# Happy (slow year this year) Halloween...



## sjc (Oct 29, 2008)

I only got about 15 kids...it is ten til 9 and I bought 120 pieces of candy!!...guess I know what I'll be doing later.  Not like I haven't already started.  Where is everybody?


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## Buttercup (Oct 28, 2008)

I'm here, it's still early in Ca, only 5:55.  I'm not doing Halloween though, too many scum bags in this town so I'm sitting in my livingroom at the back of the house watching Forever Darling (Lucille Ball/Desi Arnaz).


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## Teninx (Oct 27, 2008)

I'll be right by for any extra candy, sjc. You'll know it's me; I'll be wearing the hat.


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## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

We are in a trick or treat free zone. No kids on the street and our street is sort of funny and off the way...not in a neighborhood. I don't think we've had a trick or treater for ten years. When my children were little, I took them to my sister's house to trick or treat with their cousin. She lived in a happening neighborhood! LOL

L


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## Kirstin (Oct 29, 2008)

no knock here.....      I am so bummed and have tons of candy


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

We have a pretty kid filled neighborhood.  They all came by.  I gave them each a handful of candy but have a lot left over.   Gee, what to do, what to do


Ann


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## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

I see Teninx has his Halloween costume as do I...what about the rest of you? LOL

L


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## Linda Cannon-Mott (Oct 28, 2008)

No knock here either, not like it used to be. I been "just a kindling" SJC. Decisions, decisions, finished the freebie Truth and Consequences and trying to decide what to read next?? Guess I'll start a new book and eat all my Halloween candy I bought.

Linda


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

We also have lots of candy left!  I was IM'ing a friend who wanted to know when she could consider Hallowe'en over so she could start eating the candy.  I told her 8 PM, LOL!

Betsy


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## Tris (Oct 30, 2008)

On the west coast so it's almost 6pm (almost dark), only a group of 5 kids at my place.  Though I don't really celebrate halloween...and stopped after the 4th grade.  It's hard when your dad tells you "it's like letting your children to go door-to-door begging for food"...kinda puts a whole new spin on it.  I don't have money for candy this year (bills, rent, gas, etc. tends to come first for me)...sorry.  So I'm in the dark kicking myself in the butt for not having a book light for my Kindle. 

Tris


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## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

Linda Cannon-Mott said:


> No knock here either, not like it used to be. I been "just a kindling" SJC. Decisions, decisions, finished the freebie Truth and Consequences and trying to decide what to read next?? Guess I'll start a new book and eat all my Halloween candy I bought.
> 
> Linda


I actually liked the freebie *Perfecting Amanda*, but I think I am the only person who did. But if you got that and still have it on your Kindle, it is a fast and easy read. Sort of fun and happy ending.

L


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## Linda Cannon-Mott (Oct 28, 2008)

Sorry Tris but your last statement is hilarious.   Eat Ramen Noodles a few days & get you a light, I've sat in the dark at Halloween before also for the very same reason.

Love the costume Tenix! I tried to have a costume but could never get my avatar to change.  We all know I am computer illiterate.

Linda


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## Teninx (Oct 27, 2008)

Our town decreed that last night was trick-or-treat night. And it was restricted to the hours of 5:00 pm--7:30 pm. So the kids missed out on a weekend halloween and had to be in early besides.

That's no costume, that's my college yearbook photo.


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## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

Teninx said:


> That's no costume, that's my college yearbook photo.


College yearbook photos make good costumes when you reach a certain age. Where do you think mine came from? 

L


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## sjc (Oct 29, 2008)

Ok...darn it...Now I'm going to sit here and eat all this extra candy and put on all of the weight that Oprah's lost.

Sorry, I had to...I can't help myself.  I've been on an Oprah kick all week.  I actually don't NOT like the lady; it's just that she's given me so much material to work with this week; I could rent out a stadium and go on for hours at her expense after the infamous Kindle show:


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## Linda Cannon-Mott (Oct 28, 2008)

LOL Tenix !! When I am down or having a bad day I know who I'll be personal messaging!

Linda


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## sjc (Oct 29, 2008)

By the way teninx:  Your hat doesn't constitute as a costume; it's a part of your everyday persona; you have to put on a NEW one for it to count as a costume.  I, however, am wearing an INVISIBLE COSTUME:  I am dressed as the witch that I already am.  

I did put on lipstick to answer the door:  maybe, that is what scared all the little kiddies away.

