Out, about, and everywhere none the same

Fair warning, this is another Halloween and random storm inspired post. 

The fall season is upon us, y'all. More and more stores are loading up their aisles with the cinnamon scented broomsticks, autumn runners for the tables (in the shape of leaves), orange and brown colors are coordinating themselves with the bite sized candy bars that need to be handed out to tiny human beings.

I had gone to Kohl's the other day and they had a giant display by the registers of various spooky related decorations. One in particular, caught my eye. 

It's small enough to sit on a table, but can also be hung on the wall. "LIVED LAUGHED LOVED" sign, on what looks like it could be a tombstone. Kohl's price is $11.99 currently; yes, I left the price tag on in the picture. I didn't cover it up; I wanted to show what stores are selling things for out in the real world. 

Due to it being a Kohl's collaboration with a design group, I couldn't even find it on the store's website. I think it must be an in person purchase only, as the sku and article numbers, according to Google, state it's a drop ship product. Meaning, there's no record of it online anywhere. The numbers are for internal use only, done by whatever business to business set up the companies have going. 

I couldn't find the specific artwork on Amazon, but I found other related items (kind of). It's not completely the same, but some of them are rather funny and cute, but disturbing at the same time. See link below.

Later on, I was in a completely different store. this place had the room / space for the giant scarers. The items reliant on constant air being pushed in, props the size of real people (or bigger), signs that basically say "you're not invited but still come over!".

 

I guess it's the year of the cowboy, based on how many wild west themed decorations I saw. 

The benches are pretty neat though, I must admit. I keep seeing them pop up in different stores and they're rather sturdy looking. I haven't tried sitting on one (most stores don't let you test the product), so I can't say how great it is. One of these times I'll attempt to touch it and see how it feels and goes.

Providing I don't get squirreled into seeing something else. 

This week we also had to pick up a friend at the airport. They had to come at the last minute due to some issues going on in their house (they're snowbirds). The day we picked them up, the rain was coming in fast and furious. It was "so bad", they heard a giant bang of thunder in the airport, and thought it was part of the construction happening, since there are major renovations going on in the local terminals. 

But alas, the whole thing passed by the time we got our friend home, and they had a reprieve for a few hours before the sky opened up again. 

Welcome to summer! It's still rainy season! 

I had a pickup request at the library, and every time I walk in, it seems like they've got a totally new display going on. 

This time, it's Halloween adjacent; all the cryptids going on. I didn't get a photo of the books and movies they had on the bookshelf, because I was too amused by the decals. 

I even said to one of the librarians "I love the stickers" and she laughed, saying she does too. I don't know if she was being honest, but she does seem to be like someone who would internally appreciate the decorations. 

I couldn't find the exact ones on Amazon, but I found others. I don't know where the library orders their decorations from, or if they have someone who works there, that does everything. Considering one of the signs had the library system logo on it, I think it's all printed in house; so anything is possible with the decals. 

If you're wondering what I picked up, it was a 1959 move, "On The Beach" starring Gregory Peck, Anthony Perkins, Ava Gardner and Fred Astaire. 

The synopsis (via Google) is:

"After World War III, Australia is the only remaining haven for mankind. However, wind currents carrying lingering radiation all but condemn those on the continent to the same fate suffered by the rest of the world. When the survivors receive a strange signal from San Diego, Cmdr. Dwight Towers (Gregory Peck) must undertake a mission with Lt. Peter Holmes (Anthony Perkins) to see if there is hope for humanity -- leaving behind Moira (Ava Gardner) and Mary (Donna Anderson), the women they love"

I intend on watching it later. When the storms arrive this afternoon (like clockwork. Haha).

Speaking of library, I've got another pickup request there today, so I supposed I should get myself in gear and go pick it up. It's the "book on cd" version of "Zoo 2" by James Patterson. I read the first book, but want to be able to see how the second book continues the story. I've already started a new book, so maybe a CD might help in the car. Who knows. 

Until more things pop up in stores and in my feed, stay healthy and hydrated; safe and sound. Don't be afraid of things that go bump in the night.

