Terrifying Halloween tales

My good friend Jen Hubley is responsible for sending out the daily About.com general newsletter. I can't imagine what the circ is, but I bet it's bigger than the ones I used to send out from TT. Lots bigger.

Halloween in my house is a low-key night this year, now that the big party is over. The party, last weekend, was a housewarming/Halloween gig and it was wicked fun. I turned out not to be a bunny at all. But I did find a really good excuse to walk around in a nightie all night. Okay, I'll give. I was a madame. And Paul was a pimp. He even had the bling. He was perfectly smarmy with greased back hair and a jacket that he claims was very fashionable in Hong Kong in the 50s. Now it just looks like a pimp's coat. Sorry, man, but you were slimy.

Someone asked me why I wasn't the "worker." Reason's simple -- my parents were there! How far do ya think I can go with the 'rents looking on?!

Thanks to everyone who dressed up. And for everyone who didn't, I hope you're just starting to get psyched up for it... Those who answer their door and hand out candy dressed as someone else wins. Sorry, but they do.

And now for the point of this blog entry. Jen sent the other day a few links for scary Halloween stories. They, of course, all point to About.com, but there could be worse places to point, as you will see if you read the stories.

1. 6 Terrifying Tales of Halloween -- let's start with some general fireside stories.
   
2. Haunting Ghost Stories of Alcatraz -- having just been on Alcatraz a few weeks ago, I find this one particularly chilling...
   
3. Scary Stories of Classic Rock -- even the rockers get into the kitchy holiday.

JoePa

This one's about the Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year award. JoePa's in 3rd place overall right now. If any Penn Staters are reading this, or anyone else who believes in the awesome force that is one man named Joe Paterno, please vote for him in the poll. Apparently you can vote once a day.

A Bear Votes

A Bear Votes is SaveOurEnvironment.org's latest message to get out and vote till you can't vote no more for the environment. And the bears. "And the otters. And the eagles. And the salmon. And the sea turtles. And your grandkids."

This election on Nov. 7 could be a very interesting one... Pundits are predicting the country's just full up of those Republicans and that the Dems will take back the government. It won't be a 2000 election (I stayed up until 5 a.m. to watch Gore give the acceptance speech that never came), but even midterms are important. Especially this year, when there's so much to fight for.

So register if you're a procrastinator. Get thee to RockTheVote.com and sign up. Then show up on Nov. 7th and make sure you speak for the candidate who represents your concerns... There's nothing like a little studying for midterms...

El Magnifico Magiciano

Watch El Magnifico Magiciano. It's hilarious. Not at all about bunnies, although...

I promised a long time ago that I can bring just about any conversation around to bunnies. For the purpose of this blog, come with me on a journey of conversational paths... El Magnifico Magiciano is all about cloning. Which is making many copies of an object, usually a living thing. In his case, a blond woman. However, bunnies reproduce quickly, too. Although they don't especially love water in most cases and they do it naturally and don't make exact replicas of each other... Oh, wait. Neither does El Magnifico Magiciano. Watch the vid to see what I mean. The punchline's at the end. You'll wish for a different setting than a warm day poolside.

Got a creative idea for a video? Make it and submit it to It's Your Show TV. It's YouTube with a reward... (Thanks to NBC, who apparently realizes there's more than one medium for TV these days.)

Undah presh-ah

David Bowie and Queen would be so proud...

So my mom was in town this past weekend for a visit. She stayed w/ us in the new digs, which marks the first time she's stayed w/ me in MA. There was a bunking up together in my tin can apartment in State College (529 W. College Ave., I've come a long way since your teeny space and your kitchen that used to let my silverware get so cold in the winter that it stuck to my fingers if I touched it), but that was a few lives ago.

Fun was had, but that's not my point. My point is that I worked my butt off to get the place in order for her. Paul took a perfectly timed business trip for four days earlier that week and left me alone to clean, organize, etc. He didn't even recognize the place when he came home. Then the last afternoon (last Thursday), he went to play golf (the poor guy has only played like twice this year! he's been so busy) and came home after my mom came and said it changed so much again...

I asked Alice what she thought of it the next night (Friday evening), and she said that someone walking in would guess we'd been living there for 2 years. That's quite a compliment, considering where we were just a week before.

At any rate, now that the house was ready for mom's visit, there's not a LOT to do for the party, except to decorate for Halloween (more). And the party's before Halloween, so come the 31st, I'll be sitting pretty... now to decide my costume....

If you've got suggestions as to costumes for me, comment and let me know. Costumes4less.com seems to be swimming in bunnies (Anya would be terrified and confused why anyone would dress up as one of them). ForPlayCatalog puts a good idea in my head -- snow bunnies are bunnies, too. Of course, there's always pleather.

Vote or suggest others by commenting. What's your costume this year?

Time to party -- almost

I've been spending my previously idle TV time, which I just got back, bc I was using it all to unpack and organize my house, making spooky (and also very cute) decorations for my upcoming housewarming/Halloween party. I still have a few weeks, but am going to squeeze in a little trip to California in there. Why TF not?

So, there are homemade ghosts, spiders that will hang down from webs, and spider webs all over the porch. Those last ones are real, but I also got fake spider webs. And I need pumpkins. Lots and lots of pumpkins. Paul likes carving the jacks, so I'll paint some (badly) and he'll do something wonderful and elaborate. It'll be a real spooky place and I hope to get lots of cute, scared kids on Halloween.

There will surely be pictures.

The Velveteen Rabbit

October's Bunny Book of the Month, The Velveteen Rabbit, has a special story. Jannine, my dear stepmom, used to read this one to me when I was a little girl. This was one of our first bonding moments. Now every time someone mentions this book, both Jannine and I think of each other. It's sweet...