Happy belated Halloween! Hope everyone had a lovely day. :-) I watched Nightmare Before Christmas (of course) and Hubby took me on a "Halloween drive" to see some of the awesome decorating people do around here. We had pumpkin pie blizzards from DQ and we watched the new episode of Criminal Minds. It was a good day indeed!
However, every year I forget (and am abruptly reminded) that there is a down side to Halloween; the next day is November.
While it's true that November does mean good things (Thanksgiving, semester ends next month, etc), it also means that winter is on its way and that another year is quickly coming to an end. I'm not necessarily opposed to this, it just kind of freaks me out. Wasn't it just summer? Weren't we just talking about how hot it was? Didn't I just change my clocks an hour forward!? WHAT KIND OF CRUEL JOKE IS THIS?!
Ahem. Sorry about that.
Anywhoozles, I'm going to try something for this November, to try and keep things positive and forget about the impending madness of winter in Wisconsin. With Thanksgiving in mind, I'm going to try to write a quick post each day about something I'm thankful for. At the end of the month, I should have a nice list of things I'm lucky to have to remind myself of whenever I get down. Or a list of really random things that makes me question my sanity and/or priorities. Seems like a win-win.
And so, here we go.
November 1st - I am thankful for...
Online shopping.
OK, this seems like a weird one to start with, but hear me out. I am, as many of you know, a very shy person. Some might call me anti-social. Some DO call me anti-social. In addition, I pretty much refuse to drive in Milwaukee. I've had my share of getting lost around here, and I am by NO means an aggressive driver (which usually means I'm the one who gets screwed over), so other drivers scare the crap out of me. Add those up and I don't get out much on my own.
While Hubby is great at taking me places and going shopping with me, I don't always want to bug him and he's not always available. Enter online shopping. Amazon has been my savior for years now, and I love my Amazon Prime account. (No, I'm not being paid to say that. I really just freakin' love it!) They don't have everything, of course, but more than enough for this gal.
Besides, there are so many other sites out there! If I need stuff for the dog, BaxterBoo is amazing. If I need clothes, I head to OneStopPlus (big girls need clothes, too). If I want to browse random stuff, I head to places like Shopko, ThinkGeek, or Disney Store. And whenever I'm struggling with present ideas, gifts.com is awesome. Even if I don't find the perfect present, it never fails to give me some awesome ideas.
The benefits are almost endless. I don't have to go anywhere. I don't have to look presentable or even be fully clothed. If I change my mind, removing something from my cart is as easy as clicking a button. There are always deals to be found. Things get delivered right to my house. And a lot of stores will even let you return things (for free or the price of shipping) with little to no hassle.
So, yes, I am thankful for online shopping. It sounds silly, but it makes my life a lot easier and lot more pleasant. And that's worth a ton to me.
Showing posts with label Halloween. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Halloween. Show all posts
Thursday, November 1, 2012
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Sweets & Treats
Halloween: It's all about the candy.
OK, not entirely true. It's about dressing up, having fun, carving pumpkins, getting scared (in a fun way), hanging out with friends, and (in the Midwest anyway) having one last hurrah before winter comes in and puts the kibosh on fall fun.
But the treats are where it's really at.
If you were big into trick-or-treating like yours truly, you usually had some kind of game plan. You knew which houses to avoid (like the dentist who always gave out those plastic vampire teeth and - not even kidding - toothbrushes) and which to hit early in the night (the awesome couple who gave out full or king size candy bars every year). To ensure maximum candy collection, you might have decided ahead of time who would ring the doorbell at each house or might have gotten the largest pillowcase you could find in hopes of filling it to the top (a goal that I sadly never reached). No matter what, the highlight of Halloween was checking out the loot at the end of the night.
Being a particularly quirky kid, I didn't settle for pouring out my candy and eating it right then and there. No, I had other plans. I would pour out the candy, grab a pen and paper, and tally up all the goods. I'd make piles of each brand and mark them down as I went. By the end, I knew exactly how many Reeses cups or Twizzlers I had and knew the overall candy count from the night's haul.
Why? Two reasons. First is that I'm just OCD. I love making lists and taking inventory. Seriously. Second reason was for trading purposes. If someone had something I wanted, I knew how many of which candies I had to barter with. Say someone had a delicious 100 Grand bar. I could check my list and see that I had plenty of Kit-Kats to spare (which, while tasty, are not among my favorites). Likewise, if someone wanted my Nestle Crunch and I only had 2, I knew that trading wasn't an option (love me some Crunch!).
My parents never had to worry about me eating candy while out and about that night because it would have thrown off my overall count, and I couldn't have that. (How did my parents not realize I was OCD??) So whenever those stories came out about kids eating candy that had needles in them, my parents got to relax, knowing they would be able to check my stash before any of it was consumed.
