Trick or Treat

I just had my first trick-or-treater!

Our church hosts “Trunk-or-Treat”, where lots of church members load their car trunks up with candy, and kids go from vehicle to vehicle loading their bags with the sweets. There’s also inflatable games and carnival-type indoor games and so on.

Its a great event for the community, and fun for adults too, and something I wholeheartedly approve. However, as my car is a pickup I cannot possibly fill it up with candy, I do not usually take my vehicle there for kids. And this year, as its my first Halloween in my home, I must be home.

I both want to learn how many children in our neighborhood still go door to door…and I want to see if my being on a minor arterial how much tricking my house may endure.

I rushed home from work to swap out my porchlight with a blacklight bulb. Then I moved all the candles in my house to a table in my entryway, and lit them. Then I spent the next several minutes carving a jack-o-lantern with a not-so-intimidating face. This I placed on my front step, lit with one of the tea candles in the entry way.

Having spent the last few weeks getting my garage and the containers therein organized, I brought my “Theatrical” container into my kitchen. Tossing aside a tuxedo apron, black tights, a witch hat, and several ball caps, I finally uncovered the item I sought. A very fine quality Don Post Studios ugly man mask. This was owned by my father (the mask is stamped 1977) and he regularly made appearances as an escaped convict or a backwoods menace.

Tonight, lacking proper costume, I simply remain in my work clothes — red shortsleeve button-down shirt, black slacks and belt… and ugly mask. Oh, and I’m barefoot!

I then cranked up the highlights from the Phantom of the Opera on the CD player while I cleaned pum’kin innards in my kitchen. I love roasted (okay, lightly fried) pumpkin seeds! This brought me up to 7:00pm. I began to lose heart that I might see any trick-or-treaters.

I stepped outside my front door, stood in my yard, and faced my porch. Blacklight blue glow offset by the orange light of the smiling pumpkin — not too intimidating. Hmmm… I went back inside, this time leaving my door ajar and sat down here to type.

Ding-dong!!

I slipped the mask over my head (no small feat..it is a very tight fit!) and made my way (sans glasses) to the door. I had three visitors waiting! “Trick or treat”, they said hesitantly, eyeing the strange looking man. “What’s your costume”, they asked?

“I’m just an ugly man.” My smile shown only as the non-plussed mug of a prison thug. Although I did stick my tongue out through the mouth slot.

I regret that in my excitement, I have completely forgot what they were wearing!

Since starting to write this, I had two more trick-or-treaters. These were two adorable girls, one in a pink-panther type costume, the other a black cat (ala Catwoman). Their guardian stood as a silouhette at my driveway. I waved to him as the girls turned from my door. Then the girls stopped to comment on my pumpkin!

I don’t know why I think this is so cool, but somehow it is!

Happy Halloween!