SERIOUSLY:  WHAT GIVES  Is it the economy, the election, the forum?  I usually get about 100 kids...I got all of 15 and that's giving a couple. I live in an upper middle class rural neighborhood on a cul-de-sac...can't be the traffic...What is going on?  WOW!! have times changed...we trick or treated for hours in several neighborhoods.  We'd go home, change costumes and go out again and re-hit the houses that gave big candy bars...we could open up our own candy store the next day. 

I (don't be shocked) am speechless. Why is it like this?  It's sort of freaking me out.  Are things that bad?  

It's that Oprah airing isn't it?...I knew it.  The long-term effects are settling in....aren't they?


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## Tris (Oct 30, 2008)

Linda Cannon-Mott said:


> Sorry Tris but your last statement is hilarious.  Eat Ramen Noodles a few days & get you a light, I've sat in the dark at Halloween before also for the very same reason.
> 
> Love the costume Tenix! I tried to have a costume but could never get my avatar to change.  We all know I am computer illiterate.
> 
> Linda


I'm glad that you got such a kick out of it Linda.  Hopefully this new job of mine will quickly remedy my problem, alas not fast enough.

I used to have the old "Itty Bitty Booklight" but my dad the ex-engineer/inventor said that he could make a better more efficent power adapter for it and totally broke it. Think 'Tim Taylor' from the old TV show "Home Improvement" and you can kind of understand my dad...though I know his heart was in the right place...but when we plugged that contraption in...the bulb blew with a strange acrid smell in the air.

My life is like a TV show...literally. I have many witnesses! 

Ah, these posts are getting funny by the minute! 

Back to the topic of trick-or-treaters, I don't have a lot of kids at my place (everyone are either single or recently married adults)...so I'm thinking by 8 or 9pm I can turn on my lights again and unmute my TV.

Tris


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## Buttercup (Oct 28, 2008)

Haha ... you should come over here Tris, the front of my house is dark as can be and I'm sitting in my livingroom watching a movie with the surround sound on.  No one can hear a thing outside. 

I'm not going to like the time change though.  It's already pitch black at 6:45 so in a few days it'll be pitch black at 5:45, ugh.


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## sjc (Oct 29, 2008)

Tris;  not so fast, I got you beat; Tim the tool-man...that's small potatoes.  Try Herman Munster meets Lucille Ball.


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## Jeff (Oct 28, 2008)

Boo!


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## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

SJC, I don't know how old you are but I remember trick or treating like you described. We'd head out at 5 pm and stop home periodically to empty our bags of loot. Maybe finish at 10 pm or so. It was alot of work.

But in my adult years...nothing like that. Like I said in an earlier message, we haven't had kids on our street for years. When my kids were younger they started "Trick or Treating on Main Street" where they close off the street and all the kids trick or treat at the shops in town. They had this event last night and it has basically taken over the old fashioned T or T in our town.

My husband and I talk about the "old days" and our kids look at us like we are from Mars (or at least they did. They are older now). I think there was really a major culture shift. Not sure when it happened...all the stories of razor blades in apples (an urban myth)? Just general worry about safety? Changing neighborhoods? Not sure. 

L


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## sjc (Oct 29, 2008)

Jeff:  What's up?  Did you get many kids for halloween?  I'm lucky if I got 15...what gives?  It's Oprah...I knew it...she's got something to do with this.  Did she have a secret show telling all her viewers not to come to my house because I ragged about the lousy job she did her Kindle show.  That's it isn't it...a conspiracy against sjc...I knew it.

Seriously; we are all complaining of too much candy; too few kids.  What's the scoop in your parts?


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## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

Jeff said:


> Boo!


BOO to you too! Love the costume!

L


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## Jeff (Oct 28, 2008)

We had three kids.

Being older than most of you I can remember when we knew all our neighbors for two blocks in all directions. Now everyone’s afraid.

I honestly don’t think the world is more dangerous than it was after when I was a kid; I just think that people are aware of the danger.

Jeff


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## sjc (Oct 29, 2008)

Sir Sterndale Bennett:  Well; I'm 46 but...Yeah...we had those kind of times...what happened?  It was never this bad.  My son said, Ma...this is boring; I'm going over my friend's house.  (He got sick of waiting for the bell to ring.)  He just checked in and said his friend Chris' neighborhood is kidless too.  Wow.  I really am speechless.  Are things really this bad?  I know I joke a lot but it's kind of scary to have a non halloween.  Weird.


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## Tris (Oct 30, 2008)

Buttercup said:


> Haha ... you should come over here Tris, the front of my house is dark as can be and I'm sitting in my livingroom watching a movie with the surround sound on. No one can hear a thing outside.
> 
> I'm not going to like the time change though. It's already pitch black at 6:45 so in a few days it'll be pitch black at 5:45, ugh.