That having been said, today I will share with you my top 5 tips for successful trick-or-treating. You might be "too old" to go for yourself, but you can pass these along to any kids or teens who may want the inside scoop from a seasoned veteran.
1) Start early, stay late. This comes with a few caveats. Don't start before it's dark; that's when the little guys and gals get their turns. Likewise, if you know a family has little ones, they might not be home when you first start, so plan accordingly. And don't go too late. Remember the golden rule of trick-or-treating: If the lights are on, you're good to go; if the lights are gone, the answer's no. My best advice is to head out just after it gets dark (use whatever gauge you want; I like to use the street lights as my guide) and go no later than 9. Most houses will be done closer to 8, but any that are still going after that are likely to give you more candy since the night is winding down.
2) Keep your group smaller. I know, you have a huge group of friends and you all want to go together. That's fine, but it may slow you down. Slow = less candy. If you have a big group, consider breaking into two smaller groups as you go down the street. One group can start on one side and the other on the opposite side. When you're at the end, switch and meet back up at the other end. You don't have to keep the same groups every street, and you can typically move faster when there are fewer people to get through the process at each house.
3) Be polite. It doesn't sound like much, but think about it. If there's a group of younger kids heading to the same house as you, and you rush up to beat them, do you really think you're going to get more candy? No way. Let the little ones go first. They usually don't take much candy (so they're probably not going to run out before they get to you) AND the treat-givers are more likely to be generous if they see that you let the others go first. This is especially important the older (or taller) you are. Some people are weird about older kids on Halloween, so being nice and polite will give you the best odds at candy collection. Oh, and remember to thank people for candy. They don't have to give it to you.
4) Be enthusiastic! Seriously. If you show up at my door and mumble, "Trick or treat" or just stand there and look at me while holding your bag out or grabbing at the bowl in my hands, I'm not going to be inclined to shower you with candy. Same if you show up with little to no costume on (a scary mask while you're wearing a sweatshirt and jeans is not a costume). Put some effort into the night; it's a holiday for crying out loud! It's almost as much for the candy givers as the candy takers. I didn't realize that until I was an adult, but it's true. I love to see the creativity that comes along on Halloween, and I get a kick out of kids who are beyond thrilled to be at my door just for a few pieces of chocolate.
5) Strategy. In most cases time is money; on Halloween, time is candy. Like I said earlier, knowing who is going to ring the bell BEFORE you get to the door helps you be more efficient. I'm not saying you should have a set schedule, but sharing the responsibility makes it more fun (who doesn't love to ring a doorbell?) and saves time in the long run. And knowing which houses you can skip will also save you some time (and some disappointment). Also, I suggest taking a bag/container with handles. Pillowcases are fun and I admire the goal of filling them, but they aren't that easy to carry around, especially as the night goes on. Handles give you a better grip, and a smaller bag will make it seem like you got more candy. Use some common sense; if a house is swamped when you get to it, head across the street instead. By the time you're done there, the crowd will probably have subsided.
So, there you have it. Do I miss trick-or-treating? You're damn right I do. But I'm all for helping kids get more out of their Halloween experience. :)
OK, not entirely true. It's about dressing up, having fun, carving pumpkins, getting scared (in a fun way), hanging out with friends, and (in the Midwest anyway) having one last hurrah before winter comes in and puts the kibosh on fall fun.
But the treats are where it's really at.
If you were big into trick-or-treating like yours truly, you usually had some kind of game plan. You knew which houses to avoid (like the dentist who always gave out those plastic vampire teeth and - not even kidding - toothbrushes) and which to hit early in the night (the awesome couple who gave out full or king size candy bars every year). To ensure maximum candy collection, you might have decided ahead of time who would ring the doorbell at each house or might have gotten the largest pillowcase you could find in hopes of filling it to the top (a goal that I sadly never reached). No matter what, the highlight of Halloween was checking out the loot at the end of the night.
Being a particularly quirky kid, I didn't settle for pouring out my candy and eating it right then and there. No, I had other plans. I would pour out the candy, grab a pen and paper, and tally up all the goods. I'd make piles of each brand and mark them down as I went. By the end, I knew exactly how many Reeses cups or Twizzlers I had and knew the overall candy count from the night's haul.
Why? Two reasons. First is that I'm just OCD. I love making lists and taking inventory. Seriously. Second reason was for trading purposes. If someone had something I wanted, I knew how many of which candies I had to barter with. Say someone had a delicious 100 Grand bar. I could check my list and see that I had plenty of Kit-Kats to spare (which, while tasty, are not among my favorites). Likewise, if someone wanted my Nestle Crunch and I only had 2, I knew that trading wasn't an option (love me some Crunch!).
