Receipe for a Helluva Halloween Bash

Have you ever noticed that someone's persona changes once they don a costume? That's what makes Halloween Parties so much fun- Clark Kent becomes superman-librarians strut as playboy bunnies and science teachers become nerds, wearing taped glasses and pocket protectors (oops).

The recipe for a great Halloween party begins with a big old house-the bigger and older, the better. Next are the decorations- cobwebs, spiders, rats, fog and weird sounds.

We just attended two "super bowls" of parties. They met all of the above criteria and then some. The decorations were fantastic - moving ghosts, talking heads and skeletons, more weird noises than a cheap motel- so much fog/smoke I thought I was back in the boy's room in high school.

Now for the cast! Every Halloween Party must have a few well endowed cheerleaders and some scantly clad nurses. Throw in a portly priest and a naughty nun along with an assortment of ghouls and goblins. Check out Egore, Shegore, Vincegore, Kategore and Uncle Fester. There were so many capes I thought it was either an Elvis or Liberace Convention. No party is complete without the Village People plus the cast from, The Wizard of Oz. Four of the guests came as pall bearers carrying a coffin with a real skeleton inside!

Top it off with super food and drink-Wow, Wow Wow!

Hershey-Sweetest Spot on Earth

Every fall, like migrating geese, thousands of antique auto enthusiasts head for Hershey-the largest gathering of antique autos on earth. They come from all over the world-they buy cars, parts, show cars and motorcycles and have one heck of a good time.

I'm into characters and they abound here. They express themselves in their clothes and their rides. All makes of cars are represented-their clubs having tents for recruitment and fraternization.

Cars, motorcycles, and parts are for sale - everywhere. Check out the neat Ford woody wagon-with a mere $175,000 price tag. How about the cartoon character car with thousands of cartoon characters painted on the body.

One couple dressed in antique motorcycle clothing, received a lot of laughs and applause as they drove their 1949 Indian Service Cycle on the shoe field-the sign read, "World's Slowest Indian".

Need some horsehair to stuff an old seat? See Mel -he will sell you the hair and the hide. If you need it -you will probably find it at Hershey.

Fall Carlisle

Ladies-want to meet men - thousands of them? I have bad and good news: bad is many are unshaven, have mechanic hands, and are shower challenged; good news - they can be resurrected. They get that way by spending five days at Carlisle.

It is here that men bond-no razors - no etiquette - no rules. It is a beer swilling, tall tale telling, gaseous group-analogous to "deer camp" but that is another story. It is a world of characters and an a lot of fun.

When you get that many people in a small town like Carlisle, sleeping and eating become a problem. Some sleep in Motel Chevy or Ford - some in tents and other ingenious shelters (check out the cardboard box "house" and the beer barrel stove).

Everyone eats man food: peanuts, chips, cashews, jerky, cheese and bologna-washing it down with Coors and bud. Broccoli, celery, and carrot sticks are a no -n0. That would be like wearing sandals to a Harley Meet. It is a gigantic tailgate without class.

What exactly is Carlisle you ask. They are 10 ft wide and 30 ft deep and there are about 8000 of them-at 95$ each. They are vendor spaces. Do the math-it is not small change-plus there is a gate attendance of 100,000 spectators. it is one of the largest automobile events in the world- Hershey could be larger.

In the 70's there were no flea markets that catered to late model cars, muscle cars, etc. Two guys from the Harrisburg Area rented the Carlisle Fairgrounds- and had their first meet. Bingo- ten years later they bought the fairground.