'Cos It's Hall-O-Ween...
After a while, my parents just turned the lights off and took us to my aunt’s neighborhood to trick-or-treat. Our family house was useless, as far as Halloween festivities were concerned. I think, in the course of my two decades living at home, I saw only three trick-or-treaters come to our house. Pathetic.
Cruise about 20 years forward to my brother owning his very own house in a nice neighborhood populated with Real People. Several decades of oppressed Halloween hauntings have bubbled up for Darrell, and he’s taking it all out on his lawn. As exemplified here: 
My brother stood on his front lawn dressed as a ghoul (much like my nephew's costume, pictured above), underneath a streetlight, and danced for the passing cars. My mother laughed until she cried. My stomach still hurts today from laughing.
After a long weekend of sadness, with the wake and the funeral and all the tears that come with those moments, it’s been very tough. And while I have so many stories to tell about my Grammie, I’m too exhausted to try and find the words now. I needed to laugh last night. Hard.
Mission accomplished.
Comments
Chicken Danced, thank you very much.
Posted by: Darrell | November 1, 2006 02:48 PM
My apologies: Darrell performed the Chicken Dance on the front lawn in front of dozens of passing cars. :) Lunatic.
Posted by: Kerri. | November 1, 2006 02:52 PM
*ahem*
My brother and I were often trick-or-treaters at your house...
...mainly because you lived down the street from my uncle, who lived down the street from my grandma :P
Posted by: Krista Martin | November 1, 2006 03:01 PM
Looks like the two have been identified!
Posted by: Darrell | November 1, 2006 03:03 PM
Ah ha! Krista is right! You guys did come visit! I knew we were keeping the light on for someone. :)
Apparently next year you have to travel to CT and go to my brother's house so you can enjoy a street-side rendition of the Chicken Dance.
Posted by: Kerri. | November 1, 2006 03:04 PM
Kerri,
That looks like the best haunted front yard ever! I'm jealous.
tek
Posted by: tekakwitha | November 1, 2006 03:08 PM
I'm afraid Bob and I live in your old neighborhood. Not even one "tricker-" as we call them - came to our place last night. Damn it.
So glad you got to laugh; so proud of your family for not letting the spirit of your head-standing grandmother rest on its laurels for even a minute!
Posted by: Nicolep | November 1, 2006 03:17 PM
Kerri that is so freaking cool!
Big M told me that when we get married we wont be buying candy for trick or treaters YEA OK...he doesnt realize we are going to have our house become HALLOWEEN CENTRAL LOL
Posted by: Gina | November 1, 2006 04:12 PM
Tek and G - My brother did a bang up job of decorating his house, didn't he? It was certifiably creepy. I was very impressed!
Nicole - Sorry you and Bob moved into my old quiet neighborhood. It sucked getting no trick-or-treaters. I'm living vicariously through my nephew now. :)
Posted by: Kerri. | November 1, 2006 04:17 PM
Oh I'm so happy you all had a great time on Halloween!!
There's a house at the end of our street that my kids are petrified of because the guy jumps out with a chainsaw, but seeing what you're brother's done, he'd be the star of the neighborhood!
Posted by: Shannon | November 1, 2006 04:54 PM
Aw, Man... I want a fog machine.
Posted by: Sandra Miller | November 1, 2006 05:23 PM
I grew up in a big old victorian house on a dark quiet street. There were kids - a handful - but our house was so creepy that few braved our front porch. Years later we found out there was a rumor that someone had died there. It was a relief to know it wasn't because of *us*
Posted by: Kassie | November 1, 2006 05:38 PM
Glad you were able to find some silliness among the sadness. It's amazing what we find silly (and how we find silly) in the midst of grief.
Posted by: Rachel | November 1, 2006 09:32 PM
It's refreshing to know that there are people who don't really care if other people think they are nuts!
Welcome back, Kerri. :)
Posted by: Johnboy | November 2, 2006 05:51 AM
And I thought the Chicken Dance was only done at weddings in Pittsburgh. Silly me.
Sounds like good fun!
Posted by: Kevin | November 2, 2006 09:19 AM
Laughter is the best medicine! I am glad you got what you needed.
The Chicken Dance is scary on its own! But a ghouly doing the Freaky Fowl Dance is even scarier!
Posted by: George | November 2, 2006 12:50 PM
I think I just fell in love with your brother.
We live in a No Trick-or-Treat neighborhood now, and it stinks. My son has only ever gone trick-or-treating the "old-fashioned" way (ie, the One True Way) once and it makes me sad for him. He always has fun on Halloween, but it's much more subdued than the Halloweens of my childhood.
Thankfully, next year this time we'll be in a different neighborhood, and then I may very well have to bust out skeletons and a fog machine myownself.
Posted by: terrilynn | November 3, 2006 07:23 AM