Halloween stories

To be honest, I’m not much of a Halloween buff….or at all.  No, we did not dress up Katelyn this year.  What’s the point? So we can take a million pictures of her miserable in a silly outfit?  No thanks.

Just now I was thinking of a Halloween back in my college days.  (And by that I mean earlier college days). The story goes something like this. Please excuse me as some of the exact details might be a little off….it was too long ago.

My sis and I were living it up in Liberty Square in good old Jefferson 17. We had some crazy roommates but looking back, it made for some of my best memories at BYU–both good and bad but definitely memorable.

Sometime around Halloween some younger kids of one of the neighboring bishopric members (did that make sense?) were having too much fun doorbell ditching around the complex while their dads were in meetings or interviews. I was less than amused as were a few of my roommates. After several attempts to scare them off (ie whipping open the door and yelling at them as they were reaching for the doorbell) we realized it would take a little more to discourage their hoodlumness.

So I devised a plan.

A cup of water, a simple question to distract, a toss of the water, and run.

Me: “Excuse me. Do you know which building is Madison?” 

The two out-of-control 9-ish year old boys: “Uh, yeah, just go around….” turning their heads as they point…

And a splash. Cup of cold water in their face! (yeah, I have no mercy for undisciplined children).

Then I ran. Unfortunately, I didn’t think that part through very well as they saw exactly where I lived. Not so brilliant. 

A few days later, our doorbell rang again. The bell was once again ditched but this time it was a Halloween gift from members of the EQ presidency. A cute little cup with two goldfish (real ones, not the crackers….which we would have liked a lot more) in it and writing on it saying “Happy Halloween”. Uh, nice idea but what is everyone in the ward going to do with all these goldfish? We didn’t want goldfish. I’m pretty sure 99% didn’t survive the night just like ours. Not for any reason in particular.  They are goldfish. That’s what they do.

Then comes our payback. I’m not sure if it was that same night or a few days later but the hoodlums returned. This time my roommate Brittany answered the door only to have a bowl full of water and goldfish tossed at her.  Luckily her quick reflexes helped her dodge that one but then we had several goldfish flopping around on our carpet. I think it was Mari who jumped in to save them all.

So they definitely got us back. Total backfire. They got us pretty good.

Later we found out that these boys belonged to a bishop of a neighboring ward. And the bishop gave them the idea or at least encouraged it. In addition, they were the brothers of one of our “friends” who also encouraged it/gave them the idea.

Huh.

Later, we saw this bishop at a local restaurant. I was very tempted to go throw a glass of water in his face but decided that wouldn’t be appropriate in such a public setting.

But still, very tempted.