My parents never had to worry about me eating candy while out and about that night because it would have thrown off my overall count, and I couldn't have that. (How did my parents not realize I was OCD??) So whenever those stories came out about kids eating candy that had needles in them, my parents got to relax, knowing they would be able to check my stash before any of it was consumed.
That having been said, today I will share with you my top 5 tips for successful trick-or-treating. You might be "too old" to go for yourself, but you can pass these along to any kids or teens who may want the inside scoop from a seasoned veteran.
1) Start early, stay late. This comes with a few caveats. Don't start before it's dark; that's when the little guys and gals get their turns. Likewise, if you know a family has little ones, they might not be home when you first start, so plan accordingly. And don't go too late. Remember the golden rule of trick-or-treating: If the lights are on, you're good to go; if the lights are gone, the answer's no. My best advice is to head out just after it gets dark (use whatever gauge you want; I like to use the street lights as my guide) and go no later than 9. Most houses will be done closer to 8, but any that are still going after that are likely to give you more candy since the night is winding down.
2) Keep your group smaller. I know, you have a huge group of friends and you all want to go together. That's fine, but it may slow you down. Slow = less candy. If you have a big group, consider breaking into two smaller groups as you go down the street. One group can start on one side and the other on the opposite side. When you're at the end, switch and meet back up at the other end. You don't have to keep the same groups every street, and you can typically move faster when there are fewer people to get through the process at each house.
3) Be polite. It doesn't sound like much, but think about it. If there's a group of younger kids heading to the same house as you, and you rush up to beat them, do you really think you're going to get more candy? No way. Let the little ones go first. They usually don't take much candy (so they're probably not going to run out before they get to you) AND the treat-givers are more likely to be generous if they see that you let the others go first. This is especially important the older (or taller) you are. Some people are weird about older kids on Halloween, so being nice and polite will give you the best odds at candy collection. Oh, and remember to thank people for candy. They don't have to give it to you.
4) Be enthusiastic! Seriously. If you show up at my door and mumble, "Trick or treat" or just stand there and look at me while holding your bag out or grabbing at the bowl in my hands, I'm not going to be inclined to shower you with candy. Same if you show up with little to no costume on (a scary mask while you're wearing a sweatshirt and jeans is not a costume). Put some effort into the night; it's a holiday for crying out loud! It's almost as much for the candy givers as the candy takers. I didn't realize that until I was an adult, but it's true. I love to see the creativity that comes along on Halloween, and I get a kick out of kids who are beyond thrilled to be at my door just for a few pieces of chocolate.
5) Strategy. In most cases time is money; on Halloween, time is candy. Like I said earlier, knowing who is going to ring the bell BEFORE you get to the door helps you be more efficient. I'm not saying you should have a set schedule, but sharing the responsibility makes it more fun (who doesn't love to ring a doorbell?) and saves time in the long run. And knowing which houses you can skip will also save you some time (and some disappointment). Also, I suggest taking a bag/container with handles. Pillowcases are fun and I admire the goal of filling them, but they aren't that easy to carry around, especially as the night goes on. Handles give you a better grip, and a smaller bag will make it seem like you got more candy. Use some common sense; if a house is swamped when you get to it, head across the street instead. By the time you're done there, the crowd will probably have subsided.
So, there you have it. Do I miss trick-or-treating? You're damn right I do. But I'm all for helping kids get more out of their Halloween experience. :)
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Costumes of Halloweens Past
Oof. I know, it's been awhile. A month, actually. Things have been... sort of stressful, eventful, and crazy. Another friend (this one a camp friend from my CBH days) died far, far too young. Exams and quizzes have come and gone. Went to a Packers game and one last Brewers game for the season. Got to see my sister. Participated in the AIDS Walk WI. Not all in order, but that's essentially the last month in a nutshell.
Moving on.
Halloween is a mere 15 days away. As most are aware, I am a big fan of Halloween and have written several posts about the best holiday ever.
Halloween has always been embraced in my family. My dad was always really involved in the Halloween festivities at my elementary school, so I usually got to help set up. Too bad the haunted "house" (OK, it was the locker rooms) scared the bejesus out of me, even after having helped set up. I tried going through the first year (I was 6), but I was so terrified by the end that my own dad - in the costume I watched him put on - pushed me over the edge. I was crying uncontrollably and my dad had to come out and show me that everything was OK. I tried going through again when I was 10, but I only made it through one of the locker rooms (it spanned both the boys' and girls') before I was more than done.
