Small Talk: The Prayer Closet

[Catlyn]

Only Whoppers left?  I don't think that's such a bad thing unless you don't like Whoppers, which is why I don't buy any candy I don't like.

 

Got a lot of trick or treaters this year. I live in a mixed neighborhood: Asian, Middle-Easterners, Hispanics, Afro-Americans (plus Africans, Haitians, etc.) and Anglos. A real melting pot and Halloween showed it. Some were a bit older than I expected, and yes, some "costumes" were dark clothing and maybe a mask, but those were usually the ones who were trying it for the first time, with their more Americanized friends. (We had a few using purses or gymbags as their candy bags. Didn't matter, they were only getting three pieces which everyone else got!)  I would be upset, but then I thought, if these are immigrants, why not lead them to America's customs.

 

No problems, here and everything ended at 9 pm.

[Chicklet]

Oh trust me I uh, ate some Whoppers but my heart belongs to Reese's. I also have no self control this week. You know how you eat something wrong once and you think "oh shit I might as well eat something else because I've already blown it?"

Just me?

[Barb23]

Off the wall, somewhat personal question; does anyone else feel sometimes that taking a shower is a monumental chore?

I guess that's why the Duggars don't bathe that much.

Truthtalk - regarding your Diva princess trick or treater. Most of mine were nice & polite including the older kids, who struck up conversations with me. I did have a Dorothy from Wizard of Oz that barely uttered Trick or Treat, no smile, and looked royally pissed at something. She was carrying a basket with a stuffed Toto & when giving her a treat bag (yes, I make up little treat bags) I told her I really liked her costume. She turned around & walked away without a thank you for either the candy or compliment.

Get out your Kleenex for this one - I had a trick or treater in a wheelchair. When I first saw them coming up our driveway, I was figuring she had a broken leg. When she got closer, I realized she probably has some type of cancer cuz of thinng, sparse hair. She was beautiful-- I thought she was a princess at first dressed in pink & white, but when they turned around, I could see her Angel wings. My eyes teared up & I was no good for the rest of the night. At least she felt well enough to go out, had a smile on her face & said Thank you. Those snotty little Divas could learn a lesson.

[Twopper]

 

Was talking to Mr. lookeyloo about how Halloween has changed.  When we were kids back in the day, no one changed the time.  We went out in any kind of weather.  It didn't usually rain where we lived but sometimes it did.  It could get cold though.  We carried a pillowcase.  We got unwrapped candy or cookies and ate it and nothing happened.  No one checked our bag.  No one rationed out our candy for health reasons.  No one worried about us.  Nothing bad ever happened.  We weren't scared and neither were our parents.

 

You sound like me.  I don't recall it ever raining too hard to go out when we were kids. I remember times when we thought we would freeze to death, and sometimes we had Indian summer weather.  Oops, drat, I mean indigenous people summer.  My mom either made a costume or I wore my ballet costumes. I think maybe the oldest kid in the group took a flashlight.  Oh, and we had those hot sweaty plastic masks.  Most all the households participated.  And we felt so grownup to be out at night by ourselves. Maybe one house in 100 had decorations other than a jack-o-lantern and perhaps a ghost made from a bedsheet. 

 

We had about 100 kids this year. I think it was more than usual with it being on a Saturday night.  Mostly kids from the neighborhood in lots of Super hero costumes.  About 7;30 larger groups of big kids without costumes started coming by, so we turned off the front lights and headed to the back of the house. I was about to run out of candy anyway and was concerned I would run out of candy in the middle of a large group. I have 4 hershey bars remaining plus a few packs of starbursts.

[emma675]

 

Once my friend made me those peanut butter cookies with a Hershey kiss pressed into the center. I ate the whole tin myself and made her promise to put a tin of them in my casket if I go first! I want those cookies and a charged iPhone in there with me.

Have you ever had the chocolate chip cookies with a fun sized Reese's Peanut Butter cup in the center? So good and so dangerous (I may or may not have eaten a dozen in one sitting). 

 

I didn't hand out candy this year--last year we only got a handful of trick or treaters and half of them had no costumes on and were bigger than me. It scared me a little, so I left the lights off this year. 

[barbedwire]

Happy Monday everyone!

 

I too  only got a handful of trick-or-treaters.  Dangerous how much candy is left in this house.  I don't buy the peanut butter cups or snickers because I have no resistance against them.  Twizzlers it is.

[Pixie Chicken]

We're one of the neighborhoods that gets scores of people who don't live in the area. They park at the end of the block ten minutes before the official start time, and they all have bags -- mom, grandma in the wheelchair, the three-week-old baby.  That's not trick-or-treating; that's begging.  I don't really understand it, since less than half the neighbors hand out candy, and we certainly aren't one of the ritzy areas that hands out full-size candy bars.  In recent years, we've had fewer homes participate, in large part because we get maybe five neighborhood kids and a hundred or more who drive in from the city.  Many of my neighbors are retired, and a few of them have started to drop by the week of Halloween with treats for my kids, and then go on to say that they just don't want to hand out candy to people who drive in from the city, that it's becoming so expensive and really isn't a "neighborhood thing" anymore. 

