Treats

Happy Halloween, everyone.

Halloween was always a big deal with my college friends. They'd always throw a big party, and everyone would come in costumes. It was a good time. After being away from them for years while I lived in Virginia, I was looking forward a grand return to an old Halloween tradition. Unfortunately, Halloween is on a Monday this year, and various other things were going on -- so there was no party.

On the up side, though, you can always count on Mom to make things better. When it became apparent that my apartment complex was devoid of trick-or-treaters and was going to be for the entire night, I decided to give my family a call and see what they were up to. My youngest two siblings were out in the neighborhood, but otherwise the family was all around, and their Halloween traditions were in full force. My Mom made chili for dinner, and had hot apple cider and cinnamon rolls waiting for the kids when they came back. And I got in on all of it.

Maybe I got back to the better tradition, after all.

I will say this: weather-wise, it was the best Halloween I can remember ever coming to Denver. Growing up here, I can tell you that all I remember every year was bitter cold and snow. I was always an evening of staying out as long as you could possibly stand (which wasn't long), then going home to thaw. You'd beg to go back out, but the parents (being parents, naturally) couldn't bear to see the kid-cicles come through the door one more time. This year, no snow. And the temperature was a relatively balmy 40 degrees this evening.

Halloween really isn't a holiday you'd normally think of as "good to be back home for." But tonight, I learned otherwise. Now, if you'll excuse me, I think I'm going to pop on a DVD and watch Michael Myers terrorize Laurie Strode before bed.