My parents also used to host a Halloween party at their house every year. Most years they sent me to stay with my cousins during the party, but I always got to see pictures and hear about the awesome costumes.
And I always helped decorate the house, inside and out. When Halloween finally came around, I was always excited. We had jack-o-lanterns and ghosts, a coffin and skeletons... We even had a cassette tape of spooky noises that we'd play out the window so trick-or-treaters could hear it when they came to the door. It wasn't the most elaborate set up, but it was always fun and in the spirit.
So, naturally, my parents started dressing me up in costumes and taking me out for events from an early age. My very first costume was a bunny when I was about 3. My mom made it herself and I ended up wearing it for at least 3 years.
Yep. There I am. (Sans head in this picture, of course.) One of my favorite Halloween games was trying to eat marshmallows from a string. I've never enjoyed bobbing for apples, but this I loved. Probably because I've always loved marshmallows.
Ahhh, there we go. Full bunny makeup and costume. Excellent.
Anywhoozles, after a few years, I wanted something different. I'm not sure exactly in what order these came, but one year I was Dracula (with FULL face paint; that was a bitch to wash off), another I was an angel (ha!), another I was a wizard (re-purposed the angel costume with a lot of puffy paint and glitter)... At some point I was a cheerleader, and once I was a cat. One year it was too hot to wear a costume, so my friends and I just went as girls at a sleepover. Oh, and my freshman year of high school I wore my dad's old paintball outfit and tried to pull off some girly version of army wear. (Yeah. I thought I had a pic, but I can't seem to find it. Oh darn.)
Now, I was never really the kind of girl to use Halloween as an excuse to get skankified. (I never really felt I needed an excuse.) The closest I got was the Halloween dance my sophomore year (I think?) when I wore a short, black dress and used the angel wings I had from when I was younger to go as the angel of darkness. By the end of the night I had lost my wings (they were passed around and trampled on the dance floor) and probably did just look skanky. But, it was fun anyway.
(Now that I think about it, I might've worn the same dress to my freshman and sophomore dances, just without the wings the other time; I don't recall... I think I'm actually glad there aren't pictures of those years...)
Getting dressed up as an adult is a different thing entirely. You get to be clever and creative (or lazy as hell; to each his own) and have a lot of fun; usually with lots of booze and big crowds of strangers (which normally aren't my thing, but hey, it's a holiday). The last few years I haven't had such luck, but when Hubby and I first started dating, I went as a dead prom queen:
(Really, I just love any excuse to wear a tiara.)
And in years since I've done myself up as a punk rock chick, a witch and a cereal killer:
I was supposed to go as Flo last year, but we didn't have anywhere to go, so the costume never got finished. Le sigh.
The most fun, though, is dressing up the dog. :) And with that thought, I'll leave you with some adorable dog pictures. TTFN!
Moving on.
Halloween is a mere 15 days away. As most are aware, I am a big fan of Halloween and have written several posts about the best holiday ever.
Halloween has always been embraced in my family. My dad was always really involved in the Halloween festivities at my elementary school, so I usually got to help set up. Too bad the haunted "house" (OK, it was the locker rooms) scared the bejesus out of me, even after having helped set up. I tried going through the first year (I was 6), but I was so terrified by the end that my own dad - in the costume I watched him put on - pushed me over the edge. I was crying uncontrollably and my dad had to come out and show me that everything was OK. I tried going through again when I was 10, but I only made it through one of the locker rooms (it spanned both the boys' and girls') before I was more than done.
My parents also used to host a Halloween party at their house every year. Most years they sent me to stay with my cousins during the party, but I always got to see pictures and hear about the awesome costumes.
And I always helped decorate the house, inside and out. When Halloween finally came around, I was always excited. We had jack-o-lanterns and ghosts, a coffin and skeletons... We even had a cassette tape of spooky noises that we'd play out the window so trick-or-treaters could hear it when they came to the door. It wasn't the most elaborate set up, but it was always fun and in the spirit.
So, naturally, my parents started dressing me up in costumes and taking me out for events from an early age. My very first costume was a bunny when I was about 3. My mom made it herself and I ended up wearing it for at least 3 years.
Yep. There I am. (Sans head in this picture, of course.) One of my favorite Halloween games was trying to eat marshmallows from a string. I've never enjoyed bobbing for apples, but this I loved. Probably because I've always loved marshmallows.
Ahhh, there we go. Full bunny makeup and costume. Excellent.