 

We're one of very few families with young kids-- the older people really dote on them. I wish we had more young kids for mine to play with, but the older folks are just so darn sweet.  I reciprocate at Christmas with baked goods or plants.

 

The newest trend that's killing me is the non-food-treats.  Yes, this country has an obesity problem, but we trick-or-treat knowing there will be candy.  It lasts pretty much until Easter... seriously, is it Halloween that's led directly to obese children?  We do have one kid with a serious food allergy, but we weed out the bad stuff before he's allowed to eat anything.  In theory, little trinkets are a good idea, but what happens is the cheapo party-favor-type toys break in five minutes, and then there are tears.  Some of our neighbors give toys thinking that the toddlers don't eat candy, but the toys have parts too small for them.  Ever try taking a new wind-up car from a two-year-old?  Or I end up arguing with my oldest about why he can't go outside and blow his new bubbles on a 40-degree day. 

 

I mean, officially, we are grateful for anything people put in their bags, but the toys and tchotchkes are their own kind of problem.  (Pennies and stickers were a big hit, though.)

[LoraKay]

Off the wall, somewhat personal question; does anyone else feel sometimes that taking a shower is a monumental chore?

 

Little late, but Yes!!  So happy I'm not the only one!  I have long hair (down to my elbows - planning to donate it soon), and it is such a chore to keep it from being tangled, the last thing I want to do is wash it, brush it, and dry it.  Also - being a competitive swimmer for the last decade or so has really made me appreciate how nice it is to be fully clothed and dry :)

[kathe5133]

Trick or Treat used to be a time to connect with neighbors. See that new baby, or marvel at the tot who has figured out when they shout "trick or treat" they are given a prize. Now, like a lot of things, it's about greed. How much can you get, keep, eat. Driving kids to a rich neighborhood,or to the neighborhood that gives out full size bars is begging and it's disgusting. I buy my own candy and I suggest others do the same. My house was dark.

[bigskygirl]

A couple of dentists in Helena offer to buy back the candy for a dollar a pound. I do not know what they do with the candy after they buy it back. I remembered going out in below zero weather and snow. My parents looked over our candy to make sure it was okay. A few times neighbors would hand out money, raisins, or certificates at McDonalds or a grocery store for one cookie. A few times we went to my grandparents house in Butte, and we went out with our cousins. Talk about hitting the jackpot! Our parents, grandparents and aunts and uncles knew which houses/places to hit. We would put all of our candy together in one big pile and divide up. Of course the grown ups will helps themselves also.

[Twopper]

 

We're one of the neighborhoods that gets scores of people who don't live in the area. They park at the end of the block ten minutes before the official start time, and they all have bags -- mom, grandma in the wheelchair, the three-week-old baby.  That's not trick-or-treating; that's begging.  I don't really understand it, since less than half the neighbors hand out candy, and we certainly aren't one of the ritzy areas that hands out full-size candy bars.  In recent years, we've had fewer homes participate, in large part because we get maybe five neighborhood kids and a hundred or more who drive in from the city.

We get them, too. I think maybe that's why the neighborhood kids are out from about 5:30 to 7.  Then the caravans start to arrive. We are not the richest neighborhood, but we are an historical neighborhood, and maybe people think we are rich because of that. Most of the cars start at the end of the block--we are only 3 blocks long--but seem to drive the kids from house to house almost. I worry that one day there may be a serious accident.  I had a pregnant mother --she looked stoned--ask me for water.  I was on the porch, and not about to go inside while they hung around for me to hunt up a water bottle. Usually my husband is hanging around, but I think he was watching football.  And a bunch of kids wanted some for their dads who were no where in sight!  Just as glad it is over for another year.

[barbedwire]

My neighbor said a teen-aged boy asked to use her bathroom.  She said no and "why don't you just run home" but he explained his mom drove him to our neighborhood.  So yeah, we get that too.

[zenme]

We've had kids come to our neighborhood to trick or treat. We've also had friends come to our house so that our kids could trick or treat together. We'd order pizzas, get the kids dressed, and take them trick or treating. They weren't begging in our neighborhood. They live in very nice neighborhoods themselves. I could care less who trick or treats in my neighborhood. I just like seeing the kids in their costumes. I'm not going to hold it against the kids whose parents bring them there.

ETA: I wish I had MORE trick or treaters! I have a huge bucket of candy still sitting on my table!

Edited November 2, 2015 by zenme

[Jynnan tonnix]

I haven't seen a single trick or treater at our house since we've been here. It's a pretty rural neighborhood uphill from any direction on a winding road with horrible visibility, no sidewalks, and few lights. Farmland on one side of the road and a string of about seven or eight houses within about half a mile on the other. I'd be very surprised if anyone braved it!

[Missy Vixen]

Ahhh, Halloween. I apologize in advance for being Bitter Betty, table for one, but let's just say I am thankful it is OVER for another year. I used to love Halloween. I lived to see those cute toddlers who could barely walk and had to be coached to say "Trick or treat". I had multiple kinds of candy every year and got the individual Goldfish bags and non-candy treats like stickers, too. Things have changed. We haven't opened the door for five years now and I don't think we will again.

