From the Inside Out

Gary and I participated in our first “Trunk or Treat” event this evening. If you’ve never been to one, it’s an outdoor Halloween party for the kids. People park their cars in a line, open the trunk, decorate it, and then pass out candy. This event also had free food and snacks, bounce houses, face painting, and outdoor movies for the kids.

We reprised our roles as Emily (the spoiled aristocrat/princess) and Captain Avery (the pirate captain). The Jeep was transformed into a pirate ship, complete with fog and pirate booty (aka candy). Along with passing out candy, we posed for pictures with the kids — apparently pirates and princesses are cool to take pictures with (who knew?).

Below are a few pictures I snapped with my cellphone before the event got started.

Greg, Kat and Sara — The Zoo Keepers

The Bounce Houses before they were overrun with kids

Gary showing off his juggling skills

People hanging out before it got busy

Britney guarding the candy

After Trunk or Treat, we were in the mood for something a little more scary, so we met up with Kathy and Steve and make the trek to Sherman for our final haunted house of the season. Clarissa also joined us, and Gary had a good time annoying her for the duration of the trip. Hatch and Kraven’s Slaughterhouse is a new haunt, but they did a great job with it. It’s located in a former slaughterhouse, which offers a unique atmosphere for scaring people. They had some creative elements inside, it was well staffed with scary actors, and was a good length. It also had not only one guy with a chainsaw, but four! That’s four times the scaring power right there…haha! Overall I would have to give it a an A- rating, which is outstanding for a first year haunted house. I’ll definitely go back if they do it again next year.

We had a great evening, but I can’t believe it’s already over. How quickly time passes when you’re having fun!

Happy Halloween!

I believe we should strive to be good stewards of the planet which God has entrusted to us, but it drives me crazy when doomsday prophets claim we are wholly responsible for global warming. Yes, our actions may contribute to the problem, but I have a difficult time believing we are solely to blame. Turns out that I may be right after all.

According to an article appearing today in TGDaily, “scientists at MIT have recorded a nearly simultaneous world-wide increase in methane levels. This is the first increase in ten years, and what baffles science is that this data contradicts theories stating man is the primary source of increase for this greenhouse gas. It takes about one full year for gases generated in the highly industrial northern hemisphere to cycle through and reach the southern hemisphere. However, since all worldwide levels rose simultaneously throughout the same year, it is now believed this may be part of a natural cycle in mother nature - and not the direct result of man’s contributions.”

Take that Al Gore! It’s not all our fault.

Of course, scientist are saying more research is required, but one thing is clear. They don’t know as much about global warming as they claim, and it’s way too early to know the degree to which our actions are impacting the planet. The next time you hear the political cry that “man is destroying the planet at an alarming rate”, take it with a grain of salt. These recent findings indicate we may simply be going through a cycle that has been occurring naturally for hundreds of thousands of years.

As if choosing the next president of the Unites States wasn’t enough incentive to vote, here’s another. Krispy Kreme will be offering a free donut on election day to anyone wearing an “I voted” sticker. Each “voting” customer will get a special treat on election day only — a star-shaped doughnut with red, white and blue sprinkles.

“We can’t guarantee that your candidate of preference will win on November 4, but we can guarantee that your right to voice your choice will be rewarded with a patriotic doughnut that will remind you just how tasty freedom really is,” said Krispy Kreme’s Chef Ron Rupocinski. “Krispy Kreme encourages everyone to take part in this historical election and vote.”

So, after you vote, remember to grab a sticker on the way out. I voted on Saturday and didn’t see any stickers at my polling place. I didn’t think it was a big deal a the time, but now I’m bummed. I missing out on a free Krispy Kreme! Don’t make the same mistake. Get that sticker!

Two months ago, I posted a blog about the most anticipated new Fall television series, and tonight’s post will revisit those shows to see if they stood up to all the hype. A few shows soared, but many flopped — some being cancelled after only 2-3 episodes. Read on to find out how your shows fared.

10. The Mentalist, a drama about a physic who uses his gifts to help solve crimes. While I haven’t seen it (this show was on my “pass” list), the Mentalist is pulling in good ratings. It averaged 14.9 million viewers and recently bested a Dancing With the Stars results show.

9. Opportunity Knocks, a new game show produced by Ashton Kutcher. It failed miserably. The show was pulled after just three episodes. I never saw a commercial for this show and have no idea when it aired. Maybe the show would have fared better if it had been promoted differently. Oh well, we’ll never know!

8. Life on Mars, an ABC remake of a popular British drama with the same name. The show got off to a good start with the premiere, but ratings were down 25% for the second episode. Some reviewers blame it on the Thursday night line-up in which it isn’t a good fit. Personally, I hope the ratings improve. I don’t think the ABC version is quite as good as the original, but it’s still a quality show that deserves a chance.

7. Easy Money, is a dramedy about a family that runs the modern legitimate version of a loan sharking operation. This show stopped production after a few episodes to “give the writers a chance to catch up.” I’m not sure what that means, but it doesn’t sound good. No worries for me, though, because I wasn’t watching it anyway.

6. True Blood, a new vampire show appearing on HBO. After a massive, multimillion-dollar marketing campaign, the premiere drew just 1.44 million viewers. That’s a disappointing number for HBO, but the cable network airs the show repeatedly and viewership increased for subsequent episodes. HBO is so confident in the numbers that they’ve already ordered a second season. I don’t subscribe to HBO and this show was on my “pass” list, so there’s no additional commentary from me on this one.

