Trashy Tuesday - The Day After

Whew!  Halloween is over.  Several weeks of hype, store displays, and candy buying binges all boiled down to 2 hours of frantic door bell ringing imps dressed up in every type of costume you can imagine.  We moved into our home 35 years ago.  Back then it was a young neighborhood.  We would have 200 to 300 trick or treaters at Halloween.  Gradually the crowds of kids diminished to a scant 25 the last few years.  This year appears to be a rebound of the downward trend.  We had almost 50 - about double of previous years.  It was a good time.  I will now have less temptations lying around.

My current wife, Sue, and I attended a couple of other Halloween events which allowed us to dress down a bit. It was fun.  Sunday our church hosted a "Trunk or Treat" event.  That is where you park your car, decorate the trunk or back of the van, dress up and hand out treats to the kids as they come along.  Yesterday, our Silver Sneakers class had a little party after the workout.  Babs, the instructor, organized the event.  There was a whole assortment of cookies, cupcakes, fudge, sandwiches and drinks for all to partake.  Seems a bit out of character to have so many sweet treats at an exercise class.  Most dressed up as something including us.  Lots of pictures were taken and a good time had by all.  We spent all of maybe 5 minutes designing our get-ups which is actually longer than in past years.  Here is what we came up with.

We chose a relaxed dressed down look.  You may note that Sue does NOT have any makeup on. You see her Aunatureal.  Please note that her complexion is a result of following the Iowa Hawkeyes for over 40 years.  It is a bumpy ride folks!  All I did was put on my winter take-the-trash-out hat.  Sorry about the eyes - I had just finished my second cup of French Roast when we to this photo.  I still don't understand why the kids at the Trunk or Treat event wanted to avoid stopping at our car for candy.  We had a lot of moms and dads pickup candy for their kids.  Just don't know why.

As you take in the picture of us, you will understand why these 10 symptoms of being too old to Trick or Treat are so true for us.
10. You keep knocking on your own front door.
9. You remove your false teeth to change your appearance.
8. You ask for soft high fiber candy only.
7. When someone drops a candy bar in your bag, and you lose your balance and fall over.
6. People say: "Great Boris Karloff Mask", and you're not wearing a mask.
5. When the door opens you yell, "Trick or ...." And you can't remember the rest.
4. By the end of the night, you have a bag full of restraining orders.
3. You have to carefully choose a costume that doesn't dislodge your hairpiece.
2. You're the only Power Ranger in the neighborhood with a walker.
1. You keep having to go home to use the bathroom.

I am thinking about wearing the same attire to the Iowa/Michigan game on Saturday.  I am thinking it might be wise to stay unrecognizable; now where is that Michigan t-shirt.

Word of the Day - Ineptocracy
This word may be a little unfair.  It is a relatively new word so don't feel bad if you recognize it.

I was kind of distressed this morning taking the trash out.  It was 41 degrees and dark at 6:45 when we took the trash to the curb.  As usual, I stood for a moment to survey the neighborhood and was greatly dismayed.  I was one of the very few who had their trash at the curb.  Probably just a hiccup since people were sleeping in trying to get over the candy hangover.  I hope next week everyone will be back on schedule.  Sue and I took a road trip last Friday to the landfill.  It was a nice day and we didn't have anything else to do.  I threw a few things in the van and off we went.  It was really a nice drive in the country with the leaves turning and crop harvesting in full swing.  I love going to the landfill.  They have everything so organized with concrete everywhere so you are not wallowing around in mud.  It really is a pleasant experience as compared to the trash collection process.  In the old days, you were guaranteed to get at least one flat tire every time you went to the landfill. Plus, you risked getting stuck in a water filled mud hole. 

H, the educator, returned from Thailand in one piece the other day.  She apparently had a really good time with perhaps the exception of holding a snake around her neck or riding an elephant in the river and getting a shower or deciding whether to eat the caterpillars or the rat.  I think I will stay right where I am.  If I really want to, I think I can experience most of those things right here - well maybe not the elephant.  H has been to most of the continents I think.  Way to go.

With Halloween and everything I almost forgot about the milestone I celebrated last week.  I was not really much of a celebration actually, just me doing a little happy dance along with a feeble rendition of the Hokey Pokey.  It appears that I have written over 100 blogs.  What is really a point of celebration is that I actually still have people who will talk to me after the 100 issues.  Maybe I will have a slice of cake when I hit 200.  Thank all of you for hanging with me all this time.

Okay, now for the word of the week - Ineptocracy. 

Ineptocracy is a system of government where the least capable to lead are elected by the least capable of producing, and where the members of society least likely to sustain themselves or succeed, are rewarded with goods and services paid for by the confiscated wealth of a diminishing number of producers. Can any of you relate to this system of government?

Looking out the window and by golly, the sun did come up.  The recycling truck has gone by already as did the glass pickup truck.  Still to come is the YARDY pickup and the trash pickup.  They always seem to be later in the day.  My French Roast is long gone.  My eyeballs are slowly retreating back into their sockets.  Hmmm, I wonder if I would be a candidate for Lasik surgery.  Might ask my Optometrist.  This reminds me.  Daughter Debby, the younger elder or whatever, had this done a couple of months ago.  What a change!  She has 20/20 vision now and doesn't need any contacts or glasses anymore.  That has to be a great feeling.  Two thumbs up kiddo.

Once again I have over stayed my welcome and I do apologize, not really.  Off to the fat burning machine so we will hook up later.  Have a great day and better tomorrow.  TA!