Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Happy Halloween!

Every year I swear that the next year I am going to buy my Halloween pumpkin early. And every year I don't. Suddenly it's Oct. 30, I'm leaving work at 10 p.m., and oh shit, I have to get a pumpkin! Last year I had to go to three grocery stores before I found one crummy small one. This year, I pulled up in front of Safeway, and lo and behold, there was one, single, large pumpkin sitting in the middle of the pumpkin pallet.

Could I be that lucky? Well, sort of. The top of the pumpkin had rotted and the stem had fallen inside. Ew. I did a quick turn around the inside of the store. No pumpkins. Oh heck. Went back out. OK, just the top is rotted. The rest is solid. Can I work with this? Yes, of course I can. Carted the rotted pumpkin in. "Can I get a discount?" They just waved me off. Take it! Take it! Cool. Free pumpkin. Free rotted pumpkin, yes, but sometimes you just have to be thankful for what you've got.

And what did I get? A darn fine pumpkin, as it turns out. Cut off the gooshy bits at the top, cleaned out the inside (not rotted), and carved away. Decided that a bandanna would work to cover the hole, so ... pirate! Less tricky eye carving that way. I secured the patch with my nail gun.

Stuffed a bunch of lights inside, put it on the porch with candy and called it a day.
At my old house I never had trouble leaving candy out for the kidlets while I was at work; there was always a little left when I came home. We'll see what it's like here.

(Update: Success!)

4 comments:

  1. Now, that's the can-do spirit!

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  2. I'm headed over now to get me some skittles!

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  3. Dang! There was nothing left for me!

    If it helps, I bought my pumpkin a few hours before you did - from Albertsons. They were the only store around with lots of pumpkins. No-one shops there! :-D

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  4. Amy, we procrastinators can be very resourceful.

    Wow, Manisha, I didn't think there were any Albertson's left in business here. The only one near me has been turned into an Office Depot.

    Beeb, did you get some Skittles?

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