forming haunted houses for the month. There are high-end seamstresses who make costumes by hand for those who are willing to pay.

I'm quite nostalgic about Halloween.

When I was growing up, Halloween was the only day of the year when I could have a sleepover on a school night. A group of guy friends and I would all gather at my house. A girl classmate who was my neighbor would have a group of girls over, and we'd meet up and go trick-or-treating together and watch a scary movie together in my basement.

The weeks leading up to Halloween bring a chill in the air. It's the perfect time to grab a warm drink and a blanket and curl up with a scary movie or a football game.

Growing older, Halloween in high school means haunted houses. When you go to college and beyond, Halloween turns into a party and adults act a little juvenile.

A few years ago, a group of friends and I pulled off what I think was one of the best group costumes of all time: My friends and I were all different Tom Cruise movie characters.

There was a fighter pilot costume for "Top Gun." A bald friend was Tom Cruise's character from "Tropic Thunder." A wild friend with long hair was Tom Cruise of "Rock of Ages." One of my friend's rented a wheelchair and was "Born on the Fourth of July" Tom Cruise and there was, of course, "Risky Business" Tom Cruise with a dress shirt and underwear.

Feel free to take the idea and morph it into your own. I would also recommend "Days of Thunder," "The Color of Money," "A Few Good Men" and "The Last Samurai" for additional great Tom Cruise costumes.

So please enjoy our cover story and reflect on your favorite Halloween memories.

And for those of you who are working at thrift stores or haunted houses or renting us nice costumes, thanks for your work.