It's Finally Halloween

For the next three months, my meter is set to "Extra Scrooge"

It's Halloween. Again.

And here in Seattle, it's raining cats and dogs. As usual.

Meh.

This is the time of year that I start preparing myself for the corporate onslaught of a gazillion retail ad departments, as they try to pimp their useless wares to me. There's absolutely nothing good on T.V., and have you noticed how crappy the offerings from Hollywood seem to be lately? The catharsis is underwhelming.

I used to love Halloween, but the commercialism has really killed it for me. In fact, the last week of October through the first week of January are what I call the "Miserable Months", because I won't be able to walk to the store without being assaulted by holiday decorations, carolers, blinking lights, every religion under the sun trying to drag me into a church just to watch me burst into flames, riot-sized crowds in the Sam's Club parking lot fighting over a space only 7 miles from the front door, people packed like human cholesterol blocking the arterial passagway INSIDE Sam'S Club, everything I want to buy will be out of stock, everything I don't have an interest in will still be available in the one color I hate, and those god damned Salvation Army Santas' outside every store.

Top all that off with the election traffic, and I'm ready to give up the Chimay and start a damn drug habit. In fact, I think Caren still has some Flintstone's vitamins somewhere, maybe I'll cut some of that with a Ritz cracker & do a few lines.

I'll bet you anything we get about five trick-or-treaters tonight. And me here with enough candy to give a dentist a coronary. And if they do show up, they'll be cold, wet and miserable.

I might wait until about 8:00, then head over to Malt and Vine, or maybe the Three Lions. Have a Guinness to wash down my Lancashire pasty and pomme fritzes. Be around other people who are as disinfranchised as I am about this whole sorry affair.

Maybe we'll start a support group between rounds.