Ugh…you know in animal shows, when they enter the bat cave, catch a little fuzzy bat, during it’s day time slumber, and then shine some brighter-than-the-sun halogen bulb on it for the camera, and the tiny, scrunched up face, of the little flying mammal, explodes into a hideous toothy, wide-mouthed grimace?

That’s how I feel.

Due to some loop in the UIS employment rules, one of the girls that works at my box office has to take a break (she has too many hours). Thus it falls to me, to fill in during the day…meaning mornings. The ticket office is very accommodating to my hours…so I’ve only slid further into nocturnal living (getting most of my writing work and other chores done between the hours of 1am to sunup). Well…my night time biorhythms are pretty set and I can’t seem to change them…so…for the time being…I’m getting no sleep…and it makes me loopy.

Work and work and then Shakespeare class till late. I came back to my room to unwind. And how do you unwind Josh? Thanks for asking, disembodied voice I just made up. I unwind by handling a rare and endangered SERPENT while listening to Led Zeppelin (at least that’s what I did tonight). Holding a snake (all gutter minded jokes aside) is a great and unique tactile experience that would be hard to explain to the non-reptile initiated. Soothing…

All right…let’s get to brass tacks here…my weakened state can’t keep me from getting to the true purpose of this journal entry…

October is here and I like to celebrate the whole month. Put all of your metaphorical eggs into one night and it’ll never live up to the expectations. But a month…

So, below is a list of some of the scheduled Halloween activities going down this month. Below that will be a list of non-scheduled activities. Pick, choose, contact me…and by all means, add to it (let me know).

-Oct 6-9th (Wed-Sat) I’ll be in Eureka for Homecoming. So…for the Eureka contingent, I’ll be around for some of those non-scheduled activities (when not doing Homecoming stuff).

-Oct 10th (Sunday): OK – this isn’t really Halloween…but kind of cool. Over the summer I met a surrealist artist in Chicago. We ended up liking a lot of the same cultural and pop-cultural stuff. She liked my short stories. She also liked the idea of my epic poem (my thesis) and agreed to do some artwork for the book. This means when I do my final reading of my project, come April, it will be a larger event (a reading and an art show…and I’ll get the art studio to do the reading, instead of a little classroom and invite many people…cause…unlike many of the other writing students, I’m an attention whore). Anyway…on Sunday, I will drive up to Chicago to see the artist’s latest art exhibit. It’s at Schizoclub Gallery (2054 West Chicago) in Ukrainian Village in Chicago during the East Village Arts Walk on Oct 9th & 10th 12pm – 7pm (MORE INFO). Her name is Daina and her website HERE. Anyone up north wanting to meet me there (or come up with me from Eureka) is welcome.

-Oct 16 (Saturday): Ghost stories at Volo Bog (7-9pm). Volo bog is a real, quaking bog, near my home up north. They’ve started doing ghost stories there every year, with professional storytellers. It’s fun, the dress the place up nice…and it’s at a real bog (good setting). This is more for you folks up North…however, anyone down here in central IL who wants to road trip with me home (I’ll be returning that Sunday) is welcome. Anyone interested, please contact me ASAP as I have to call in and register by this Friday, Oct. 8th.

-Oct 17 (Sunday): Ghost tour in Alton. Going on a walking ghost tour with Torrie, Jeramie, and Amy and others. Sorry…tickets sold out for this one…

-Oct 18 (Monday): It’s come to my attention that Eureka has some sort of movie club and that they will show a double feature (NOSFERATU and SHADOW OF THE VAMPIRE) with a discussion afterwards. I shall be in town for that.

-Oct 30 (Saturday): Amy and Jeramie’s Halloween party. I think this needs little introduction. Amy and Jeramie through great parties. Jeramie is a bartender and a half. Amy and he put up kick ass decorations…and now they have a whole house to have it in. Costumes party (bring costume!). Now…they haven’t sent out an official email, so I reserve to the right to be wrong about all this…but I’m fairly certain that this is the date and that it is on.

Those are the scheduled events. Here are some non schedueled goodies for filler. I’ll be in Eureka this weekend for whatever. The weekend of the 22-24th is wide open as well. Not to mention the Friday before Halloween and Halloween itself (I imagine I will by in the Eureka area since I’ll be at Amy and Jeramie’s party on the 30th). Here are some thoughts…

-HORROR MOVIE NIGHT AT PRITCHARD THEATRE: OK my Eureka compatriots…we need to figure out a night. That big screen TV – loads of horror movies – maybe some ghost stories – maybe some eerie lighting – maybe popcorn. Can I have an Amen!

-BACHELOR’S GROVE CEMETERY: This is one of the most notorious haunt sites in the state. There are stories with everything from killer ghosts, to swamp creatures, to a materializing mansion. It’s an unused, pretty much totaled cemetery…not easy to get to…but I and a few others have been there before. I’d like to go back (when it’s not dead of winter). More info on the place ENTER.

-VAMPIRE TAG: Several years ago, I came across the RULES for “Vampire Tag” on the internet. I still have them on my computer…and have yet to play. This is the kind of game of tag meant to be played by folks our age, in the middle of the night, running around some playground, like little kids. I vow to play this year! But I need a decent sized group of like minded crazies…hey Eureka Crowd!

-GHOST STORIES: It’s free…all it takes is a group of people, and the proper local…

-So that’s what I’ve got. Please feel free to add…just put suggestions in the comment box. Here are some websites that list stuff in Illinois: CHICAGO METROMIX – HALLOWEEN (this website has all sorts of parties and activities in the Chicagoland area) and HAUNTED HEARTLAND (this is the guide to haunted attractions in Central IL) and HAUNTED ILLINOIS (general list of IL haunted attractions). Take a look. Compare notes.

And finally…a great, online place to get Halloween supplies is FRIGHT CATALOG.