I Just Can't Walk Away

It came from the 80's!


( You have been warned. )

As soon as Widget is off to school, I am off to carve my Frankie!lantern. And toast pumpkin seeds. Eee! I'm so excited! Or I would be if my hands weren't frozen solid!

I thought I would take a moment and share with you the state of my Halloween. This does not include the AG Army who as of 3pm this afternoon finally finished getting dressed. We have witches, kitties, a fairy tale character, and oh yeah, a freakin' stable full of Unicorns. ;) For all that work, they'll have to wait until tomorrow for photographic evidence.


No, this is my crafty endevors and the failure/success rate, plus some shiny things thrown in for funsies. You ready?

Sure you are. ;)


( That was the goal, anyway. )

1. Favorite Halloween movie
The Worst Witch. Hands down, forever, nothing you can say or do will make me not love this movie. I know it doesn't hold up well, I know it was cheesetacular when it came out, and I know that short of the absolutely absurd Tim Curry song and the fact that Fairuza Balk is awesome, there is very little that someone who didn't love it before would see and love it in as an adult...
But it makes it Halloween to me when I watch this movie.

2. Halloween costume this year
Still deciding, man. Still deciding.

3. Favorite Horror movie
Can I say Rose Red? It was meant to be a movie and not a mini-series, after all.

4. Best Halloween/Fall themed food
CANDY CORN. And also those pumpkins you can get mixed in with your candy corn.

5. Your first horror movie
Don't remember, apparently I was too young to recall.

6. What type of monster do you want to be?
Ghost? Vampire? *shrug*

7. Favorite Halloween character
...?

8. One of your paranormal experiences
There's this local thing called the Ravenel Lights. (It's a thing. Google is your friend.) Cass got this bright idea we'd go look for them because she'd gone with her boyfriend at the time and wanted to share the ~mystery~ or whatever. I don't remember who the driver was and neither does Cass, but we go out there and the deal is this:
Drive out to the middle of nowhere. Knock on the church door. Ride back, see the lights, debate whether locals just wait for this or if these are lights bouncing off reflectors or something else entirely.
So we do the first part. On our way to the second part, something darts in front of the car and our driver slams on the brakes just in time for us to see a deer cross the road. Only... this is no deer. None of us can ID the animal but it's creepy as hell and screams may or may not have happened. Ghost!Deer!

We do the second part, (well, Cass runs out to knock on the door and this part isn't exactly easy.) and we head back down the road where more ghost!deer appear. o_O And then, just when we're about to give up, we notice these lights way up in the trees. And they're steadily getting closer but not in an "incoming car that's... flying?" way.

We sat there, in the middle of nowhere, watching these lights trying to figure out if it was a trick and then everyone got creeped out all at the same time and whoosh, away we went.

I'm very sad to know that Cass does not remember the ghost deer at all. They still haunt me. Creepy. (And later that year or the next we came across a deer on the way out of the James Island park and it looked nothing like the ghost!deer so...)


9. Do you believe in witchcraft? Explain why or why not.
Sure. Mostly because why not. :P I believe Ari can use Tarot cards to see the future, I believe witchcraft has numerous meanings and at least one of them is bound to be applicable to the truth. Oh, and curses and hexes? Totally, man. But that dude called himself a warlock. And he runs a ghost tour, so there you go.

10. Best costume you’ve ever worn
Middle school, I was tall and curvy-ish enough to pull off this black dress of Mum's. It had fairly grown up neckline (boobs!) so it was worn over an orange shirt and I was the Queen of Halloween. I thought it was the most beautiful dress in the history of EVER. I still have it in case I get the flu seventy times in a row and lose enough to wear it again. :P

11. Favorite candy
Ever or for the season? Because I live for candy corn, I cry without Milk Duds and Whoppers, and Twix bars and Milky Ways and Sugar Babies (and Daddys)...

12. How you act when watching a scary movie
Am I alone? Because if so, I'm clutching a plush something or other or trying to coax the dog/cat into sitting with/near me. If I'm with someone, I'm usually the person who gets to watch to make sure the icky part is over. If I'm with someone and we're the only people in the theater? You totally talk back to the movie then.