 

We live in a small rural town with a high median income. (We don't make that much money. We bought here when houses were cheap.) The town has also been overrun by employees of the world's largest software company. If you know anything about the employees of said company, you also know that they compete with each other to keep their jobs and make Donald Trump look calm and reasonable as a result. Imagine the effect on the community.

 

The first year we lived here, one of our neighbors came to the door on Halloween with a non-walking infant. He surveyed the contents of my (huge Tupperware) bowl of candy and other items, curled his lip and said, "Is that it?" I did my best to ignore the non-fun aspects of Halloween to enjoy the ones I looked forward to -- seeing the neighbors' kids grow up, etcetera. The elementary school age kids became the minority after a couple of years. After 7 PM each Halloween, it was teenagers and they weren't friendly. We also experienced the carloads of kids from other communities. The first Halloween we lived here, there were 350 trick-or-treaters. It got a bit spendy. We were lucky, though -- a development half a mile away (houses there start at $600K, for instance) gets well over 1000 trick-or-treaters each year.

 

The last straw for us was five years ago. My husband had been laid off from his job ten months before. We were experiencing some pretty big financial difficulties as a result, and at that time, we had one running car. He'd told me he'd stop at the store and buy some candy on his way home that Halloween with his first check from his new job. At 5 PM on that weeknight, our doorbell rang. It was a group of neighbors from the cul-de-sac a block away. We didn't see these particular neighbors at any other time of year. I explained to the fifteen kids standing on our doorstep that I was so sorry, DH wasn't home yet and could they please stop by our house again on their way home from trick or treating? One of their parents shouted, "Our kids wait all year for this! How can you not be prepared?"

 

Interestingly enough, someone from that neighborhood went pretty far on "The Voice" a couple of years ago. The same neighbors who were so nasty to me spent most of this young man's teen years calling the cops over his guitar playing. I waited to see if they'd be on the local news telling everyone he'd grown up in their neighborhood. ;-)

 

Back to Halloween. We donated the candy we would have handed out at our front door to the local chamber of commerce to hand out at the community celebration and spent our evening watching TV and relaxing. We typically hear the trick-or-treaters in the street as they make their rounds; this year, silence. I wonder how many of our other neighbors have also stopped answering their door as well.

[Pixie Chicken]

We've had kids come to our neighborhood to trick or treat. We've also had friends come to our house so that our kids could trick or treat together. We'd order pizzas, get the kids dressed, and take them trick or treating. They weren't begging in our neighborhood. They live in very nice neighborhoods themselves. I could care less who trick or treats in my neighborhood. I just like seeing the kids in their costumes. I'm not going to hold it against the kids whose parents bring them there.

ETA: I wish I had MORE trick or treaters! I have a huge bucket of candy still sitting on my table!

This I get. I have no problem with kids who bring friends or cousins or whatever-- I expect some of that. But adults asking for candy? 30+ years old, and holding a second bucket for newborn babies? Tacky.

And when people coming in outnumber the residents 20:1, it gets to be so crazy expensive that people just opt out. We used to get perhaps 20 kids, and now it can be 150 or more.

[zenme]

It does get expensive, but I buy what I buy and when I run out I turn off the porch light.  This year, however, I bought a lot of candy, but I didn't count on DH and I having to run an errand, so we wound up with all that candy! Grr! Adults and babies trick-or-treating?  K.  That's just strange.  I had a couple of high schoolers come to my door this year.  No costumes.  Just bags.  I gave them a ton of candy.  They're at that age when they're halfway between wanting to be grown up and still like "kid" things like trick-or-treating.  There are way worse they could be doing than trick or treating.  I usually make candy apples  and cupcakes for the kids we know. I just love love love Halloween!

[XinaMarie]

Growing up, my dad got into Halloween big time and we were the scary house on the hill. You could see friends at the bottom near the street goading each other to go up. We never had to give out much candy as most kids ran away screaming. Kids would be rolling down the hill trying to get away, leaving pieces of their costumes behind. Halloween has become much less about spookiness and more about grubbing for candy.

My daughter was Snow White. She only lasted a couple houses and came back to chill out on her iPad. I do find it a great opportunity to meet our neighbors. One of them does face painting and a wagon parade with treats in the afternoon for the smaller kids.

I am getting old and I have no idea what half the costumes are supposed to be -- mostly the super hero ones.

[Clemgo3165]

I mean, officially, we are grateful for anything people put in their bags, but the toys and tchotchkes are their own kind of problem.  (Pennies and stickers were a big hit, though.)

 

Yes! The Penny Lady was always my favorite. She'd load up a huge bowl full of pennies and hand you a giant serving spoon. You got to keep as many pennies as you could get on the spoon and into your bag. Of course those were the days when a penny bought a jawbreaker at Nardi's, the corner store.

 

 

I haven't seen a single trick or treater at our house since we've been here. It's a pretty rural neighborhood uphill from any direction on a winding road with horrible visibility, no sidewalks, and few lights. Farmland on one side of the road and a string of about seven or eight houses within about half a mile on the other. I'd be very surprised if anyone braved it!

