Happy Hallowe'en!

Happy Hallowe'en!

So, what's a sock to do when he runs out of candy at 8:30 pm, and there are still trick or treaters roaming the streets of this little corner of heaven?

OK, so what if he didn't COMPLETELY run out of candy, but had like three Reese's peanut butter cups left in the candy bowl and had just gotten sick of answering the door?

Is hiding out in one's upstairs office, blogging in the dark and checking out your facebook page completely wrong?!?

So, what if it is?!? Pass the peanut butter cups!

A little lesson in manners

So, I survived my first Hallowe'en in the new neighborhood. But, here are a few suggestions for you trick or treaters who are already looking forward to next year:

1. You should be accompanied by a parent or other responsible adult. If this cramps your style too much, then you're probably too old to be participating.

2. Ring the doorbell once, only once. (Or, knock politely, do not bang on doors until the window panes shudder throughout the structure of the house.)

3. You are expected to say "Trick or Treat," "Happy Hallowe'en," or "Thank you." Pick at least one.

4. You should be wearing a costume, even if you have to make it yourself like yours truly had to do. Walking around in the clothes you plan to wear clubbing later in the evening is just not in the spirit of the holiday, nor is your failure to interrupt your cell phone conversation long enought to acknowledge those who answer their doors to you with the customary greetings enumerated in #3 above.

5. If offered your choice from a bowl of candy, take two or three pieces. Grabbing handful after handful is extremely bad form, especially if you're wearing an Obama mask. It's just a bad example of all the money-grabbing in the guise of taxation and redistribution of wealth promises that are looming on our collective horizon.

6. The holiday ends promptly at 8:59pm. (Or, sooner, if Mr. Barack Grabby Hands has already walked off with all the candy.) This moment should be readily apparent to even the most casual observer, but let the lack of a front porch light being on serve as the rule of thumb.

Emily Post must've been rolling in her grave last night . . . which is appropriate, I guess . . .

The slightest hint of winter in the air

Let me preface this post by saying I LOVE CHRISTMAS!

That being said, Christmas has its time and place.

It comes AFTER Thanksgiving, not BEFORE Hallowe'en!!

Does pointing that out make me a Grinch?

I hope not.

But, it seems that the temperatures are only starting to drop and all the merchants in this little corner of heaven are already putting up their Christmas displays.

What really irks me about the whole situation is that I know the displays aren't the result of any real Christmas spirit, but out of desperation to add to their bottom line in this economic downturn.

Give it a rest, and give us a break!

Ansearchin' by flashlight

The 58th Edition of the Carnival of Genealogy is inviting bloggers to post on the theme of "Halloween Hauntings . . . Fact or Fiction?"

Kinda appropriate since Hallowe'en is only a few weeks away . . .

I'll let ye socks determine just how much truth is in the following second-hand account:

Twenty years ago, Skip Morgan's full time job was as a pilot in the U.S. Air Force. His part-time obsession was genealogy. The little library near his base in West Texas had a remarkably good collection of research material, and it was there he discovered a book that listed the final resting place of his great great grandparents James Lorenzo Morgan and Martha Virginia Brown Morgan.

(Shameless plug: For a compelling account of James and Martha's experiences during the U.S. Civil War, check out my book Like the Cats of Kilkenny.)

Their names were recorded among the many early burials at the Washington Cemetery in the little Missouri River town of Glasgow--about halfway between Kansas City and St. Louis.

As luck would have it, just a few days after Skip discovered this little genealogical tidbit, he was sent on a mission to Whiteman Air Force Base. It was just over 90 miles away from Glasgow, a trip that would take over two hours to make-- even for somebody who knew the backroads of rural Missouri. And, he was only going to be there overnight. But, Skip was undeterred.

Upon landing at Whiteman, the intrepid genealogical sleuth commandeered one of those old blue Air Force trucks all of we brats recall so fondly from our childhood bases. You know the ones with the yellow lettering and bad suspension. Soon, it was carrying him up bumpy Highway 65 to Marshall, and east on county roads 41 and 240 to Glasgow.

Unfortunately, by the time he got to the little river town, the sun had long since set and all the businesses were closed. There was no one about to tell a stranger where the cemetery was. And, it would be a peculiar question to ask, anyway. So, Skip decided to just cruise up and down the streets until he found it.

Fortunately, Glasgow is a small town, and his cruising did not take too long. He found the cemetery just before midnight, which would have deterred almost any non-genealogy addict.