13. Best pumpkin carving you’ve done
Stitch a couple of years ago. I was really impressed with myself. :P

14. Do you believe in ghosts/spirits?
GHOST!DEER. But otherwise, yes. Yes I do. I'm pretty sure it's against the law to grow up in this city without at least partially believing, at least a little.

15. Halloween decoration tips
PURPLE LIGHTS. Seriously. That and a pumpkin and dude, I don't care. You're good to go. If that's not enough, um, glitter? Black glitter.

16. What do you use to hold candy when you trick or treat?
When *I* went trick or treating? The boy and I had matching black & glow in the dark fabric Halloween bags that we used every year. Widget's been using a variety of things, though my favorite was the bag that you slipped a glow-stick in so the bag glowed and you didn't have to hold your glow stick.

17. Your Halloween traditions:
Pumpkin carving except for those years we don't speak of (I have the worst luck with pumpkins) so that I can smell the delightful scent of burning pumpkin, frantically trying to figure out a costume in the last four seconds before Widget and I are set to depart for trick-or-treating, spaghetti for dinner (when I was little it was Chef Boyardee), green glow sticks are used, coming home and trick or treating at our house. Possibly bullying my way into watching The Worst Witch. ;) Sorting candy from the great haul.

18. Best Halloween pranks or dares
I don't. I really don't.

19. Biggest fear
I don't tell people that for obvious reasons.

20. Best TV show Halloween episode.
I don't think I could pick one. Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends has a couple I recommend, and you can't go wrong with any Phineas and Ferb Halloween special. iCarly's Halfaween amuses me, and Charmed's All Halliwell's Eve is a classic for the show. I love Halloween themed episodes so just trying makes me love you.

   I will say that I didn't consider it Halloween for YEARS if I didn't manage to catch Frankenweenie on Disney or The Worst Witch on whatever channel it would come on.


21. Opinion on October weather
I wish it were cooler more consistently. Instead we get heat waves followed by a few nice days (be they rainy or sunny, nice in this case means cool) and somewhere the week before Halloween it feels like one thinks October should. And then by Halloween itself you're left wondering if you're going to freeze your tush off or melt into a puddle of ew because Mother Nature has a nasty sense of humor.

22. First Halloween costume:
Mums doesn't remember (shocked!) but by process of elimination we've narrowed down the ones she does remember to either my stint as a Fluppy Dog or Rainbow Brite. Based on the short shelf life for the Fluppies, I'm guessing they were first. Photographic evidence coming at a later date.

23. Worst Halloween candy
Gummy body parts. Or, if you meant from my trick or treating days, those peanut butter mary jane things. Ick.

24. Trick or treating, Halloween party, or Halloween Movie Marathon?
Trick or treating. Duh.

25. Favorite Halloween song
I... have no idea.

26. Have you ever used a Ouija board? Experiences?
Actual Ouija board? Um, once maybe? Yeah. Nothing happened. Board of DOOM though? Oh yes. I can't remember now if we had two boards and N took one home or if it's always just been the board of DOOM. *thinks* Anyway, we found it at Barnes & Noble, I believe. If not, Green Dragon. Possibly both if there were two boards. Doesn't matter. One predicted death all the fucking time. (It was wrong quite a lot.) The other had three distinct personalities, which you might think "duh" since there were three/four of us using it.
But no.

One: Messages for Cass. Even if she wasn't with us. Usually about her boyfriend at the time. When she was at the board, it was obvious she was pushing things. When she wasn't... things were more complicated.

Two: Surprisingly accurate predictions of the future. Case in point, well before Ari and Derrick got together, it predicted she'd marry someone with the initials D & S. Indeed she did.

Three: When Ari and I'd use the board together and it wasn't leaving increasingly annoying messages for Cass, it was interesting to have it go on for hours (seriously) about various things. You get your usual past life crap that happens when you get teenagers who read way too much Pike in a room with a board and then... other things. It was interesting.

