The X-Entertainment Blog!

10/30/2007: Doorways To Horror.

Mmmm. Christmas.

Yeah, I’ve become my worst nightmare: Someone who wants to start celebrating one holiday before the first one finishes. What can I say? Halloween and I had a rocky relationship this year. I’m mad at it and it’s mad at me. I think we just expected too much from each other. It expected me to write tributes to it forty-five times in two months, because that’s what I’ve always done. I expected it to make the mundane okay and the horrible palatable, because that’s what it’s always done. It’s cool, though. Everyone missteps, and after all, Halloween and I have a whole year to make amends.

But Halloween is tomorrow, and I fully expect those of you who live life in a less self-damning way to make the most of it. Only comes once a year. Even with all my blahness, I’ve already got the spooky-patterned Ziploc bags out, and I’m stuffing each with 6-7 pieces of candy to guarantee myself the neighborhood’s gold medal for best treat-giver.

As an adult, I’ve always put a lot of emphasis on giving out good tricks and treats. I got plenty of stinkers throughout childhood, and I know how kids can concoct a lot of venom and hatred for the families that give them shitty candy. The last thing I ever want to see is some six-year-old making pissy faces under his Hogwarts hat when I’m giving him a freebie. I’d only ever volunteer at a soup kitchen if everyone who entered had to sign an “I will smile at my soup pouring guy” contract first.

One of the ladies who lived on my old block once gave my friends and I a penny each, and I still feel bad about our collective reaction to this. You’d think that kids could just collect their losses and move on to the next house, but it doesn’t work like that. When you’re a kid, your heart is on your sleeve. When we got those pennies, the only reactions we could muster fell under the umbrellas of sarcasm and outright rudeness, and though I’m sure we didn’t care much at the time, I can firmly recall that look of shame and unease on the poor penny-giving lady’s face…and it’s just not something I ever want to go through. So, Snickers and Twix and witch-themed rubber fingers puppets for all!

I was going to write more, but Charlie Brown is on tonight. I think I’ll post after that. Meantime, comment on what your plans are, if any, for the big day. Just because I’m a misfit doesn’t mean I can’t live vicariously through your joys.

AMC has really rocked this past week. I hope you’ve all been watching. Last night they replayed the two F13 movies from our blog marathon night months back.

For what it’s worth, Matt, my Halloween season hasn’t been much of anything either. Luckily, I love Thanksgiving, so I can start looking forward to that soon(you just can’t take away all that is good about Pumpkin Pie).

Happy Halloween! I lost the Halloween spirit for about 6 or 7 years–I just couldn’t reconcile my childhood memories with my adult life. But my daughter’s finally old enough to go trick or treating tomorrow (as a lion!) and I definitely love Halloween again.

I never got my ghoulaid… it musta gotten lost in the mail. Oh well, thanks anyways Matt! Have a nice halloween!

It’s finally here! My girlfriend and I have a list of things we have planned to do tomorrow. We have been celebrating throughout the month, but it’s the big times now! It will all start with It’s the Great Pumpkin tonight!! Happy Halloween all, hope you spooks are as ready as I am!!

yeah good old AMC is playing many-a-horror flicks. From Halloween - to Hellraiser, to some movie with Michael J Fox and a reaper. It’s good to see a channel devoted themselves to something.

I work the graveyard shift on Halloween, as I do every Wednesday, but prior to that I plan to dress up like Chuck Norris and give out full-size candy bars to however few kids come by the house this year.

This year I’m working as a second grade teacher assistant. Tomorrow, I’ll be going into school decked out in orange and black and fearing the party after recess. Why oh why can’t we let them out to run around after we give them lots of sugar.

Seriously, I’m looking forward to it. It’s easy to get excited about the holiday when you have twenty-seven seven and eight year olds who are excited about it.

My commute sucks so I don’t get home until about 7:15, and since I live in the ghetto, all the kiddies are long-gone. Why, oh why can’t Halloween come on a weekend for once?

Actually, Im pissed at AMC, for some odd reason, when F13 was supposed to be on last night all i got was Hellraiser and Hellbound. Which I’ve already watched twice apiece.
I’ll Be handing out goodies to the kids, playing Silent Hill The Room and hanging ’round here.
HAPPY HALLOWEEN EVERYONE!!!!

I personally will be handing out the candy this year to all the little grubby kids. Got some decent stuff and some not so, but they get the pick two pieces out of the pail so its there choice.

With this Halloween almost over and Christmas around the bend all I ask is don’t forget the the stepchild holiday in-between. It deserves little more than a passing nod and a turkey sandwich left over. Heaven knows the stores don’t anymore.

Happy-style halloween to everybody whom shows up here. Click my name to see something sure to get you in something that at leas resembles the halloween mood.

Happy halloween everyone. My holiday will consist of coming home from work tonight and watching Charlie Brown and then leaving the porch light on all night tonight because it is Devil’s Night in the Detroit area. Tomorrow I will cut out of work a little early and hand out candy with my wife while simultaneously trying to stop my dog from going ape-shit crazy into the front door every time a kid steps on the porch and causing him/her/them to wet themselves.
Yes, I know, you get married, turn 30 and its mundane. When Halloween falls on a weekend, I’ll turn it up a notch!

Like many of you, I’ll be at work tomorrow evening as well. It’s a real bummer, but I work for a magazine and we have to sign off on our December issue by noon on Thursday. Even if we pull a late night tonight, we still won’t make it out too early tomorrow. But at least my wife will be home handing out some choice sweets.
Still, I’m gonna try and watch a few Halloween-themed flicks late tonight and tomorrow night: Monster Squad, Transylvania 6-5000, maybe even The Gate.

A friend and I are going to see a double bill of Halloween 4 and 5 tonight (They’re playing tonight and tonight only at 7:30 at selected theatres across the country–$10 for both movies combined), and tomorrow night our crowd’s going out to the bar where I DJ from time to time for “Scary Karaoke”. I’ll probably do my usual costume of Buffalo Bill from The Silence of the Lambs. Part of me kind of wants to stay home though. Matt’s description of the bags and candy reminded me how fun it is to really do it up right so the kids get their treats worth. I get a thrill out of opening the door and hiding behind it so I can jump out at the last second and scare the bejeezes out of them right before hooking them up with a Snickers or something of equal quality. No rasins allowed at this house!

I think I’ve said it before, but my Halloween spirit this year was in direct relation to my bank account, thus making it quite low. I’m embarassed to admit that there has been this Christmasy tingle that’s been in my belly for the last week or so. I think it’s starting to kick in. I don’t know why. Maybe my thirst for Halloween spirit is just adapting to get whatever it can, and Christmas just seems like it holds so much potential. By the time it rolls around I will have started my second job and will have some money coming in. There’s still time to make Christmas the Halloween that I wanted Halloween to be. Like Matt, I just hope Halloween won’t hold it against me. At least I can look forward to the after Halloween sales. I’ll spook up this joint one way or another, even if it is after the fact!