Ha, I would but my little ball of curly fluff wouldn't.  I am a proud owner of a toy poodle who is currently sprawled out (he was sitting attentively an hour ago) at my front door ready to attack and protect little ol' me. 

Sjc, you definately made me laugh with "Herman Munster meets Lucille Ball".

L, I remember listening to my friends strategically mapping out the best houses to 'hit' and actually had the adults drive us to different neighbrohoods. The richer neighbrohoods were the best, money and king size candy... It wasn't simple trick or treating anymore, now it's like a game of war.

Tris


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## sjc (Oct 29, 2008)

Jeff;  but like I said; I live in an upper-middle-class neighborhood on a cul-de-sac for Godsakes.  What can happen?  This is really an eye opener. I'm not kidding (seriously) when I say this has me rattled.  It's so sad.  Is it really the parents being that fearful?  Why the drastic change...last year wasn't like this; granted it was less than the norm, but not this bad.


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## sjc (Oct 29, 2008)

Tris:  Want to hear something so truly cruel: God strike me; it's true...I cried today.
I lost my dog (Sophia) in July, I am still grieving terribly, my mother is near death with cancer, and someone thought it was funny: (they know I'm a joke-a-minute) but they took it too far; they said: Guess Sophia's a skeleton this year (for Halloween).


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## Jeff (Oct 28, 2008)

I think it’s time to take off my costume. Happy Halloween to you all.


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## Tris (Oct 30, 2008)

sjc said:


> Jeff; but like I said; I live in an upper-middle-class neighborhood on a cul-de-sac for Godsakes. What can happen? This is really an eye opener. I'm not kidding (seriously) when I say this has me rattled. It's so sad. Is it really the parents being that fearful? Why the drastic change...last year wasn't like this; granted it was less than the norm, but not this bad.


That's just wierd. I mean com'on my parents worked tremendously LONG hours to help support my brother and me, to improve our lives. So I never had all the parental attention or supervision...and we came out fine (minus a few physical scars). We didn't know it was illegal to leave a 7 and 4 year old home alone. Granted my brother and I dealt with issues that other kids didn't and we wished our parents were around a bit more...but we understood.

I do not have a memory of my parents EVER doing anything on halloween. I mean we got random help from one of my friend's parents to drive us across down but other than that we were one of the massive group of kids running from house to house. All we worried about was freezing and how to wear our rain jackets around our costumes/clothes. It always rains on Halloween here in WA...ha!

Tris


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## sjc (Oct 29, 2008)

Thanks Jeff; night.


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## sjc (Oct 29, 2008)

Tris:  I do find it very weird.  It's almost eerie.  Anyone else find it particularly odd to have it be so (for a lack of a better term) dead on halloween?  Is it because there are more public events?  Parties?  I want it back the way it used to be.  We never even had to lock our house.  Wow.  Reality check tonight; for sure.  This really got to me.  We really are living in a different world.  Anyone?


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## Tris (Oct 30, 2008)

sjc said:


> Tris: Want to hear something so truly cruel: God strike me; it's true...I cried today.
> I lost my dog (Sophia) in July, I am still grieving terribly, my mother is near death with cancer, and someone thought it was funny: (they know I'm a joke-a-minute) but they took it too far; they said: Guess Sophia's a skeleton this year (for Halloween).


No way! That's so awful SJC! I had a beyond crapy summer (death in the family, illness, loss of employment, financial issues, pet illness, etc.) where everything that could go wrong went hideously and seriously wrong. However I think I'm crawling every so slowly out of it. But no one has ever said something like that...let alone lose my crazy little 5lbs. dog!

I feel for ya' and hope things are getting better for you!

Tris


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## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

Well, like I said...Halloween on our street ended years ago. They do this thing downtown (which is a success) and the layout of my street has never been one for trick or treating. When it sort of ended, it was weird, but now I am used to it.

Sorry it has been so hard for you SJC.

L


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## sjc (Oct 29, 2008)

Sir Sterndale Bennett:   Well, I'm thinking that maybe there was a big local shindig but because my kids are older and don't go trick or treating; so maybe I didn't know about it. Like your town does... We do have this great shopping plaza that's very "old-town" perhaps they had a "shop to shop" event.  Maybe even entertainment; there is a central gazebo on the grounds and it is a very popular place.  They have a Ben and Jerry's and an Applebee's restaurant...plenty of shops.

