Maybe it's the end of Daylight Savings Time, or maybe it's not being able to ride very much, but I get awfully confused about now.
And those holidays drive me nuts!  I always get Halloween and Christmas confused.  Must be because I'm a math nerd, and

OCT 31 = DEC 25

(If you're a math nerd, you'll understand!)
(If you're not, the folks here will explain, and if they can't I will --
 eventually   )

Well, it is that time of year again!

Maybe I'm reading too much into it here. Is it base 8 (Oct) vs. base 10 (Dec)?

Exactly!  Remember -- base 8 (OCTal) is just like base 10 (DECimal) if you don't use your thumbs!

OCT 31 = DEC 25
Because there is 3 in the eights place and one in the one's place
And there's 2 in the tens place and five in the one's place

Putting it all in decimal:
(3X8)+1 = (2X10)+5

Or, to put it all in the same base, we can go binary:

Octal 31 is still (3X8)+1
(0011 X 0100) + 0001 =  (1100) + 0001  (Multiplying by 100 shifts
                                                                 things over two places)
                                 =   1101
                                 =   1000 +  0100 + 0000  + 0001  (Place values)
                                 =   1000 + (0010 + 0010) + 0001 (4+4=8)  
                                 =  (1000 +  0010)+(0010  + 0001)
                                 =         1010        +        0011
Going to Decimal         =      (16+4)         +      (4+1)
                                 =         20             +        5
                                 =                      25    

Any questions???