Thank You, Voters!

Sure, we still have a dysfunctional system filled with career politicians.
But a message has been sent in no uncertain terms.
Now, the people who make our economy function have some hope, whereas two years ago the only ones who felt good were the deadbeats and those who pander to them in exchange for votes.
I feel better today than I have in a long time.

(Wonder how long before a commenter twists this into a race issue somehow--the lack of logical thinking on the left can be shocking sometimes. All I want is for my country to prosper again and it clearly wasn't going to happen the way we were going, so save your breath).


Halloween went well.
We had 59 kids, which is low, but that means I have a good supply of candy for myself.

My newest trick was a success.
I had parked my truck so that the kids would have to walk behind it to get to our door.
Our ghoulish dummy (torso + head) was in the bed and had a light on it, which slowed them down a bit.



Then I pressed a button on my remote system which activated taillights and a backup alarm like those found on commercial vehicles:


There were many who jumped back, some screamed, and the fathers usually nodded appreciatively.
My idea was that while being afraid of werewolves and spiders is fine, there are things in the real world that can be quite deadly if you aren't careful.
Getting killed by a dumptruck in reverse is far more likely to happen than being attacked by a vampire.

5 people got packets of Taco Bell Sauce instead of candy this year.
Pushing 30 and no costume?
Oh hell no, candy is out of the question!

Texting or talking on a cellphone while holding out your bag?
Taco Bell Sauce for you!

The saying is "Trick OR Treat", and it's our choice.
Follow the long-established rules and you get the good candy.

We also gave some to the tiny tots who are so young that their parents will surely check every piece, just to mystify mom and dad.
(Don't worry--they got candy, too).


My new tiki torch was an improvement because it holds more oil and didn't need a refill at 8:00.
Apparently, Garden Ridge is the only place that sells them year-round. WalMart's had flickering LEDs instead of fire, which is totally unacceptable.

I added some spare stage lights this year to make everything more visible--it was tricky getting them dim enough to keep from overpowering the scenes and strobes.
Next year will see more work along this line as well as more sounds and another smoke machine.
The new scary-noises CD was pretty good--well worth a buck50.
Which brings me to the main thing--while we'll never come close to the commercial haunted houses, it's always the scariest home in the 'hood.

Have to keep my spending at around $20 for show improvements since we spend so much on the damned candy. SPURS tickets and parking and drinks are a better entertainment value, but Halloween only comes once a year.
So, I try to be creative on the cheap and slowly build and refine every year.

The best comment was from a little boy who said Boy, this house is some house!