The final week of October around our
house isn't too dissimilar to a play before opening night. There's
scheduling issues to work out, props to double check, not to mention
all the last minute touches. Jut last night we filmed, edited,
encoded, etc this years cable access special. Tonight I should
commence work on PVC characters for the front yard. None of this
comes without some sacrifice. I've already burned one finger and my
hands will most certainly be cracked & bleeding by Friday night
given the sheer quantity of pumpkins to carve. It's all worth it for
that one night when our house becomes a hotspot of activity. Folks
really get into the Halloween spirit when they swing by for a baggie
of candy and witness all the nonsense scattered in every inch of the
yard. Of course one should always leave time to sit and enjoy the
ambiance. So how's about while I watch Mad Monster Party, we go
through another round of show & tell?
Those are the lanterns which lead to my
finger injury. I've actually owned them for well over a year. It
wasn't until I found a couple bags of beads with accompanying ghosts
& skulls that I finally had an idea for something to do with
them. Two hours with a glue gun, complete with the smell of burnt
flesh yielded three fine item to hang from the tress. Unfortunately
each one is missing it's bottom hatch which means I'll be taping glow
sticks inside. The effect will should prove to be otherworldly at
best, and not unlike inbred hillbilly art at worst.
Also on the crafty front are these wall
pumpkins. You might remember when I bought these during last month's
crazed shopping spree. Well I finally carved into them this past week
and they didn't come out half bad. Picking out a pattern for these is
possibly the most difficult part of the process. The design can't be
too complicated or flimsy as you risk destroying the fake pumpkin, at
the same time it has to be something cool enough to warrant keeping
around. Somewhat classical jack o'lantern faces seemed like the best
option overall and even those provided plenty of nerve racking
moments. Since you're dealing with a hollow half pumpkin, there's
very little material to provide leverage and support so I was
sweating bullets with every fresh slice.
Also on the pumpkin front, I was able
to get my paws on a box of Pumpkin Spice Twinkies last week.
Supposedly these are only available from Kroger though it seems like
something they'd like to keep secret as they're own employees
couldn't find them for me. Thankfully my niece spotted a display near
the entrance or I woulda come home empty handed. And that would be a
shame cause ohh boy these are tasty. Similar to the cupcakes, Hostess
didn't hold back on flavor. Think of something more along the lines
of an actual pumpkin pie mutated into a mini frosted cake with
strong cinnamon sprinkles.
If you're in the market for a more laid
back pumpkin spice experience, Hostess donettes may be the treat for
you. I'd pretty much ignored these all season, opting instead for
proper doughnuts but yesterday brought some stress as I tried to
replace pumpkins that prematurely rotted and many local stores seem
to think those things are unnecessary during the week of Halloween.
Fucking twits! These lil dough rings helped to sooth that anger with
some nice sweet flavor.
Of course nothing goes better with
baked goods than lovely coffee and Donut Shop brand has given us
something unique in the form of Sweat Maple Cream. Don't run away in
disgust just yet. Even some of this household's maple haters had to
admit this is pretty decent stuff. The experience is a good bit
different than what you'd expect, coming across as an almost creamy
chai style drink. Don't have the nutritional info on hand but the
caffeine content seems pretty low as I've been able to warm up with a
mug late at night without much of a boost.
Naturally staying up late means
there's plenty of time for viewing plentiful amounts of horror
movies. Every Halloween I try to have a batch of previously unseen
flicks to send the holiday out in style. UPS was nice enough to
deliver Saturday's triple feature along with one fun extra. The Brood
is going to be our main feature for Halloween night, with I, Madman
and Night of the Demons offering strong back-up. I've got some loose
titles sitting around to fill in any blanks though I imagine we'll be
fine with Ash vs. The Evil Dead starting that same night.
Sometimes They Come Back was a little
treat for me. It's one of those films you know to be sub-standard yet
there's an odd feeling of contentment only it can provide. This
hellishly corny TV movie based on a somewhat lesser Stephen King tale
revolves around a man who returns to teach in his childhood town only
to be terrorized by undead greasers. Most people would never accuse
it of being scary, unless they grew up terrified of the fonz. What
can't be denied is the glorious Autumnal atmosphere which is made all
the better by the surprisingly nice video quality on the blu-ray.
Now if you'll excuse me, I must get
back to work. There's still plenty to accomplish over the next few
days, including at least one more post for you all. See you in 48
hours or so.
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