Happy Halloween! (DT)

:bat :vampireL: :bat HAPPY HALLOWEEN EVERYONE!! :bat :vampireL: :bat :vampireL:

This is one of my favorite days of the year! Ranks right up there with Christmas. Well, almost. Unfortunately no big plans for the night since I have to be to work at 7:30 tomorrow.

It's still very cold here. We actually had a record setting day yesterday. The high was 18 degrees (-8 Celcius), which is the coldest high temperature ever recorded in October here. It was cold! We're supposed to be warmer today, with a high around 28 degrees.

Have a Spooky Day!

I LOVE Halloween! The kids are already in their costumes at school. I even made hats for the cats! I'll try to get them to wear one and snap a picture for all of you guys! Have a safe and Happy Halloween!! :evilalien :dali: :girlie: :blossom: :homer: :clown: aranoid3 :martian: :vampireL: wl: :witch: :afrorainb :blubturq: :baloon: :rainbow: :kitty5: onfire:

Trick OR Treat!!!!!

Hello everybody! I am still hacking up a lung (TMI - I know), but today I have a bit of a voice. It was funny when I got home last night and my mom tried to talk to me on the phone - she couldn't hear me. Hubby enjoyed getting the last word all night long.

Today work has been good to me and has let me not take client calls - I am covering reception and I may have to answer about 10 calls today and that is it. Unfortunately they have me doing computer work which I am sneeking away from right now to get caught up here!

On lunch today I found some of the best cat Christmas cards ever! I also finished my shopping for my secret santa. I also bought myself some more Nyquil!

Because of my lung issues, hubby has to hand out the candies tonight! I don't want to catch a draft or contaminate any kid! Poor hubby hates doing this - I'll be nice and comfy watching tv! We will probably get betwwen 150 and 250 kids. Unfortunately there is an escaped pediphile on the loose in Toronto so I hope the parents keep a close eye on their kids tonight.

Well, that is enough of me blathering away. I hope everyone has a good day. I have to get back to my computer work now - booohooo!

Another lazy day: the library (I got Anne Rice's new book) and returning Bill's Halloween prop to the costume shop.

Bill will be a bit late. He's going to Osco, for his flu and pneumonia shots. Because of his HMO, it will be free. If he goes to the doctor, he'll have to make the co-pay. This saves him $20. I don't get those shots but, I haven't had the flu, since 1973. Bill has asthma and emphysema, though and needs the protection.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
:witch: :bat :vampireL:

Ady, it sounds like you're feeling a little bit better - are you taking care of yourself? I keep "sneaking" over here today, too. I'm in such a jam for time, but I didn't get to check in since Monday - or even Tuesday sometime, and it's like going through withdrawal, and my mind keeps wonder things like - how's Amber? Hwo did things go with Debby and Stacy? How are things with O'Henry - did Panuche get adopted? And of course I missed all kinds of stuff with Sandi and Lucky (feral forum).

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Oh - the CT Scan results! Had to go see a specialist who said there's nothing wrong with my parotid gland! Something may have happened that has made me prone to infections. But given that I have a long history of family problems with the Thyroid, I'm having an ultrasound done so we have it for future comparative purposes. I'm also having bloodwork done just to screen for a bunch of things and make sure...and there's something called Sjogrun's syndrome (spelling) which causes non-specific inflammation and IT may be the cause of the "infection" (meaning it's not actually an infection). The only thing I would need to do if that is the case is massage the swollen gland. So good news! Thanks all for the good thoughts, and if I already told you all of this, I'm sorry for repeating myself!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN! We have to head out to a customer's house where we're helping entertain about 30 children at a party. How fun! Can't think of a better way to spend the evening. We don't get trick-or-treaters out this way.

Laurie

Laurie, I don't get any Halloweeners here either. I wish I did. I guess if we got 150 we might not look forward to it either, but I'm going through "too cute for words" withdrawal! I'm so glad your condition might soon be gone.

Adrienne, you know you should be in bed. I've been off for almost a week and you were sick last Friday!

It's cold here too, and we have not had Indian Summer. Our temperatures are averaging 10 degrees below normal day and night. Cindy, I know it gets chilly at night, but you're having nice
weather, aren't you?

Heidi and Dragonlady, I like Halloween too, but my witch and skeleton candles and my pumpkin just burn away and no one sees them. I need a pity party! I used to turn off all the electric lights and fill the house with candle light. Then I set up an intercom to talk into like a witch when my "spies" saw the kids coming! After years, I've given up. Poor me!

Thank you everyone for your concern! I really am doing better. It has really helped that I didn't have to talk much today.

Anyone want some of my trick or treaters?

Laurie - I am glad everything is ok. I had my parodit (sp?) gland removed over 5 years ago and have had nothing but problems since (at least no new tumors). I am glad you don't have to go thru that surgery.

I had a very boring, very irritating day today. We had "professional development." Which basically means, we sit in a room for 6 hours, listening to someone talk. I hate it. The ironic thing is that as teachers, we know lecture is ineffective, and yet we get to listen to a lecture.