I think I do so much running around between work and my mom's health; I didn't notice the world changing around me.  My nose is always either at work, the doctors, or in my Kindle.  I only venture out on Saturday night for about an hour for a quick bite; my night off from cooking (date night with my husband) plus I really miss my dog; it's only been 3 months.

Today (my day off) I went to buy my mom some new easy on, easy off outfits for when she starts radiation.  Took them to her: helped her try them on, pinned up the hems on the keepers; took them to the tailor.  Returned the non-keepers.  Went to the bank, market, the pharmacy (my son's allergies are off the wall) back to my mother's, then home--cooked...passed out my 15 pieces of candy; and here I am.


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## pidgeon92 (Oct 27, 2008)

Our 'burb does Halloween on Sunday, so the kids came a few days ago.... I'd say I got 70 or so... They each got 3-4 candies, but I still have a bunch left over..... As a matter of fact, I just ate four of them.


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## sjc (Oct 29, 2008)

I just swallowed about my 10th.  I had several: baby ruth's; 100,000grand, snickers.  Maybe I should go to bed; so I won't eat.
night all.  Happy Halloween; see you (type you) tomorrow.  - g' night.


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## ScottBooks (Oct 28, 2008)

Just for the record...she's supposed to be a cat.


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## KBoards Admin (Nov 27, 2007)

We haven't had any trick-or-treaters for a few years, either. Most kids (including ours) go with their parents down to some retailers downtown that give out treats. It's fun, albeit much more controlled than in the Hallowe'ens of my youth.










PS - my girls wanted to be bags of jelly beans this year.


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## sjc (Oct 29, 2008)

ScottBooks: The pic made my night.  Adorable...I miss mine that age...treasure it. It goes by in the blink of an eye.  Beautiful...
Did you carve the pumpkin?  Really cool.


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## ScottBooks (Oct 28, 2008)

Yes I did the pumpkin. Mom's in charge of costuming...I carve pumpkins. (Pumpkin carving is the only thing I can think of that's gotten WAY better about Halloween...the tools and the patterns make it easy have a kick-ass (Harvey says "ass" is OK...barely) pumpkin).

Yes, I have pumpkin carving tools.


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## RovingSoul (Oct 27, 2008)

I remember a very elaborate trick-or-treating ritual I used to go through. The neighborhood we lived in was full of grumpy old people, who where very miserly with there candy. However, we heard that the rich neighborhood (a gated island community) gave out full sized candy bars like it was going out of style. Of course we couldn't get in the gate, but we could swim across the river and get in on the banks. So, that's what we would do. A couple of the guys would swim across with a rope. This rope was attached to a raft, and we would then be hauled over in groups. Once we were in, the guards had a very hard time catching us, and we made out like bandits. And this was only six years ago. I know what you mean though, we had maybe 3 kids at our door tonight.


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## RovingSoul (Oct 27, 2008)

On a side note, my brother and a couple friends were told they were too old to trick-or-treat this year. So they went caroling instead. Christmas caroling.


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## sjc (Oct 29, 2008)

See how nice...discussions...trading stories...banter...no asking how to questions; right?...lol.


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## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

Can I use my Kindle on the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro?

(Leslie ducks and runs!)

L


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## Linda Cannon-Mott (Oct 28, 2008)

Love the pics Scott & Harvey! Enjoy because like SJC they do grow up fast...too fast. I miss those days also.

Linda


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## chynared21 (Oct 28, 2008)

*Vultures...a bunch of vultures! I usually leave a huge bowl of candy out...more than 200 pieces or so with a note to take 1 or 2 pieces (yes, the honor system ;-p)...it was all gone by the time we had gotten home from trick or treating!!! We live in a townhouse community and it was kind of funny to wake up to toilet papered trees ;-p*


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## Teninx (Oct 27, 2008)

My group nearly got into serious trouble one Halloween Eve (which was known as 'mischief night'). We were in 5th grade, as I recall.We made a dummy out of an old shirt and pair of pants, stapled at the waist and stuffed with leaves. One of us would climb a tree near a roadway hauling the dummy up, then at dusk, as a car came down the street, hang out of tree yelling at the car. Before it passed, he'd duck back behind a branch, scream loudly and throw the dummy into the street.
The kids on the ground would start screaming as the car jammed on its brakes while the kid in the tree made a run for it.

We got to do that five or six times before the police put an end to it.  I didn't get to go out trick or treating that year.


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## dog (Oct 31, 2008)

Just one tonight....amazing...and I even had fair trade  chocolate (unfortunately children are major workers in the cocoa industry around the world....)


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## RovingSoul (Oct 27, 2008)

Conclusion: Halloween is dead.


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