When I was five or six years old, I was taken to the hospital with a fever of 104.8 F (40.4 C). I had bronchitis and a UTI at the same time. I was there for a few days — over Halloween weekend — because I was so young and those were both severe.
My parents brought me a couple of gifts and then tried trick-or-treating on my behalf. They’d explain and some people gave them some candy, but most didn’t believe them and refused. I would’ve been thrilled with a bubble wand!
The upside to this story is that one year, my dad and stepmom grossly overestimated how much candy they’d need for trick-or-treaters, and my dad, remembering my experience a few years before, did one of the only decent things he ever did and took all the leftovers to the children’s ward at the local hospital and passed it out (with approval from parents and doctors/nurses) to those kids.
Wholesome Halloween Hijinks That’ll Have You Floating!
It’s Halloween, at about 10:00 pm, and I’ve still got several of the treat packets I made up still left. I get a knock at the door, and I’m greeted by four lads around fifteen or sixteen, wearing cheap masks most likely from the local pound shop.
Lads: “Trick or treat!”
Me: “Um, I don’t think you guys will like the treats I’ve got.”
I’m honest with them, hoping to avoid my windows being egged or causing enough of a disturbance to disrupt my toddler asleep upstairs.
Lad #1: “What ya got?”
I grab the bag and open it to show them.
Me: “A small packet of sweets with a Freddo, popping candy eyeball, mini pack of Haribo, and a bubble wand.”
Freddos are chocolate, and Haribo is gummy candy.
Lad #2: “Bubble wands?”
One of the lads pushes past to look in the bag.
Lad #3: “Bubble wands? Are you serious?”
Before I can do anything, the lad shoves his hand in the bag and draws out a bubble wand, holding it high in the air like he just pulled the sword from the stone.
Lad #3: “JACKPOT!”
I stand there in shock as they gleefully take the wands, opening them and wafting them around, filling the street with bubbles.
Lad #3: “Thank you!”
Lad #2: “Epic, man!”
Lad #1: “Nice one!”
They waved as they walked down the street, still making bubbles, talking, and laughing. I’m still in shock, but I certainly hope I see them again next year!
I’m a huge Halloween fan. I moved somewhere where trick-or-treating is restricted to two stinking hours. We also live in an isolated area of the street, as our neighbors on either side don’t participate, and there is a church across the street. We don’t get many trick-or-treaters, so when we do, I’m pretty excited.
Last night, while just sitting down to dinner, our doorbell rang, and off I ran with a HUGE smile, because it was our very first trick-or-treater of the night! I flung open the front door, and there was a twenty-something-year-old man with apparently pretty severe Down’s syndrome, in a lion costume, looking a little nervous, and an older woman behind him.
Me: “Awesome! My first trick-or-treater of the night!”
And I proceeded to shove a handful of candy in his sack. I thought his mom would cry. He had a great big grin. It appears that a few houses had not been as happy to see a “Grown Man” going around on what they considered a childrens’ errand.
In this day and age, there’s no excuse to not know that if they are trick-or-treating supervised, they may be grown physically, but most likely, mentally, they are somewhere pretty young.
I don’t care who you are. If you’re in costume, you’re getting candy. And I’m going to be happy about it.
It is spooky season — three days before Halloween — so, of course, our costume store is absolutely swamped and we’ve run out of most rental costumes.
Customer: “If I don’t like the costume, can I bring it back for a refund?”
Me: “We have changing rooms to make sure you’re 100% happy with your costume before you purchase it.”
Customer: “What if I bring it home and then don’t like it?”
Me: “We don’t accept refunds after Halloween on items purchased before Halloween. Also, this close to October 31st, we would only accept a refund if the costume had a defect, which we would implore you to detect when you try on the costume before buying it.”
Customer: “What if I wanted to refund it on November 1st?”
Okay, so she’s not listening.
Me: “As I said, ma’am, we don’t accept refunds after Halloween.”
Customer: “How long after Halloween? What if I came, like, a week later?”
Me: “Indefinitely, ma’am.”
Customer: “Well… what about—”
Me: “Ma’am, you are not going to be able to wear a costume for a Halloween party and then return it after you don’t need it.”
Customer: Huffs “That’s bad business!”
Me: “Actually, the opposite of that is true. Are you buying the costume?”
I see you folks are getting into the Christmas Spirit. Atta Boy. Give till it hurts. I should start a GOFUNDMEMINE. I could use some extra cash like trump using Hurricane Helene.
FreyjaRN Premium Member 3 months ago
Some have already started decorating for Halloween.
Yakety Sax 3 months ago
Plan For Next Halloween Secured!
When I was five or six years old, I was taken to the hospital with a fever of 104.8 F (40.4 C). I had bronchitis and a UTI at the same time. I was there for a few days — over Halloween weekend — because I was so young and those were both severe.
My parents brought me a couple of gifts and then tried trick-or-treating on my behalf. They’d explain and some people gave them some candy, but most didn’t believe them and refused. I would’ve been thrilled with a bubble wand!
The upside to this story is that one year, my dad and stepmom grossly overestimated how much candy they’d need for trick-or-treaters, and my dad, remembering my experience a few years before, did one of the only decent things he ever did and took all the leftovers to the children’s ward at the local hospital and passed it out (with approval from parents and doctors/nurses) to those kids.
Yakety Sax 3 months ago
Wholesome Halloween Hijinks That’ll Have You Floating!
