Sunday, November 1, 2009

I hear you knocking, but you can't come in

Happy Halloween, everyone! We had a successful party: plenty of witch's brew, sugar peaks and valleys, toy battles, and banged noggins. The only thing that prevented it from being absolute perfection was those blasted trick or treaters that kept ringing the bell. I swear, someone had to get up every five seconds to hand out candy. We did try the bowl by the door, but that cut down on the volume only a little. Some kids still knocked or rang, and others took way more than a little candy, requiring someone to get up every ten seconds and refill the bowl.

Unfortunately none of us will be together next year for a Halloween hall party, but that didn't stop us from devising a plan to solve this serious problem. I have to give total credit for this idea to Lauren, so don't come crying to me when you try it out and someone gets hurt. Here it is: the treat-dispensing funnelator! The idea needs a little work; currently any sort of funnelator requires three people to operate it: one on each end to hold the tubing, and one in the middle to fire. I'll get back to you as soon as I figure out how to automate it. I'm pretty sure it will be way before next Halloween because I can already see some outstanding year-round applications for it. Oh, and if you're coming to visit me anytime soon, you might want to call first.

3 comments:

Wendy said...

We usually just camp out by the door. We saw where somebody put out the "please take one" bucket of candy. It was empty.

I left my husband (to take Gavin ToT) with the words, "One per child".

We've never run out of candy. And if they get grabby? I pull the bowl away from them. I'm mean. ;)

Amanda said...

We both take the kids out so I leave a big bucket and when it's gone, it's gone. No refills. Most people here are done or out of candy after the first hour anyway. For people who stay home to hand it out, there's someone sitting outside because there's so many kids it's just easier. Sometimes 2-3 houses of adults will get together around a fire to stay warm while handing out the candy. I noticed this year there was a lack of beer. I wonder if the MPs said anything about it after last year.

Helen said...

Awesome costume, Weston!

We put out a bowl because we weren't going to be there and I was SHOCKED to come back and find candy left. Everyone really took one. Amazing.