Cheers;

All photos taken on an iPhone 17 and edited in Photoshop

See also (aka things on Amazon):

• "cinnamon scented broom keyword search
• "lived laughed loved halloween" keyword search.
• "cowboy skeleton" keyword search
• "halloween skeleton bench outdoor" keyword search (this came up with more skeletons than any bench search)
• "dead and breakfast halloween" keyword search
• "transparent cryptid stickers" keyword search
  
• "cryptid decals" keyword search
• "Zoo (2 book series)" by James Patterson search
• "on the beach 1959" keyword search

More... new... goodies....

I was back at Lowe's this weekend for some pickup stuff around the house and they've got their Halloween decorations out in full force. Quite literally, as soon as you walk in, the whole left side of the front of the store has everything you would need to decorate your house from the lawn ornaments to the hanging door skeletons and little bowls for the tables. 

I didn't get pictures of everything, but the new animatronics are out. They seemed to have last year's DJ still for sale, but this year they've added some punk rocker skeletons, Disney / Pixar, creepy dolls and other big skeletons to the mix. The light up punk rock skeletons reminded me a little bit of Día de los Muertos skeleton dancers. They were really cute and unfortunately, the "test me" button didn't work on the Disney/Pixar stuff so I didn't get a video of them. Rest assured it was Mickey and Minnie as "The Mummy", Stitch in a costume, as well as Mike and Sully from "Monsters Inc" as movie monsters. 

With the first picture, the skeleton holding the candy bowl, that's pretty neat because you don't have to worry about constantly holding the bowl or passing it around. If you stood it next to you to "trick" the kids, they'd probably not know what to do first. I could see some random small human being so confused. 

Although, for the adults who want to have a party, I did find two skeletons holding a coffin, that could end up holding iced beverages or anything else you need for fun.

The pumpkin head scarecrow I've seen in various animatronic form - both online and in other stores.

The winged creature skeleton and upper half skeleton are two of the new features this year. The half skeleton box says he's a Grim Reaper Ground Breaker. Solely based on you plop him on the ground and he looks like he's coming up from the dirt. Much like the skeleton I saw at Costco the other day. The ground breakers really must be the new things this year because I don't recall seeing them in the past. 

Rather, I don't recall animated ones. I remember growing up, we had a family friend who would do his house up in haunted form and he'd have a heck ton of stuff out and around. If I recall correctly, he had smaller ground breakers - hands and arms, legs and feet, all dislocated and everywhere on the front lawn. I know I've talked about this plenty of times before. Technology is getting better with these things so we're able to add more oomph to them. 

There's a Grim Reaper mist maker available on Amazon and it's just the head. It looks like one of those things you could start your haunting with - put it by your front door to "welcome" the guests inside. Add to the illusion that maybe something might come scurrying your way once you pass the threshold. 

Which is not to be confused with the mouse maze floor at Spooky World in Berlin, MA, in the early 1990s.

Man, did I just pull that memory out of left field. Hot damn. That's crazy. I have such vivid recollections of going there with my youth group and really having fun with it. 

Wow.. even as I type this, I can't believe how it's all coming back.. the trips there. I remember we were told not to encourage the performers while on the hay ride, nor were we allowed to make contact with them. But I didn't listen. I high-fived one of them as we went around the corner and asked him how he was. He answered "Great!" as he high-fived me back. 😄 

Yet the "Mouse Girl" and some sort of "Mouse Maze" is another thing that sticks out. I remember walking through the tent like "o...kay.." and at some point I looked down and we had been walking over clear PVC flooring. Underneath our feet was a labyrinth full of scurrying rodents! The mouse girl was within a few feet of where the floor mice were. 

Crazy times, I tell you, crazy times! The things we remember when we least expect it! 

I guess, with the Coraline-meets-Wednesday-Addams-meets-Sally looking girl in the single picture after the ground breaker, she's cute and all, but she does have a Tim Burton feeling to her. I found various "creepy girl" animatronics on Amazon, but they're not close to the one at the store today. This is a "Haunted Farm" thing, it seems; they have other dolls you can buy. 

We all know the witches so it's not that hard to find them around. But with the last picture, it seems like the employee was so dehydrated from the Florida sun, he needed to take a break for a few minutes. Which ultimately, might have turned into a few days. He still looks a little parched. 

Overall, when I went to find most of the items on Amazon, I think the "Haunted Living" brand is specific to Lowe's so the search came up with other types of animatronics. Searching for "Halloween Animatronics" also came up with something different, but has similar items as the search for Haunted Living. "Haunted Hill Farm" might be the knock off - literally (because there are some really close look a-likes and scrolling the page I saw one that looked like the DJ, but in a different outfit). 

