It's My Birthday!

As I merrily inch another year closer to my final horrific breath on earth, I'd like to celebrate another year around the sun by writing an LI article about my favorite holiday - Halloween!

And hey ?? I don't do Facebook or holiday relatives, besides my wife and kids (and a persistent chiropractor) no one wishes me happy birthday, so. A like or a share would be a great & helpful birthday gift in itself ??

October, in general

Did you know.. that October used to be the eighth month, hence the prefix oct-. That's because the Roman calendar only had 10 months. There was no January, nor a February! I say we should bring it back, all in favor?

October is also National Pizza Month! And, although I've yet to visit Chicago, their deep dish is superior to all other pizzas (and that's coming from a New Yorker ??).

We get the Orionid meteor shower around the 20th, it's National Book Month (I don't like to read, but you probably do), and our old friend pumpkin spice takes over the world.

On top of that, it's the anniversary of when I married my best friend and soulmate, my lovely wife Reina. My wife and I walking through foliage is my happy place.

Halloween though

Decorations, sure.

Trick o treating, okay.

Haunted houses are never scary enough, but I'll go. Once, I went to a haunted house where you had to sign a waiver - kind of snuffy.

In my opinion, Halloween starts on September 1st and goes right up to Thanksgiving. So, it's already been Halloween for a bit here in the Ciccarone household.

Despite what the naysayers naysay, there is no "too old to trick o' treat". Every year my wife and our kids go to a local Halloweentown, in Round Lake NY. It's perfect and we'll still go after the nest is empty.

If it were up to me, all other holidays would be replaced with Halloween.

The vibe

When I was young, my grandmother and I would have picnics on the cemetery plot where her grandmother was buried. We'd bring cold meatball & sausage grinders and milk, still one of my favorite meals. She believed in reincarnation and always told me that our dog, Clarabelle, was actually Jennie, her grandmother, reincarnate because she found the dog at the last place she left her grandmother.

I still love cemeteries, especially old decrepit ones. I used to like to bring my guitar to cemeteries and write. Quiet, peaceful, and humbling.

My first retail job was at a Halloween store, and I wish Halloween stores were open year-round.

It's funny because I wrote this last night and woke up to a slightly granted birthday wish:

I like the vibe. I like spooky. I don't like candy.

Being a Nor'easter, I've been to Salem, MA too many times to count, seeing it unfortunately become commercialized along with everything else in the world. I went to Salem on Halloween 10 years ago (0/10 would recommend), was invited into a basement for a seance, and wound up losing my backpack with my wallet and the keys for my rental car.

I once took a tour of Lizzie Borden's house, stole a rock from outside, and wound up sending it back in the mail (long story).

I have a haunted "doll" (another long story, with the quotes).

I love the music, not tHe MoNStEr mAsh, but Type O Negative and Opeth and the genres of Deathcore, black metal, and dark classical. Minor chord progressions forever.

That's enough, happy birthday to me and happy halloween to you, and me.

-- Tony