Halloween Report:
Things have finally quieted down here. This year the police closed off four blocks of my street, which was wise, I think, as Halloween turns into a huge block party here every year. I ran out of candy early--no surprise as we get 400-600 trick-or-treaters. My neighbor Kitty and I then checked out the various "festivities". One of my neighbors set up a band in their living room, each instrument "played" by a skeleton. Former Governor Mark Warner had his usual decorations and such, inviting all the kids to reach into a trunk for an "eyeball" (a slimy grape). I did so last year--once was enough! Then Kitty and I went into a local joint for some pizza, as she told me about her more colorful legal cases.
Most imaginative costume IMHO: a man being sawed in two. A bit gruesome, but cleverly done. A large box hid his lower body. On top of the box rested two stuffed legs, arranged to look like his, with a saw blade, which actually turned, "slicing" through his body.