Ghosts of Halloweens Past

This amused me.

My grandnephew Tristan, isn't he cute?

The Medicare drug plan is signed sealed and delivered and pretty much paid for. By switching to Humana's mail order pharmacy I can escape co-pays and will come in around $357.00 for the year as opposed to $2800 if I paid out of pocket. This depends on my doc approving generics. Even if not, I am glad to have the process over. I think it it is cruel to send old people 73 page books with fine print and dozens of disclaimers and exceptions.

Halloween has been a favorite holiday of mine since I lived in Rawlins and Scott and Nathelle had a party in their garage where booze and costumes resulted in debauchery and anonymous groping. An anonymous grope opens up the eyes to a world of possibilities! But I was 23 then. I'd probably be offended today. Maybe not. Definitely wouldn't be the same.

As a Holiday Halloween is mostly fun and no pressure, no gifts to buy, lots of laughs, candy, tricks, and treats. What is not to like?

In the Denver days one parent, a Jew, took us all to the Evans mansion, down the street. The door opened and closed and, after a long wait, the butler brought a tray of petit fours, one for each, on a salver with a doily on it. They were stale. I think the parent was giving us a lesson.

In the Steamboat Springs, kid days, we tricked and treated, played ring and run, laughed about but never tried, the dog-poop-in-the burning-bag trick and tipped an outhouse or two. I discovered I could run fast for a fat kid. The adrenaline was a reward.

In the Casper days we had cars and toilet paper! TP'ing somebody's house or trees and trying not to get caught was a blast. I was so pleased when they TP'd my tree- I was in!

In Rawlins, we new teachers were special targets. Frank Aldrich got egged. We put the top down on Oscar's Chevy II convertible, cleaned out Safeway's egg department and got our revenge. Not a word of reproach from anybody.

In the old Gardini's Bar days when I was door-guard bouncer by night, Halloween was a trip. Discounts for costumes. People let their secret personalities out. "Drag" in Riverton, Wyoming! The "princess syndrome" was rampant. I see some of those girls stocking shelves at Walmart today-not exactly princess time but for one shining moment they were young and beautiful and had hope in their hearts. There was one terrible man- a troublemaker who caused fights every time he came in. He was a druggie to boot. He was fooling around with a woman who had a depilatory business (Scher's Removatron) Her mute husband Leroy came home and caught them in bed and shot him and the waterbed. He lost his arm from just above the elbow down and continued his wicked ways-being obnoxious. This background is necessary to explain my costume: big afro-wig, arm tucked inside a bulky sweater with a pinned up sleeve and a big old pig syringe attached to it. There wasn't a soul who had to ask what or who I was. Most people laughed long and loud, some said "That is cold." His brother Frankie, failed to see the humor. Never came back. Boo-hoo. (By the way, Leroy walked: on the charge and the wife.)

My last Gardini Halloween I came home from work, set right to getting garbed as Obi-Wan Kenobi, with army blanket robe, sandals, sword, swag lamp chain belt, and I broke open a cryalume stick to provide glow-in-the-dark face makeup. Sat down to rest before heading to the bar and woke up at 11:00 p.m., bagged it and went to bed.

Re: The Toga party at Ray and Teri W.'s. I said I wouldn't tell and I haven't.

A few years ago I tried to organize a Halloween party, progressive supper here in the valley. It snowed BIG. The supper just moved to Thayne and Paula's house after canape's in the Fegler's underheated shop. The cowboys/farmers were threatened for the most part. Only Guy and Janet and Charlene and I costumed and they were great. (my afro wig was resurrected, sprayed silver and rode again.) Rasty wouldn't come at all. The Fegler's came as themselves. Kind of telling. It turned into just a dinner more or less. That was the end of my Halloweening. When the child inside you can't find any playmates, it hides. But there are great memories-those that can be told.