Saturday, November 02, 2013

Sugar and spice

Lil' OB is the worm in my apple!
Lil' OB is mostly sugar and spice. When she isn't, she's a far cry from snails and puppy dog tails, but I'm not sure what she is.

You decide.

For the past two years, the kid has volunteered at Bloodview Haunted House as an actor. I am proud of her for embarking on this endeavor. First off, it's hard work. She's there from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m., the bulk of which is spent screaming her lungs out scaring the attendees. Secondly, Bloodview is the main annual fundraising event for the Broadview Heights Lions Club, and the money the haunted house collects goes to support stuff like programs for blind kids.

The kid: ready for action,
Bloodview 2013
I am not proud to admit that I had never gone to watch the kid's act.

What can I say? I'm suspicious of our pet bunny, let alone being in a dark enclosed space with grisly monsters that jump out at you in an "interactive improvisational haunted attraction."

It freaks me out!

Last night, however, Bloodview held over the season for one more day, thereby extending Halloween 2013 through Friday, Nov. 1. The Goat and I took it as a sign. The time to behold our baby dumplin' in action had come.

Bloodview admittance stamp
See that stamp on my hand? Yeah, right. Friendly little ghost my ass.

The ordeal was about 30 minutes of old-school ghoul. We're talking black lights, dangling eyeballs, chains clamoring upon steel cages inside of which yelping blood-soaked corpses howl, rotating tunnels and a pitch-black maze.


Your humble hostess screamed bloody murder from beginning to end.

Lil' OB, Halloween 2011
Recognizing me as more susceptible to their ministrations than the throng of indifferent teens (and at the tender age of 48, fairer game than say, a 9-year-old trembling at daddy's side), the creepzoids gave me the special treatment with an inordinate amount of pokes, taunts and up-close-and-personal attention.

At some point, I gathered the back of the Goat's sweatshirt, twisted it into a makeshift handle and clutched it in a death grip.

I was even scared by my own kid as she growled, "Mother! Father!" beneath the shock of strobe lights whilst a cadaver next to her sprang to life and I about hit the ceiling.

By some Miracle of the Lord, I survived the severed heads, swooping machetes and threats of having my face eaten off. A large adult beverage was in order when we got home.

As for the kid, underneath all that make up she's tops.

Jessie, October 2012

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9 comments:

Erin O'Brien said...

IMPORTANT POST SCRIPT:

The Goat's side of the bed this morning.

Anonymous said...

She seems like a winner to me.

Smithville celebrated Halloween last night too as a cold front passing through on the 31st rained trick or treat out.

RJ

Anonymous said...

You raised a great Little OB.

James Old Guy

Anonymous said...

Hiya Erin-

That last photo is a tremendous image.


For me, among the attributes of a great photograph are that it makes a viewer ask questions or makes a viewer wish they were inside the image...this one does both.

MR

Anonymous said...

RE: The 'Goat's side' pic:

"I ain't afraid of no ghost"?


MR

Erin O'Brien said...

Thanks for the nice comments. She is a good kid.

As for that last pic, it my very favorite photo of Jessie.

As for the stamp transfer on the sheets, I had taken the pic of the stamp on my hand last night and had already drafted the post this morning when I went to make the bed. When I drew back the sheet and saw that, I laughed so so hard.

twinklysparkles said...

We did the Hudson Haunted House many years ago. In less than 3 minutes I'm sure, I clutched Paul's shirt, crouched into his back, and hid my face. In the time I did look up, I scream/laughed so hard that I think I peed my pants (it was over 19 years ago, so I'm not 100% sure any more). This was before zombies became as popular as they are now, but there were chained lunatics and chain saws and strobe lights (hate) and who knows what else.

I am a wimp and hate horror and being scared. I do watch "The Walking Dead," miraculously, but it's got so much character and story that I guess it works for me and scares are not much a part of the show.

I love that the L'il Goat has done it and now you've gotten to see her. Fabuloso!

Can you tell us more about her attire this year? Swamp/woodland/bird zombie? Or can one only know if one goes through the haunted house? Dang!

Anonymous said...

BTW, is that the Menchie's on Detroit in Lakewood?

MR

Erin O'Brien said...

Hey Twinks, Jessie was a different character every time she performed at the house. The weird creature get-up shown in this post won her an award. The pic doesn't do it justice.

As for the smiling Jack make up, I think that was for a party or something.

MR, that was on 25th street during the West Side Market 100 year celebration. It was cold as hell, but we got a dish of Mitchell's ice cream just the same. We were sitting on the ledge of a store front.