The Swamp

Posted: **Wed Nov 01, 2023 9:06 am**

Maybe they're confident and DGAF.

Posted: **Wed Nov 01, 2023 9:12 am**

A_B wrote: ↑Wed Nov 01, 2023 9:06 am Maybe they're confident and DGAF.

Good on them if that's the case, but not my experience with middle school girls.

Posted: **Wed Nov 01, 2023 9:47 am**

we didn't have a single one. it was also 30 degrees and we live on an acre on a dead end in the corner of our neighborhood

Posted: **Wed Nov 01, 2023 9:50 am**

DSafetyGuy wrote: ↑Wed Nov 01, 2023 8:45 am We ended up giving out about 15% of our candy because basically no one came. Yet, my kid ended up with over 300 pieces of candy without leaving our relatively small development.

Sounds like the word is out to avoid the godless commie's residence.

Posted: **Wed Nov 01, 2023 9:54 am**

Things have changed in our 'hood and I'm pretty sure it's a byproduct of COVID. We used to get 5-10 groups, this year none. But as I was driving home around 5:30, the main streets in the 'hood were absolutely packed. What I noticed is that the houses that had decorations or tables in the driveway were being flocked, but the houses that were not dolled up were being skipped.

We just have a few pumpkins and mums in our front yard/door area. So even the few kids that came down our cul-de-sac road skipped us. We left at 6:15 for a birthday party, so might've been a few that came later, but I doubt it. Folks have streamlined their approach.

My wife LOVES giving out candy and seeing the costumes. I told her next year we're going to do a fire pit, table at the end of the driveway and pull out our decorations.

Posted: **Wed Nov 01, 2023 9:54 am**

Had a great night as always. Was even excited to finally meet a new neighbor who's lived there for over a year. Then, as they do, he had to announce with zero context that his wife was a doctor at Johns Hopkins until they had a vax mandate, so she quit and they moved to Texas.

This is just the latest in a long line of conservatives randomly announcing to me they're political leanings within 5 minutes of a conversation starting. My favorite was at a father/daughter dance when a dad asked me if I liked the NFL only to start railing against those kneeling during the anthem when I answered I did.

Posted: **Wed Nov 01, 2023 9:57 am**

Nonlinear FC wrote: ↑Wed Nov 01, 2023 9:54 am My wife LOVES giving out candy and seeing the costumes. I told her next year we're going to do a fire pit, table at the end of the driveway and pull out our decorations.

We do a fire pit in the driveway and have some neighbors over. One of the neighbors has two dogs so they just pass out their candy on our driveway so kids get a 2-for-1 at house.

Posted: **Wed Nov 01, 2023 10:20 am**

DaveInSeattle wrote: ↑Tue Oct 31, 2023 8:57 pm Unless a lot more people start showing up, I'm gonna have a LOT of jell-o shots to eat.

We got maybe 20% of what we would get before COVID....which is disappointing. It was always a lot of fun to see all the little kids in costume.

And man....I gotta lot of Jell-O shots leftover. I joked that I was going to go hand them out at the Jr High down the street.

Posted: **Wed Nov 01, 2023 10:20 am**

Nonlinear FC wrote: ↑Wed Nov 01, 2023 9:54 am Things have changed in our 'hood and I'm pretty sure it's a byproduct of COVID. We used to get 5-10 groups, this year none. But as I was driving home around 5:30, the main streets in the 'hood were absolutely packed. What I noticed is that the houses that had decorations or tables in the driveway were being flocked, but the houses that were not dolled up were being skipped.

We just have a few pumpkins and mums in our front yard/door area. So even the few kids that came down our cul-de-sac road skipped us. We left at 6:15 for a birthday party, so might've been a few that came later, but I doubt it. Folks have streamlined their approach.

My wife LOVES giving out candy and seeing the costumes. I told her next year we're going to do a fire pit, table at the end of the driveway and pull out our decorations.

Our house is on a long street that connects two neighborhoods, so we don't get too much traffic. Plus we have a long driveway, so the little ones usually walk past. We were going to set up a table at the end of the driveway, but both of us had work stuff going on. 2 or 3 years ago my wife had the genius idea of "reverse trick or treating" towards the end of the evening. We grabbed our bowl and ran around looking for the late groups and handed them candy on the street. Made lots of kids and parents confused and maybe uncomfortable, but we did have the kids with us after they were back from whatever they did and my daughter was in costume.

