Been working six day weeks for ages now and then snoozing on Sundays. To be honest I feel like I'm in a bit of a funk and can't be bothered to do anything. But I'm off now until Monday with my Daughter so crazy Golf, ten pin bowling and doing my bollocks for two hours in a cinema watching some crap film beckons.
It's Halloween on the weekend which I'm sure you are all aware of. Halloween doesn't really mean much to us Brits, certainly not as much as it seems to do in America. My Daughter though, having watched Disney Channel for ever and a day, loves it. I'm guessing it's all the Scooby Doo, Simpsons and latterly, Witches of Waverley etc. that has fuelled her imagination.
Personally, I can't stand all the trick and treating so the first time my Daughter asked me to take her I wasn't overly eager. I think she was about five at the time and I'd got home from work to find her waiting for me dressed up as a witch. She had a pumpkin which she and my Missus had made a mask out of in one hand and a bucket for all the sweets she was going to get in the other. I told my Wife that there was no way I was dragging her around houses where I didn't know anyone and we agreed that I would take her to houses in our block.
We started off by knocking our neighbours doors but no one was home. There's eight houses in our little block and I know everyone quite well so we visited everyone of them. If anyone was in they were definitely not answering. I could see the disappointment in my Daughters face so we jumped in the car.
"I'll take you to the boys houses babes, they'll have loads of chocolate."
Not one of the fuckers was home.
I started ringing them.
"Where are you?"
"In the pub, where are you?"
"Outside you house."
"Why?"
"Got my nipper with me, we're trick or treating."
"that's why I'm down the pub!"
After an hour I gave up and drove to Tescos. By now my Daughters bottom lip was trembling and I could sense a full scale breakdown was imminent. We walked down the sweet aisle and I told her to have whatever she wanted. By the time we got to the checkout she had about £20 worth of sweets in her bucket. As we queued she looked up at me, tears welling up in her eyes and exclaimed for everyone who cared to hear,
"This is the worst Halloween ever Dad!"
I couldn't help but smile since she was only five and this was the first time we had been trick or treating. The Woman in front of me burst out laughing but soon stopped when she saw the look on my little ones face. I quickly explained that we had been around loads of houses but no one was home.
"Don't worry love", she said to my Daughter, "let me get you something."
And with that she gave my Daughter a box of chocolates that she had just bought.
I protested but she was adamant.
Next up, the cashier walks off and comes back with a big bag of Halloween sweets, rings them through and says, "my treat babes".
The woman on the next checkout reaches over and places a Galaxy bar in my Daughters bucket, "happy Halloween", she offers.
Finally the Woman behind us says "Can you ring this through please", and gives my Daughter a big bag of Haribo lollys.
By the time we got home she had about £40 worth of sweets. I tell her not to say anything to her Mother about where we got all the sweets.
The next year My Wife takes her out and she immediately stands next to her car. My Missus looks at her and asks what she's doing? My Daughter says, "After last year Mam I think we're better off going to Tescos first".
Played a little poker last night. Won a few small buy in SNG's before bubbling on a $30 one. Hoping to play a bit this week seeing has I don't have to get up at redic O'clock for work.
I'm also halfway through my literary masterpiece. I'm hoping to finish it by next month so that I can post it throughout December.
Off to play Mario Kart on the Wi with my Daughter for an hour, little does she realise that her pocket money is at stake and I've been practicising.
Later.
Something else we can blame on TV, unrealistic expectations for British children during Halloween. My daughter was the same last year, all wide eyed, innocent and expectant, all we ended up with was people threatening to call the police because we rang there door bell and the rest telling us to piss off!
ReplyDeleteOh, Rubbage, I feel like I should apologize for the Disney Channel corrupting your daughter, although the people at the Tescos were absolutely marvelous! Yes, Halloween is a big deal over here, although the parental paranoia surrounding it these days just makes me ill. All of my kids are really too old to trick-or-treat, although my youngest (who is 14) is going out this year and collecting for Unicef (instead of trick-or-treating for sweets), which is also something of a Halloween tradition here in the States.
ReplyDeletethe last time i went trick or treating, i took my girlfriend-at-the-times little sister, who was about 4, up and down her street. I was 17 I think. About 40 houses I knocked on, and got a few lollys and stuff, only 6 or 7 actually answered their doors...and the nicest were usually people you'd least expect it from, like the old guy nobody liked or a heavily religious muslim family
ReplyDeleteI used to love trick or treating. Now we just tape the letterbox up and get feck out of dodge for the night. To many little shits about. (I should add barr humbug! But wrong time of year)
ReplyDeleteMate just waiting on your last two Syndi games, I'll bring the Ken doll . . . or is that Barbie?
I used wait upstairs with some water balloons and flower bombs on Halloween night. The neighbours' kids, um, LOVED me.
ReplyDeleteYeah, Halloween can be big fun if you let it. Of course I'd zip down to the pub myself if I wouldn't be villainized by my wife and kids.
ReplyDeleteYour poor daughter! It all worked out alright though.
ReplyDeleteI took mine trick-or-treating too late last year and almost all the houses were done handing out. No consideration for the working mother! This year I've gotten smart and I'm sending her with someone else (even if it is a Saturday). ;)
I love your stories. Can't wait to see what you've been working on.
Also, I've always hated video cames...with Mario Kart and Monkey Balls being the exceptions.
That's very cute, but I hope she shared her goodies with her near and dear ones.
ReplyDeletecan I just say how much I love this post b/c I need to be reminded that people are overall kind and caring.
ReplyDeleteThat was an excellent story! I hate Halloween with every fiber of my being. Too many people don't hand out candy, which results in entirely too much walking for nothing. Luckily, many of the area shopping plazas offer "safe trick or treating" and you can get it all done in one trip. Sam has no clue going door to door is an option.
ReplyDeleteP.S. Since you asked, we root for University of Kansas, but the men's basketball is all I care about.
My kids are too young to eat a quarter of what they'll be getting so in the interests of their health and well being I'll sacrifice myself by taking the remains.
ReplyDeleteIt's good to be the king.
great comeback from your daughter
ReplyDeleteThis is a great story, love it! I cannot get into to Halloween. We didn't celebrate much as a child, so tapping into the holiday spirits is quite the chore for me. However it was my husbands sole mission to be the best house in the neighbor in regards to candy giving. Since moving to the middle of nowhere, I kid you not we are saving at least $300.00 a year just on cutting our candy expenses alone. I don't know what those poor kids are going to do this year, the rest of the neighborhood sucked eggs!
ReplyDeleteBeing not too big on Halloween over here, I feel for your daughter. Bloody TV and the internet making everything seem smaller. At least she got something out of it though. I'm a bit scared that, when I have kids, Halloween will be a regular holiday and I'll have no option but to go Trick or Treating. Not looking forward to that.
ReplyDelete