As for the often left behind Thanksgiving, I’ve always been a fan and tried to give it the credit it had due. It’s like rehearsal for “the big one”, with all the advantages of gluttony but without the pesky spending. Despite everything I just said though, I hate how Christmas season used to start right after Thanksgiving and now it starts in, oh I don’t know…March or something. I mean, it’s just getting more and more out of hand.

I am using this year to return to trick or treating. My son (that I am raising by myself) turned 2 on the 12th. So were both getting dressed up, driving to a nice affluent suburban neighborhood (no where near my house) and getting enough candy to put us both in a sugar coma for a month. After he’s off to bed, it’s time for horror movies and cheap beer. For the Halloween hangover we’ll be going to see Saw 4 on Thursday.

I am SO AMPED about HALLOWEEN!
At first, i was bummed- this was my First X-E halloween and to see it not entirely happen made me sad.
But I delved through the archives, hit a few halloween departments and jumped into it full-swing.
Last Saturday I saw both a Turbonegro and ACDC cover band and Rudy did really well in the Costume Contest- no prize for him though.
We also carved Punkins last night- I carved one a week ago but it died.
And tomorrow- we’re going to see a MISFITS COVER BAND and our favorite local band- the Choptops.
Rudy is going as La Parca and I actually haven’t decided- I have enough freaky clothes to work SOMETHING out- maybe the Black Dahlia to go with the Rockabilly theme!
We also are going to make a Dia De Los Muertos Altar- never done it, but very excited to do so!
Despite the beginning,this is shaping up to be the most Ace Halloween Ever!

I wish you all the best of this fabulous holiday, grab what you can of it while you can!
Happy Halloween! Happy All Hallow’s Eve! Happy Samhain! Happy All Saints Day!
And a happy Post-Halloween Retail Harvest! Best of luck to you all!

I’m doing it low-key this year- staying home handing out candy to the kiddos who come by. Eating the leftovers- sugar coma for me! Watching my Halloween movie collection, which includes Rocky Horror Picture Show and Shaun of the Dead.

After trick or treaters go home, I plan on doing my damn-dest to finish of my bottle of coconut rum.

Sorry for the dp, but I just noticed, someone else up there posted under the name of DJ! What gives? You tryin’ ta steal mah identitah? You want to take this outside?

My 3rd year of handing out candy to our neighborhood kids. It’s lots of fun! I, too, like to give out loads of candy. The husband and I sit out on the front porch (no costumes worn, we don’t want to scare the little ones) and watch the fun. I think I have more fun handing out candy now, than I did all those years getting it

Hey, don’t sweat it, Matt. I have to admit that I used to hate Halloween with the passion, but now I love it. I’d have to attribute a great deal of credit to the change to this site. Keep fighting the good fight.

well, i doubt i’ll have any trick-or-treaters, but i am going to buy some candy and make everyone that passes my desk at the office take some. i’ll shake it in their face!

and i’ve reconciled myself to not going out tomorrow night (i really wanted too, but don’t want to go it alone, and apparently no one else i know cares). i am gonna watch The Great Pumpkin then on halloween night, followed by Garfield. And I also am taping Ellen and Martha Stewart tomorrow (I’m a nerd) and I’ll watch them because they’ll have big halloween themes. And if I stay up late I might just finish off the night with Rocky Horror, like I have so many halloweens in the past.

There was an article in the business section of our paper today explaining why stores are putting Christmas items out earlier every year. Basically, customers are wanting to Christmas shop earlier every year. Although one of the stores mentioned they started putting Halloween items out during July, so who knows.

Beggars Night is tonite here. I’ll tell you how many trick-or-treaters we get later on.

As for tomorrow, probably nothing as usual except watching tv. If there is a horror film I haven’t seen on IFC, FMC, or one of the HBO’s I may watch that (I reject AMC because they edit their movies).

I’m most likely going to be spending it on the road, off to do the monthly errands. Last year I people-watched at the mall, but not going to this year. That’s been about the extent of my Halloween participation for the last few years.

Halloween kinda makes me miss my cat Fastus. It was his favorite night of the year. He wasn’t around kids much but he loved ‘em, so he’d always be right there at the door trying to get them to play with him…and when we ran out of candy and turned the porch light off, he’d sit there so forlornly, stretching his paws up to beg them to come to the door whenever kids passed.

JLA: That may be true, but the stores themselves have helped foster that environment simply by putting out the displays and sending out Sunday circulars with snowflake graphics in late October. It’s part supply and demand, but I think it’s also part creating a demand.

Then there’s the fact that online shopping has cut into actual in-store holiday shopping to such a degree that stores would be wise to make the holiday season last for as long as they possibly can.

Either way, I’m not complaining….though I do wish they’d let Halloween “digest” for a little longer before swapping Satan for Santa.

Tomorrow night, I’m just planning on sitting home and watching my 1981 VHS copy of Halloween. Although I did make sure to get some unique but respectable candy for the trick-or-treaters this year (Peanut Butter M&Ms, Reese’s Pieces, etc.).

Yeah, I’ve really dug the movies that AMC has shown lately and enjoyed catching the last half of Friday the 13th Part 3 last night, but hate that they edit them. I only wish I had HBO or some such. I think shortly after I get my own place next year I’m going to go on a DVD shopping spree and get the F13 and Nighmare on Elm St. boxed sets. Hellraiser just got re-issued too for the 20th Anniversary so I definitly have to have that one. Doug Bradley just said in an interview today that he hasn’t been approached about the remake yet, but the directors have been attached and I think Clive Barker is writing it. I really don’t care to see anyone else but him play Pinhead, but if someone else playing Pinhead is the only way we’ll get a decent Hellraiser movie again I can deal with it. I hope they really bring back the concept of coming back from Hell by having blood spilled where you died. That was such an integral part of the plot of the first one, and to some extent the second one, but was completely abandoned after that.

Speaking of AMC, I think they’re a little generous with the term “Classic” in “American Movie Classics.” I mean, they were showing Catwoman the other day. Exactly what part of Catwoman makes it an American movie classic?

Jeff: Ah yes, the VHS tradition. I’m so glad I bought an extra VCR for our primary TV. There are just some movies that work better grainy and old style.

