October 31st

Not a single trick or treater has arrived at this point. I tried throwing some fish sticks out the window at the little ghosts and goblins but the window doesn't open and they just bounced off. I now have a not so thin layer of breading all over the computer and parts of the piano. Several tumbled to the baseboard heater. When they smell cooked, I shall retrieve them and get to goblin.
As with all holidays which were always a family oriented affair, I miss the little traditions and laughs that always filled the day. Next up is Remembrance Day, almost as tough as Christmas for me these last four years, although I should clarify it was not a day filled with laughter, rather a stay at home tradition of quiet thankfulness for our freedoms and privileges, purchased at a terrible cost.
I am always particularly thankful that my Father survived to live a long and productive life...so many Dads did not.
For those idly curious about my instruments' release from captivity, the situation remains the same. The Princess sits in her case, my piano is still unplugged. Not an optimum setup for a songwriter. Perhaps I shall try again later....most likely I will not. Their availability carries a terrible responsibility which I am not prepared to accept lately.
I just finished reading "Mutiny on the Bounty". I found a 1932 edition at a flea market and snapped it up. A most enjoyable read. Started another book this morning..."The Wake of the Wahoo", about submariners in WWII. It is in keeping with this months nautical theme and I cracked it just in time.

Tomorrow I plan to go order a Bible for myself. I want one with larger font than is the norm, being frustrated with the constant rubbing of eyes required when I read my other two copies. Drydock has a lovely Christian giftshop. I always enjoy a half hour wander through the joint.
Zzzzzzzzzzz......

October 30th

Just returned from the local IGA store. I went to get milk, and I forgot it. But I did get a terrific buy on some fishsticks for the trick or treaters tomorrow. Some have spicy Cajun seasoning and are bound to be a real eye opener for the little darlings. Probably good for the sinuses as well.

I recall being forced to sing a song for the treats years ago. Where that tradition came from I have no idea. It took a few Halloweens before I clicked in and would start into some bawdy little number which folks quickly put a stop to.
"There once was a gal from Nantucket..." was as far as I would have to go.

Occasionally I would not costume at all and go as "The Kid Next Door."

In my own family we would go all out for the wee ones, with trimmings, and pumpkins, and we would all dress up a bit. One year we borrowed the neighbours black cat and duct taped it to the front window. Quite a conversation piece really. And we would always have hot dogs for dinner, they were quick and easy and left lots of room for sweets. I guess we must have done that for nearly 25 years in a row. Yes, I am having a hot dog supper tomorrow, then I plan to eat fish for a few days.
I know there is a reluctance among many Christian communities to celebrate the evening, and I am a little sad about that. Hallelulah night is okay, but the one thing it lacks is the wonder of going up and down your local streets and being treated kindly by so many people you don't really know....maybe to see them but that's it. I always found this a real lesson in humanity. I learned that people at heart can be kind and fun and generous. And you would have this brief positive interaction between the accompanying adults which led to a few more hellos on the street and some common ground to close the distance between them. To each his own on this one, and since Church communities tend to isolate themselves socially as a rule, they may as well learn it at an early age.
(The fisherman ain't wearin' out his shoes, when he's walkin' to the choir.")

October 29th

Well, the Hawkin's Cheesie people delivered.
They sent me two 450 gram bags with a best before date of next July! If any of you buy this product you will know full well the due dates are usually two months away. My good friend Les wondered why it takes so long for them to reach the shelves. I had to wonder as well.
He took one bag home for himself and the kids and said they were the freshest, cheesiest ones he had ever snapped off and eaten. And they were/are. I am disappointed that they did not reimburse me for my postage cost incurred returning the green samples. (They did specifically say they would.) Ah well, I guess I got a triple bag for $1.35.)
Once again I will attempt to plug in the paino. I really do have to restructure all the plugs in this room so that they do not blow the fuses. That's what makes me not rush to plug the old keyboard in. I am just being considerate of the fellow denizens of the Hotel Unusual, as is my way.
If anyone would like to be referenced in these ramblings by the way, I can arrange it for a minimal contribution to the "Prisoners of the Gulag Association" c/o myself. Lasagna is the preferred donation, but books or cash are always nice. Please no cookies, unless it is Crazy Girl Chrissy's regular Christmas package, which I divide equally among all the members of the association.
Speaking of Christmas...please, let's not have a repeat of last years' flood of parcels which inundated the local Post Office and eventually led to me being verbally abused by my local carrier. I suspect there was liquor involved, or perhaps she mistook me for someone else, or maybe she was simply passing on seasonal greetings from some previous companion of mine. Anyway, it wouldn't fit sideways, so I dismissed the comments out of hand.