Anywhoozles, after a few years, I wanted something different. I'm not sure exactly in what order these came, but one year I was Dracula (with FULL face paint; that was a bitch to wash off), another I was an angel (ha!), another I was a wizard (re-purposed the angel costume with a lot of puffy paint and glitter)... At some point I was a cheerleader, and once I was a cat. One year it was too hot to wear a costume, so my friends and I just went as girls at a sleepover. Oh, and my freshman year of high school I wore my dad's old paintball outfit and tried to pull off some girly version of army wear. (Yeah. I thought I had a pic, but I can't seem to find it. Oh darn.)
Now, I was never really the kind of girl to use Halloween as an excuse to get skankified. (I never really felt I needed an excuse.) The closest I got was the Halloween dance my sophomore year (I think?) when I wore a short, black dress and used the angel wings I had from when I was younger to go as the angel of darkness. By the end of the night I had lost my wings (they were passed around and trampled on the dance floor) and probably did just look skanky. But, it was fun anyway.
(Now that I think about it, I might've worn the same dress to my freshman and sophomore dances, just without the wings the other time; I don't recall... I think I'm actually glad there aren't pictures of those years...)
Getting dressed up as an adult is a different thing entirely. You get to be clever and creative (or lazy as hell; to each his own) and have a lot of fun; usually with lots of booze and big crowds of strangers (which normally aren't my thing, but hey, it's a holiday). The last few years I haven't had such luck, but when Hubby and I first started dating, I went as a dead prom queen:
(Really, I just love any excuse to wear a tiara.)
And in years since I've done myself up as a punk rock chick, a witch and a cereal killer:
I was supposed to go as Flo last year, but we didn't have anywhere to go, so the costume never got finished. Le sigh.
The most fun, though, is dressing up the dog. :) And with that thought, I'll leave you with some adorable dog pictures. TTFN!
Monday, October 31, 2011
Happy Halloween!
Ahhh, it's here at last! The wonderful day where you can dress up as whomever or whatever you want (although, hopefully within some bounds of reason), gorge yourself on candy (Pixy Stix are my addiction this year), and delight in a magical mixture of spooky and silly. Yes, my darlings, this is Halloween!
As previously mentioned, our backwards little city held its "official" trick-or-treating yesterday afternoon. It started out slow, just as it has in years past. In the first hour we got about 3 groups of kids (so, MAYBE 8-10 children). Hubby and I had decided to stop the show we were watching, in case things picked up. They didn't. In fact, it started to rain around 2 or 2:30. Ugh.
So we decided to start carving our pumpkins, a tradition that I don't think I'll ever grow too old for (people might deny me candy if I tried trick-or-treating, but I'll be damned if a store is going to reject my money and deny me a pumpkin to carve). About 10 minutes or so into carving, the doorbell rang. Some kids were braving the rain to get their candy. In fact, we seemed to get MORE trick-or-treaters in the rain! That, my friends, is something I can respect, and to those kids, I tip my hat.
When we finished pumpkin-carving, we finished our show (American Horror Story pilot episode - perfect for Halloween). Then it was time to choose one of my annual Halloween movies to watch. We decided on "Young Frankenstein" (because Mel Brooks is always a good choice) and made a delicious chuck roast for dinner (which had been marinating since 8 PM the night before). We watched a bit of 'Punkin Chunkin' to wrap things up before Hubby headed to the garage and I headed to my computer.
Today, I am sadly sans costume. I was going to paint my face black and white, put on my panda ears and frown a lot (get it? I was going to be a sad panda!), but it just seemed like a lot of effort when I don't plan on going anywhere. Instead, I'm just calling myself either a stressed college student or a disgruntled employee, no costume required.
Alas, I will NOT let my lack of costume or the grey, cloudy day ruin my Halloween! Tonight, we shall watch another of my Halloween movies (possibly 'Repo! The Genetic Opera') and toast some pumpkin seeds. And in the meantime, there's plenty of awesome Halloween music waiting to be heard! Need a few examples to get you started?
1) "Thriller" by Michael Jackson - Probably the most epic music video ever, "Thriller" is a perfect Halloween anthem. Werewolves, zombies, and kick-ass choreography; what more could you need? Of course, if you're looking for something a little different (or don't have time for the almost 14-minute long video), Glee's mash-up of "Thriller" and the Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs' "Heads Will Roll" is also a ton of fun.
2) "Purple People Eater" by Sheb Wooley - If you didn't grow up listening to the radio around Halloween, then there's a tiny chance you aren't familiar with this song. Fix that. Now.
3) "Monster Mash" by Bobby Pickett - A staple of any good Halloween event. I'm still not exactly sure how to do the monster mash, but I'm pretty sure any kind of movement will suffice as long as you're having fun.
4) "Calling All the Monsters" by China McClain - If you have kids, or if you just love the Disney channel, then you're most likely torn between hating this song for being overplayed and loving it for being so damn catchy.
