I missed the Halloween parade in the Village, mostly because I didn't know about it until I came home at 4:30am to find an email from a friend asking me if I went. Then when I asked my host about it, he said, oh, right, that would have been cool, I went there last year, or something like that.

I was in Village the night before with my cousin who has lived in the same building for 25 years and gave me a great tour of the neighbrhood after stuffing me full of Jewish soul food (matzah ball soup, extra lean corned beef on rye and Dr. Brown's cream soda) at the Second Avenue Deli.

I did see plenty of NYC freaks around the 42nd street area and on the subway. My favorite costume was this guy who had a plain cardboard box hanging around his torso. On the box, was written "From: God To: Women". Clever, yet somehow, very, very ironic. I wonder if he got any play.

Halloween in the city is much different than the ones I grew up with in LA. There are no houses here in Manhatten, so kids go around to apartments and shops to trick or treat. It's very odd. In the building I'm staying in, a 20 story block on the upper west side, tenants could sign up with the conceirge to request trick or treaters. I think it's kind of sad. I remember as a kid going to neighboorhoods where every house was decorated with pumpkins and ghosts and spiders and witches and there were tons of other kids around.

When we got home, the conceirge still had some candy left over. I ate some chocolate taffy and a couple little packs of Bottle Caps. Remember Bottle Caps?