Happy Halloween

Hello everybody. I'm back from North Carolina and since you're reading this you probably already guessed that. Yeah I'm none too swift.

Halloween is my favorite holiday ever. Unfortunately I'm working this evening and won't get to enjoy the festivities including looking at scantily clad women in their costumes, drinking way too much, and eating a ton of candy. Oh well.

My company throws a nice Halloween party for the families of it's employees. People are encouraged to bring in candy while you can take your children and walk around the cubes trick or treating. There's also a haunted house, a studio background where you can have your children's picture taken, and various other activities for the little tykes to enjoy. It's a cool thing my company does which is provide a safe, fun environment for families to enjoy Halloween, plus they can stay out of the cold.

Since I'm childless I usually end up bringing the candy and having children walk by my cube begging for sweets. My first year doing this was fun as kids were delighted that I was handing out Reeses Peanut Butter Cups.

Of course there has to be on child that inspires me to write this long of a description. He was about six years old and came up and shyly mouthed 'trick or treat'. I usually like to guess what the kid is dressed as, cause usually it brings a bright smile to them. The little one was dressed in a Hobbit costume and it seemed all the rage that year. I looked at him and said "Wow you're a Hobbit. Cool."

The kid did not smile. In fact he got a mad look on his face.

"Aren't you a Hobbit?" I asked. "Fearless defender of Hobbiton?" Yeah I've seen the movies too many times.

The kid's face got red. He was none to pleased with my observation. I tried to think of what else he could've been, but he had the hairy feet and was dressed like the Hobbits from the Lord of the Rings movies so I was really stumped.

The kid still stood there in silence. We just stood there staring at each other till finally he pulled a blue sword from his belt and held it high above his head. "I'm not a Hobbit," he screamed. "I'm Frodo Baggins." The kid had a set of lungs on him as he declared this a few times not only to me, but the rest of the continental United States.

"Indeed you are Frodo," I said meekly trying to shut him up. "Here's your....ouch...owe....damn..." Kid gave me a swift kick to the shin and hit me in the arm with the sword.

His dad gathered him and made him apologize for his antics. I laughed it off and recommended the dad put him in a soccer league. He thanked me for having a sense of humor about his son's violent outburst.

That kick hurt.

Happy Halloween from the folks at Erik's Ramblings.

"I see my face in the mirror and go, 'I'm a Halloween costume? That's what they think of me?" - Drew Carey