Nov 04 2012
A Happy Halloween
Halloween dawned appropriately gloomy and sinister looking. By late morning, it was, as my late, great stepmother used to say in her rich, plummy voice, “simply tipping it down.” The rain gauge later informed me that we got more than an inch of rain that day. Erica tried to bribe Jessica into staying home that night, offering popcorn, candy, movies, and a fire, but as Megan predicted, Jessica would have none of it.
I borrowed a huge golf type umbrella from the jobette, and Megan and I set off to meet E & J in the Village, which was appropriately dressed for the occasion:
Fortunately, I was incorrect about the acrobats in the street:
As an added bonus, this particular artist was wearing a skeleton suit. I was so absorbed in the performance that I almost didn’t notice our friends making their way through the crowd. Jessica re-thought her costume and was dressed as Neil Gaiman’s Death:
When I showed Jessica this shot I took of her, she said, “Whoa! I look really freaky in that light!” She did:
We amused ourselves with our favorite quote from “Addams Family Values”:
Me: “She’s at that age when girls have just one thing on their minds.”
“Boys?”
Jessica (gleefully): “Homicide!”
We set off to the task at hand as the sky darkened. Needless to say, it had stopped raining and Erica and I were lumbered with three huge and unnecessary umbrellas. The air was soft and scented with woodsmoke and the ocean. The Point Cabrillo Lighthouse blinked romantically in the distance, and the ocean crashed endlessly against the rocks as we made our way through the Village.
Erica pointed out that Jessica’s knock on front doors was extremely authoritative, which was both true and amusing. Once the doors were open, though, she charmed the candy donors one and all. It was a delight to hear her clear, bright voice calling out, “Thank you! Happy Halloween! Have a good night!” completely unprompted by her mother.
As we made our way through the darkness, she warned me of potholes and uneven sidewalks, occasionally taking my hand to guide me around the hazards, but mostly skipping ahead.
I don’t know which of us had the most fun.