It seems most people's favorite season is fall. Fed up with hot sunny days, fall is a nice intro to the drudgery of winter. Rustling leaves, orange landscapes, bonfires.

For sports fans it's a delight. Football is in full swing, hockey begins in mid-October, basketball end of October, and baseball has the World Series. Thus being a life long Cubs fan my October sports datebook is always open.

But maybe the best part of fall is Halloween. How can anyone dislike Halloween? Especially as a kid. You get to dress up and pretend to be whatever you want to be and you're rewarded with candy. As an adult you dress up and pretend to be whoever you want to be and your rewarded with alcohol. Can't beat it.

As a kid growing up in the 60's I had pretty fun costumes; skeleton in 4th grade, beatnik in 5th, a pirate in 3rd grade and 1968, which I recall being the warmest and sunniest Halloween as a child.

My favorite was Kindergarten 1965. I had to be a Beatle. Ben Cooper, who was the major licensed costume producer, did a line of each individual Beatles that year. The only store we could find these was Kresege's at Sheridan Village. I really wanted to be John but of course they were sold out. George wasn't in my size, no way I was going to be Paul. Luckily there was a Ringo in my size and I became a pint-sized Richard Starkey.

I already had an "official" Beatle wig and a fistful of Beatles gum ball machine flicker rings. I was set, I will be the coolest kid in the playground parade.

The ritual was a half a school day, go to McDonald's for lunch, go home change, return to school and see if anyone recognizes you or you others. This ran every year until sixth grade.

When I hit the playground there were cowboys, ballerinas, Frankenstein, ghost, typical kid costumes. Cool! I was the only one hip enough to be a Beatle.

We head to the classroom party and know one notices me. Wow, I got them fooled. We stand in a circle and the teacher and principal go around and guess who each of are. My time is here, man they are going to think I'm the coolest 4 year old ever.

My stodgy teacher leans over looks at me, can't figure out who it is. Ha-ha! Great fooled them! She asks who is this? I giggled "Bobby" tee-hee. She scornfully says "I know that, who are you supposed to be?" I said "Ringo!" I get a huh? look from her and I say "the drummer from the Beatles!". "Oh one of them" is her reply. The principal looks at me with disgust and with a sarcastic smirk says "real nice" and shakes his head and moves on.

I'm dumbfounded until the kids around me ask "Yeah, who are you supposed to be?" and no one knew who I was! What do you mean? This is crazy! The ultimate Halloween costume and know one knew who I was. I guess it was East Peoria 1965 and I was ahead of the curve a bit. I guess I could have gone as Lenny Bruce. Now that would have turned some heads!

The sixties had great costumes. In addition to the Beatles kids could choose from TV shows...

Cartoons...

Kids TV shows...

One of my personal favorites....

And of course monsters, the best masks were made by Don Post. The company advertised in monster magazines. Mail order only.

As stated earlier the big pay off for a snazzy Halloween costume is candy. As a kid it was pretty exciting at about mid-September grocery stores would put out displays. Everyone knows this is the start of candy-gasm. Pounds of chocolates, sugary confections, and various sweets starting appearing in Halloween, heads to Christmas, on to Valentine's. Candygasm finally ends at Easter went it's sent off with fertility candies of chocolate eggs and marshmallow bunnies.

Halloween may still be the most fun and colorful. Blasts of vibrant fall color packaging highlighted with witches and goblins. Nothing says Halloween better than a plump fresh bag of candy corn.

Brach's candy was always "Goblin Approved."

Even cereal companies got in the game...

Bubble gum too...

Kool-Aid man!...

Halloween is a pretty damn exciting time when you're a kid. Dressing up, trick or treating, candy, parties all a great time.

If you are creative just be sure you dress as someone that someone even remotely recognizes or you may wind up like me in Kindergarten...

I wanna be your man, I wanna be your man,
I wanna be your man, I wanna be your man.

Surprise link, click on it...I dare you!

Bonus Trick Or Treat Photos From All Smiles Dental Care!

My pals over at All Smiles Dental Care go all out on Halloween and dress up for trick or treaters stopping by. So I decided to stop by and check out the festive fun at ASDC and here’s some photos from that trick or treat stop!

The ASDC crew (from top left): Shaun, Amber, Danielle, Doc and Paggy. Great costumes and always a fun place to stop by. It's the friendliest and most fun dental office in the world!

And sadly, they win this round of our dueling business card bonanza! Just wait till next time ASDC, I'm stocking up!

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Today’s post was brought to you by Sky Harbor Steak House. Check them and all the other fine businesses helping to support this blog over at the MBIP Bucket List Page. Your Daily Random Linkage awaits you at the bottom of the that page as well!

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