I'm still sitting here like, "da fuq am I remembering??" as I type all this. The power of just free-writing and going on about random things. This is what happens when I start a post - I get squirreled over something and then start thinking about something different. It is also why it takes me a few hours to write my posts. Just because the time stamp says one thing, trust me, it's hours later. I get too involved in research and writing, and before you know it, there's my afternoon gone. It's okay though; I am keeping things sharp and ready for the next round of adventures. 

Until then, be safe, be well, and stay hydrated. You don't want to end up like that last guy!

Cheers;

"Where do you keep them in the off season???"

Had to do a Costco run today with some friends. We weren't paying too much attention to some of the items at the front of the store (entrance) but once we turned the corner from the electronics, right in our sightline, we had two huge Halloween decorations.

I know on the Costco site (over $200), so Amazon having the skeleton for under 50 means it's not the same size. Buyer beware when you're looking for something economical because "size matters" in this case. 

The Frankenstein is listed on the Costco site as "7.5' Animated Monster with LCD Eyes and Sound" but it is not available on the A to Z page. Instead, I found other animated objects for sale. Like I said, the skeleton, listed as "62" Giant Ground Breaking Skeleton with LCD Eyes and Sound" in the warehouse, is not truly the same one as listed on Jeff Bezos' stakeholder site. The crawler varies by price and size. 

I didn't notice the eyes move on the skeleton (maybe the power was off), but holy cow; when we walked down the aisle and past hoodlum Frank, his eyes really did follow us. It was weird and got me singing Rockwell's "Somebody's Watching Me" (the debut album of the same name was released on Motown Records in January of 1984). 

Yes, I said "Hoodlum Frank" because he looks like he's trolling the bad side of town for a quick score of cheap candy. If he wanted the good stuff (you know, the king size bars), he'd be a little more dressed up dapper, in order to go to the posh communities. Plus, he wouldn't be wearing sawed off handcuffs to mansions on the hill. Unless they were made of gold and diamond crusted. 😂

Anyway, when we saw the decorations, one of the friends asked "Where do you keep those things when they're not on your lawn?" and I said "If you're like my friend Shawn, you're using them all year round". 

I explained how Shawn has two giant skeletons in his yard, of which he decorates based on season. During big football games, they're passing the pigskin. During summer, they're wearing pool floaties. It's gotten to the point that he's had them outside for so long, he's found a creator online that can 3D print some of the joint pieces and has had things replaced (because purchasing a new full body would be silly if you know how to just reattach a single piece). When you're that skinny and dislocate a joint, it's easier to pop a new piece back into place than to worry about someone getting jealous of the new kid on the block. That, and the trash men might not appreciate having to squish a Halloween decoration in their truck; depending on how compact it gets, there's potential of someone getting worried the femur is real and police are called to the dump. You never know... since the area could be corrupt (aka mob run) and all.. we both are very well versed with New England mafia lore. 

Ok. I'm going off subject and into territories that could get me in trouble. Back on track.

I did explain to my friends though, in all honesty, that Shawn really keeps the skeletons up all year and decorates them accordingly. My aside was just that.. me going on a squirrel adventure and taking you along. 

My friends thought that keeping the skeletons up year round was interesting and a fun idea because you seriously could do so many different things with these large items and if you have great neighbors, you're apt for some amazing times. But if you're like us, living in condos or small communities where houses are on top of each other, what can you do with the 7.5 foot tall Frankenstein Monster? Houses in Florida don't have attics or basements, so it's hard to stash large items. As it is, people tend to go all out with certain holiday decorations, so blowup stuff is more manageable. All in one / put together plastic or mechanical pieces tend to not find space in a closet because they're clunky. You never know though; someone could be quite smart in how they can pack away their decorations and still have room for more stuff. All the power to that person; I know what it feels like to play Tetris with tote bins. You're not alone!

Speaking of alone, it's Wednesday and I've been at this post long enough, that the History Channel reality show, "Alone" is starting soon and I'd like to go watch it. 

Until next time, stay safe, stay hydrated and stay off the streets during the night. You never know who's following or watching you...

Cheers;