Matt and Hey I’m Jeff: Yeah, I totally know what you mean. The very first time I saw Halloween 2 was right after we got our first VCR when I was a kid. It was the first thing I recorded off TV. Sure it had the commercials and everything but I think I’ve practically worn that tape out watching it so many times. The same with my old copy of Monster Squad. Until I got the 20th Anniversary edition DVD that just came out, the only time I had ever seen Monster Squad was on an old VHS tape that my grandmother made me that also has Ghostbusters, Gremlins, and G.I. Joe: The Movie on it. Gremlins is the last movie on the tape and it took years for me to finally find out how the movie ended cause the tape runs out and cuts off the end of it.

I am not working tomorrow and I am very sad about that. I work at probably the greatest restaurant for Halloween in the country and I have to go to class

Last weekend I saw the Nightmare Before CHristmas 3D, and although I am sure it was great, I slept through the whole thing.
I will be taking my son out. I am excited about this. He is going to be the Red Power Ranger, a costume he chose soly based on the weapon the Red Ranger carries. Tonight we are decorating in cotton spider webs and plastic spiders. Better late than never. I asked him if he wanted to watch Charlie Brown tonight and he said, “But we have that movie!” sigh

Ughhhh why does everyone feel that way this year? Halloween is awesome and this season was amazing. But everyone kept saying “it’s too hot!” and then when it finally cooled down everyone said “oohh it feels like Christmas!” So dumb. If you start celebrating Christmas now, you’re going to frigg’n hate it by the end of November. And then you’ll be ready for Halloween. Bah, Humbug.

As Matt goes, so goes my nation. Christmas, we’re on our way! I for one am looking forward to the time of year when people are a little nicer, smiles are a little brighter, and I’m allowed to spoil my nephew and cousins to my heart’s content.

However, that said, Halloween and I had a great year in 2007. I even did the sticky labels they print in Martha Stewart every year that I’ve never gotten around to doing.

Hold up, what time is Charlie Brown? (I’m assuming it’s the Great Pumpkin) I’d much rather watch that than study for a dumb ethics test.

One year my mom was adamant about giving out “Testa-Mints,” individual mints with a small Bible verse. It didn’t take her long to realize that kids hated them for more than one reason: Who wants the word of God on All Hallows Eve? Additionally, the mints just sucked out loud. She was back to Twix and Kit Kats the next year.

Halloween is also my good friend’s birthday…so, tomorrow night we are having cake and playing Risk. On Nov. 2nd there is his annual ‘Halloween Birthday Costume Party’. I will be a pirate I suppose.

I discovered that my town has a homicidal crazy man whom we affectionately call Mad Dog. He lives with his mom and rides his bike everywhere, even though he is 30something. He likes to threaten to kill people, scream at people, and practice knife throwing.

So naturally, me and my friends are going to tempt death and mess with his house in SOME way.

I’m going to desperately half-ass my way through a twelve page research paper in time for my night class tomorrow. That’s right, while you suckers are going to be wasting your time with candy and costume, I’m going to be soaking up the most precious treat of all: knowledge.

In other news, it would be pretty keen if somebody could grant me a merciful death.

You know how it is when you have big plans with your significant other but you have a big fight right before you have to leave, and you know you should put it behind you and have a good time and you do your best to do so, but it’s still stilted and your reaction to dinner/play/event is false?
That’s how it is with me and Halloween this year, and I don’t know who started the fight but we’re doing our best not to continue the fight in public. Every year my friends make their house up like a pirate ship, complete with plank and scary-man-in-the-brig (this year: my husband, the uber-introvert?!?) and I decided at the last minute (read: three hours ago) to get in the spirit and dress up like a pirate. There were still pirate costumes at the superstore; that was like the bouquet of flowers from Halloween. We’ll see where this goes.

Sorry for the double post.
Jedoc - You’ll make it bro. Halloween is being an asshole anyway, it deserves your research paper.
I understand though, I still have a ton of work to do before my noon deadline for work tomorrow.

Hey Matt or anyone, have you had the fReal milkshakes sold in WaWas, Royal Farms and I’d assume just about any convenience store? Not just your standard milkshakes but right now for a limited time, EGG NOG flavor shakes! I’m pretty much geeking out down here in MD– take that McDonalds!!

Matt: I definately agree with you. Satan for Santa? That reminds me of an old SNL “Church Lady” sketch where it was revealed that if you scrambled the letters they spell it that way. Blew my mind and was hilarious.

I good series of articles to do in November (as a sort of bridge between Halloween and Christmas) would be to review the horror movies that combined Christmas with horror. You’d be surprised how many there are. From “Black Christmas” to “Silent Night, Deadly Night” to “Jack Frost” to “Santa’s Slay.”

Jessica: I love the image of you grinding your teeth as you put on a happy pirate costume with a big fight fresh on your mind. Hope you didn’t have to improvise with a real hook.

FyarlGirl: Well, well, well….look who decided to show up to the Countdown. ‘Bout dag-gum time.

Muppet Baby Risk! Sweet! Man, I’d do anything to get some Risk going around here. I haven’t played in years. What a great Halloween tradition. And speaking of Nov. 2nd, aside from it being the Mexican Day of the Dead, it also happens to be a certain Dj’s birthday. I’m not naming any names (*cough, DJ D, cough*). It’s the big ole 3-0.

kittymao: Thanks loads! Btw, I had to Google a Spanish/English translation site to sort out what you said, but now it makes perfect sense. I should know that by now! Unfortunately, I missed the creepy birthday I would have liked to have had by 2 days (why couldn’t my folks have gotten it on 2 days earlier?), but I’ll settle for the one I got.

Je parle francaise tres bien, mais je ne parle pas l’espagne. C’est dommage, parce-que j’habite au Caroline du Sud et il y a beaucoup des personnes ici qui sont du Mexico.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN XE’rs - Hope you all have a awesome time tomorrow night. Im taking my 2 year old daughter out for her first real trick-or-treating experience…can’t wait! Going to get settled in to watch me some Chuck Brown in less than a hour..SWEET!

My stupid job is having a Halloween party complete w/costume contest, so it gives me an excuse not to look professional for a day. Double bonus: I can wear sandals w/the excuse that it’s for the costume.

DJ D - Happy Birthday early! Have the courage to hit 30 with a swagger in your stride. Thirty candles is the new twenty candles. On the cake. No more writing.

Matt - I’m pretty sure we’re now at the phase in which we’re getting ready to go and we’re kind of avoiding each other as we get dressed and stomp around. I’m about to dry up all of my good imagery and I still have seven more abstracts to write tonight. “Your writing bears witness to the soul of a poet whose unique view on the world…” I have got to start writing articles or something.

And a thousand blessins upon your home for bringing up the Great Pumpkin. I thought I had missed it for some reason.

8:00 where? I’m in central time, so that would probably make it 7 here. *gasp* Not much time! Oh, what channel will it be on? Bee tea dub, thanks, Tina!

