To my FAVORITE ghoul,
HAPPY 57th BIRTHDAY DADDY!!

Grim Grinning Ghosts
Music by Buddy Baker  -  Lyrics by F. Alexander Atencio

Now don’t close your eyes,
And don’t try to hide.
Or a silly spook may sit by your side.
Shrouded in a daft disguise,
They pretend to terrorize.
Grim grinning ghosts come out to socialize.

As the moon climbs high o’er the dead oak tree,
Spooks arrive for the midnight spree.
Creepy creeps with eerie eyes,
Start to shriek and harmonize.
Grim grinning ghosts come out to socialize.

When you hear the knell of a requiem bell,
Weird glows gleam where spirits dwell.
Restless bones etherialize,
Rise as spooks of every size.

If you would like to join our jamboree,
There’s a simple rule that’s compulsory.
Mortals pay a token fee.
Rest in peace, the haunting’s free.
So hurry back, we would like your company.

A MOST HAUNTED AND HAPPY HALLOW’S EVE TO ALL MY FAVORITE GHOULS IN ALL MY FAVORITE HAUNTS!!

I must have walked under a ladder with an open umbrella stepping on a mirror and breaking it, all while Samantha (our resident black cat) walked in-front of my path.  And I’m sure there is Stevie Wonder’s “Superstition” playing in the distance.

Have you ever had a day that goes from bad to worse?  Try having one of those lifetimes.  I swear, one day someone is going to recognize the amazing fact that I’ve not managed to kill myself despite the crappy life that’s been handed to me.

So I’m running late this morning (what’s new?) thanks to the inept assistance I did NOT receive at Wake Med’s ER yesterday for the most heinous migraine that I’m still enduring.  After sitting there for almost 3 hours, we left and I figured I had enough drugs in the house to either kill off the migraine or kill myself off.  Either would suffice.

As you can tell, I am still alive this morning and the migraine still persists.

Wheee.

Anywho, like I stated, I woke up late.  Which is bad today because DC had a parent conference with Jake’s teacher (which we’ve already put off twice now) so we had to get a move-on.  I’m seriously considering fixing the fucking jeep that is occupying dead space in my driveway just to have an extra car to get around in.  (That’s a WHOLE OTHER POST).

And since I had the migraine from hell yesterday, I didn’t do any of my math homework OR work on the most magnificent and terrifying Anthropology take-home mid-term, compliments of Prof. Tom Beaman.  I am not afraid of it, since I can probably answer most of this shit in my sleep.  Its the other folks who are having a hard time with it and are looking to me for assistance since I am a Paleoanthropology major.

But driving in this morning on the 540, I hear this ominous FLUMP-FLUMP-FLUMP coming from the rear of the van and Dale looks at me, “Is that our car?”  To which I reply, “We’ve got a flat in the back” and I didn’t even have to look.  How’s that for being Ken Taylor’s car-repairing daughter?

Yep, flat as a fucking pancake rear driver’s side tire.  Big ol’ hunk-a-metal stuck in it.  Probably someone else’s rim.  So we schlump into the parking lot of my school, Dale whips out the phone and makes 2 calls:  1 to Jake’s teacher, apologizing yet again (she must think we’re tree sloths at this point) for not coming in to a scheduled conference and 1 to AAA.  Thank the maker that I had presence of mind to keep renewing that bad puppy. 

So he’s in the lot right now getting a tow to the tire shop.  I’m in the library working on said Anthro mid-term and now having to book it to History to listen to how awful we ALL did on HIS mid-term last week.

I’m hoping to step on sidewalk cracks, find another ladder to walk under.  I wish Samantha was here too.  She’d give added Halloween effect.

The Universe works in mysterious ways, it truly does.  I am a firm believer in that.

October is my favorite month.  Its filled with great fall weather, leaves changing colors, jack’o'lanterns, scary movies, cute costumes and birthdays.

In 1987, I met that kid right there on the right.  Being the social butterfly that I am, I practically bullied him into being my friend.  This was his Senior year at MSSH.  That June, I happened to meet his parents.

You don’t think that you’re looking at your future in-laws unless you’ve been dating one another forever.  You also don’t look at them and know that one day they’ll be your children’s grandparents.  Cause when you’re in high school, who thinks about that?

Today is Grandpa Dennis’ birthday.  Claudia, Gabe, Lea and Jake were never able to meet their Grandpa.  I think its ironic that Dale used to call him Papa…and our children call him Papa.  But in that good ironic way. 

Its sad that they’ll never get to hear Grandpa sing.  They won’t get to listen to him tell a story.  To go fly kites with him at the beach.  To get caught up in tickle matches at bedtime.  To get Grandpa hugs & kisses galore.

I know he was an amazing Dad to my Dale, thus he would have been an amazing Father-In-Law, and a stellar Grandpa to the Zoo.

Its always sad that we didn’t get enough time.  But I have to believe that he’s always here…watching over us…sending down his everlasting love and understanding, his patience and kindness, his brilliance and humor.

Happy Birthday, Papa Dennis.

With Much Love,