Reel Dread: Hallowed be thy Flame

[RSS]

There is just something about seeing a huge mass of slowly moving people walking the streets in a dark neighborhood that warms my heart. I always loved Halloween. From a very early age I was dressing as various monsters both cinematic and made-up. While I wasn't the only first grader dressed as Dracula, I was the only kid in second grade dressed as Freddy Krueger and the only kid in fourth grade dressed as a nondescript grim reaper. I ate it up.

The above is from: http://www.earth-2.net/columns/reddick/reel-dread-04

[Dread]

Best banner yet Mr. Sims! Thanks!

[Missy]

Thanks for the kind words, and I loved this entry, Des. It reminded me of all the crazy stuff that used to go down here on Halloween night. Instead of fireworks, we chased after each other with shaving cream and eggs. We called it "bombing".

Prepping for the night wasn't an easy task, because the local stores (both grocery and drug) often refused to sell those items to anyone under 18 in the days leading up to Halloween. One had to either have their parents buy 'em, take their chances with a disinterested clerk or steal what they wanted. I took my chances with the clerk and often walked out with several cans of shaving cream and matches, but never eggs. Why matches and no eggs? Allow me to explain.

My mother was cool with me doing whatever I wanted with shaving cream, because no one could get hurt and nothing would get broken. With eggs, that's not the case. She also knew I didn't smoke, and realized the matches had one purpose and one purpose only: for melting the tips of the shaving cream cans.

If you stick a needle into the spout, making sure to hold it steady and centered with tweezers, you can use the matches to melt the nozzle around the needle. Once the needle is removed, pressing the button creates a stream of shaving cream which soars quite far. One could lather another "bomber" from several yards away with a properly melted tip. The uninitiated were often ignorant of this trick, and their unmolested cans dropped the foam pathetically at their feet while they were bombarded from a safe distance.

Every year it was rumored that someone (usually an older kid) was using Nair, but I never recall seeing anyone with a can. "I know a guy who heard from a friend," was usually how the rumor began.

Even though it sucked to get hit with eggs, and I took some point-blank shots to the head, those few hours of running around with friends, spraying shaving cream everywhere and dodging the cops were awesome.

Thanks for reminding me of all this, Desmond!

[Dread]

Thanks Mike!

That's what it is meant to do. If anybody else feels like weighing in with their favourite Halloween pranks or memories please do.

D