Greg: That sounds like a lot of fun and probably dead cute too. Don’t have kids myself, but I’m an “uncle” to all my friends’ kids. What’s her costume?

Jessica Marie: Yeah, I was kind of freaking out about it a while back but I’m kind of cool with it now. Looking forward to the shindig we’re having Friday night, assuming I can get everyone to show up. My friends are all meeting up at the club where I spin from time to time. I figure the only way to get these people together is if there’s either food or booze involved, so I’ll just have my party at the one place where they’ll all end up being on a Friday night anyway. I’m doing the family thing next Monday though. I think my parents are more freaked out about it than I am. I think they’re the ones who feel old.

Re: Charlie Brown, they’re doing the same thing they did last year and adding in that unrelated “Something Something Elected, Something Charlie Brown” special, making the Peanuts goodness last a full hour.

Greg - That’s going to be so effing cute. Almost makes me want kids! Almost.

DJ D - Considering that Day o’ the Dead gets trendier every year, I would think you’d be the most popular birthday guy around. I’ll bring the skulls.

A little sadness creeps into me every time I read about your loss of Halloween spirit, Matt. Especially since this would have been the first year I read the X-E Halloween Countdown daily.

But I have to say, my Halloween spirit was at an all-time high this year. I don’t remember ever diving this deep into the festivities, even as a kid. I got started on September 1st and basically just went ape-shit on all things Halloween. My friends and family were concerned.

But it showed me that Halloween spirit is something you create for yourself, because, as this article illustrates, a big part of society is preparing to abandon Halloween in order to reap a bigger harvest for Christmas. We Halloween-faithful are on our own. Don’t let the indifference of capitalism get the best of you!

As I’m watching this special, it occurs to me that the one my mom taped in the late 80s is studded with all manner of Halloween commercials. This airing so far: zero. After this I’m putting in Garfield and Charlie Brown with atmospheric commercials. Like the one in which Ronald morbidly offers dipping sauce to a McNugget dressed as Dracula. Ah, the good old days.

I’ve already told you that Halloween doesn’t end tomorrow. We’ve got our Jones party on Thursday. Tomorrow I’m celebrating with my student teaching class, though. It should be pretty fun. I hope so anyway. Even if it isn’t tomorrow starts the Silent Hill marathon and I can’t wait

I love the Great Pumpkin. Reminds me of being a kid and getting excited to gets tons o’candy.

yep….as for my plans tommorow…my name says it all! Actually i may tag along with my sis in law and her husband when they take my 19 month old neice and 4 yr old nephew trick or treating.

Well, I was supposed to work until 6pm tomorrow but now I get off at 4pm…most people I know are going to church type things or have kids and trick or treating. And no one will be coming to my house; to far off the road. So my plans are all confused. I may go to my cousins to watch bad horror films later (around 9pm), but I think I may convince my good friend to go to dinner as tomorrow is also teacher payday, another holiday for many

I entered a pumpkin carving contest at work. Check out my Jack O Lantern (and my kitten!) Let me know what you think. If you know, you want to and stuff…

It snowed here today. Everyone at work was talking Xmas on the day before Halloween. Shame.

I watched Its the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown tonight. It rocked. Get it? ROCK. Ha.

Question: Do you guys feel that Sunglasses At Night is appropriate for a fun Halloween playlist? I’m providing the music for my section of the office tomorrow.

I entered a pumpkin carving contest at work. Check out my Jack O Lantern (and my kitten!) Let me know what you think. If you know, you want to and stuff…

It snowed here today. Everyone at work was talking Xmas on the day before Halloween. Shame.

I watched Its the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown tonight. It rocked. Get it? ROCK. Ha.

A very close friend of mine’s birthday is on Halloween, and she is turning 21, so we are probably going to rock out the spookyness at the bar somewhere.

Muppet Baby - Keep making with the puns, I think Halloween spirit likes them. Where are you again, that it snowed? If I were one to show incredulity with multiple question marks, I would have added several there. I wore a t-shirt out today, with no coat.

MATT: Maybe you should just do a 14 day countdown next year or even just a once-a-week entry for about 6 weeks. Then maybe you won’t feel too much pressure. And if you just did once a week you could do one article about several things. Week 1: Candy, Week 2: Movies, etc, etc…

Harry: Longtime fan, thanks for your patronage. And yes, if what happened this year seems like a possibility next year, starting so early is definitely out.

So…. My Halloween spirit has been low because I’ve been anxiously awaiting a phone call about a new job opportunity, and they’re supposed to call and let me know by Nov. 1st…. Ugggh. It’s all I can think about.

I haven’t even watched all my Halloween specials while eating a whole box of Count Chocula.

I think the main reason is that I have absolutely nothing to do on Halloween. All of my friends are working, so I can either (A) go to our town’s Lame-ass block party by myself, or (B) go with the family to one of those Lame-ass church Halloween alternatives- here they call them “Hallelujah Parties”. I’m a Christian, but I swear- leave my Halloween alone. When I was a kid living in Arkansas our church actually had a Haunted House/Halloween Party, and I remember someone chasing us with a chainsaw on the way out of the Haunted House! Now that’s Halloween. Block Party it is.

It’s okay Matt, we still love you. Anytime I need a laugh, all I have to do is read your Worst Witch article. LAUGH OUT LOUD every time! That was one of my favorites growing up… Hmmm… I think I’ll go watch it now, I have the DVD.

Jessica Marie- I live in Canada, so I guess it is to be expected…we usually trick or treat with our snowsuits on. Still, I wasn’t ready, ya know? Sorry about the fight.

Did anyone else do a Jack O Lantern this year? If so- PICTURES people! I loved the MARE pumpkin so far.

Anyway, the official trick-or-treater tally tonite was 125. That is about our average.

We had some good costumes tonite, especially among the younger set. Various Batman’s, pirates, Spidey’s, Supergirls, etc. There was even a Jason and a couple Leatherfaces. There was also an abundance of “sexy” witches among the pre-teen set, which is kinda creepy in itself.

We’re hosting our first Halloween party this year. I hope it doesn’t end with me passed out in the front yard or welcoming November with a skull crushing hangover but I probably will.

Today is my birthday! I wish my mom could’ve held me in for another 5 hours…then i could’ve been a Halloween baby. *sigh* oh well. It does seem like Halloween was a little less magically delicious this year. But im going to try to make the best out of it regardles. So happy Hallow’s Eve everyone!

Hey, at least your Halloween will be spent on land! This is my second year in a row where the halloweeniest of holidays will be spent out to sea. I suppose thats the life of a sailor, though. Good luck with the treats!

Sarah: I think you should just start lying and telling people you were born on Halloween. If I was born that close to it, I would.

Doc: It amazes me to hear about the not-typical lives some of you lead as I sit here waiting for the next good rerun to come on.