Adding to my irritation and general state of witchiness, is that I had to get "training" in a subject I don't even teach (math and science) because some of my students come to my room during their math class and I tutor them. I don't plan the lessons, or teach them, I help them when they get stuck.

I really could use some training in teaching reading and writing and how to apply it to English as a second language, which is my main focus, and not my educational background. Do I get that, of course not, that would make too much sense. Even a day where I could grade papers and plan ahead would be more helpful than what I went through today.

I hope I don't get trick-or-treaters, I don't have any treats! I gave my students candy yesterday, and didn't think about getting some for trick or treat. My car is in the garage, so I can't run to the store to get any, and my S/O won't be home until 7. I guess I'll turn the lights off, and pretend not to be home. Bad Brenda! Next year, I'll have to remember.

katl8e, what is Anne Rice's new book called? What is it about?

Happy Halloween everybody!

I love Halloween and I'm totally looking forward to curling up on the couch with a cup of hot chocolate and watching some scary TV shows.

Unfortunatly my day didn't start out so well. I took a phone call at work from a woman who wanted to make an appointment with a certain doctor who only works Saturdays and Mondays. Seeing as the appointment was not a big emergency and the book was labeled NO MORE for Saturday I planned on seeing if she wanted to wait until Monday.

Well I go out front to the appointment book to a waiting room full of people and I get on the phone with this woman. While I'm talking to her I'm standing next to my boss, so I say to her 'We're booked solid on Saturday but I can put you in on Monday'.

Of course now my boss looks over and says 'I'm here on Saturday you can put her in' quite loudly. So I cover the phone and tell him that she wants to see Dr. so and so. So as I'm trying to talk to this woman he's yelling at me telling me to put her in, I KNOW she can hear all of it so I put her on hold and he lays into me right in front of all these people.

In my defence since someone wrote 'no more' I took it as no more appointments plus looking at it there wasn't anywhere to put her. So he walks away yelling and my blood is boiling since he made me feel This small and I ask the receptionist if she can finish the call.

I went to the lab in the back(the only place I can be by myself) and had to fight the tears back. When I get angry I cry and I hate it because I feel like a whimp. He gave me an insincere apology which certainly didn't help my mood. I was thisclose to walking out and telling him to find another tech to put up with the BS around there but my sensible side took over.

When I got home I was still pretty mad about it but I made a nice dinner and have been passing out candy to the cute little kids in their costumes so that helped to brighten my mood.

Over 200 kids passed through my door, and sucked me dry of all my candy! And it's not even 7:30pm!

This is my first Halloween in this neighbourhood and I didn't know if there would be any kids. I guess I'll know for next year to buy a few more bags!

Have a good night everyone!

The book is "Blackwood Farm", another in the Vampire Chronicles. I hope that its better than her last few. I've been sadly disappointed, since "Violin". "Servant of the Bones" was her last, really good one.

Got a grand total of 20 trick-or-treaters. With 5 bags of Butterfingers and Kitkats, I was lamenting having to eat the leftovers. Ever the gallant, Bill said, "Baby, I'll help you." What a guy!

What is Haloween all about? How come it's as important as Christmas? My daughter is in Fort Lauderdale just now and she says there are millions of cute little kids running around the shops and being given lollies and stuff. I wouldn't feel comfortable with my kids going door to door asking for lollies. Stranger danger, and all that. Do they just do it in their neighbourhoods? Can someone put me in the picture please!
Diann in Australia

(I know this is yesterday DT, but I wanted to answer Diann's question.)

Halloween goes back a long time. It is actually a shortening of All Hallowed Eve, or the eve of All Saint's Day. The people would dress up as devils and demons to scare away the real devils and demons to keep All Saint's Day pure. It has evolved through the years into just a dress up in any type of custume and the kids going Trick or Treating, which is going around to houses and getting treats.

For the most part it is pretty safe for them to go around their neighborhoods, but it has changed over the years. When I was a kid, my parents would just turn us loose and let us go out by ourselves. Now, besides having groups of children as the rule, there is almost always a parent accompanying the children. Parents also comb through the bags of goodies that the kids get to make sure it is all sealed and safe, after the scare in the 80s when some psychos put razor blades in apples and pins into candy bars.

Halloween has turned into more and more of an adult holiday, too. Lots of us love the chance to be someone or something else for one night. I actually heard a statistic yesterday that Halloween has actually surpasses New Year's Eve as the night with the most drunk driving incidents. Not a good statistic, but it shows that there are more and more adults celebrating Halloween.

Halloween really isn't as important as Christmas, but it is a really fun holiday.

I didn't get one child. Oh, heck. Anyone want a Snickers, KitKat or Peanut Butter cup? I guess it could be worse. Two hundred is a lot! :bat :bat :bat :witch:

All the peanut butter cups......I'll take them.

I didn't get a chance to enjoy any chocolate since the little one's snapped them up so fast.

Well, next year I'm stashing a bag in the closet for myself!