 

Same here. I live in the country on a dirt road with about 1/4 mile between houses and looooong driveways. We never see trick or treaters unless it's someone you know on a planned drop by. Cheaper for me, but not nearly as much fun.

[barbedwire]

A co-worker just told me that there is somewhere you can send the candy and it will be given to the troops who are deployed.  That is a great idea!

[Satchels of gold]

Ahhh, Halloween. I apologize in advance for being Bitter Betty, table for one, but let's just say I am thankful it is OVER for another year. I used to love Halloween. I lived to see those cute toddlers who could barely walk and had to be coached to say "Trick or treat". I had multiple kinds of candy every year and got the individual Goldfish bags and non-candy treats like stickers, too. Things have changed. We haven't opened the door for five years now and I don't think we will again.

We live in a small rural town with a high median income. (We don't make that much money. We bought here when houses were cheap.) The town has also been overrun by employees of the world's largest software company. If you know anything about the employees of said company, you also know that they compete with each other to keep their jobs and make Donald Trump look calm and reasonable as a result. Imagine the effect on the community.

The first year we lived here, one of our neighbors came to the door on Halloween with a non-walking infant. He surveyed the contents of my (huge Tupperware) bowl of candy and other items, curled his lip and said, "Is that it?" I did my best to ignore the non-fun aspects of Halloween to enjoy the ones I looked forward to -- seeing the neighbors' kids grow up, etcetera. The elementary school age kids became the minority after a couple of years. After 7 PM each Halloween, it was teenagers and they weren't friendly. We also experienced the carloads of kids from other communities. The first Halloween we lived here, there were 350 trick-or-treaters. It got a bit spendy. We were lucky, though -- a development half a mile away (houses there start at $600K, for instance) gets well over 1000 trick-or-treaters each year.

The last straw for us was five years ago. My husband had been laid off from his job ten months before. We were experiencing some pretty big financial difficulties as a result, and at that time, we had one running car. He'd told me he'd stop at the store and buy some candy on his way home that Halloween with his first check from his new job. At 5 PM on that weeknight, our doorbell rang. It was a group of neighbors from the cul-de-sac a block away. We didn't see these particular neighbors at any other time of year. I explained to the fifteen kids standing on our doorstep that I was so sorry, DH wasn't home yet and could they please stop by our house again on their way home from trick or treating? One of their parents shouted, "Our kids wait all year for this! How can you not be prepared?"

Interestingly enough, someone from that neighborhood went pretty far on "The Voice" a couple of years ago. The same neighbors who were so nasty to me spent most of this young man's teen years calling the cops over his guitar playing. I waited to see if they'd be on the local news telling everyone he'd grown up in their neighborhood. ;-)

Back to Halloween. We donated the candy we would have handed out at our front door to the local chamber of commerce to hand out at the community celebration and spent our evening watching TV and relaxing. We typically hear the trick-or-treaters in the street as they make their rounds; this year, silence. I wonder how many of our other neighbors have also stopped answering their door as well.

That is why I love these parents

http://youtu.be/u1XZfVkXGCw

I'm sure you've all seen it a million times. I wish I would have thought of this when my kids were young.

Eta I see there's no explanation with the video. The parents were teaching the child how to say thank you even if you don't like what you've been given.

Edited November 2, 2015 by nc socialworker

[burlsa]

I had to go to other neighborhoods to trick or treat. I grew up in a small town. On two blocks there were maybe five houses lit up. So I went where I knew I would get more bang for my buck. Granted I always stayed within the city and I never had my mom drive me anywhere.

I also trick or treated until my senior year of high school. We were poor, so costumes were limited. I wore the same witch type costume for about 7 years. Then I got some cheap cat ears. I would get scolded for being a teen and trick or treating or not having a "real costume". And it never really bothered me.

Until my senior year when I took my sister and her friend trick or treating. I had just turned 17 in August and my sister was 12. Almost every house we went to shut their door in my face. One guy told me I should be ashamed of myself. And an older woman refused to give any of us candy because I was too old to be trick or treating. She had some other really awful things to say to all three of us. So we walked through her flowers to get back to the sidewalk.

I lost the magic of Halloween on that night.

ETA: This city is on the poor side, and there is a lot of drug abuse. A lot of my classmates were at parties getting high on weed, acid, and pcp. My senior year we had 8 pregnant girls in my class. Also about 6-9 other girls in my class contracted herpes from the same senior our Sophomore year. So me trick or treating at 17 was the least of our city's worries.

Edited November 2, 2015 by burlsa

[Ilovemylabs]

Off the wall, somewhat personal question; does anyone else feel sometimes that taking a shower is a monumental chore?

Gosh yes!  But I worry that I'll become one of those smelly older people, so I get off my butt and hit the shower.  Sometimes though, it seems like an effort.  Glad I'm not alone.

[zenme]

I had to go to other neighborhoods to trick or treat. I grew up in a small town. On two blocks there were maybe five houses lit up. So I went where I knew I would get more bang for my buck. Granted I always stayed within the city and I never had my mom drive me anywhere.