My stepdad and I braved Wal-Mart this evening to buy 50 dollars worth of good Halloween candy. I’m talking Snickers, Kit-Kats, Butterfingers, Smarties, Tootie Pops, Mike and Ikes, Reeses, etc… Not to mention mom had alread purchased Wendy’s Frosty Coupons; 1 dollar a book for 10 small Frosty’s! I’ve filled 50 treat bags with at least 3 candy bars a piece, a Frosty coupon, Smarties and a sucker. We too pride ourselves on being a “good treat” house.

I haven’t been too pumped about Halloween this year, but I did don the ol’ Hogwarts costume again (in honor of Dumbledore) and carved one of those intricate pumpkins with the shading, instead of an ordinary cut-through. It was mom’s request that I do a Dale Earnhardt Sr. pumpkin, and what momma wants, momma gets.

I actually already got most of my Halloween-ness out of my system at my party. Click my name to see photos.

I’m not even sure if I’ll do anything tomorrow, heh. My school is having a costume contest, and I’m half considering going to that…

Yeah Shaun I’m totally excited for that. An honest to goodness Halloween episode from my favorite bounty hunter for Satan show! Awesome.
I’ve been doing my part to celebrate the season, though it’s been a bit of a slog at times. Thanks to AMC, TCM and SciFi I’ve watched a ton of movies; saw Creepshow 2 for the first time, plus I’ve still got Carnival of Souls, Halloween and Pet Sematary Two recorded. Great Pumpkin will be waiting for me when I’m done with class

I’ve been doing a sort of modified Day of the Dead altar for awhile now, and we lost two grandparents this year, so I spent a lot of time working on it, finding pictures and making decorations. We had a bunch of family over this weekend and they seemed to think it was pretty cool so that was nice.
As for tomorrow, I’m reprising the Dakota Block costume for the office party. I only wish we got trick or treaters around here. And as for Christmas…I’ve already started shopping and humming tunes. I just didn’t want to admit it first.

When I was a kid I had these friends who were like, baptist or something, and they weren’t allowed to celebrate halloween at all because their fundamentalist mother said it was satanic.

I thought their lives were TRAGIC. I used to trick-or-treat with my brother and then watch Rocky Horror on late night tv (with the help of caffeine and a shitload of sugar).

PS Ariel: your party looks RAD!! I love Alice in Wonderland.

I hope you played Jefferson Airplane on repeat all night.

My fabulous plans for Halloween is to wait for post in the morning; do work all day; then do band practice until late night, in preparation for a gig on Friday.

What’s sadder is that here in the UK the only halloween-related on TV is the original Halloween at midnight. That’s it. Jeez, there was even more coverage about the NFL game in London than anything Halloween related… Not a happy spooky place to be. Woe is me.

And we still don’t have the Nightmare Before XMas 3D in cinemas. I’m starting to doubt we ever will - which makes me a very sad panda indeed.

My first post, but I’ve lurked here for the last 3 years. This has been a weird Halloween for us too. My oldest daughter (7) got a part in an Annie musical at one of the local community theatres. It’s consuming our lives and will continue to do so until right before Christmas. Halloween sort of went by the wayside…I just got my decorations out 2 weeks ago and normally they are out by Oct. 1st. Fortunately, they did give the poor little orphans tomorrow night off so that they can TOT, but after that it’s back to the Hard Knock Life until the first show on Nov. 23rd.

This may sound like a weird comment, but…
Ariel, i love your shoes ! and socks !
I’d wear them in my daily life, not just as a costume.
I love it when people link to stuff

THe lasT ThiNG i reMembEr iS ChArginG intO a BriCK WaLL of AnTi-HalloWEEn feeliNgs oN aN SNt.

*cough* SOmething must have happened just now that brought me back. Was it? Could it have been? IT WAS! Halloween flavor on X-E!! Hail to the Great Pumpkin!

Seriously, good news and bad news: Good news was I have had a really good Halloween season and it isn’t over yet. Carving pumpkins and Trick or Treating with the E. Claire and Allie tomorrow; Halloween festivities with the students; we went to a pumpkin patch tonight; E. Claire loves GREAT PUMPKIN and GARFIELD HALLOWEEN, etc.

BAD NEWS: Went to TARGET and WAL-MART tonight and Santa has COMPLETELY taken over. TARGET had the display down but hadn’t clearanced the goodies. C’mon now, tomorrow night you can do whatever you want but GIVE ME THE ACTUAL DAY BEFORE YOU MOVE ON.

My Halloween will consist of getting up early (early for me is, like, 9 AM), running to Target to see if I can find a last-minute set of cat ears/tail to wear with my scrubs at work. Then I will go to work and hand out generous bags of my famous Monster Mix (it’s like trail mix, but with candy corn an’ stuff). I will partake of the goodies my co-workers bring and then I will work a little.

Instead of going to my night job, I will drive home after work and don my grim reaper costume for the trick-or-treaters I’m hoping to get this year (at my old apartment we never had t-o-ts, but there are loads of little kids in our new neighborhood).

Around 10PM we will pack up some Halloween-themed board games and liquor and go to our friends’ house to get drunk and watch horror movies while we hand out candy to their neighborhood kids. I’m totally looking forward to it.

I’ve actually been looking forward to Thanksgiving and Christmas for a while now. I know, shoot me. I just can’t stop myself from thinking about tons of food and presents and lights and food and tv specials and… food. What can I say, I love the yearly traditions that stretch from Nov-Jan. Halloween is just the icing on the cake. Mmmm… cake.

In honor of The Great Pumpkin being on tonight and since no one else has posted it here’s a variation .on the classic. Enjoy

Happy Halloween! Just finished carving the pumpkins and must say this year I have the most sincere one. It looks “touched”.

Watched the great pumpkin tonite, bought the candy for tomorrow, and am now listening to the IGOR channel on my XM radio. 24 hours of no commercial Halloween. Thanks for helping me get psyched Matt!

Question: at any point in the Great Pumpkin special do they yell “TRICK OR TREAT, SMELL MY FEET!” I remember seeing this over and over on a kid’s VHS copy whenever she was in the house, and it wasn’t in tonight’s “uncut” version

Diamonds - all my “costume” pieces (minus the wig, I guess) are part of my daily wardrobe, hehe.

Halloween has been almost forgotten these days it seems. It looks like my Oct. 31st is going to be waking up at 10, going to class until 7, then going to work until about 12. But then at 12.15 am I should be seeing Type O Negative, so maybe it won’t be all bad.

I also worked tonight, so I missed Great Pumpkin.

But it’s on Cheap DVD and I’ve watched it several times, so It’s been playing in my head the past few days.

