ONLY 364 DAYS UNTIL HALLOWEEN

So, last night we ran out of treats at 7:25pm. Even with 465 pieces (and 35 I bartered away from my 4 year-old son) we couldn't meet demand. I feel so ashamed.

Still, the evening was a hoot. Our porch was filled with an endless procession of candy-craving kids. The costumes ranged from inspired to adorable to, occassionally, pathetic. It seems costume creativity is inversely proportional to age. The under 12 set was clearly more ambitious and dedicated than their teenage brothers and sisters.

My son, Nate teamed up with his little buddy Jamie in matching Spiderman costumes (the ones with the rippling chest muscels and six-pack abs sewn in). They sprinted from house to house with gleeful abandon. At one point I asked Jamie's dad, Andy, if he could remember the last time he felt that excited about anything? I'm convinced that if adults could recapture that giddy sense of excitement --say, once a month-- the world would be a much happier place.

Anyway, as a final tribute to my favorite holiday I offer up a few last links:

1. Watch a pumpkin carve itself here.
2. It may be too late to serve bloodied brains for Halloween but with Thanksgiving less than a month away, this dessert is guaranteed to impress the in-laws!
3. Canine Humiliation 101.
4. Cool photos of real-life ghosts or Photoshop invented 100 years ago?
5. The 10 best scenes from The Simpsons' "Treehouse Of Horror" specials.