I have decided to give away fishsticks again this Halloween. The little tykes seemed thrilled to death with them last year. A few parents were grumpy about it, but the night is all about kids...not parents. It could be because I jokingly told the little rascals that they were great in an aquarium, and to plop them in there as quick as they could once they returned home.
Who has more fun than Byron?

October 28th

I just watched a video by Meg *******, a brooding young woman who lost me after about four lines of lyric. I did watch/listen to a few other offerings she had posted, maybe interested because she stayed in the lower key ranges and had that "I'm kinda peed off with the world" aura...somewhat akin to Roseanne Cash early in her career. Someone I will have to revisit, I guess.
She has a penchant for the long guitar intro, something I see a lot with today's songwriters. I wonder if it is to set the mood for themselves, or the audience, or what? I take it as a sort of passive aggression. Now everyone pay attention to me...can't you see I am serious! I have the attention span of a two year old most of the time, so I want to say...okay..Got it...now get on with it. How rude am I? Very, sometimes. I tend to launch right into whatever I am about to sing. Maybe it's my crappy guitar playing or something, I'm not sure. But I do know that I feel insulted intellectually if a singer songwriter insists on playing almost a full minute of mood setting intro before a sound comes out of their mouths. I know the giant musical figure is going to appear again after the first verse or two and I start looking for the washrooms. How grumpy am I? Very!
Earlier today I counted the number of steps it takes me to cross the room...12. I'm not talking about strides here...that would be five or six I guess, but I figure why build up all that speed just to stop again right away, so take little mincing John Wayne steps. I was doing this to find out how much extra travelling is involved to make a blend of decaf and regular coffee in my one cup makers new position on the desk...as opposed to the sink where it has been for two years. I have been blending the two for a long time, but decided a couple of weeks ago to keep them separate and blend or not as I choose. I have two huge metal tins for the two types, and only room for one on the desk. Therefore the extra mileage, you see. I also need an extra trip with the mug of water from the sink to the desk, so I can see this is going to add up. How boring is my life? Very!
I have renewed a Facebook friendship with a real friend who dissolved that FB friendship over the amount of F-Bombs that could be found in my back and forth bantering with some other friends. She prefers to not read that sort of thing, and I don't blame her. Since my friend list is now down to I think, 13 from 9o something, odds are greatly improved. Is this a case of self-censorship? You bet! (I think fckn may be acceptable...we'll see.)
There are traces of snow on the ground this morning. And so it begins. I must put some diligent thought into stocking up on the essentials so I can cut my trips to the stores down to a minimum. I think with all the extra exercise making my twenty or so cups of coffee a day, it should almost balance out. But I don't want to be caught in here without milk or cream, so I must buy the biggest container of powdered creamer I can find and damn the consequences!
Pills. Smokes. Febreze smoke odour removing candles. Regular candles (for the frequent power outages.) Books! Lots of books! I think that's about it.
I have a parcel to collect from the mail people today. I suspect it will be some sort of peace offering from the Hawkins' Cheesie Company. I alerted them to some green discoloured pieces in a recent purchase, even mailed them some of the troublesome treats and they assured me they would do the right thing. Again...we shall see. What I would really like is my money back.
My big plan for today...a plan I have been meaning to implement for some considerable time now....is to plug in the piano and take the guitar out of the case. Wish me luck. It involves bending over and I am at the stage where I am glad I learned many years ago how to pick things up off the floor with my toes. How flexible am I? Not very....
October 28th