I also trick or treated until my senior year of high school. We were poor, so costumes were limited. I wore the same witch type costume for about 7 years. Then I got some cheap cat ears. I would get scolded for being a teen and trick or treating or not having a "real costume". And it never really bothered me.

Until my senior year when I took my sister and her friend trick or treating. I had just turned 17 in August and my sister was 12. Almost every house we went to shut their door in my face. One guy told me I should be ashamed of myself. And an older woman refused to give any of us candy because I was too old to be trick or treating. She had some other really awful things to say to all three of us. So we walked through her flowers to get back to the sidewalk.

I lost the magic of Halloween on that night.

 

Oh.  That really makes me sad.  People can be mean. 

Of course people are going to go to nicer neighborhoods for candy.  I know I spent a crapload of money on the candy that I bought, so I'm sure persons who live in lower income neighborhoods aren't going to have the money to offer candy to neighbors if they're struggling.  So where are they supposed to trick or treat? 

but, burlsa! you walked through her flowers?? No!

[burlsa]

Oh. That really makes me sad. People can be mean.

Of course people are going to go to nicer neighborhoods for candy. I know I spent a crapload of money on the candy that I bought, so I'm sure persons who live in lower income neighborhoods aren't going to have the money to offer candy to neighbors if they're struggling. So where are they supposed to trick or treat?

but, burlsa! you walked through her flowers?? No!

She started swearing at us. And she called me "mentally retarded" for "trying to" trick or treat at my age. Then she threatened us with her dog if we didn't leave. I was a goody-good, but man that lady earned trampled flowers.

[zenme]

She started swearing at us. And she called me "mentally retarded" for "trying to" trick or treat at my age. Then she threatened us with her dog if we didn't leave. I was a goody-good, but man that lady earned trampled flowers

 

That bitch! Ok.  She deserved it for so many reasons. 

[GeeGolly]

We get all the trick or treaters mentioned above too. Many come from the inner city where it's not so safe to be going door to door in the dark. We get toddlers to high schoolers. The only ones the really make me shake my head, like another poster mentioned are the parents with kids 1ish and younger. or the older ones who don't even attempt to fake a costume.

 

I have to admit though, Halloween is not really my favorite holiday though.

[Missy Vixen]

She started swearing at us. And she called me "mentally retarded" for "trying to" trick or treat at my age. Then she threatened us with her dog if we didn't leave. I was a goody-good, but man that lady earned trampled flowers.

I never threatened anyone that showed up at our front door, swore at them or called them names.

 

I'm not sure teenagers should still be trick-or-treating unless they are accompanying younger siblings. The teens we saw at our front door belonged to our neighbors. The neighbors in question are most likely earning six figures and can afford their own candy.

 

My opinion.

Eta I see there's no explanation with the video. The parents were teaching the child how to say thank you even if you don't like what you've been given.

Where can I sign up to get an avocado for Christmas? I LOVE THEM. ;-)

 

One thing's for sure -- when I was still answering the door, the younger kids who said "please" and "thank you" got a handful of candy instead of one piece. LOL

[Wellfleet]

I never threatened anyone that showed up at our front door, swore at them or called them names.

 

I'm not sure teenagers should still be trick-or-treating unless they are accompanying younger siblings. The teens we saw at our front door belonged to our neighbors. The neighbors in question are most likely earning six figures and can afford their own candy.

 

My opinion.

Where can I sign up to get an avocado for Christmas? I LOVE THEM. ;-)

 

One thing's for sure -- when I was still answering the door, the younger kids who said "please" and "thank you" got a handful of candy instead of one piece. LOL

 

That's exactly what I did. Little kids - and everyone who was polite, didn't need to be prompted to say "trick or treat" etc - got a handful of candy, rather than one chunk.

 

And sorry, burlsa - I think you're awesome and I'm delighted you weren't out doing drugs or getting pregnant - truly. But 17 is very definitely too old to be out trick-or-treating. Unless you're babysitting a group of younger children, or carrying a UNICEF box or collecting for some other charity. IMO, 12 and under is the age range. I was 11 the last time I went out in costume and even that year I worried about being too old or looking like a jerk. But then I'm a firstborn and we worry about everything...

[Fuzzysox]

I can't wait to get my hands on Leah's book! I told you guys that there is something seriously wrong with Tom Cruise and I was right!

 

 

http://dlisted.com/2015/11/02/tom-cruise-is-serious-about-his-cookie-dough/#more-195296

 

He who protests psychiatric help needs it the most! I wonder what Nicole's dad thought of him? Her father was a psychiatrist.

[Love2dance]

So, where we live, the nearby stores give Halloween candy early, and when that is done, all the neighborhood kids, and probably about 100 more kids, driven in from the inner city, trick or treat in our neighborhood. We hear all kinds of accents, see kids from all corners of the world, and every single one of them says "trick or treat" and thank you. There are whole families that walk together. It is once a year, and the little ones are so excited and in awe, I am happy to give them a little joy. Even the teenagers, hanging on to childhood fun, were also very polite. I guess we are lucky...no cranky or rude visitors. But by 8:30, I admit I am ready to close the door and retreat into the quiet.