5. Sanctuary, a Sci-Fi show starring Amanda Tapping (of Stargate fame). The premiere brought the SciFi channel its highest ratings for original programming since Eureka premiered back in 2006, and subsequent episodes have continued to hold onto the audiences. For me, I’m lukewarm about this show. It hasn’t captured my attention yet.

4. Fringe, a JJ Abrams creation that pairs a female FBI agent with a nutcase scientist and his estranged son. The show premiered with decent ratings and jumped 59% with its second episode. Those numbers were good enough for Fox to pick it up for the full season. Fringe was listed as a “must see” on my first post. I have been watching it, and the show is growing on me, but I’m not hooked like I was with Lost.

3. Sons of Anarchy, a chrome hog drama about a motorcycle-riding, gun-running family syndicate. The series is the most successful new series on FX among 18-49 viewers since Rescue Me debuted in 2005. It has already secured a second season renewal. This show was on my “pass” list, but I gave it a “check out” rating for the guys. That means Gary checked it out. While he watched the show, I would distract myself by playing on the computer. It eventually caught my attention, and now it’s beginning to grow on me too.

2. Knight Rider, a remake of the popular 80s detective show that starred David Hasselhoff. This terrible remake had a sluggish start to its season, but NBC recently ordered four additional scripts. It hasn’t committed to a full season yet so the show may not make a full run. If it doesn’t, I won’t shed any tears. It’s a complete waste of an hour of your life.

1. 90210, is another remake that shouldn’t have been brought back from the dead in my opinion. I couldn’t watch it after the first couple of episodes. However, I guess the younger viewers don’t detest the bad acting and writing as much as I do because it’s gotten decent ratings (for CW), and the network has picked it up for a full season. In fact, 90210’s success has even got them considering a remake of Melrose Place. It’s too bad they can’t come up with an original show.

People are looking to escape everyday realities on Halloween this year according to the National Retail Federation. The average person plans to spend $66.54 on the holiday with total spending estimated to reach $5.77 billion. Approximately one third will be spent on costumes to celebrate the occasion.

The great thing about Halloween is that it provides the perfect excuse for kids and adults to become someone else for a few hours. It’s the only time they can dress up in ridiculous costumes and not have people stare at them like they are complete idiots.

What people may not realize is that their costumes reveal important things about them. Dr. Ron Schenk was quoted in a recent article in The Dallas Morning News, “Halloween gives a place for those parts of our psyche that don’t fit in. You can dress up as a princess and feel you are the center of the universe. If you’re scared, you can deal with your fear by dressing up as something dark and powerful. You can give your inner yearnings a place at the table, to acknowledge that that they are part of you.”

What does your costume say about you? Well, according to Halloween expert Suzanne Kelly:

• If you’re a Ghost, you’re either cheap, unoriginal, or lazy. If you think that you can throw an old white sheet over your head, cut slits for eyeholes and call it a costume, you’re sadly mistaken. You’re better off staying at home and saving people the tears your mind-numbing personality would cause them.
• If you’re a Pimp, you’re cashing in on the old trick-or-treating philosophy; the more houses you go to, the more candy you’ll get. A lesson just as important in your 20s as it was when you were 8-years-old.
• If you’re a Pirate, you are fun-loving and adventurous, you aren’t afraid to take risks. You aren’t easily influenced, especially when it comes to people’s opinions about others; you truly believe that there’s a hidden treasure buried within everyone. That, or you’re just lazy and are two years too late to the Captain Jack Sparrow trend.
• If you’re a Superhero, some may say you’re close-minded. But you’re actually just self-assured and strong-willed. You’re a loyal friend, someone who is always willing to go above and beyond for them. Because of this, you are someone that others look up to and seek comfort in. More importantly, you look good in spandex.
• If you’re a Celebrity, an air of arrogance surrounds you, and you have raised yourself to self-appointed VIP status. You often find yourself being the hub of gossip. Yes, that means people know you, but do they really like you? Think about that.
• If you’re a Witch, you aren’t afraid to tell people what you think, even if you make some enemies in the process. Those who know you well would say you have a spell-binding personality. (And if those people actually verbalized that joke, they should be shot.)
• If you’re a Angel…sorry, we’re not buying it. It’s going to take more than wings and a halo for you to seem innocent.
• If you’re a Devil, you are naughty by nature and don’t care who knows. It’s rare that you don’t get your way, and if you don’t, you aren’t afraid to use extreme measures. Be careful, it’s a tangled web you weave.
• If you’re a Nurse, you’re a people person who enjoys doing whatever it takes to make others around you feel comfortable. You jump at the chance to check someone’s vitals or give mouth-to-mouth. Just remember, you need to take care of yourself sometimes too.
• If you’re a Clown, your main concern is having fun, even at your own expense. You thrive on being the center of attention, and no doubt your antics will earn you that spot.

Regardless of what your costume says about you, this holiday is all about having fun. You are never too old to dress up, eat candy, and celebrate the coming of Fall. So get out there and have a good time on Friday.  And in case you need inspiration, here are a few costume pics from years past…enjoy!

Kevin Federline and bald Britney…yeah, I know it’s creepy!

Johnny Cash and the Scarecrow

Mulder and Scully

Ozzy and the Good Fairy

Al and Peg Bundy

Zorro and the Belly Dancer (wow, don’t we look young!)

Indiana Jones and Little Red Riding Hood