Board of doom had certain 'voices'. Nelle would flip out and die of the happy whenever Mercury would show up. (See: good news.) I forget who the bad news messenger of You're All DOOMED was, but somewhere there's a tape I made of it.

Favorite memory though was the boy joining in. And asking where the Keebler Elves lived. :P

27. Halloween costume last year
Undead.

28. Your Halloween plans this year
Finish decorating the house (and the dolls), carve my pumpkins up, sniff them as they burn (... I need help?) and take Widget trick or treating. Return home and sit, contently, in the glow of the Halloween lights.

29. Some Halloween Events you attend
I used to go to the Halloween Extravaganza, but this is it's final year. :( And that was actually only a couple of times. When I was younger we'd go to the Fair and there was the year I begged and pleaded and whined until my mother agreed to take me into the Haunted House there. Where, about three steps in, I closed my eyes and did not open them until we were outside again. :P
Other than that, when I was in elementary school (and a year or two afterward), we went to the school fair. I loved it even the years Mums worked so I got to see how the magic was done. There was the year the haunted house kept taunting me (they closed off the kindergarten/first grade wing and spooked it up) and that was bookended by the year I led everyone through the haunted trailer that spooked them (younger kids) but I was all "ha! that the best you got?" Which is weird because I am never the leader in these situations.

As a semi-adult I don't really... attend Halloween events. Mostly because I'm always at work when these things happen. :(

30. Favorite Halloween animal
Black. Cat.


31. Why do you love Halloween?
It's the one time of year you're encouraged to scare the crap out of small children. And free candy.

Also, it's fun to be scared (thank you, Jem) and I love the way things look and feel in the fall. It's dark, it's spooky, and gloomy days are celebrated. The smell of a jack-o-lantern, the way some people really get into the holiday, the way that even more than Christmas, kids are encouraged to decorate and some of their stuff is the best you'll see. The costumes, the make-up, the glitter, the way the decorations smell. The candy is nice, the cold, crisp air. The way the sky turned purple last year, and the way the trees have dropped enough leaves that looking down you see a rainbow in autumn colors and looking up you see a dark, spooky skyline.
The way everyone believes, for a day, in ghosts and things that go bump in the night. The way even a crappy Halloween special is better than some of the best Christmas specials. The way the lights beckon to you during the week before Halloween. Christmas lights are showy, but Halloween lights are cozy. Or insane. Depending on your neighbors, I guess.
The way you believe anything, and I do mean anything, can happen.
Scary movies and not so scary movies, black cats, and windy days.

Most of all, I love Halloween because it was the one holiday I pretty much did every thing for, decorating wise, as a kid, and I can still remember the way it felt on a windy afternoon in October as I swept the steps and put out plastic decorations.
Halloween is home.

Every year I miss seeing this when CN randomly plays it but this year I outfoxed them. Muhahahaha!

Now, uh, who wants to protect me from the zombies?

Tomorrow we shall detail all the reasons I love various things about the Addams Family. Also, I will murder anyone who spoils tonight's episode of PLL.


Went to the Dollar Store. Bought some candle holders. This weekend I'll be breaking out the spray paint. It'll be fun. :D


Went to the library where they had another of my cookbooks waiting for me. Which is good because one of the four or five I requested came in and it sucked. Picked up one of Alton Brown's because I believe luxken27 recommended him. I would have grabbed another but the guy at the library who shelves the books and mutters to himself has increased his volume level and once you start (hopefully) quoting things about fire, bullets, and death I figure it's either time for me to engage in conversation or leave the area. Sadly it was also sing to the babies time and everything all sounded the same. Not in a good way. I did pick up the newer Kim Harrison book so I've got research and relaxation. :)

And now I should sleep. Work.

Changed my LJ-theme. Not entirely thrilled with this one, but we'll see if it's workable or if I immediately change to one of the others I had my eye on.

I'm a week away from my vacation which is less a vacation and more of a "work the same work week the other two people on your shift work" thing, which is just a depressing way to look at it. (Seriously, the other two people work 4 day work weeks as a general rule. Granted one of them does work extended hours on those four days but still!) Only going to look at it that way for now, though. I figure after my walk I'll be looking at it as "HALLOWEEN!"