Oh, and I am a bathtub lady. That's where I get to read my trashy magazines!

Edited November 3, 2015 by Love2dance

[GeeGolly]

I can't wait to get my hands on Leah's book! I told you guys that there is something seriously wrong with Tom Cruise and I was right!

 

 

http://dlisted.com/2015/11/02/tom-cruise-is-serious-about-his-cookie-dough/#more-195296

 

He who protests psychiatric help needs it the most! I wonder what Nicole's dad thought of him? Her father was a psychiatrist.

Whack job for sure.

 

Wonder what repercussions are in store for Leah after the book comes out. I've read stories of ex-Scientologists being stalked, sabotaged, and the like. I hope her fame helps her. 

[frenchtoast]

I like seeing the older teens out trick or treating. They are generally polite and just having a good time with their friends. I don't begrudge them holding onto to childhood as long as they can. My guy is 13 and his voice has already dropped, but I could hear him laughing and having fun with his friends and seeing the neighbors. He's not being obnoxious, he's just joining in the fun. They're not taking anything away from the younger kids, and many times I've heard the older kids praise and encourage the younger kids. A piece of candy seems a small price to pay for them to have some good memories.

[StaceyNotStacie]

In our area of Virginia, the law is that kids 12 and under can trick or treat.  If you're older, you could possibly get ticketed for trick or treating.  I honestly don't know how much they enforce the law since I see quite a few trick or treaters around.  My son is 12 years old and he lost interest in trick or treating about two years ago.  He's a bit on the shy side and doesn't care for the spooky houses.  He does like handing out candy (although I think he also samples quite a few pieces in between LOL).  

 

I've noticed that a lot of people are decorating their yards like it is Christmas.  More Halloween lights, inflatables, and tombstones, etc. in the yards.  I told my son that if I found a Snoopy and/or Minion Halloween inflatable next year, I would pick it up for our front yard :-)

[Fuzzysox]

Whack job for sure.

 

Wonder what repercussions are in store for Leah after the book comes out. I've read stories of ex-Scientologists being stalked, sabotaged, and the like. I hope her fame helps

I bet she has body guards. She has weathered the storm for the last three years. I don't think she is a target anymore.

[MarysWetBar]

Don't know whether this will work or not...I just got a kick out of my son's Halloween costume. He has grown a beard over the past few weeks, so wanted to incorporate it in whatever he chose to dress up as. His current job does require that any costume be fairly restrained and tasteful, so he went as the "Dos Equis" guy (aka "the most interesting man in the world"). I think he nailed it especially considering he's only 24.

https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpf1/v/t1.0-9/12063574_10156305756540595_3636235485893060000_n.jpg?oh=5ae6be6f6b73a99ab4b077abd00793d2&oe=56C1514E

Last year ( at a different job), he wore essentially the same thing (with no beard), but a pink sweatband, pink hand weights and some random cuts & bruises and went as the "mayhem" guy from the insurance commercials. He does manage to get a lot of mileage out of some pretty minimalist costumes :) https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xap1/v/t1.0-9/559573_10154856491005595_5247630590259376435_n.jpg?oh=ed43d5aff3ccbf9cb3ae9c70ef82f728&oe=56C017CC

Love it! My boys are in that age range too and they are so up on current trends etc hey? Can also relate to how important a milestone the beard is to boys:)

[Pixie Chicken]

Of course people are going to go to nicer neighborhoods for candy. I know I spent a crapload of money on the candy that I bought, so I'm sure persons who live in lower income neighborhoods aren't going to have the money to offer candy to neighbors if they're struggling. So where are they supposed to trick or treat?

Is Trunk or Treat a thing elsewhere? Here it's huge. Tons of churches and high schools have them, open to the public. The mall and grocery stores all have trick or treating, as do some of the nursing homes. Most of our local park districts offer activities and candy as well. There are many, many options for safe Halloween activities.

I empathize with people who live in places that aren't safe, or are too rural, or whatever. I get it. But that's a far cry from bringing a dozen relatives of all ages, driving from town to town, hitting all the different time slots to maximize the haul. My issue isn't "outsiders," it's the greed that ruins the fun for everyone.

[Twopper]

 

I could care less who trick or treats in my neighborhood. I just like seeing the kids in their costumes. I'm not going to hold it against the kids whose parents bring them there.

I love the kids in their costumes regardless of whether they come in cars or on foot. What we have later in the evening are groups of about 20 teens who look like they are at least 17 and who are not in costume and demand candy not only for themselves but siblings and parents. 

 

Also I notice this year that instead of saying "trick or treat." a lot of the kids just say Happy Halloween. Almost all said "thank you." 

[Jenniferbug]

The trunk or treat stuff is big in my area. The malls and a few other large stores have free trick or treat events. My small town square does as well. Even our nearest zoo has a night, though they do sell tickets (though super cheap). All of that is in my relatively small area, so there's really no reason to drive around to "rich" neighborhoods except for greed.

My 2 year old dressed up. We took her to a few events, and my husband (who loves Halloween) also took her door to door in our neighborhood. She's very shy, and wouldn't say trick or treat until the last couple of houses, but he said she did always say thank you. I cut the youngest some slack on that, but the elementary and older crowd have no excuse not to say thank you.

