Halloween, 2007

I was writing something this morning - moping and anguished as I am lately - but I had to go to the office. Then I went grocery shopping since I required much more candy than I owned this morning.

“Is this all for tonight?” The cashier asked as she moved large bags of small candy bars across the scanner. I nodded as I tried to calculate. Two bags of Snickers, one each of Milky Way, Mars bars, Skittles, Starburst, Twix, Kit Kats and Crunch bars. With the extra bag of cheaper candy Mom sent home with me, I should be reasonably OK.

“I live in [giant subdivision].” I said and an expression of complete understanding crossed her face. There will be masses of people again this year. From babies in strollers, dressed as tiny bugs or mammals, to teenagers in street clothes carrying pillowcases. I’ve decided to streamline the trick or treating process this year. I had been giving handfuls of various sizes depending on how wonderful a given child happened to be. But I went through pounds and pounds of treats. Seemed a bit much.

Instead, the system will go thusly: Cute child in costume = 1 good chocolate and 1 cheap candy. Child who didn't try hard enough = 1 good chocolate. Teenager with pillowcase = 1 cheap candy. Or perhaps an empty wrapper of a good chocolate that I have eaten earlier.

Friend is deciding whether or not she’ll join me again this year. Chienne is sleeping on the end of the couch right now - the poor darling will be exhausted before the night is through, having to greet children who fear or love her alike. I’ve decided to lock Sprout in his room - he will not approve. But he makes moves to escape sometimes and with all the opening of the front door, I fear he’d scurry away into a night filled with rowdy teenagers and far too much traffic on our residential streets. Perhaps the porch light will lure a few moths and he can coax Friend into catching them for him.

So the mopey post will wait for tomorrow since the costumed children demand attention tonight. But if you’re not having a fantastic Halloween, I hope you’re at least having a reasonably pleasant Wednesday.

I was done writing when I decided to take a photo of the bounty of pretty candy. When scooping it back into bags to place on a table by the door, I breathed in the smell of sweetness. Sugar in the form of candy coating or chocolate. Nougat or caramel. I took a moment to savor it as I'm rarely presented with an opportunity to grab candy with both hands as I prepare to deposit it in tiny hands or buckets shaped like pumpkins.

I smiled - just for a moment - as I thought that each of these sugary treats will find a different home tonight. A green dinosaur might take a Twix and a ballerina some Skittles. Little One is a cowgirl this year. I always hope to see at least one child dressed as a pumpkin. It's nice in a silly sort of way. I vividly remembered dressing up and going door to door, watching for houses with lights on, and returning home to paw through my own mound of candy I'd gathered. Recall breathing in that same sugary smell. I'm suddenly much more eager to experience this evening than I was an hour ago - I have candy that belongs in other houses.