5) "This is Halloween" from 'The Nightmare Before Christmas' (written by Danny Elfman, my hero) - Boys and girls of every age should love this song AND this movie. If you don't, no sweat. I'll just judge silently from afar.
Friday, October 28, 2011
The Halloween Revolution
So, in looking at the website for the lovely city of Greenfield the other day, I discovered that our "scheduled" trick-or-treating is from 1-4 PM on Sunday, 10/30.
Hold up.
WHAT?! That's insane!!
1) Early afternoon trick-or-treating? Lame. That's fine for trick-or-treating events at the local mall or the zoo, but not for the real deal!
2) Trick-or-treating is the best part of Halloween. So why the hell would you do it the day BEFORE Halloween? That's like hunting for Easter eggs on Saturday afternoon.
Hubby says that it's been this way in the Milwaukee area his entire life. Ew. I can't even imagine growing up that way. In Madison, we had no restrictions on trick-or-treating, and I sincerely hope it stays that way.
Here's how it went. Younger kids usually starting coming through around 5 on Halloween night, looking cute and shyly asking, "Trick or treat?" (as if anyone's not going to give candy to the adorable little pirate or princess standing outside their door...). As it got later (and darker), more kids would come out and form clumps moving from one house to the next. The whole process usually lasted about 2-3 hours, depending on when you got started. When you were done, you headed home to check out the night's haul, eat yourself sick on candy, and finally go to bed.
There were rules. Some were imposed by parents: Must carry flashlights or glow sticks at all times, say thank you, stay in the neighborhood, don't leave each other behind and, for one sad year, don't eat any candy until it's been checked out by a parent (that whole needle scare had parents pretty freaked out). Others were self-imposed, almost unspoken, but universally understood: Don't ring the bell if the porch light is off, take turns ringing the doorbell (even if that meant racing for the privilege), let little kids get their candy first (bigger kids will be able to get to more houses and will get more candy anyway), etc etc. Of course, some houses would get TP'd, and there was the occasional egging, but for the most part, the rules we followed kept Halloween fun and safe.
It works for Madison. Why can't Milwaukee make it work, too? It can't just be a size thing; my best friend in Las Vegas says they don't have scheduled trick-or-treating, and Vegas has Milwaukee beat several times over in the "Who's Bigger?" contest. It can't just be crimes, because crime happens damn near everywhere. Milwaukee just seems to have a stick up its ass.
That being said, I truly hope we get some rogue trick-or-treaters on Halloween night. Kids need to experience the joy of trick-or-treating as it's intended, or else they'll never understand how truly awesome it actually is! Someone needs to lead these kids on a Halloween revolution and reclaim October 31st as their own. They need to take back All Hallow's Eve and tell Milwaukee to back off their holiday.
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Disney + Halloween = YAY!
In 131 days, hubby and I will be headed back to Disney World to vacay with my bestie and her hubby. That's just over four months, and already the longing for Disney is strong.
On our honeymoon at WDW, some of the most fun we had was at Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party. Yes, I can see how some of you may think it sounds extremely lame, but as long as you like Disney and having fun, it's anything but.
Friday, October 21, 2011
This is Halloween...
OK, so the Brewers aren't in the World Series. Sad, but, I'm still happy and proud of them for taking it as far as they did. Too bad we'll likely never see Prince Fielder in a Brewers jersey again, but, it happens.
Anywhoozles, I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Halloween is my favorite freakin' holiday. I love Fall. I love candy. I love dressing up. So what's not to love?
Last year on Facebook, I posted my favorite non-scary Halloween movies. Here's the list:
The Nightmare Before Christmas (also good for Christmastime!)
Corpse Bride
The Rocky Horror Picture Show (I guess this depends on your definition of 'scary' ^_^)
Repo! The Genetic Opera (OK, this one's a bit gory, but definitely not a horror movie or anything)
Hocus Pocus
It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!
Edward Scissorhands
Buffy the Vampire Slayer (yes, the MOVIE... Epic.)
Labyrinth
So I Married An Axe Murderer
Young Frankenstein
Donnie Darko (again - depends on what you find scary)
Clue (Really, this movie works ANY time of year)
Beetlejuice
Casper (Yes, I know I'm 27. I don't care.)
The Addams Family
I know there are TONS of others. Really, any Tim Burton movie works this time of year (especially 'Frankenweenie'). There are movies like 'Coraline' (no, it wasn't a Tim Burton movie, look it up) and 'Ghostbusters' that you could totally watch, too. Lists like this one include flicks like 'Practical Magic' and 'Idle Hands' as viable choices. The Harry Potter movies certainly have a halloweeny feel to them, too. And, of course, Disney has a plethora of made-for-television or straight-to-DVD Halloween movies to choose from (I won't lie, I've watched 'Halloweentown' a few times...).