[theredhead77]

When I pass out candy I will absolutely give to adults if they are in costume. Last year one guy had a costume that won my version of the internet. I gave him and his wife a couple of jello shots I had prepared for a party. And candy. Basically put some effort in and you can have candy. I also have no issue gently calling out kids trying to get seconds on the first go-around or who want candy for someone not there or uncostumed parents holding out bags "sorry, I don't have a whole lot this year, I'm sure you understand I want it to last for the kiddos".


*edited because holy missing words Batman!*

Edited November 4, 2015 by theredhead77

[SomePity1066]

After the first year here at my new house with ZERO kids, and least year with just three, I got knocked off my Halloween-loving ass by well over a hundred kids this year !

 

I don't, and would never, ever, begrudge a single cute little kiddo a few pieces of candy and a smile. Believe me. Ever. I'm a very lucky person, I live in an affluent neighborhood, though in the very smallest, cheapest house on the block (yeah, I'm THAT person !!!) but this year was insane...

 

I got hit by wave after wave some kind of weird army of "Mommy Vans" that had me shaking my head and wanting to turn my porch light off and hide inside my house ! There were groups of four-five-six adult women with ONE kid, either in a stroller or carrier, none older than three or four months, so definitely NOT able to eat the full-size Snickers, Hershey Bars, etc, that I was offering. Some, not all, were drinking wine, giggling like idiots, and proffering their child as the bait to load them ALL up with candy. No one had a bag - it was just one carefully manicured hand after another clawing into the basket I held out silently. I'm fuming...

 

Nightmare. NIGHTMARE. I ran out of candy for the rest of the legitimate kids who showed up after ! My boyfriend made an emergency run to the grocery store for more provisions while I begged for some loaners from the neighbor. He arrived back just in time to see a group of little kids, ALL dressed as superheroes, Avengers, Batman, etc, etc, and that made it all worthwhile ! The rest of the candy was handed out to legit Trick-or-Treaters with many a Thank You, hugs, photos, and my rage subsided. 

 

But two nights later I'm reeling, all over again, by the unabashed Mommy Mongering, entitlement, and bullshit. When in the funky-fuck did THIS little "custom" start ??? Drunk Mommies trolling for candy with ONE non-eating baby ???

 

Stop it. Just STOP it. We know who you are, and we're gonna shame your gaming, grifting ass if we see you at Kroeger's, I swear !!!

 

And this is why we can't have nice things. 

 

[zenme]

But two nights later I'm reeling, all over again, by the unabashed Mommy Mongering, entitlement, and bullshit. When in the funky-fuck did THIS little "custom" start ??? Drunk Mommies trolling for candy with ONE non-eating baby ???

 

Entitled! You are too nice.  I've never seen anything like that.  Very nervy.

[SomePity1066]

Entitled! You are too nice.  I've never seen anything like that.  Very nervy.

Oh, my ! I KNOW !!! I think they just invented that this year !!! What the what... ?

 

I wasn't going to let the turkeys get me down, though, as we had sooo many sweet little kids, including a pair of twins with awesome parents who dressed them as Jules and Vincent from Pulp Fiction ! We also had a couple, clearly exhausted, with an eight and nine year old pair along with a year old baby. They LEFT the baby with me and my boyfriend and myriad of neighbors (never out of eyesight !) so the older kids could run the block. It worked, and put a smile on all of our faces.

 

Maybe I'm just pissed that there were no leftovers ???  ;)

[Love2dance]

I got hit by wave after wave some kind of weird army of "Mommy Vans" that had me shaking my head and wanting to turn my porch light off and hide inside my house ! There were groups of four-five-six adult women with ONE kid, either in a stroller or carrier, none older than three or four months, so definitely NOT able to eat the full-size Snickers, Hershey Bars, etc, that I was offering. Some, not all, were drinking wine, giggling like idiots, and proffering their child as the bait to load them ALL up with candy. No one had a bag - it was just one carefully manicured hand after another clawing into the basket I held out silently. I'm fuming...

Wow. This is a new one for me. I'd like to think I would have had the courage to tell them to come back in three years with a legitimate trick or treater. (But I probably wouldn't have.) You have a right to be fuming. By the way, one way to limit the treat grab is YOU give proffered hands the exact number of treats you want them to have. Open baskets can be emptied all too quickly. Sorry these encounters almost ruined your night. Edited November 3, 2015 by Love2dance

[ChocolateAddict]

Being in Aus, we have only ever had four kids come to our door in the last ten years - two sets of siblings.  The younger kids are starting to get more into it but there really isn't any sort of trick-or-treating.  Some parents that I know organised for a get together where the kids dressed up and had some party food but that is about it  Most people here see it as a commercial, American celebration that doesn't mean much to us.  