See? I take awhile, but I find my silver linings, man.



The cats met (again), sort of. I walked up the steps and the Kali cat followed me. She peered around the door and up the mini-steps to Ozma, who was sitting on the top step in her own doorway, and they kind of glared at one another, trying to suss one another out. Kali did the kitty noise of "I could launch myself at you at any time" and Ozma returned with a very tiny "bring it on?" but they didn't really get any closer than being four steps apart. I offered up catnip and Ozma's had her first taste of 'nip here at this house. Not sure if she's had any prior to this, but she gives it one very poofy tail up. Which is like a thumbs up, only cats don't have thumbs. ;)

Now Kali is sulking but I'm hoping she'll see this as a "cat doesn't come into my territory and the small, vexing person can love her and leave me the hell alone" thing, which is good and not "people have replaced me with a fluffier version of me!"


Waited all day, altered my sleeping plans for a visit that I've just found out isn't happening. (I suspected it since it's damn near 6pm, but it was confirmed a minute ago.) I'm trying not to be a little vexed, but today was one of those days when you sleep funny and you wake up and feel weird so your mood is just off. Or mine is, anyway. Ah well.

I should go check to see whether Widget is any closer to being done with whatever chore he's assigned himself (instead of the ones he was actually requested to do) and then find my batteries to breathe life into the decorations. :D

  I'm in a funk. It's leftover from yesterday and this morning's freakout and just a zillion little things that aren't going the way they should. I should also be asleep so that's probably helping annoy me further. :P

But I've bought batteries for my pumpkins and various lights and this weekend I'll check to see if I need to exchange the AAAs for AAs. Buy one get one free (16 x 2!) and the second one made the first one cheaper, even. I love that trick. Found some battery tea lights at Target that are cheaper than the ones at work and they all work except for one which will require some fiddling to get it to work properly. Still, it's almost perfect for the bags I bought to light the walkway. Now I just need to figure out the best way to decorate them. *muse*

Submitted my MH picture. Didn't think I'd have time tomorrow to make it shoe-tastic and I'd rather enter than miss it entirely so... judgment call, I guess. Are you entering, zallia?

Bills are either paid or will be paid after the weekend. Is good times. Y'know. Except for the being broke as hell part.

Oh, and I think Target and I are going to have to break up. For all the awesome they normally have, they've actually been sucking lately. :/

Figured out what my MH contest submission will be. Bad news? It was after my 4 hour craft a thon the other night and three hours of trying to get a shot of the failed ideas. WOE. Not enough time to do it now, although I do have a backup picture ready if things never come together again.




ETA: Wishbook has landed! So much purple!

And thus concludes my spam for the day. (This is also not as cute as zallia's Halloween post or as nifty creepy as some of the things luxken27's been sending my way, but I'm halfway there!)

Also, stuff called on account of me somehow borking my finger and it being right where I need it to type with. And it's my middle finger so... awkward? Anyway, things will take longer to respond to (insert joke here) but it will happen! Just... slowly.

  I have a weird thing with horror movies. Too much gore and I can't watch, which is why pretty much any semi-recent horror flick has to be recommended by someone else, what with scary movies turning into torture!porn and that not being my kind of movie.

  Mums tells a story of me being fairly young and visiting with them at a friend's house (theirs) and her realizing I was missing, only to find me watching a horror movie. She's even told me which one but I have no memory whatsoever of this. It's also why Mums wouldn't let me watch them for ages. :P

Scream is the only movie I've ever gotten into trouble for seeing, and Mums bought the tickets, so how's that fair? Wellllll, someone brought along their younger cousin (not me) and they were okay during the movie but at home they freaked the fuck out and we all got busted. Which meant Mums got fussed at for buying the tickets even though she didn't realize how young he was or that he didn't have permission since we weren't exactly known for lying. I still don't know why they insisted he come along, but they did, and so it all fell apart. I'd do it again, too.