BOOOOOOOOO! Happy Halloween!
What are you going to be? Do you have enough candy for all those kiddies who might be coming to the door?
I get trick or treaters of all ages. Some of mine have been clearly high school kids. I don’t mind as long as they have good manners. Most of my visitors do have good manners. All of them say thank you.
I don’t get huge numbers of kids. Too much work to work my street, would be my guess. Most self-respecting kids know that the smartest Halloween kids work the townhouse communities. You can get a pillowcase full of candy running through a townhouse community.
Most of my visitors, except the teenagers, have parents with them who are carrying flashlights. I think that is important. Kids shouldn’t be out on their own. Even though I live in an older, established community, parents just can’t be too careful. It’s reassuring to look out from the porch and see that a group of kids have a parent or two watching what’s going on. I feel safer and I know those parents feel their kids are safer.
Halloween provides an annual introduction for my son to the concept of taxation. He is forced to accept a service that he does not want (I escort his friends and him during trick-or-treating) and then tax him for the service (i.e. he “gets” to share his candy with me).
Too funny!!! Good for you, Kelly.
It beats calling it share-cropping.
A little Downton Abbey news, or as much as I can do without spoilers. I said you will love episode 2 of season 5. You won’t like episode 6 as much. There’s a scene with Mr. Bates that you won’t like too much. Nothing horrible, just something that you probably won’t like about him. There’s a lot more fallout from last season’s rape. (It’s going on a little too long in my opinion, almost as bad as the ridiculously long plot arc of Bates in prison.)
The story line with the Dowager and Russian refugees is a lot of fun but I think it’s almost played out. One of the best quotes was from Mary: “I’m just surprised that Granny has a past.”
We find out about Edith’s would-be husband. I won’t say anything more because I don’t remember at this point where his story was at the end of season 4.
I’m leaving out major plotlines about Mary and some of the downstairs staff because I don’t want to ruin anything. But there’s a lot going on downstairs, especially with some of the women. Actually, this whole season has been much more about the women than men. Admittedly the cast has more women than men on it, but there are only a couple of plots involving men this season. Oddly, the Earl of Grantham doesn’t have a major plot arc. There’s a little bit going on with him, but most everything is going on around him instead of involving him. (But maybe that’s part of the point.)
Spoiler alert: Isis the dog is either sick or pregnant. And Shrimpy (Rose’s father) is back from India.
I can’t wait!!!! I don’t like Bates too much anyway. I cant even remember why.
I tried to find the dvd from UK but no such luck yet. Has it come to the end of the season yet?
Lots of good economic information coming out. Employed Texans has topped 13 million for the first time. On track for most job gains in 1 year (2014) since 1999. Wages beginning to increase. Gasoline and Crude oil prices declining, partially based on a stronger dollar. Unemployment still decreasing.
Finally! Economy is moving in the right direction. Still slow, but in the right direction. Still an uphill climb.
I currently have blue hair, mustache, and beard, and a “bullet hole” between the eyes. Carried a large, furry, spider on my backpack through school.
No one batted an eye.
Kids these days…..
Kids are lazy. We have had 5 or 6 groups through here. Some parent told me that they are all down at the townhouses. That says to me that kids are too lazy to beg. I am freezing this crap. Over half my stuff is still here and it is good stuff. I am insulted.
The 7th just left. I have torch flames and a jack-o-lanterns and dragon fly lights lit up. I don’t get kids today.
How are things over in the City? Are you guys having a party or something? Prince William is dullsville.
Strange Halloween this year chez nous in Loudoun as well. We usually have 100-150 or more. This year only 8-10 in two groups thus far. Streets are empty. No ballerinas. No little princesses. No super heroes. No bunny rabbits. Eerie, I must say.
What was wrong with kids? there were a few princesses here, a few super heros but not as many as usual. It also didn’t start until late and straggled on.
I even had a spooky look this year. (not because of me but because of our house-mate) I finally left him outside and came in. Yawn.
