Halloween Scare

Some people are afraid of spiders, or high places, or the bogeyman. Don't get me wrong, I'm afraid of all those things too, and more besides. But it appears that my phobia du jour is that of not being prepared.

The dajadaddy informed me the other day that several times in the past couple of weeks, I've sat bolt upright in bed in the middle of the night and gasped "Oh my god I'm not wearing any clothes!" Which was true, but not really reason for panic since I usually sleep rather scantily clad unless it's freezing out. The unusual thing about it was that it appeared to really worry me, like I was in a situation where I really should have been wearing clothes. That, and the fact that I was leaping up from a sound sleep at some ungodly hour to make the pronouncement.

I don't remember anything about what I was dreaming, so I can't really do a lot of interpreting. But it does resonate pretty well with my phobia du jour. And I'm almost positive I'm going to have that dream tonight, due to something that happened to the dajamou and me this evening.

We were heading out to do some grocery shopping around dusk, rather later than I usually like to go. As we were driving through West View, I saw a number of kids in Halloween costumes. At first I thought they were heading to a costume party or something, because they were all grouped in one spot on the sidewalk. So I didn't think much of it.

After picking up dog food, however, we were heading back through West View on the way to the grocery store, and I saw more and more families from all different directions, walking along the sidewalks with bedecked children in tow. And then the Minor Demon of the Lower Hell of Unpreparedness raked his claws through my conscience and snickered in my ear, "You've put off the buying of the costume too long! And the face paint you wanted to get will never happen in time! And your daughter's still got a cold and you don't have the right kind of warm layers to put under the costume! It's tonight! The trick or treating is tonight, and you're not even close to being......mwah-hah-hah......prepared!!!

So naturally I start driving a little more quickly and looking around (instead of straight ahead, which is usually the better way to be looking when driving in the dark with a lot of pedestrians) and muttering "Oh dear, oh dear" to myself and trying to see if any of the aforementioned Bedecked Ones were walking up to houses with lit porches. It was hard to tell, since by then it was nearly full dark and also? Oncoming headlights make for not great visibility on the sidewalks. Plus I really was trying to drive with some modicum of safety.

I announced to the dajamou that we were going to skip the grocery store and head home, and I explained my reason to her. She thought it would be capital if tonight were trick or treating, and the lack of a good 40 percent of her costume didn't phase her. She had the butterfly wings, that was all that really mattered.

She also thought it would be novel if it turned out this wasn't trick or treating night (in Ohio we called it Beggar's Night, does anyone still call it that anymore?) but instead a previously unheard-of Halloween parade. I told her in no uncertain terms that if it was a parade we were NOT GOING because she is STILL SICK and it's COLD OUT. Moderate grumbling ensued, but she didn't push it.

So anyway, we dashed home and I hopped online. I still have no idea what was happening in West View, but I was right that trick or treating isn't until Wednesday. But I swear, I'm going to have those damn dreams again.