Everyone has special things that make their favorite holidays special to them. Mine is watching my favorite non-scary Halloween movies, and I plan to start this weekend.
Friday, October 7, 2011
Scary Stuff
And no, I'm not talking about Halloween kind of scary.
One of my best friends was in a car accident this week. For the most part, she's OK, but she's understandably shaken up and is sore from the impact. I wish it hadn't happened, but I'm certainly glad it wasn't worse.
The first time I really remember someone close to me being in a car accident was one of my aunts. As I remember the story (it was a long time ago now), she was on her way to work and caught a red light at an intersection. The light turned green and, naturally, she went. So what happened, you ask? An ambulance that was coming up to the newly red light at this same intersection got a call. They hit their lights and continued through the intersection, t-boning my aunt. Yep. My aunt was hit by an ambulance. Of course, then they had to send another ambulance to help, since that ambulance was clearly out of commission. My aunt broke part of her spine and had to wear a halo for something like 6 months. Thankfully she's doing fine these days, but needless to say, she was wary of that intersection for quite awhile.
Of course, I had friends get into fender-benders in high school, but nothing that really sticks out in my mind as especially bad. The next big car accident I can recall was when one of my parents' neighbors fell asleep behind the wheel (at a stop sign, I think) and died. I'd grown up with his kids, and he had been the Uncle Sam in our neighborhood's 4th of July parade for years. I remember going to the wake with my parents, and I realized that Dad and I have a very defense mechanism in those types of situations. We make jokes. Not loud enough that others can hear, since we don't want to be disrespectful, but it's how we cope with things so that we don't fall apart.
I, fortunately, was not in an accident until about 3 years ago. In fact, it would've been this coming weekend in 2008. A few friends and I were headed to Six Flags for Fright Fest. We were about to make the left turn to get to the park entrance, but the traffic was crazy. The friend who was driving wasn't sure when she'd be able to go, and there wasn't a turn arrow to be found. A moment of opportunity came up and she started to go, but hesitated. One passenger was yelling, "Go! Go!" and another was screaming, "Wait! Stop!" and by the time the driver made a decision, it was too late. The first car we thought was going to hit us managed to swerve out of the way. The car behind that, though, hit us dead on in the rear passenger door, right where I was sitting.
If you've ever been in an accident, you've probably experienced a lot of the same things I/we did. First, to this day I can't remember the actual impact. I remember seeing the car coming, tensing up, and then I remember the feeling of the car being spun around me (since I was kind of at the pivot point), but not the actual point of impact. When the car stopped, it took about a minute for me to realize that my glasses we no longer on my face. In fact, they were behind me. Next, the friend sitting right next to me (in the middle, cushioned between two of us) and I realized that our ponytails had come out. Yep, the force caused our hair ties to come loose. One of us called 911 while the driver called her insurance company. None of us seemed particularly hurt, so we didn't request an ambulance. One came through later, and my boyfriend (now my hubby), who had come to pick me up, told me he wanted me to get checked out, but it wasn't there for us anyway.
We had to sit around at the gas station on the corner of the intersection for hours. It turned out that I had kicked my left leg with my right leg and given myself a nice bruise. There was also a scrape on my arm, and it might've been a bit swollen, but aside from that and a headache, all seemed well. Since I took the brunt of the impact, everyone was even less damaged than I was. I won't go into details, because it was a LONG afternoon, but we eventually decided to forget about Six Flags and just call it a day.
The next morning when I woke up, my entire body hurt. I have never in my life felt so stiff and achy. I was walking like Frankenstein for the better part of the day, and it felt like someone rammed a pole straight up my spine. Don't even get me started on my neck... Aye yi yi. I'm sure some people do fake whiplash, but when it's for real, that shit HURTS.
Looking back, I probably should've gotten checked over after the accident, just to make sure everything was OK. Fortunately, I healed up after a few weeks and was back to normal. Well, physically. Even now, when I'm in the passenger side of a car and we make a left turn with oncoming traffic, I tense up and hold my breath. I don't do it on purpose, really. I think my body just doesn't want to feel that pain again, so it's become a knee-jerk reaction.
For anyone interested, the driver of the car that hit us was really shaken up (she couldn't have been older than 16 or 17), but otherwise alright. Both cars were pretty much totaled (I had to climb out the other passenger door to get out, since mine was partially caved in), but all the people involved were relatively unscathed.
