Do you sleep with all the covers on your head?

It's that oh-so-glorious time of year once again: the time when little boys and ghouls roam the streets in creepy garb, begging like little urchins for a sugar fix and threatening to destroy your property if they don't get what they want.

Ummm...how come this form of intimidation is overlooked this time of year? In my day, when kids in creepy garb approached you and threatened to destroy you if you didn't give them what they wanted, it was called bullying.

But, then again, I'm not one to judge...much.

So, yes, it is Hallowe'en (or close enough, anyway). This is really one of my least-favourite days of the year. Sure, I liked the candy perks as much as the next kid growing up (and, let's be honest, I still do), but that is just not enough to justify the very existence of a day meant to terrify and obliterate the sanity of children everywhere.

In case you can't tell, I don't much like being scared and stuff. Not my thing.

I had a very overactive imagination as a kid (and, let's be honest, I still do), so Hallowe'en was always more exaggerated for me, I think.

I didn't like scary movies at the best of times, and an early childhood viewing of The Lost Boys pretty much scarred me for life against vampires. As adorable as the two Coreys were, even they could not detract from Kiefer Sutherland's terrifying appearance as David.

It helps a bit now to know that Jack Bauer could take David with one hand tied behind his back and STILL yell to Chloe that they are "running out of time", but not much.

As for my vampire phobia, I am working my way through a program to help me with that. It all started about eight years ago, when I became a faithful Buffy the Vampire Slayer fan. I credit Spike with really helping me to see vampires in a different light...very different light.

Not sunlight, though! Ha! It's funny 'cause it's true. Unless you're in the Twilight universe...but that's a whole other story.

Anyway, moving right along...

So, creepy, scary stuff is not my thing. That's why I always tried to dress in happy costumes for Hallowe'en, like a princess or a punk rocker (this one was very easy, and I was - and am - very lazy). I always wanted to be a princess (and, let's be honest, I still do), but I never got a tiara until I was in my 20s. Granted, it was from the dollar store, but we never had dollar stores in MY day, so I had to make my own tiaras and crowns.

I appreciate clever costumes for Hallowe'en, as opposed to just plain scary. Scary is sooooo overdone. Clever is the new black; it's very in and now.

So if you are heading out this Hallowe'en and are wondering what kind of costume to wear, just remember that you have the potential to scare the crap out of a little kid and potentially provide her/him with an ingrained memory that will never disappear, no matter how hard they may try to forget.

Now THAT is scary.