New Halloween Traditions...Giving Pumpkins A Bath

There's consequences to every action. This year, a consequence of us carving pumpkins four days before Halloween--especially when we've had record-breaking warm temperatures--was shriveled pumpkins.

So we decided to try something, something I'd heard worked, but never put it in action.

We tossed the jack-o-lanterns into a tub full of water.

After a few hours what I had heard would happen actually happened--the pumpkins resurrected to close to the way they looked when we butchered...ah, I mean, lovingly gutted and carved them days earlier.

We had a great night. My wife did a little Pinterest search and found some fun food presentation ideas. I love Halloween and am sad to see it go.

More Work Creativity...For Halloween!

Last Halloween I was blown away with the way my building looked. The employees went out of their minds decorating their cubicles, their walls, their ceilings--everything.

Apparently, they went a little too far.

This year, we were told to tone it down. And being good employees, we obeyed. Today I walked around the building and took some photos of the various departments. There's a contest for the best decorated space. I'm not sure who I would pick, but it's a visual treat to just walk up and down the cubicle rows to see what people will do if you give them a theme and a chance to win something.

Like last year, I won't be at work for the festivities. I'm sure they added more to their creations after I left. Still, even though I enjoy what they do, I'll be glad to be home with the family doing our own decorating. They won't be as elaborate, or possibly creative, but I'll enjoy them more because I'll be with my family. Happy Halloween, everyone!

Power Tools And Pumpkin Carving...

My wife saw something the other day on the internet--a new way to help carve a pumpkin.

I'm sure it's not revolutionary, but it was new to us.

I imagine people have been carving out pumpkins as long as there have been humans and pumpkins. Though, I'm sure our forefathers would think us crazy to hollow out the inside of a perfectly good gourd and basically not use what's inside. My guess would be that in olden days they used the entire pumpkin, both the inside and the outside. Even though we bake the pumpkin seeds from our Halloween jack-o-lanterns, we throw most of what's inside away.

My Wife saw someone using a power drill to help get rid of what's inside the pumpkin. We decided to try it. For her, scooping out the insides is one of the things she dislikes about carving pumpkins. 

We tried it and the verdict--

Basically, it helped. It didn't change our lives, or make the process effortless, but it did help. I spent much less time getting all the insides out. Next year I'm sure we'll hook up a blender beater to our cordless drill and go to town. And if you think it would help you, give it a try!

The Evolution Of A Halloween Display...

We all have different cultures. There's cultures we have at home, at church, on our down time, and especially at work. And each of these cultures can be further broken down into sub-cultures. Case in point, the way my co-workers decorate our building at Halloween.

Last year was my first Halloween in this building. I had no idea how these people celebrated the holiday--it never entered my mind, but as October 31st drew near, it became abundantly clear that the sub-Halloween culture here was "go big, or go home." I blogged about last year's decorations and you can visit that site by clicking: HERE.

This year things are a little subdued as compared to last year. Then again, we're fourteen days out until the big day. A year ago, at this time I didn't think things could get much bigger than they were, but as the holiday approached, things got crazier and crazier. And, I was told since I wasn't there, more and more things were added Halloween day.

When people have the opportunity to get creative, it's amazing what they will do. This is just one section of the building. Everything that's been made and put up was done on their own time--either on breaks or before/after work.

I won't show my Halloween display--it's not very impressive. And our section of the building doesn't go all out as others do. Still, I'm glad others do. It makes for awesome things to see!

Thanks Joey...For The Opportunity And The Bag Of Fun!

A few weeks ago I, along with three others, were given a bag full of Halloween goodies. The reason for the gift-giving was in appreciation for being in a show. The giver--the show's creator. The recipients--the cast.

The past couple of days I've been taking photographs of some of the items, chocolate skeletons, pencils, a skull mug. There are other goodies I haven't photographed--some really great stuff in that bag. A skull candle, a journal, Halloween magnets, a stress skull (instead of a stress ball...), a chocolate cat, and a skull masquerade mask, among other things were all inside.

But as cool as the stuff in the bag (even, the bag itself...), what was cooler was the gesture from the one who took time out of his day to go to the store, search for stuff, and put it all together for us. The man already gave me a great opportunity to earn a little extra cash and have a blast doing it. He didn't need to go the extra mile.

This simple act--whether intended or not--showed to me how much the show means to him. This realization requires me to show as much respect to him and to the production to make it as good as it can possibly be.

Thanks Joey and Whitney! We're doing our best to show everyone your best!