Party Guest Fee

Question:

Your employer sends out an invitation to the company Holiday Party. Drinks, dinner, dancing, door prizes.

You can come for free, but if you bring a guest, they pay $20. 

Is this standard, now?

Do you go? And if you go, do you take your life partner?

Halloween Scenes 2025

Random scenes from handing out treats last night

***

One family wore a Spaceballs group costume. Mom was Dot, Dad was Barf, little daughter was Yogurt, and another random adult was a white uniformed ball-headed A$$hole.

***

Most kids said thank you. Most of their parents weren't paying attention and asked, "Did you say thank you?" right after their kid had just said it.

***

A half dozen adults accompanied a tiny toddler.

"That's a lot of chaperones for one small person," I said.

"Can you tell she's the first grandchild?" one grandparent asked.

"Either that, or she's very dangerous."

***

One little boy protested as his mother put his little sister in the wagon next to him.

Said Mom, "She's not going to steal your candy."

But, as soon as the sister was in, her hand went right into the boy's bucket.

The boy squawked. The mom scolded him and took his bucket away "to protect his candy."

As they walked away, he was crying,  Mom was pissed, and the sister couldn't have cared two sh!ts about anything.

***

Three teens were dressed as Gru and a couple of Minions.

***

One kid with a pillowcase for a candy receptacle, after being told he could take two pieces of candy, picked out five.

"Don't be greedy, buddy," said Dad.

Replied the snarky voice in my head, "Then don't set expectations by giving your kid such a gigantic bag for candy, dude."

***

It was nice to see groups of tweens roaming together, squealing, and having loud fun.

***

One tween girl with her parents asked if she could go join her friends who were in a pack on the sidewalk just up the block, but Dad said no. She tried phrasing the request several different ways, but the answer didn't change. "I know you're bummed, but we talked about it. Next year," Dad said.

They did let her run over to the group of friends to say hello, and she came running right back.

Some families communicate very well.

***

Inflatable costumes are fun! We saw an alien carrying a kid, a big blue egg-shaped character that I'm not familiar with, and a cowboy riding a raptor.

***

Three young brothers came dressed as Superman, the Flash, and Batman. Superman was the oldest, and he tmade sure each of his brothers got a candy and said thank you. Sometimes heroes DO wear capes.

*** 

Younger Son came over with a package of special Pokemon Halloween cards to hand out. Those were very popular and went fast.

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We have friends who gave kids the choice of Candy or Potato.  They were delighted that 8 of their 32 visitors picked a potato.

***

I didn't recognize anyone who came by our house. They all, obviously, live within walking distance of our home, but nope, no idea who anyone was.

Apparently, we don't socialize much 🫤

Carpool

The HusBand and I are heading out to run Saturday errands.

Me: Which vehicle are we taking?

He: We're gonna use the travel van, if that's okay.

Me, dramatically: Nooooooo!

He: Let me put it this way. *I'm* taking the van. *You* can sit in whichever car you want.

🤣

October Butterfly on Late Blooming Lilac

Thought you'd appreciate this October 9th burst of spring.

I know. It's technically a moth. Sue me.

Didn't Respond

You might be pleased to hear that Tomorrow Me handled things brilliantly. 

And All Of Me is still gainfully employed.

Don't Respond

It is sometimes hard to convince Today Me not to respond to my boss' late-in-the-day annoying emails. Even knowing Tomorrow Me will be less triggered and will probably have a better response that is less likely to get Me fired, Today Me argues that she has some interesting things to say right now.

Girlfriend. You are right, and you are brilliant, but at this stage in our lives, we like making money more than we like making a point. We're gonna let Tomorrow Me handle this one, 'k?

Old Lady Collections

The young man two cubicles away asked sheepishly, "Do any of you happen to have a plastic fork?"

"Do I?!?" I cackled maniacally. 

I reached into my desk, and presented him with this: 

Some old ladies have bowls of hard candy. I have a cup of plasticware.

Radio Reunion

A few weeks ago, the radio station I used to work for began running announcements promoting its 70th anniversary. Past and present staff members are assembling for a one-day special broadcast retrospective at the end of the month. What I said to The Husband upon hearing this was, "Hm, I guess my invitation got lost in the mail." I grumbled a bit about being left out, being not important enough to be included, or being just plain forgotten, and then I thought nothing more about it.

Until yesterday. When I received a text from my former radio boss. "Huh," said I to The Husband nearby, "It's Radio Boss."

"Oh," said The Husband in a tone that suggested it was going to be bad news, "I think I know what that might be about."

"Oh," said I in a tone that suggested I figured out it was going to be the invitation I had previously been offended by not getting.

Which it was. Was I available, Radio Boss wanted to know. Could I join them? I told him I'd have to check my schedule, ask time off work, would get back to him.

I checked my schedule. I'm available. If I asked for time off, it'd be granted. 

Before we went to bed last night, I told The Husband I wasn't going to do it. The last time I participated in a reunion-type production like this one, it hadn't gone well. I had come prepared with things to talk about, entertaining memories, and questions to ask. But after I'd been introduced to the audience, the floor was never opened to me to speak. They talked to me and around me. They even asked me questions to which they provided their own answers. They didn't care to hear anything I had to say. Didn't even notice that they hadn't allowed me, a guest of the show, the opportunity to talk. Afterwards, I felt like crap. I wished I'd never been invited at all.

They're radio people, they love the sound of their own voices. I get it. So, I know this time won't be any different. My answer is no.

I'm typing this at 1:30am. Woke up thinking about the situation, getting upset about it even though I've already decided to send my regrets later this morning. 

Yes, I eventually got the invitation.  But, it came after *weeks* of promoting the event on the air in announcements that listed some of the personalities that would participate. Yet, I'm invited with four days to spare. An afterthought.

These people don't deserve my time or any of the emotion I'm currently spending on them.

Deep breath. Let it out.

Go get some rest, Roses. 

Stranger Than Fiction

Coworker 1 walking toward me: Hey, Stranger!

Me to Coworker 2 walking next to Coworker 1: He and I have met, but he knows I'm strange.

Working Up an Appetite

The Husband and I have been treating ourselves to fudgicles and ice cream over the past few weeks.

We had the following conversation Sunday morning.

He: We should weigh in today...

Me: Oh no.

He: ...then watch the news...

Me: Mm, even more fun.

He: ...get depressed and eat our feelings.

Me: I don't know about you, but my feelings are delicious.