Posted: **Wed Nov 01, 2023 10:21 am**

DaveInSeattle wrote: ↑Wed Nov 01, 2023 10:20 am
And man....I gotta lot of Jell-O shots leftover. I joked that I was going to go hand them out at the Jr High down the street.

Deliver them to the teachers' lounge. They earned it.

Posted: **Wed Nov 01, 2023 10:25 am**

The proliferation of end-of-the-driveway fire pits and libations is probably the best Halloween innovation this century.

Posted: **Wed Nov 01, 2023 10:43 am**

For MANY years, Halloween was an absolute blowout in our 'hood. We'd start with a big crew at our house and have some drinks, load up the wagon and start out for t-r-t making our way to the end point house where we'd continue the party. We learned to park our cars at the Smith house prior so the kids could get shuttled home with one or both of the parents at some point.

Since we were the farthest house, we usually headed home relatively early and didn't get into true shenanigans, but the "close enough to stumble home" crew had some epic nights.

Posted: **Wed Nov 01, 2023 11:38 am**

Absolutely slammed in our neighborhood last night. This holiday stresses me out. I love it in theory, but hate the thought of randos at my house. Couldn't believe there was also an Amazon truck still trying to get up and down the street. Just a colossally poor decision.

Posted: **Wed Nov 01, 2023 11:44 am**

We gave out four Costco bags of candy (less all the Reese Cups and Milky Ways I pounded). Still more coming when we ran out. Two of my neighbors had fancy setups that pulled in crowds.

Posted: **Wed Nov 01, 2023 11:59 am**

govmentchedda wrote: ↑Wed Nov 01, 2023 11:38 am Absolutely slammed in our neighborhood last night. This holiday stresses me out. I love it in theory, but hate the thought of randos at my house. Couldn't believe there was also an Amazon truck still trying to get up and down the street. Just a colossally poor decision.

Same on the traffic and kids everywhere, just freaks me the fuck out. I had to drive three separate times and hated it all beyond "atleast I know I'm paying full attention".

Posted: **Wed Nov 01, 2023 2:52 pm**

tennbengal wrote: ↑Wed Nov 01, 2023 9:50 am
DSafetyGuy wrote: ↑Wed Nov 01, 2023 8:45 am We ended up giving out about 15% of our candy because basically no one came. Yet, my kid ended up with over 300 pieces of candy without leaving our relatively small development.
Sounds like the word is out to avoid the godless commie's residence.

We're all godless commies in my neighborhood, so we got plenty of visitors.

Posted: **Wed Nov 01, 2023 2:53 pm**

L-Jam3 wrote: ↑Wed Nov 01, 2023 10:25 am The proliferation of end-of-the-driveway fire pits and libations is probably the best Halloween innovation this century.

Yeah I really like that.

Posted: **Wed Nov 01, 2023 3:15 pm**

Do kids around you all call peppermint patties "Yorks"? Drives me insane.

Posted: **Wed Nov 01, 2023 3:27 pm**

mister d wrote: ↑Wed Nov 01, 2023 3:15 pm Do kids around you all call peppermint patties "Yorks"? Drives me insane.

For people around here, it's almost always "York Peppermint Patty" and not shortened at all.

Posted: **Wed Nov 01, 2023 3:49 pm**

Giving a kid a peppermint patty deserves retribution. Loose candy corns in a communal bowl. Small boxes of raisins. Black licorice level.

Some of these lil shits have remarkable lateral quickness and the costumes make it tough to anticipate movements. Really gotta focus coming home drunk

Posted: **Wed Nov 01, 2023 3:49 pm**

Haven't had any kids come to our door for years now. Kinda sad. Our neighborhood isn't that great - big yards and long driveways, so we never got a lot. But we used to get 3-5 groups a night. Can't remember the last time we got any though.

Posted: **Wed Nov 01, 2023 3:50 pm**

HaulCitgo wrote: ↑Wed Nov 01, 2023 3:49 pm Giving a kid a peppermint patty deserves retribution.

I totally agree, but my oldest was with me when we bought the candy and she loves them.

Posted: **Wed Nov 01, 2023 5:13 pm**

I love peppermint patties.

Our street has gotten younger the last 3 or 4 years. Lots of young couples with little kids. Very nice. Especially when they’re go-getters about things like planning block parties.

Was nervous about the kid driving last night. Kept telling her to DRIVE SLOW.

