A Halloween Story

I was just reminiscing about Halloween.

And how as kids my brothers and I went out all decked out in my mom's most recent sewing projects armed with nothing but a pillowcase each and the pure resolve to fill them to the brim.

I don't think we ever actually got them that full, but in my mind the pillowcase was always half-full.

(being of an optimistic nature)

Anyway -

THE best part about all the trick or treating was coming home, dumping our candy out on the living room floor in three piles, and tallying up the goods. We never mixed our candy (NO WAY), but rather took careful stock of what we had (in preparation for impending thievery), disposed of anything open (popcorn balls?), broken (lollypops), or unsavory (peanuts/raisins) and then proceeded with the process of trading goods.

This was way more badass than any monopoly property trades, and definitely had way more on the line.

This was like, little-kid-trade-your-soul-for-a-mounds seriousness right here. And we definitely had a barter system...like:

One name brand candy (milky way) = six shitty candies (excluding gold pirate coins)
One mini Three Musketeers = one full size Snickers
One Starburst packet = two Dum Dums.
One Nerds box = One Nerds box (seriously)

And so on.

And we knew that we damn well better save a few blow pops for mom (as payment for making our costumes, of course), and almond joys and Reese's peanut butter cups for dad (as payment for escorting us safely through egg-bombed streets) or else use them as decoys to steer him away from the full stash later on. (I don't know about you people, but I had an entire drawer devoted to halloween candy, and the stock would last until Easter...albeit by then it consisted of stale tootsie rolls and the occasional starburst)

And then when the trading and packing away and tallying was done, I rationed it out until the next appointed mass-candy-receival (i.e. Easter).

Like, I'm talking, I get ONE Three Musketeers a week ( my favorite halloween candy).

Now I just buy a bar of super dark chocolate and I'm set for approximately ten days before I need to replenish the supply.