Fortunately, I’ve finally gotten my Halloween on! Seeing Nightmare Before Christmas in 3-D in the theater on Sunday really changed my attitude. I truly feel like myself again, and I got some new things planned. Tomorrow I’m dressing up as Mitch Hedberg, and as a Plan B, I’ll be the Thnikkaman from Homestar Runner.

Speaking of which, their new Halloween toon gave me an awesome idea: Artie, The Strongest Man (in the world…) from Pete & Pete! It’s so obvious…why didn’t I think of this?! I’ll do this next year. Count on it, because I really can’t think of many other comedians to dress up as, I did Dane Cook last year.

…But Muppet Baby, it wasn’t a Mare when I made it, it was supposed to be Dr. Tran. Maybe I suck at carving or the two look reeeaaaallly similar.

Well, the pumpkins are carved… as of a few hours ago. I carved the bastards with Power Tools, and I must say that my halloween spirit was higher then than it has been all month.

I actually pretty excited about tomorrow! I get out of work at 7 in the morning, My wife and I are going to a school parade at 8:30 at my daughters elementary to see the kids dressed up. Tomorrow is also my sons birthday! Although his party wont be until this Sunday we are still going to have a small Halloween party for him and his cousins and then the group is going trick O treating, and then probably go collect candy from the Mall. After we put the kids to sleep it will be a pot party and scary movies. Im excited, my Halloween is going to rock!

I have a halfway-decent Splicer costume, from Bioshock. No idea where I’m going to wear it, though.

You say it’s your birthday?
It’s my birthday too, yeah! (Well, it was yesterday, anyhow.)

Haha, sorry, couldn’t resist. I had a really low key birthday this year. Half my family forgot about it. So Happy Birthday to all the poor people like us who were not fortunate enough to wait another day to pop out (I seem to recall at least one other regular poster with a birthday on the 30th).

I DVR’d Charlie Brown tonight, and am watching it now. I haven’t seen this in years. I am going to pretend that I haven’t watched it yet tomorrow night and convince my lady to watch it with me. Ah, the memories this brings back.

I also convinced myself around six weeks ago that I was going to throw a kick ass Halloween party next year. Being without a job, and the expendable income that comes with it, this wasn’t the best year. I also want to give people plenty of notice so they won’t have other arrangements. I will make it the party to end all parties… or die trying.

So I’m in Afghanistan, but I’ve got “The Great Pumpkin” on DVD and one of the guys here has a chicken suit, so we’ll do the best we can. People here have never really seen a giant chicken, and you can tell they really don’t know what to think of it. Anyways, I’ll try to post some pics later on.

Harry Potter: I think the first thing I ever read on this site that made me literally crack up out loud was a review Matt did about an anti-drug PSA where a mother found crack or something in her son’s bedroom. Apparently her other son was in jail because of it and she started screaming nonsense about “crack babies killing babies” or some such. Matt transcribed every word and nonsense syllable of it and after reading it out loud in my room by myself I couldn’t get through it cause I was literally crying I was laughing so loud. I don’t know why it affected me as much as it did, but even though it wasn’t the first thing I had ever read on the site, it was the moment I decided I would try to start reading it on a regular basis. That was about a year ago and this has been my first official Countdown since I became a daily reader/poster. I guess I’m still a newbie, but I’m happy to be somewhat of a regular now.

Jinsky: When I was a kid I had these friends who were like, baptist or something, and they weren’t allowed to celebrate halloween at all because their fundamentalist mother said it was satanic.

Welcome to my childhood. I was raised holy-roller Pentacostal and around the time I was 8 or so my whole mother’s side of the family got super-duper religious and suddenly anything remotely Halloweenish or scary became of the devil and not allowed. At least I do have some very early memories of trick or treating before the whole strict revival hit the family. I’ve always been on the darker side, so that kind of zealous view of things never really took with me. To this day I still butt heads with them because I’m so into Halloween and all things scary and they disapprove and think my soul is in serious jepordy. I guess I’m just making up for lost time.

Cigar: Enjoy the Type O show. I saw them about 3 years ago and spent about an hour afterwards outside waiting for someone from the band to come out of the bus so I could interview them for my radio show but the never did. They put on a kickass show though. Lacuna Coil opened for them and also sounded great.

A friend and I went to see the double bill of Halloween 4 and 5 tonight but had a kind of strange time. She was like half and hour late in picking me up so we missed the documentary that was supposed to be shown before the movies, not to mention the first part of Halloween 4. Then, there was some technical difficulties that we later found out were experienced all across the country at the same time (the movies were being projected somehow via computer playback instead of on film). With about 20 minutes left to go, Halloween 4 just stopped and went to the Intermission. Then, Halloween 5 started up. After multiple complaints, Halloween 5 just stopped all together and we sat in darkness for about 10 minutes. Then, Halloween 4 started back up at the point where it stopped the first time. Then, everything played through as normal. As compensation someone at the theater gave us free passes to another movie. So, at least the next time I go it’ll be for free. Guess I can’t complain too much.

Well, I’m off to bed. It’s way past my bedtime and I’ve got a big day tomorrow (don’t we all!). Too bad I missed the Great Punkin tonight. Oh well.

Mare Winningham was on Boston Legal tonight! Her story line isn’t finished, so she should be on for at least another week.

I do hope you and Halloween reconcile, Matt. It just doesn’t seem like October otherwise!

I’m not feeling it either this year. I’m 24, too old to develop new allergies, and what did I go and get allergic to? Peanuts. Which have touched every Halloween candy ever made. I’ve been moping nonstop for weeks. Hopefully by next year I’ll be feeling it again too.

I agree, bring on November. I’ve already started watching A Christmas Story at random.

Timmy: That’s pretty awesome. You’ll have to post pictures if you manage to wear it someplace. And don’t forget to mumble incoherently to yourself all evening.

Jessica Marie: Hah, thanks for the encouragement. I’m about a page away from being able to collapse into bed and hope my heart doesn’t seize from caffeine toxicity.

It occurs to me that what I really need is a montage button. Have eight hours of research to do? Punch the montage button and have it fly by in thirty seconds of establishing shots and inspirational 80s rock.

I’ve got some kickass plans. Tonight I’m marching in the NYC Halloween parade as a Thriller zombie dancer. We’ve had a few rehersals and have the routine down. It should be awesome.

I’ll be working tonight. Yep, all night long. Halloween just isn’t all that it could be, this year… and I’m sad.

I did find some black icing that really did turn my entire tongue black, though. It was pretty awesome.

hey, i never got my ghoulaid just like the guy who posted 5th… seriously, what mailman steals drink mix? Maybe driving that little mailtruck makes people really thirsty.

I’m staying in to hand out candy. I went to Sam’s and bought some boxes of full size random candy bars and a gigantic bag of Wonka candy.