[Muffyn]

I bought a ton of candy because we usually have quite a few trick-or-treaters.  I live in the San Francisco and there are quite a few children in our neighborhood.  Also, I live on a small street tucked between two major shopping streets.  Many of the stores hand out candy to children in costumes.  Usually the really little ones go to the stores while it is still light out.  When it gets dark, people will actually help people cross the streets safely since it can get crowded and the kids are too tiny to see.  With all that said, I didn’t hand out any candy.  I expected people to start showing up around 5:30 so I had the big bowl piled high with candy.  I had most of my costume ready to go so I could open the door without flashing anyone.  And no one came to the door.  I left for my party just before 7.  As I was leaving I saw several groups of kids on our street, but I missed them all.  I saw so many kids when I was driving through the neighborhood and some great costumes. 

 

After my friend’s party I went to a local club.  I’ve got to say, there were some really fun costumes.  There was a young man taking a shower; that is, he had a shower going up his back so the showerhead was over his head and he had a shower curtain on a square rod that surrounded him.  We often say Halloween is San Francisco’s big holiday.  While not all areas still have major trick-or-treating, the adults really enjoy the day.

[NikSac]

Is Trunk or Treat a thing elsewhere? Here it's huge. Tons of churches and high schools have them, open to the public. The mall and grocery stores all have trick or treating, as do some of the nursing homes. Most of our local park districts offer activities and candy as well. There are many, many options for safe Halloween activities.

I empathize with people who live in places that aren't safe, or are too rural, or whatever. I get it. But that's a far cry from bringing a dozen relatives of all ages, driving from town to town, hitting all the different time slots to maximize the haul. My issue isn't "outsiders," it's the greed that ruins the fun for everyone.

 

I don't know where you are, but trunk-or-treat has gotten big here where I am - Sacramento CA-ish area. Kids/parents can pick between about a half dozen carnivals at schools and churches, "trunk or treats," and door-to-door trick or-treating. 

 

And I totally agree with you on the greed thing. I was letting kids pick out two candies and had one kid just grab a huuuuge handful. I would normally never do this but I grabbed his hand and said "Can you count to two?" He nodded so I said "Yes?  Okay, pick two."  (OMG I felt like an ass, it just kinda happened... and the kid was probably 10-12 or so, not a little one - the little ones can get away with whatever hehe).  He looked rather shocked, but had I not stopped him some of the other friends in his group wouldn't have gotten anything at all.

 

Muffyn I have always thought Halloween in SF would be a ton of fun!

[Happyfatchick]

We've lived in this house for 3 Halloweens now. The first year was CRAZY insane (because we moved into a subdivision from a rural dirt road). I'd think 150-175. Last year, we weren't home but the neighbors said there were less than 10. This year, I only answered the door once. BOO HOO!!! I love seeing the costumes and I miss that! I know they were all brought in (driven in I mean) the first year, but I'm ok with that. I enjoy seeing kids doing the same thing I got such a bang out of when I was little. I hate that the trend may be over for the neighborhood. I don't know what happened! Such a let down.

My son, the one with the bitten off finger, went to his work dress up day as Jimmy Kimmel. With his bandaged finger on the one hand, wearing a suit, and holding a Tonight Show cup in the other. One of the judges (there was a contest) said, "but he's wearing his bandage on the wrong finger". Another replied, "yeah, but that's not that's not the finger the dog bit off". Said the first guy, "Jimmy Kimmel had his finger bitten off by a dog????" And the second one says, "no, CHRIS did". Which was met by a blank face, followed by understanding, followed by horror and an "OMG!!!" He got third place.

In other news, I captured a pic of my daughter on FB tonight. When she left, she was a beautiful girl, often mistaken for a girl in her early 20's. (She's 34). She's been there (Nicaragua) less than 2 months. She's sallow, looks like she's down about 15 lbs (she tends to hang between 105-110 normally), something's up with her skin, and her hair is falling out. She looks my age. Further, she looks like she's been sleeping on a park bench and doing meth on a regular basis. WTH??? Things must be going Jim Dandy, right? Grrrrrrrrr, this is SERIOUSLY messing with my resolve to sit down and be quiet. I'm actually not sure I would have agreed that was my daughter if I weren't absolutely sure where the picture came from. How long must I be quiet? Because I really really really want to go down there and drag her skinny little butt back to Georgia where she belongs. (I'm not...but that pic threw me for a loop!)

Edited November 3, 2015 by Happyfatchick

[BOOgen3]

We live on a cul de sac of twelve houses each set on two acres, bounded by a horse farm and woods. Pretty rural to say the least. Trick-or-treat used to last for about 20 minutes while the children were growing up. Once the last of the original families spawn reached high school age, that was virtually the end of Halloween on our street. Flash forward seven years and new families with little ones have started moving in and and Halloween has returned. We had three whole trick-or-treaters this year, an increase of 300% over last year.

[Love2dance]

actually not sure I would have agreed that was my daughter if I weren't absolutely sure where the picture came from. How long must I be quiet? Because I really really really want to go down there and drag her skinny little butt back to Georgia where she belongs. (I'm not...but that pic threw me for a loop!)

HAPPYFATCHICK, I don't know how you are even able to process Halloween while dealing with your daughter's issues in Nicaragua. You are one strong lady. Sending wishes and hopes that they come home SOON!

Your son should have won first place, IMO.