Posted: **Wed Nov 01, 2023 6:51 pm**

I also enjoy a not freakishly large peppermint patty every so often

Posted: **Thu Nov 02, 2023 6:25 am**

mister d wrote: ↑Wed Nov 01, 2023 3:50 pm
HaulCitgo wrote: ↑Wed Nov 01, 2023 3:49 pm Giving a kid a peppermint patty deserves retribution.
I totally agree, but my oldest was with me when we bought the candy and she loves them.

When I was really young, I liked them and enjoyed the one or two I’d get. Around 10 yo I thought they tasted like toothpaste.

Posted: **Thu Nov 02, 2023 7:12 am**

HaulCitgo wrote: ↑Wed Nov 01, 2023 6:51 pm I also enjoy a not freakishly large peppermint patty every so often

Yeah, wtf with those things. The half dollars work for me.

Posted: **Thu Nov 02, 2023 7:58 am**

Are you motherfuckers slandering peppermint patties

Posted: **Thu Nov 02, 2023 8:46 am**

Shirley wrote: ↑Wed Nov 01, 2023 3:49 pm Haven't had any kids come to our door for years now. Kinda sad. Our neighborhood isn't that great - big yards and long driveways, so we never got a lot. But we used to get 3-5 groups a night. Can't remember the last time we got any though.

The other thing that's going in is that communities like yours, where the houses are spaced out and driveways are long, and most importantly the roads don't have sidewalks so it's really not safe...

There's a big proliferation of Trunk or Treat or malls will set-up stations (like degen mentioned in the other thread). Which really makes a lot of sense, frankly.

Posted: **Thu Nov 02, 2023 8:55 am**

tennbengal wrote: ↑Wed Nov 01, 2023 9:50 am
DSafetyGuy wrote: ↑Wed Nov 01, 2023 8:45 am We ended up giving out about 15% of our candy because basically no one came. Yet, my kid ended up with over 300 pieces of candy without leaving our relatively small development.
Sounds like the word is out to avoid the godless commie's residence.

There was one very young girl who asked where our dog was. He barks like crazy when her brother comes to the house to play with our son.

Posted: **Thu Nov 02, 2023 9:26 am**

I hate chocolate and mint together, so whenever I got anything of the sort it went straight to the trash.

Posted: **Thu Nov 02, 2023 10:58 am**

Love me a pep patty... Also used to love "stealing" the Andes mints at the restaurant my mom did the accounting.

Also a big fan of mint choc chip ice cream.

Posted: **Thu Nov 02, 2023 11:18 am**

now this is moving close to fighting territory goddammit

- Johnnie what in the everliving heck is wrong with you not liking chocolate and mint i swear .... #*^&Y#$^%

- there is no "too large" peppermint patty.

- also my alltime favourite candy bar was called a Pep Bar - Canadian so Pruitt/degen/etc chime in if you like - originally made by Neilsen, then taken over by Cadbury - infinitely better and more intense/dense than a York but that's essentially the idea. As a kid my dad would literally drive us up on a saturday morning to Fort Erie, ON for a quick "Pep run" - when living in Boston I would order boxes online to be shipped to me.

so when i moved to Vancouver I was inhaling them my first month. Then of course - of course - the company fking discontinued them. Fuck you Cadbury/Unilever Brands.

(my doctor yesterday was giving me tips to ease my anxiety and i think it's not working )

Posted: **Thu Nov 02, 2023 11:19 am**

Nonlinear FC wrote: ↑Thu Nov 02, 2023 10:58 amthe Andes mints at the restaurant my mom did the accounting.

The final course to every Sizzler meal in the 80s.

Posted: **Thu Nov 02, 2023 12:12 pm**

CAN choco-based candy is superior on almost every front. I think there's something about the chocolate being... darker? richer?

Snickers, Mars, etc... Let alone the different varieties not available here.

Posted: **Thu Nov 02, 2023 12:19 pm**

Nonlinear FC wrote: ↑Thu Nov 02, 2023 12:12 pm CAN choco-based candy is superior on almost every front. I think there's something about the chocolate being... darker? richer?

Snickers, Mars, etc... Let alone the different varieties not available here.

I think Canadian candy is more similar to British. Our chocolate giants (Hershey's especially), are garbage. I love some of out chocolate bars, but it's the other stuff thats good, chocolate shell is garbage.

Posted: **Thu Nov 02, 2023 12:23 pm**

Nonlinear FC wrote: ↑Thu Nov 02, 2023 10:58 am Love me a pep patty... Also used to love "stealing" the Andes mints at the restaurant my mom did the accounting.