I’m also trying to make myself known as the badass candy giver of the night. I dare my neighbors to try and top me.

I hate to admit that the spirit never hit for me this season, but I am definitely looking forward to next year! Our son is due in January, and I can’t wait to pick out his first Halloween costume next year!

It’s been a fairly sparse season. Only went to one haunted house, though it was a good one (and my girlfriend’s first haunted house ever, despite us both being 30. she was raised in a very scary christian household). Missed the only party we had planned on going to. Today? Actual Halloween? No plans, but tons of work to do.

Of course, my traditional celebration is Dia de los Muertos. Being neither catholic or mexican, I use it as an excuse to lock my door, drink tequilla until I can’t stand and watch horror movies. That and clearance sales on halloween toys and decorations! Hooray!

This year, however, we have a show on Nov.2, so my drinking gets put off for a day (with planned nachos, fresh guacamole and a lord of the rings marathon). That does mean that my *other* holiday tradition, doing a cover of Oingo Boingo’s “Dead Man’s Party”, synthpop-style gets to happen on the day of the dead, so there’s something to be said for that

I will take my 1 year-old to a couple of houses (she’s dressed as Pebbles from the Flintstones), then it’s a night of dishing out candy to the locals ghosts ‘n’ ghouls, whilst watching whatever horror movies are on. AMC sounds promising, but if that doesn’t pan out, I’ll watch some on demand movies on Fearnet.

Dear Matt,
We totally forgive you for you and Halloween battling it out this year. Atleast you didn’t disappear completely! I think you should build your Thanksgiving and Christmas mood table right on top of the Halloween one…just to get an end of the year trifecta going on.

As for me, I’m heading to tonight’s show on tour. We’re playing The Chance in Poughkeepsie, NY. And I have a big ass banana costume. Which I’m going to dance on stage in. I’ll post a link to the video once I take video of it.

I guess first thing I’m going to do today is hit some of the stores and see if I can grab some discounted Halloween items. After that I’ll be setting up the outside porch area (putting out things that aren’t weather resistant, setting up the speakers) and then it’s waiting for the trick or treaters, after that I’ll probably have 4 more hours of Halloween left, I’m not sure what I’ll do then, but I’m not going to waste a minute of it.

Happy Birthday Gloomy Jack, Sarah and DJ D! I hope you guys get birthday bonus candy tonight!

Travis and Doc, Hope your Halloweens are the best they can be but thanks for what you do.

I’ve said it before, but I’m like a lot of you. Halloween spirit just didn’t hit me this year.

I’ll admit I’ve been thinking a lot about Knacks, Muse, and the gang for a while now. Almost that time for Knacks to go up on my top friend’s list again.

Happy Halloween everyone!
I can’t say this has been a dead Halloween for me because I haven’t really taken much into the holiday for years. I did catch Great Pumpkin yesterday. Seems as though ABC cared more about Dancing With The Stars results than the holiday. I guess we also have to accept “You’re Not Elected Charlie Brown” as a tradition along with “Great Pumpkin.” Damn cheap ABC! Why couldn’t they get the rights to the Garfield Specials as well as Charlie Brown? Oh well, saw the Garfield special on Sunday as well as my DVD version of Great Pumpkin.

I’m not going to comment much because I’ll just be babbling on. Perhaps I’ll write about it all in my blog later. Found a Double Feature Alvin and the Chipmunks Halloween DVD at Best Buy yesterday. Still haven’t found Fat Albert’s Halloween or the Great Pumpkin display from CVS. Planning on going to a theater tonight in Austin and catch Rob Zombie’s Halloween. Saw the Simpsons movie on Sunday at a cheap second-run movie theater. I didn’t even know they were still in existence. Anyway, that’s all I have for now. Hope everyone has a safe and Happy Halloween! I hope my car is ready today as well so I can FINALLY turn in my rental.

I’ve been scraping and scringing every last penny I could to get some good treats for the kids, but not having any luck. In my neighbourhood, you get repeatedly (and for weeks) egged and have huge rocks thrown through your windows for merely and politely suggesting that the kids stop breaking into the heavily locked security and electrical voltage boxes (you know, for their own good and I don’t know, because it freaking illegal?) or for telling them to not run around and shout and scream at 3 in the morning. What are they going to do to me and my poor house should I fail to give them treats that are acceptably delicious and tooth rotting? Oh, the horror!

But, that aside, I’m going to decorate the living room real scarey as usual, even though no one will see it, and veggitate in front of the t.v. with the Great Pumpkin, Garfield Hallowe’en Special, and Ghostbusters (1 and 2 respectively) and probably end up eating the candy myself. Good times.

You want to know what I just found out that effing SUCKS! Starting today here in Iowa, they are going to start taxing pumpkins because they’ve been designated as decorations, since people mainly just use them for jack-o-lanterns. Of course, this doesn’t affect me much because I haven’t carved a pumpkin in years, but what about the future when I do have a kid?

Anyway, does anyone know where Manimal disappeared to? I haven’t seen him around here in awhile.

I have plans to meet up with a few friends tonight. We’re having thrift store Halloween. Our assignment was to find the most awesome thrift store outfit we could for $5 (to keep costume costs down), and we’re all going to show-off our finds tonight. Our hostess isn’t well though, so depending on what kind of day she had, our plans may fall through. I don’t know what I’ll do then. I didn’t buy any candy for kids. I mention this at least once during every countdown, but I too was that kid who wasn’t allowed to celebrate Halloween. My parents weren’t wackos, but someone told them why it was inappropriate for Christians to celebrate Halloween and I guess that he made enough good points that my parents could never be comfortable with it again. That’s when I was three, so that pretty much ruined childhood Halloweens for me. Five years ago I got psyched to celebrate it because it was my first year out of my parents’ house, but having no experience with Halloween, I didn’t realize that one fun-size candy bar is considered unacceptable to America’s children, and in our young neighborhood, that meant I got to disappoint a lot of little faces. The next year, I realized that I wasn’t willing to pay the money required to satisfy all those kids, so I’m back to avoiding it. My last hope for Halloween will be when I get to celebrate it with kids of my own, but we still haven’t had any luck with that.

I noticed the Christmas stuff going up at my local Target several weeks ago, but I found the choices strange. The first thing up was Christmas Cards. Who needs Christmas cards in the middle of October? The only thing I was looking for was wrapping paper because I start my shopping early (to spread out the spending) and the gifts are starting to pile up. As of last time I checked, no wrapping paper. It’s the only thing I’d find useful right now! I don’t understand!

