Sugar...

Sugar...

I had a kind of on again off again on again relationship with Halloween this year. The other night I was at the grocery store and saw the candy aisle and realized I had better load up, so I did.

Then I got home and said to myself, "Nuts! I'm going to be out of town." So I offered my bags to a friend to hand out. Then when I got home from my trip to Chicago ahead of schedule, I retrieved the candy and got all set for the onslaught.

Thing is, it never came. I doubt I had more than a dozen kids in the course of an hour.

I had only one group of high school kids come by. For years I've been making older kids sing for me ("Oh great! Some tall people. At this house if you've over the top of this mailbox you get to sing for me. What songs do you know?"). I always get some jaws dropping though mostly they're good sports about it. This threesome dove right in. One girl led off with a solo rendition of "Stile Nacht". She could actually carry the tune. I was impressed. Then they did a nice trio of "Twinkle Twinkle" and "The Alphabet Song".

But overall the smaller numbers surprised me. I really thought my street would be packed on such a nice night. Makes me wonder if people are just a little more paranoid about going out then they were when my kids were little. Is this fallout from 9/11 and the war, or are they just going to other neighborhoods? How 'bout in your neighborhood? Has it changed in the last seven years?

Bottom line is now I have a bunch of candy left over. It's way too much sugar for me. If you want some, stop on by. I won't make you sing.