All Hallow's Eve

Astronaut.  I'm going to be an astronaut.  Going to hand out candy to the hellions.  Shane and I decided it would be fun to give out treats to those kids that dare ring the doorbell and shout out "TRICK or TREAT!"  I decided I have to dress up in costume.  A local company was sponsoring a contest on their Facebook page and the winner would receive $25 worth of candy. All you had to do was post a picture of anything relating to Halloween on the page to enter.  I dressed as an astronaut.  Shane snapped a picture.  Uploaded.  Of all the pictures posted, votes from viewers would determine the winner.  I must thank Shane, Doug, Beth, Ken, Tom and myself for voting.  I won with six votes!!!  I want to keep the goodies for myself.  Kit Kats, M&Ms, Reeses Peanut Butter Cups, Hershey Bars, Milky Ways, Snickers, Three Musketeers, Twix Bars, Yum.  Hopefully the doorbell won't ring too often during the two hour ritual.  Happy Hauntings.

playbill

Banzai: Now that's power.

Shenzi: Tell me about it. I just hear that name and I shudder.

Banzai: Mufasa!

Shenzi: Ooooh! Do it again!

Banzai: Mufasa!

Shenzi: Ooooh!

Banzai: Mufasa, Mufasa, Mufasa!

Shenzi: Ooooh!

[breaks into laughter]

Headed to Chicago to see The Lion King on tour.  This is the second time I have seen this show.  Gives me chills everytime.  It is that good.  It was that good.  On the way in, drove through a rainstorm.  Got into town, met up with Christopher for lunch and shopping then over to the theater and the show.  Stopped on the way home for some deepdish pizza, drove behind a storm, complete with lightning.  Ultimately I would love to see The Lion King on Broadway.  One day.

on the shelf

The book shelf.  Just started reading The Dead Path by Stephen M. Irwin.  It's about a guy who has an accident and starts having hallucinations. I figure this time of year is a great time to read a haunting ghost story.  So far it has been riveting, I don't want to put it down.

room for improvement pt II

The guest room.  Evening Twilight and Sachet.  Grays that are not gray.  Still better than the light green the walls were painted and the hideous floral border along the ceiling.  Got the paint Friday evening.  Started Saturday morning.  By mid-afternoon the second coat was being applied.  I was finishing up the last wall, just had to paint along the ceiling and the corners when I noticed dark spots all over the carpeting.  It took a few moments for me to realize I had walked in paint and was tracking it through the room.  I checked the bottom of my shoes and sure enough.  I removed my shoes immediately.  Tried blotting paint off the carpeting.  I made it worse.  I was finished for the day.  I meant to pick up the brush on Sunday, it didn't happen.  I said I would finish painting today.  It didn't happen.  Tomorrow.  (yeah, like that's going to happen.)  I have researched online to see how to remove paint from carpeting.  I have a few options.  The goal is to get the room done this week so I can start on another next week.

seasoning

It has been hot around here.  Shorts weather.  The evenings cool down, but all and all warmer than usual.  Been trying to get outside a lot, seeing I'll be holed up when the cold temperatures arrive.  I get chilled just thinking about it.  Taking walks down by the river, went to a botanical garden in Michigan, a Haunted House and field of scream, walking through the neighborhood, dining out on the patio of local restaurants, grilling out at home, doing yard work.  Keeping busy.

infestation

The neighbor next door came over and asked if it was okay if he bought insecticide to spray on the crab apple tree on the corner of the lot.  It has been overtaken by woolly aphids.  insects that live on plant fluids, and produces a filamentous waxy white covering which resembles cotton or wool. The adults are winged and move to new locations where they lay egg masses. The larvae often form large cottony masses on twigs, for protection from predators. They come from Japan.  Woolly aphids feed by inserting their needle-like mouthparts into plant tissue to withdraw sap. They are able to feed on leaves, buds, bark, and even the roots of the plant. As a result of feeding on the sap, woolly aphids produce a sticky substance known as honeydew, which can lead to sooty mold on the plant. While wooly aphids generally aren't much cause for alarm, they can cause rather unsightly damage to plants, which is particularly a problem for growers of ornamentals. Symptoms of feeding include twisted and curled leaves, yellowed foliage, poor plant growth, low plant vigor, and branch dieback. Further minor damage can be caused by the honeydew that woolly aphids secrete, which is difficult to remove. While the honeydew itself doesn't cause too much of a problem, the honeydew can cause sooty mold to grow, which can block some of the sunlight needed for photosynthesis.

a view from the bridge

The St. Joseph River is approximately 210 miles long. It rises in southern Michigan in Hillsdale County near Baw Beese Lake. It follows a zigzag route generally westward across southern Michigan, dipping into northern Indiana. From its headwaters it flows initially northwest past Hillsdale into southeastern Calhoun County, then turns abruptly southwest to flow past Tekonsha, Union City, and Sherwood. At Three Rivers it is joined from the north by the Rocky and Portage Rivers, then three miles further southwest by the Prairie River from the east. The river continues southward into northern Indiana, flowing west through Elkhart and South Bend, where it turns abruptly to north to re-enter southwestern Michigan in southeastern Berrien County. In southwestern Michigan it follows a wide meandering route generally northwest through Niles and past Berrien Springs. It enters Lake Michigan between St. Joseph and Benton Harbor, receiving the Paw Paw River from the north approximately one mile from its mouth on Lake Michigan.

no guaranty

I have been without my debit card since the middle of last month.  The bank stopped authorization on it due to supposed fraudulent transactions.  I found out after my card was being declined while trying to purchase things.  I contacted the bank and I was informed that a letter had been sent to me detailing what occured and a new card was on its way.  I should receive it in seven to ten days.  I didn't.  I called the bank again.  At that time I was assured I would receive the card no later than October 1st.  If I didn't receive it, I should call them.  October 1st there was no debit card in the mail.  A call to the bank yielded no progress.  I should wait until today, the card should be in my hands.  No.  I went to a new bank today, opened an account and will be transferring my money out of the other bank.  There are plenty of banks out there to do business with.

folklore

Circa 1790 in the Dutch settlement of Tarry Town, in a secluded glen called Sleepy Hollow, Ichabod Crane, a sycophantic, lean, lanky, and extremely superstitious schoolmaster from Connecticut, competes with Abraham "Brom Bones" Van Brunt, the town rowdy, for the hand of 18-year-old Katrina Van Tassel, the daughter and sole child of a wealthy farmer, Baltus Van Tassel. As Crane leaves a party he attended at the Van Tassel home on an autumn night, he is pursued by the Headless Horseman, who is supposedly the ghost of a Hessian trooper who had his head shot off by a stray cannonball during some nameless battle of the American Revolutionary War, and who rides forth to the scene of battle in nightly quest of his head. Ichabod mysteriously disappears.

It was a beautiful night, went downtown for coffee.  Walked around looking at architecture, shops, people, myths.