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I think we got upwards of fifty kids last night. I was tempted to refuse candy to a couple of teenagers who showed up in jeans and sweatshirts. Very popular this year: Spiderman. Princess had a typical strong showing. My faux pas: "Oh! Spiderman with a cape!" The poor kid's zipper in the back had broken, explained his sister. We decided not to offer them celery. Best costume: the homemade Peter from "Peter and the Wolf". Our apartment was out in force, the first and third floor neighbors (mostly in costume), sitting in the doorway or on the stoop, wine and/or gin in hand. The next door neighbor, brother of the landlord, popped out during commercial breaks for the Pats game. (Scariest part of the evening?) I've always felt Lara & I were sort of interlocutors in the neighborhood. The force of gentrification, breaking up the community. I realized that can't be quite right, since the longer term residents don't actually know one another. Case in point: The mother a couple doors up exclaimed to her companion as her children got candy from G.B., "We went to high school with him!". Her companion didn't recognize him. "The Monster Mash" played incessantly from across the street. We countered with Thriller and Off The Wall. Twenty-year-old albums! Luckily the downstairs neighbors were prepared for the kids and had a copious amount of candy, of which, I had my fair share. Another bonus: no smashed pumpkins this morning!