Grabbing a flashlight from the glove compartment of the truck, Skip began exploring the eerily quiet cemetery. There were none of the proverbial hoot owls or spooky winds that generally accompany late night visits to such places, just a lot of quiet and a lot of dark.

He made his way to the biggest monument he could see outlined against the night sky, and flashed his beam onto the obelisk. Amazingly, it had been erected in memory of his namesake William D. Swinney--an uncle to both James and Martha! Surely, their stones must be nearby!

So, Skip began circling the Swinney plot as slowly and methodically as his excitement would allow. Around and around he went, shining his small light on stone after stone, looking for his elusive ancestors. But, all his patience was for nought.

It should be mentioned that the cemetery in question is not on a level piece of ground. So, before too long, our intrepid genealogist found himself atop a small rise. Frustrated, he was just about to admit defeat. Then, out of nowhere, a breeze blew across the garden of stones and he could have sworn it whispered something in his ear, "Over here!"

He spun around to see whose voice might have been carried on the wind, turning so quickly as to lose his footing. His flashlight fell from his hand and rolled down the rise, and Skip would have gone tumbling after if he hadn't reached out to grab a nearby stone to regain his balance.

Muttering a curse of resignation, he carefully made his way down the rise to recover his still shining flashlight. He knew he better get out of there before he caused any alarm amongst the townfolk, and he had to cover the 90+ miles back to his base for the return flight the next morning. But, as he knelt to pick up the flashlight, he noticed its beam was illuminating the same stone that had steadied him atop the rise.

A chill went down his spine as he read the name: James Lorenzo Morgan.

Residential construction continues to slide

Well, the Federal Reserve disappointed a lot of people yesterday when they cut their prime rate by only 0.25%. I guess they were expecting twice that, 0.5%. But, this Fall has brought me to the belief that the sluggish housing market cannot be remedied by dropping rates.

To be sure, after their last cut back on 9/18, the industry index (symbol XHB) immediately jumped 5.2%. But, so what?! I mean, this is a bull market, so the increase was simply following the overall trend in its immediate response to a cut. The long term numbers of the fund tell the true story, the industry's stock value has dropped more than 50% since the index was created in February 2006.

There are too many negatives in residential construction right now to expect a Fed cut to turn things around!

The number one problem is record inventories of spec homes, the highest in nine years. If the builders can't sell them, they don't have the cash flow to build more.

The number two problem is the skittishness of lenders, skittishness that is justified given recent events. They are making things harder on would-be borrowers by demanding larger downpayments and tougher property appraisals. But, you can't fault them for taking these actions. They're protecting themselves.

In Florida, at least, it seems the solution to these two real problems is in the hands of the state legislature. They need to tackle the two-headed monster that is prohibiting people from buying up all those spec homes in the builders' inventory. Of course, I'm referring to the soaring cost of property insurance on the one hand, and our ridiculous property tax system on the other.

So far, the gutless wonders up in Tallahassee have failed us by not taking on these issues, generating lukewarm ballot measures that may not even be constitutional.

I assume the situation is the same in other states.

If we could get these state legislators to take action, it would have WAY more of an impact than a Fed rate cut. But, they're not going to do that until we socks in the dryer hold them to account!

Enough ranting. I've got leftover Halloween candy to eat . . .

A Halloween Reading Recommendation

For you socks who are too mature for trick or treating or other shenanigans this evening, I would like to recommend some good leisure reading.

The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett is an awesome book.

You may recognize the author's name from his prolific number of spy thriller novels, some of which have been made into movies like "Eye of the Needle."

But, with TPOTE, Follett broke out of that mold to try a new genre: historical fiction.

This is the tale of a medieval village in England that is transformed through the construction of a cathedral. It includes some of the most interesting characters in modern fiction. And, most importantly, it illustrates the struggle between church and state (God's law versus man's law).

Who knew?!

Anyway, it's a lot more edifying, uplifting, and thought provoking than the tripe horror movies all the cable channels will be serving up tonight.

So, check it out! (Literally! Go, check it out of the library!)

Beware the Ides of . . . October?!

I knew the Ides of March was traditionally a bad day, especially for Roman despots.

But, mid-October can also be a gloomy day, especially if you had to file an extension on your federal income tax return.

That's right, socks. If you begged-off on 4/15, you better get your delayed return postmarked today or Uncle Sam will get you!

It's almost appropriate this day falls in the same month as Halloween, no?!