Since then, I've been in two "accidents." The first was when I was driving from Milwaukee to Madison at night in a snow storm. I was going maybe 25 MPH on the interstate when my phone rang. It was my mom, and I didn't want her to worry, so I answered. "Where are you?" "Crashing. Can I call you back?" I grazed a guard rail, which was not the best thing that could've happened, but certainly wasn't the worst.
The other was a situation where Hubby was at a stop sign, about to turn, and got rear-ended by a minivan. Fortunately, the only damage was a small part of the van (like part of the headlight, maybe) and no one was hurt. Phew.
The other was a situation where Hubby was at a stop sign, about to turn, and got rear-ended by a minivan. Fortunately, the only damage was a small part of the van (like part of the headlight, maybe) and no one was hurt. Phew.
Monday, November 1, 2010
For real?
November, I am SO not ready for you. I want October back!
Anywhoozles, came home last night to find this beautiful orange kitty on our front step, sitting with our pumpkins. Had it not been so dark, I would've taken a picture - it was too perfect. Friendly little thing, too. And so soft! Sometimes I miss having a cat. Too bad hub's allergic. Le sigh.
Visitation was fine, but good GOD (pun only semi-intended) - the rosary went on FOREVER. I had no idea they were going to say it, or how long it would take, but for crying out loud! What in the world does repeating the same thing over and over and over do for you? If God didn't hear it the first time, what makes you think the 23rd time is going to matter? Or the 50th?? (Sorry if I offend any of my more religious friends; I respect your decision to believe anything you want and worship accordingly, but from an outside perspective, it just seemed a bit ridiculous!)
Also, we have a metric shit-ton of leftover Halloween candy. I think we got a total of 15 trick or treat-ers... At most. Candy, here I come! Om nom nom nom nom!!
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Happy Halloween!
Here's hoping everyone has a spook-tacular, wonderful, magical, epic, fantastic, whatever you want it to be kind of Halloween! Me? I had quite the scare last night at the Mumford & Sons concert when it looked like flannel was making a comeback... Eep!
As for my Halloween, I will try to make the very best of it. Planning on carving pumpkins with the hubby this morning, then watching some football and attending to the few trick or treat-ers that come by (this is why living on a dead end street is sort of a bummer sometimes) before heading off to a visitation for the hub's grandfather.
Friday, October 29, 2010
Trick or Treat
Growing up, Halloween was by FAR my favorite holiday. When else do you get to dress up, run around with your friends for hours on end, and eat tons of candy? With parent approval!! Hell yes, this is the best holiday EVER!!!
I went trick or treating EVERY YEAR until I was 19. (Ok, so at 18, my attempt was rather futile - people on campus weren't very into it, and the surrounding houses looked at me like a lunatic for walking up to their houses alone, since my friends walked with me, but wouldn't take part - but I still went!) All through middle school and high school, this was the one night of the year I truly looked forward to. It was the best night ever!
So why do some people believe that trick or treating should stop around age 12 or 13? Because they're "too old" for it? How the hell do you tell someone they're too old to have fun and eat candy? Seriously?!
Here are several reasons kids should be not only allowed, but ENCOURAGED to trick or treat as long as possible:
- Know what kids who aren't trick or treating do on Halloween night? No, they don't sit at home and pass out candy. That's lame. They go out and look for things to do. Things like egging and TPing houses, or going to Halloween parties with older kids. Yeah, that's better than trick or treating...
- Trick or treating sparks creativity! As you get older and more capable of picking and making your own costumes, your creativity can run free. You now have MORE control over your costume, so you can make it to YOUR liking.
- What better way is there to encourage recycling and reusing, not to mention the concept of thrift? With some imagination and an adhesive, you can turn old clothes or household items into costumes and accessories. What was once a mop is now a pom pom or a wig. That old shirt you never wear anymore can be turned into something special for Halloween. You can even wear some of your family's old clothes as retro-inspired costumes! The sky's the limit!
- Exercise. Seriously, how often can you get kids to run around outside for hours on end without complaints? Um, the answer is pretty much once a year: Halloween. Yeah, I know, they're eating candy and that kinda negates the whole point of exercise, but come on... At least they're getting outside!
Essentially, think of it this way. If teens are excited about trick or treating, and are willing to put in the effort to make/find a good costume and have a good attitude about it, why would you NOT want to reward that? Teens are known for being so sullen and distant and wah, wah, wah... So why take away something that lets them be the fun, playful kid they once were?
Bitchy Bitch Bitch Bitch Bitch
Ok, yes, I'm a bitch. I'm aware. But for f*ck's sake, man... Who has a visitation on Halloween!? I'm going to miss my trick-or-treaters, my traditional Halloween movies, maybe even pumpkin carving! This is my favorite holiday! Why would you have a visitation on a HOLIDAY?!
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