Halloween. what are you doing?

[Brains]

As to what I will do today......I listened to the Bach pipe organ piece that I know as the theme from "Phantom of the Opera." WOW! What a way to start the day!

Here's a taste of the Bach piece. It is a rendition which omits the massive low note at the beginning of the piece. That sucker opens up the HUGE low note of a pipe organ and wiil rattle the windows!

Phantom of the Opera - Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D Minor - YouTube

Flash

A close family friend still to this day (I believe) plays the Phantom of the Opera silent film in his basement theater, while he plays the organ in a pit below the projection screen. Haven't lived up there for years, but I still miss that. Fred has a 5-rank Wurlitzer pipe organ with its multiple rooms full of pipes and equipment in his basement. It's truly a sight to see. He does other films too, here's a little example:



This year I'll be Trick or Treating with the wife and 2/3 kids. Oldest kid will hand out candy.

 

[Brains]

Another video:

 

[benenglish]

Trick or Treating isn't dead in San Marcos. We used to have a huge blow-out party. If you came to it, you were required to bring candy to pass out. We consistently had 1,000+ kids come by. Then we moved out of the "Hot Spot" area.

I think my sister had at least 1000 kids at her house one year. A grocery store near her went out of business and they were selling it to the walls, including fixtures, etc. The on-site manager had wide discretion to make deals.

This store had a huge toy aisle that was fully stocked. It was an entire toy store by itself. None of the buyers were paying any attention to it. It was a couple of days before Halloween so my sis approached the manager and offered him a lump sum for everything on the toy aisle. I seem to remember it was some ridiculously low figure, like $400 or so. The manager, who was going to have to junk anything he couldn't sell, jumped at the chance and had his people pack everything tightly in boxes. IIRC, it was three pickup truckloads, each one piled way too high.

On Halloween night, word got out that there was some crazy lady giving away footballs and Barbie dolls and board games and everything you could imagine. Pickup trucks would stop in front of her house and 20 kids would pile out of the bed. At one point, she said she did a quick area estimate and figured that between her lawn, the two neighbors, the sidewalk, and the street, there were well over 100 kids trying to get to her at one time.

According to her, it was the biggest fun she'd ever had on a Halloween. I don't doubt it.

 

[CrazedJava]

I'm not saying the churches haven't been doing what you said, I just think there's a lot more to it.

Actually, trunk or treating has been a big part of the decline -

5 Things That Have Almost Destroyed Halloween | Cracked.com

It's not the only thing, but is a factor.

RANT MODE -
Now, personally, I hate Halloween. It's a long story but I had done a deep dive on the holiday in the past and then there were some incidents working Halloweens late night at a grocery store and later at the jail that just made me hate the holiday even more. Short version, adults and Halloween don't go together. Plus, I am a fundamentalist Christian though I know I don't always act like it and there is nothing about this holiday that aligns with my values.

That said, these "Fall Festivals" really piss me off. You can't have it both ways. The kids still get candy, dress up in costume, etc. It is Halloween in all but name.

My wife and I decided early on that we weren't going to be "those parents". When the kids are little, Halloween is pretty innocent and there is no good way to exclude them without seeming whacko. So we embraced the more innocent side of it, took them Trick or Treating in the neighborhood and generally did the same things I did growing up. We want our kids to understand how the world works.

Churches in general need to stop being so uptight about the holiday. You can reject some of the uglier parts about it without indoctrinating the kids.

 

[Mexican_Hippie]

In our area, the churches began a campaign against Halloween and it had great success after a few years. It wasn't accidental. It was by design and they made a full effort to kill the "pagan" celebration.

It's a shame. I was a kid in Chicago and stayed out late with no parental supervision after age 10 or so. It was fun! Dad took the screen off of the storm door and handed out goodies to herds of costumed critters.

Flash

All Saints Day, All Souls Day, I get it.

But it's also harmless fun for the kids. I don't think it makes them pagan. It's not like dressing up and eating candy changes your belief system.

Looking forward to seeing my kids smiles tonight. Gonna be fun.

 

[Tejano Scott]

Friend and former co-worker died, so I'll be doing the visitation tonight and funeral tmrw. Bummer.