Also a big fan of mint choc chip ice cream.

Andes >> Peppermint Patties

But both benefit greatly from refrigeration.

In other words, take the ice cream if you can get it.

Posted: **Thu Nov 02, 2023 12:26 pm**

Johnny Carwash wrote: ↑Thu Nov 02, 2023 11:19 am
Nonlinear FC wrote: ↑Thu Nov 02, 2023 10:58 amthe Andes mints at the restaurant my mom did the accounting.
The final course to every Sizzler meal in the 80s.

For the record, my mother didn't do the accounting for Sizzler.

(It was at a higher end restaurant called The Earle in Ann Arbor... which I think is still around, last I googled.)

Posted: **Thu Nov 02, 2023 12:36 pm**

Nonlinear FC wrote: ↑Thu Nov 02, 2023 12:26 pm
Johnny Carwash wrote: ↑Thu Nov 02, 2023 11:19 am
Nonlinear FC wrote: ↑Thu Nov 02, 2023 10:58 amthe Andes mints at the restaurant my mom did the accounting.
The final course to every Sizzler meal in the 80s.
For the record, my mother didn't do the accounting for Sizzler.

(It was at a higher end restaurant called The Earle in Ann Arbor... which I think is still around, last I googled.)

Named after Steve?

Posted: **Thu Nov 02, 2023 12:42 pm**

Steve of phpBB wrote: ↑Thu Nov 02, 2023 12:36 pm
Nonlinear FC wrote: ↑Thu Nov 02, 2023 12:26 pm
Johnny Carwash wrote: ↑Thu Nov 02, 2023 11:19 am
Nonlinear FC wrote: ↑Thu Nov 02, 2023 10:58 amthe Andes mints at the restaurant my mom did the accounting.
The final course to every Sizzler meal in the 80s.
For the record, my mother didn't do the accounting for Sizzler.

(It was at a higher end restaurant called The Earle in Ann Arbor... which I think is still around, last I googled.)
Named after Steve?

Yes?

ETA - https://www.theearle.com/history Doesn't say how it got the name.
ETA2 - Holy fucking shit it got expensive. It was nice back when I was a kid, but $50 entrees??? Fuck that.
ETA3 - At least 3 of the entrees are pretty much the same. I used to get stuff my mom brought home and it was my first contact with French food. The beef with mushrooms remains one of the best things I've ever had from a restaurant.

Posted: **Thu Nov 02, 2023 5:58 pm**

MaxWebster wrote: ↑Thu Nov 02, 2023 11:18 am now this is moving close to fighting territory goddammit

- Johnnie what in the everliving heck is wrong with you not liking chocolate and mint i swear .... #*^&Y#$^%

Feels like they added toothpaste to my chocolate. I like mint in other things, but absolutely not chocolate.

I also hate that fake orange flavor in chocolate too. Other fruits I don't mind.

On Canadian chocolate: I bought a box of Coffee Crisp from Amazon. They're pretty good.

The Swamp

Halloween Boo'ing

Re: Halloween Boo'ing

Re: Halloween Boo'ing

Re: Halloween Boo'ing

Re: Halloween Boo'ing

Re: Halloween Boo'ing

Re: Halloween Boo'ing

Re: Halloween Boo'ing

Re: Halloween Boo'ing

Re: Halloween Boo'ing

Re: Halloween Boo'ing

Re: Halloween Boo'ing

Re: Halloween Boo'ing

Re: Halloween Boo'ing

Re: Halloween Boo'ing

Re: Halloween Boo'ing

Re: Halloween Boo'ing

Re: Halloween Boo'ing

Re: Halloween Boo'ing

Re: Halloween Boo'ing

Re: Halloween Boo'ing

Re: Halloween Boo'ing

Re: Halloween Boo'ing

Re: Halloween Boo'ing

Re: Halloween Boo'ing

Re: Halloween Boo'ing

Re: Halloween Boo'ing

Re: Halloween Boo'ing

Re: Halloween Boo'ing

Re: Halloween Boo'ing

Re: Halloween Boo'ing

Re: Halloween Boo'ing

Re: Halloween Boo'ing

Re: Halloween Boo'ing

Re: Halloween Boo'ing

Re: Halloween Boo'ing

Re: Halloween Boo'ing

Re: Halloween Boo'ing

Re: Halloween Boo'ing

Re: Halloween Boo'ing

Re: Halloween Boo'ing