Random Holiday Advice:
Always make sure you listen when someone give you directions to a Horror House. The last thing you want is to take your kids to a Hallowe’en Whore House. (but make sure you mark it’s location for, uh, research purposes)

HAPPY HALLOWEEN, EVERYONE! I noticed the same sort of thing regarding Target stores. The costume are is virtually empty at my local store. As it is, I can’t find a false beard for my Chuck Norris Hallowen costume. My only other option is a red marker, but I have work tonight. I think I just now started to get excited about Halloween. You know what did it for me? Seeing people at my college dressed up. From where I am I can see at least a couple of people in the computer lab in costumes. This could turn out to be a nice Halloween, after all…

I’m sure I’m a million years late with this, but they put the “find the horror movies” game back up on the M&Ms site. Yay!

Personally, this was one of my most favorite Halloween seasons ever. I threw a massive bash that was decked out and look fantastic.

Halloween is always sweet for me because my birthday is November 1st, so it’s a double whammy of goodness for me! Candy & Nintendo Wii here I come!

i dont feel good right now…my sinuses are having their own halloween party. I got a bloody nose, and pain in my teeth…tommorow is payday and today i end up running out of extra strength tylenol…and toilet paper…so i had to suck it up and get reamed up the ass at the local convenience store with their prices…1.39 for friggin one roll of toilet paper! 2 little tylenols in a paper packet cost 80 cents! geez!!!!

I don’t think I’ve been home a SINGLE Halloween to hand out Candy. I know that people HAVE to, cause that’s the point, but it’s never me.
I have THINGS to do- parties to attend, Shows to See… I go out to people-watch on the wackiest day of the year. Even when I have a kid ( if I have one) We will be going out TOT’ing. My parents are HUGE on Halloween. Never any parties, but always ready to play with costumes and masks, pumpkin carving and great candy. I think it’s our irish roots- our blood says that this is one festival that we need to be a Part Of…

so i have no halloween plans, but i am finally in the halloween spirit (right in time for the actual day) i bought a half price talking skull candy bowl from a store at midnight last night….ive been eyeing it for about 2 months now, and it came down to half price so i needed it. i took pictures of it and a video of the best display of skeleton talking/singing/mandible moving that i have ever seen. im not sure how to go about posting it, except for maybe getting a photobucket or posting the video on youtube. if you guys have any suggestions let me know…its funny to me, so perhaps it would be entertaining for others.

Happy Halloween, everyone!!!
JLAJRC, scroll up to about midnight last night

Halloween and I had a rocky relationship this year.Â I’m mad at it and it’s mad at me.Â I think we just expected too much from each other.Â It expected me to write tributes to it forty-five times in two months, because that’s what I’ve always done.Â I expected it to make the mundane okay and the horrible palatable, because that’s what it’s always done.Â It’s cool, though.Â Everyone missteps, and after all, Halloween and I have a whole year to make amends.
I just liked this so much, I had to repeat it. I really know what you mean, especially about it being tough for the spooky spirit to transcend the horrible this year. That’s real right there.
Happy birthday to all the Halloween and almost Halloween babies! Everybody else, have a great day and night!

This is a milestone Halloween for me. My daughter was born on Halloween and this is the first she spending away at college. Happy 20th! Maggie. This is my first after a divorce, remarriage and a new house a block form where I grew up. I will be projecting classic horror posters on the front window and streaming halloween radio. Finally getting to hand out candy!

It looks like Cutie Kitsune in a white velvet Bunny costume needs an official Red Ryder carbine-action 200-Shot range model air rifle for Christmas.

DJ D - My girl is going to be a Lady Bug, Im going to start pushing for spookier costumes once she is older.

Jessica Marie - You are right, its going to be extreemely effin cute! Don’t rush kids, they are a lot of work but totally worth it. Especially when you are a big kid yourself.

Halloween and I just haven’t gotten along this year as well. It hasn’t even smelled Halloween like yet and that always gets me ready for it. Hopefully tonight my boyfriend and I will head over to his parents house and I’ll feel more Halloweenie over there.

Matt(#2?) I feel the same way. I’m looking forward to the food and lights and all that stuff too… I can’t help it, I love the yearly traditions .

Mars: the scene certainly was in there. Although it does sound like the kids might be saying “trick or treat, smell my feet,” the official “Great Pumpkin” companion book gives the line as “Trick of treats, money or eats!” (It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown: The Making of A Television Classic by Lee Mendelson, HarperCollins 2006, page 119)

Correction, that should be “or,” of course. So the line is “Trick or treats, money or eats!”

I had a job interview today, and everybody there was dressed up, it was awesome. I wish I had worn a costume, but I’m a loser and don’t have one this year. Oh well, I got the job anyway.

Happy Halloween, even if the season is a wash. I’ll be out dressed in my multi-holed ghost outfit with Charlie Brown attire underneath. Hopefully I’ll get more than rocks.

DJ D, but who then will protect the home from Black Bart and his egg throwing cronies?

YAY! I went to a Walgreens today and actually found some Peeps Cocoa Bats. The pumpkins and ghosts ones are easy to find, but for some reason the Cocoa ones are hard to get around here. That definately takes away the pain of them taxing pumpkins around here now (stupid politicians).

Matt - I know you weren’t happy with it, but thanks once again for another thoroughly enjoyable X-E Halloween countdown. The clip of Jason and Arsenio was enough to bring my Halloween spirits out.

My Birthday is tomorrow too, Gweff. And my present from Little Brother arrived in the mail. He already called and said I could open it today if I wanted. It was a t-shirt with movie Bumblebee on it, a bunch of TransFormers stickers, and the Target TransFormers dvd with transforming case. With those of us born on All Saints’, we always start the party early!

I’ll be lighting out a bit early, as usual. Get to home and have the last few touches done for the Trick or Treaters. Remember, whether you are taking the young one out and about, or giving out at home, dress up. Especially when walking with the child-types. When I do, some houses will go ahead and give you some candy, just for the effort. And at home, it means a lot to kids to see you enjoy it too, not just treating it like a boring job. And to quote something I heard Bill Maher say while channel surfing the other day: No Costume, No Candy! Candy is for Closers. Wise words come from unlikely places.

Sounds like many of you have some great plans for the evening. Unfortunately, I don’t have much going on. I’m probably going to just sit on my couch and watch the Ghost Hunters live investigation special on SciFi. I wish I were more motivated, but my fiance will be at work tonight and I don’t really have a costume ready to go out. However, I am making a vowel to step up my game next year. We have a kickass Halloween parade here in NYC and I will use the next 12 months to think of a clever enough costume to warrant marching in it.

happy halloween everyone. - eh, i’m pretty blah right now, my girlfriend is coming over and we’re going to watch some movies.. thats about it. - sighhh..

I celebrated Halloween last night by going to a Seether, Breaking Benjamin, Three Days Grace concert. BB f’in rocked as did Seether. I have to work all night

GHEY!