How to know if you are a Halloween Fanatic. 50 signs to look for.

  

  Recently I posted an article, "Why are you so obsessed with Halloween". That is one of the most viewed article on my blog with numerous link backs and shares. It also generated a lot of mail. One of the most common questions that comes from this article is, "How do I know if I am truly a Halloween fanatic or just a person who likes it?". 

   Below you will find a listing of 50 signs to look for in your life to determine if you are just fond, or fanatical. 

1. During the month of October, you seem to suffer from constant hot glue blisters, Dremel Tool gouges, X-acto blade cuts, coat hanger wire scrapes, splinters, paint fume headaches, and/or hand cramps from detail work.
2. You fully understand what a FCG, Peppers Ghost, Bucky, and Corpseing are.
3. You stalk your local stores, starting at the end of August, for Halloween merchandise.
4. You bargain shop for pumpkins.
5. Instead of having a Christmas Club Account or a Rainy Day Jar, you have a Halloween Cash Stash.
6. You take vacation time in October for Halloween projects.
7. You request Halloween off at your job a year in advance.
8. You have a nagging fear in the back of your mind that you will be sick on Halloween night.
9. Your "Black Friday" is whatever day the retails stores put their Halloween merchandise on 50% off.
10. If you have ever received or requested something Halloween related for your birthday and/or Christmas.
11. When on summer vacation to a warm sunny place, you manage to find and purchase something for Halloween.
12. Anytime you see the colors orange and black together, you automatically think "Halloween!". 
13. Your DVR is set to record more Halloween related shows than normal programming during the month of October.
14. Pumpkin flavored foods and drinks are highly coveted by you.
15. You would trade in your current vehicle, even though it is new, for a hearse in a heartbeat.
16. You landscape your yard during Spring and Summer for maximum creep factor in fall such as Sugar Maples and Red Oaks for fall colors or creepy gnarled bushes and trees for use in a yard haunt.
17. You stop mowing your yard for the month of October to make your house look scarier. 
18. If a cashier has ever asked you, "Are you building a bomb?" when you are shopping for Halloween.
19. You stockpile PVC, scrap wood, wire, miss mixed paint, Duct Tape, newspaper, and rebar all year.
20. If you have ever thrown away perfectly good storage items to make room for just one more Halloween tote.
21. Your idea of prime Halloween shopping locations includes Thrift stores, Yard/Garage sales, and Goodwill.
22. You plan your weekend destinations based on store locations that are selling a particular Halloween item.
23. If you ever dismantled another Holiday decoration to create something for Halloween.
24. You start dreaming up your Halloween Costume in June.
25. You're the first on your block to decorate for Halloween.
26. Your Halloween decorations are up in September.
27. If you have ever found yourself cooking something and thinking, "How can I make this look really gross for a Halloween Party.".
28. You find yourself secretly excited because you just heard a Halloween related song on the radio or TV.
29. You make a big deal out of seeing the first Halloween commercial of the year. 
30. Before throwing out anything broken or old, such as furniture, electronics, or clothes, you consider if it could be used for a Halloween prop.
31. You have at least one Halloween ring tone on your cell.
32. There is at least one Halloween item that stays up year round in your home.
33. People ask you if they can borrow a costume to scare somebody.....and it is July.
34. Somebody brings to your attention, during the month of October, that you have strange red stains on your hand, fingers, or feet.
35. Whenever visiting a graveyard, you can't help but look at the tombstones for inspiration. 
36. You surprise yourself at the amount of black and gray spray paint you go through.
37. If you have ever dug up a section of your yard to plant pumpkins.
38. When shopping for a new house, some of the main items you consider are , is there room for Halloween parties, how will it look decorated, will trick or treaters come to this house, and is there enough storage for my Halloween stuff. 
39. You have friends who bring over their friends to see your house during Halloween.
40. You know the difference in a Bucky and a Blucky.
41. If you have ever gotten into an argument with a complete stranger because they swear you can buy a hand made crank ghost or Pepper's ghost illusion at Walmart. 
42. In your collection of everyday hanging pictures in your house, there is at least one picture of you or your family in Halloween costumes.
43. If you have ever purchased a security camera. Not for your house or your car, but your display.
44. You have a special drawer or place in the closet for Halloween themed clothing and t shirts.
45. You have a secret family recipe, passed down over generations, for a Halloween related food or drink.
46. Your family and friends are always on the look out for strange bottles and jars to add to your apothecary display.
47. If you get random picture messages from friends containing Halloween displays or merchandise.
48. If you have ever studied a real spider's web for inspiration on a prop.
49. It's the first weekend of September and you already feel behind on your Halloween preparations.

And last, but not least.....

   50.  You start your own blog about Halloween.

   Now to score yourself and see just how into Halloween you are. Total the number of signs you can identify with and check below to see where you end up.

SCORING:

0-5     You're an Oops : 

You most likely found my blog by accident. Sorry if I scared you.

6-10   You're a Participator : 

With less than 2 weeks till Halloween. You better dig out that paper skeleton    and apple sized plastic pumpkin to decorate.

11-30 You are a Fan : 

You decorate, and celebrate. You most likely dress up to hand out candy from your decorated door.

31-45 You are a Fanatic : 

Your house is a work of Halloween art. Your Halloween Holiday spans weeks while you prepare and decorate. You most likely have an annual party and most of your decorations/costume are hand made. You  have the best treat bags on the block and set a huge budget for your Halloween spending.

46-50 You are the Incarnation of Samhain! :  

The neighborhood children better bring a change of underwear when they come for treats.  

   Hope that sheds some light on your true feeling for Halloween. Let me know how you scored. In other news :

I have been given an iDig Your Blog Award,

bestowed upon me by HollyHorror of Holly's Horrorland!

iDig Your Blog Award Protocol:

1 .) Gratefully accept this award. 

2 .) Link to the person you received it from.

3. ) Post 3 interesting facts about yourself.

4 .) Pass this award around to at least 5 blogs you dig. 

5. ) Notify them.

1. I accept this award with the utmost gratitude.

2. Thank you, HollyHorrorshow for digging my blog!

3. Three slightly interesting facts about me:

- I have traveled all over the world, but I settled back in my home town. Seems like the more I got to see of the world, the more I realized my birthplace was a pretty darn good place to be.

- I'm allergic to strawberries. They make me very intoxicated.

- I live with my Halloween supporting girlfriend, Miranda, and our two cats, Archie and Lilly. Archie is a rescue cat that I, literally, saved from the jaws of death (only seconds to spare). He is a rare breed Egyptian Shadow Mau. He is grey (we call him the Old Grey Man and tell people the house is haunted by him) but you can see his stripes in the sunlight. Archie talks more than any animal I have every encountered.

Miranda rescued Lilly. Her aunt found Lilly on her back porch when she was WAY too little to be weened. Nobody thought she would survive but she did. Now Lilly runs the household. To get more info on my eclectic family click HERE. 

4. iDig these 5 blogs and pass the award onto them:

Art Bliss

Justine's Halloween

Out of the Shadows

LuLu Kellogg

Ghost Stories and Haunted Places

5. I will make sure to tell everybody of the award right after the post!