After 10:00 PM and no additional trick or treaters. Unbelievable.
Yea, I feel sort of ripped off. Insulted. No one wanted my candy and I had pretty good stuff this year. It had dried up by 9 or so.
Next year I will buy those cheap-ass mini bags of candy corn and call it a day.
Best candy this year? Pumpkin spice kisses. They were out first of October or so and then you couldn’t find them anywhere. that was just mean.
@Wolve
There were noticeably fewer trick or treaters in my neighborhood as compared to last year. I think part of it is due to Halloween falling on a weekend. As we were walking around, it was clear that quite a few people were not at home.
So where were the parties? The local elementary school wasn’t having one. What does that tell us about the priority of work or school? Parading around on a weeknight is good. Not doing it on a weekend is bad?
I don’t get it.
I think kids are lazy. Some parent told me that the crowds were down at the townhouses several blocks down the street. Too much walking for them on these fourth acre lots I guess.
This is our thirty-first year without a trick-or-treater. My sister, who lives in a small town not far from Culpeper, gets 250+ kids each year.
My wife reported a good crowd.
My friends’ neighborhood was filled with kids.
Another, who lives in Buckingham country, where the parents have to drive the kids from house to house, stocked up on 400 bags of candy because he ran out last year.
@Cargosquid
That’s when you turn out the light. Sorry, kiddies.
I probably had 400 units and I have half left.
We gave out 2 apiece at least. I don’t think I had 100 kids. Maybe 60.
Judge Judy:
“Beauty fades. Dumb is forever. ”
How true.
Maybe the kids are getting tired of this dress-up stuff as they get older
I had seven from my two little cul-de-sacs, all 6 and under. They came
early. after which they went with the parents to one of the neighbors, who
hosted a potluck beer and wine party. This has been the usual routine for several years.
The local rec center has a lot going on on Halloween for the older kids.
Excuse the goofy humor, but our neighborhood looked like a ghost town on Halloween. Been here for about 35 years, and it was never like this before.
Wolve, was something else going on at a local church or school that lured the kiddies away from their normal trick or treat patterns?
wolve, I speculate that you are seeing the effects of tight credit and sellers with negative equity limiting mobility after the Great Recession. A community that doesn’t change owners much in 8 years means the kids grow up and you have empty nests. The new families with kids are still in town houses. I know our community hasn’t had a sale since the foreclosures in 2009. The natural flow of empty nesters downsizing and younger families upgrading has been interrupted.
Scary program on “60 Minutes” tonight about a
Muslim leader in London, who tries to get young
men to go to Syria and fight. Really scary!
Tick off a republican. Vote!
The only thing I can think of so far is the annual Halloween Parade in Leesburg, which was supposed to last until circa 8:00 PM; but that never seemed to have this kind of effect before. Could have been some parties around of which we were not aware. My daughter in Ashburn said that, in contrast to our situation, they had a fairly good flow of kids over there.
With regard to Ed’s #22, I think he is on the money re some of the neighborhoods in Sterling. We, however, live in a townhouse community which is probably over 50% recent immigrant — Hispanic, Middle East, African. Lots of kids over the years. Over the past decade or so, many of these kids caught on very quickly to the idea of trick or treat. Kids in costumes . Even some parents in costumes. This year, however, it is like all those kids and parents just vanished. We did not even see the usual cadre of teenagers looking for free candy later in the evening. At this point, I have no answer. Too cold perhaps? We have known some of these immigrant kids long enough to see them grow up to middle school and even high school. Wondering now if maybe the birth rate among the recent immigrants is dropping because of the need for multiple jobs in a household.
I think in my neighborhood, most of the kids live in the townhouses. I see them going to and from school. Most of the people on my street are empty nesters. Very few children really live on the street now. Any kid would rather work a townhouse community than single family. That explains my situation but yours, Wolve, remains a mystery. If you see kids, ask them. That’s the best way to find out. I am really curious also.