 

[GPtwins]

We hare having friends over for dinner and drinks. Letting the kids hand out candy to the young ones.

 

[Vaquero]

Friend and former co-worker died, so I'll be doing the visitation tonight and funeral tmrw. Bummer.

I extend my condolences.

 

[Saltyag2010]

Meeting up with friends to rage. I'm putting on scrubs and a lot of fake blood. Cutting out of work early to get the truck inspected. Then off to some friends houses to figure out where we're going.

If if you're in Corpus Christi and you see someone white in scrubs covered in blood and drunk that's me. Get wierd

 

[robertc1024]

I think my sister had at least 1000 kids at her house one year. A grocery store near her went out of business and they were selling it to the walls, including fixtures, etc. The on-site manager had wide discretion to make deals.

This store had a huge toy aisle that was fully stocked. It was an entire toy store by itself. None of the buyers were paying any attention to it. It was a couple of days before Halloween so my sis approached the manager and offered him a lump sum for everything on the toy aisle. I seem to remember it was some ridiculously low figure, like $400 or so. The manager, who was going to have to junk anything he couldn't sell, jumped at the chance and had his people pack everything tightly in boxes. IIRC, it was three pickup truckloads, each one piled way too high.

On Halloween night, word got out that there was some crazy lady giving away footballs and Barbie dolls and board games and everything you could imagine. Pickup trucks would stop in front of her house and 20 kids would pile out of the bed. At one point, she said she did a quick area estimate and figured that between her lawn, the two neighbors, the sidewalk, and the street, there were well over 100 kids trying to get to her at one time.

According to her, it was the biggest fun she'd ever had on a Halloween. I don't doubt it.

I remember you posting that before - good times. I think one my best Halloween memories was on a Saturday. The old house we had, had a big front porch (built in the '20's) and after midnight, a few close couples, my wife and I were sitting up there, winding things down after midnight. We heard a noise down the street that kept getting closer. I'll be damned - it was skateboard Jesus with several disciples (actually some TX State students) Hospitably, we invited them up, had a couple of glasses of wine with them. I'll never forget it.

 

[Vaquero]

When I was a teen. Not driving yet. We'd trick or treat and keep an eye out for old man Sellers.
He had no car. He had a flatbed cart and a horse. We'd pile on the cart ( no more than 4 of us ) and he'd tote us all over town trick or treating. When we were done, we'd thank him and hop off. Small town. Maybe 1000 residents per cencus back then.
Ain't much bigger now. That's a Halloween that's probably gone for good.

 

[benenglish]

I remember you posting that before - good times.

Sorry for the repost. I was going to just post a link to my previous post but I couldn't locate it via the search function on the board.

I should have known to use google: http://www.texasguntalk.com/forums/...ost-whore-thread-v2-0-a-2673.html#post1004816

Notice how I tell the details different every time. More proof that I'm full o'crap.

 

[Mike1234567]

It'll be very quiet here in rural Floresville, TX. Those who choose to trick-or-treat will go into town to do so because it's too much work collecting from we here who are a minimum of two acres apart. Ahhhh.... the peace and quiet.

 

[Younggun]

Wondering what some parents are thinking.

 

[txinvestigator]

Hockey Game

 

[shortround]

In my neighborhood, we only have two families with children. We are happy to have some treats for them, then it is lights out at 8:30 p.m.

We are so far off the beaten path that candy raiders don't venture here any more, since Old Man Johnston across the street ran outsiders off for years on end. He sat in a rocker on his brightly lit front porch dressed as the "Straw Man." When strangers walked into his yard, he'd say: "I don't know you, where you from?"

He never threatened anyone, but when they saw the shotgun resting on his lap, they shit their britches and went the other way.

 

[Couyon]

Man, the kids have been very polite and parents very nice here for our first Halloween in Texas. It's great to be back in the Deep South!

 

[TX69]

Locked down, lights out, Mastiff barking his head off lol

 

[Vaquero]

Bucket is empty.
Pork chops on the grill, truck race on tv.

 

[Anger]

packing the truck for SAXET