It’s Halloween, at about 10:00 pm, and I’ve still got several of the treat packets I made up still left. I get a knock at the door, and I’m greeted by four lads around fifteen or sixteen, wearing cheap masks most likely from the local pound shop.
Lads: “Trick or treat!”
Me: “Um, I don’t think you guys will like the treats I’ve got.”
I’m honest with them, hoping to avoid my windows being egged or causing enough of a disturbance to disrupt my toddler asleep upstairs.
Lad #1: “What ya got?”
I grab the bag and open it to show them.
Me: “A small packet of sweets with a Freddo, popping candy eyeball, mini pack of Haribo, and a bubble wand.”
Freddos are chocolate, and Haribo is gummy candy.
Lad #2: “Bubble wands?”
One of the lads pushes past to look in the bag.
Lad #3: “Bubble wands? Are you serious?”
Before I can do anything, the lad shoves his hand in the bag and draws out a bubble wand, holding it high in the air like he just pulled the sword from the stone.
Lad #3: “JACKPOT!”
I stand there in shock as they gleefully take the wands, opening them and wafting them around, filling the street with bubbles.
Lad #3: “Thank you!”
Lad #2: “Epic, man!”
Lad #1: “Nice one!”
They waved as they walked down the street, still making bubbles, talking, and laughing. I’m still in shock, but I certainly hope I see them again next year!
Yakety Sax 3 months ago
We’re Not Lion About Having A Great Halloween!
I’m a huge Halloween fan. I moved somewhere where trick-or-treating is restricted to two stinking hours. We also live in an isolated area of the street, as our neighbors on either side don’t participate, and there is a church across the street. We don’t get many trick-or-treaters, so when we do, I’m pretty excited.
Last night, while just sitting down to dinner, our doorbell rang, and off I ran with a HUGE smile, because it was our very first trick-or-treater of the night! I flung open the front door, and there was a twenty-something-year-old man with apparently pretty severe Down’s syndrome, in a lion costume, looking a little nervous, and an older woman behind him.
Me: “Awesome! My first trick-or-treater of the night!”
And I proceeded to shove a handful of candy in his sack. I thought his mom would cry. He had a great big grin. It appears that a few houses had not been as happy to see a “Grown Man” going around on what they considered a childrens’ errand.
In this day and age, there’s no excuse to not know that if they are trick-or-treating supervised, they may be grown physically, but most likely, mentally, they are somewhere pretty young.
I don’t care who you are. If you’re in costume, you’re getting candy. And I’m going to be happy about it.
Yakety Sax 3 months ago
Refunder Blunder: The Halloween Edition
It is spooky season — three days before Halloween — so, of course, our costume store is absolutely swamped and we’ve run out of most rental costumes.
Customer: “If I don’t like the costume, can I bring it back for a refund?”
Me: “We have changing rooms to make sure you’re 100% happy with your costume before you purchase it.”
Customer: “What if I bring it home and then don’t like it?”
Me: “We don’t accept refunds after Halloween on items purchased before Halloween. Also, this close to October 31st, we would only accept a refund if the costume had a defect, which we would implore you to detect when you try on the costume before buying it.”
Customer: “What if I wanted to refund it on November 1st?”
Okay, so she’s not listening.
Me: “As I said, ma’am, we don’t accept refunds after Halloween.”
Customer: “How long after Halloween? What if I came, like, a week later?”
Me: “Indefinitely, ma’am.”
Customer: “Well… what about—”
Me: “Ma’am, you are not going to be able to wear a costume for a Halloween party and then return it after you don’t need it.”
Customer: Huffs “That’s bad business!”
Me: “Actually, the opposite of that is true. Are you buying the costume?”
Customer: “How about if I return it when—”
Me: “Next customer!”
nosirrom 3 months ago
There’s no Thanksgiving for people like that?
dbrucepm 3 months ago
I put our outside Halloween decorations up 2 nights ago. I always try to wait until October to put them out.
silberdistel 3 months ago
Nope, no such friends here. Nope. We don’t celebrate either of that. Nope.
[Traveler] Premium Member 3 months ago
The only Halloween decorations I have are the natural ones that I have to clean off with a cobweb brush
DawnQuinn1 3 months ago
Costco has Christmas decorations in stock to get ahead of the sales rush.
CorkLock 3 months ago
I see you folks are getting into the Christmas Spirit. Atta Boy. Give till it hurts. I should start a GOFUNDMEMINE. I could use some extra cash like trump using Hurricane Helene.
Dkram 3 months ago
Not to mention Thanksgiving.
\\//_
Daltongang Premium Member 3 months ago
You call them friends, I call them idiots.
ladykat 3 months ago
My granddaughter-in-law is like that.
ChessPirate 3 months ago
Maybe she’s going Trick-or-Treating as “Bad Santa”… ☺
rockyridge1977 3 months ago
Two birds with one stone!!!!!
cuzinron47 3 months ago
You must be talking about your friend that doing tricks.
Kurtass 3 months ago
That “friend” is called every big box store.
JLChi 3 months ago
I love folks who put out a lot of decorations.
I can enjoy them without bothering to put up my own decorations.
Nobody_Important 3 months ago
Okay, I’ll admit it. I am always in Christmas mode. Not that I subject anyone else to it. Only 83 more days!
crazeekatlady 3 months ago
I haven’t taken down the Christmas decorations I put up 20 years ago.
Dragoncat 3 months ago
Which means that Thanksgiving Day is being overlooked again.