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10/14/2003 Entry: "Halloween Delight" Man, I *LOVE* Halloween! This is SO my favorite time of the year! I know I said that before, but now I have some more stuff to look forward to. This year, we're going to go all-out for the kids in our neighborhood. Well, not as all out as I would have liked, but most 13' tall animatronics are over $8000, not including controllers, and while this guy would look awesome on my front lawn ... where am I going to put him the rest of the year? Maybe he could hold back the neighbor's teetering sycamore from crushing my deck. Okay, the weather would be murder on the latex ... and property values, can you imagine? "Oh, turn left at the gigantic bat zombie horror with torn flesh, and look for the yellow house with the drawn curtain and defensive arrow slits." But what we ARE going to do, is similar to what you see on the right, which is what we did in 2000, when we first moved here. We didn't do this in 2001 because of 9/11 and Christine's busted ankle, and then in 2002 we had this local sniper shooting at everyone. I am praying 2003 is disaster-free. Assuming it is, and assuming the weather holds, we're doing goody bags this year. When I was growing up, our next-door neighbors, the Van Buskirks, had goody bags. Not many people did, and I can't blame them. I'd say about 100 kids would come to our doors every Halloween. In Reston, they have no street lights and everything is behind tress, and while trick-or-treating is done, it's not easy to navigate dark forested streets wearing a mask. And when we moved here... I'd say trick-or-treating is sadly on the decline. In 2000, we had maybe 25 kids. In 2001, about 5. In 2002 we had almost 20, so I am expecting 20-25 kids. That's not a whole lot. I am spending about $4 a goody bag, which will be special for these kids, who are used to getting the same-old candy everyone else gets. Here's what we have in store: - One large Milky Way candy bar (full size, not "fun size", so this must be "unbridled ecstasy size") - One Charms Blow pop - Two assorted small candies (Hershey's, Reeces, etc.) - Some Smarties - One glow-in-the-dark spider ring (tribute to my mother) - One squeezy horn monster head, because... hey, they are squeezy horn monster heads! - One liquid glow-in-the-dark bracelet, like you get at raves and concerts. The last one I got because I have a cheap supplier, and I thought if the kids wear them, it would make them visible to cars. I will open them up and activate them and hand them out one at a time because I am a little concerned unsupervised toddlers might try to eat the goo inside (it's nontoxic, but nasty, and parents may not know that and freak out), and I am also concerned my supplier is SO cheap, they may not all work (they have done this to us before with other items). But doesn't this kick ass? I love kids. I hope they like what they get. All of these (except the bracelet) will be in a string-closed goody bag. Hee hee! If the weather is workable, we're setting up a small table and comfy chairs in our driveway, under the eaves where the basketball hoop used to be. If it's raining or too cold, we'll set up indoors and meet kids at the door. Christine's going to be in costume. If Sean and Louann brings their kids (where they live, they are isolated, and can't really ToT), I might go trick-or-treating with CR and them, and Louann can stay behind with Christine and our friend Anne (if she shows). If he doesn't, we'll see. CR is 13, I might let him go on by himself, unless he feels like he's too old. I have high hopes for this Halloween! Nerd Joke: Only a computer programmer confuses OCT31 for DEC25.