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Dracula hits the town

the journal of Michael Werneburg

twenty-seven years and one million words

Toronto, 2011.10.31

Kenny and Mari have discovered "trick or treating".

We had no one come to our door at all, so I went out with Kenny and Mari. It turns out that there's a street on the far side of Woodbine that puts on a big deal with a haunted house that spans the front yards of half a dozen of the cookie-cutter houses. All the kids from kilometers around were there.

Kenny loved being Dracula, and although he had no fangs everyone complemented him on his costume and he had a ball yelling "Raaaar". Mari had him in his fancy dress shirt, a dark vest, and a dark coat and he looked perfect with his better-than-day-to-day shoes and the red-fabric-lined taffeta cape and top hat. I tried to tell him that the roaring was a werewolf thing but no use.

Funny enough, I did nothing more than spend $1 on a "Jason" hockey mask and throw on my black MEC goretex jacket, and had people in real costumes asking to take their photo with me! I scared several small children too, which is always fun. Mari really enjoyed it, too, saying many times what a great time she was having and how she liked "this culture".

The stores were handing out treats, too: the boy got some pita chips, and an ice cream cone from the "Licks"!

rand()m quote

I feel fortunate that I enjoyed the blandishments of modernity. I had hip replacement and root canal. I was able to travel on airplanes. I was able to take cheap food for granted. I went to the movies. I enjoyed rock 'n' roll. And now I'm ready to move on.

—James Howard Kunstler