October Eve once Again!!!

Hey there kids! This is it! The blog has already undergone a few Halloween-y changes as I've re-dressed for the season! October starts tomorrow and so does my Countdown to Halloween! I get ridiculously excited for this spooktacular time of year, as you can see in 2012, 2013, and 2014, I always ring the October Eve bells, and this year is no different!

I've got a few fun ideas up my sleeve for Halloween this year, and one of the major focuses is going to be Horror Anthologies! That's right kids! I'll be looking at books, comics, TV shows and movies that all follow the horror movie anthology format!

I looooove me some anthology horror, as the stories are often fun-sized and colorful! Like momma always said: "Anthology Horror is like a box of chocolates. You never know if there's a razor blade in with the nougats, or a cockroach in the toffee!" Something like that.

There will be some appearances by this guy... Just... be prepared.

I can't think of a better time of year to enjoy short-form horror than Halloween. They really are one-bite-and-you're-DONE style storytelling, and so baaaad for your teeth.

There will of course be posts about my fun Halloween-themed Goodwill finds, and general Halloween posts where I talk about Halloween traditions, fun, and other stuff, but my plan is to post something every single night until Halloween itself! I'm going to try NOT taking a break during November this year and just keep blogging right up until December, when I will then plow right on into... well we DON'T have to talk about that just yet. I'm sure the department stores will be reminding us VERY soon what is coming up in December.

Meet Gaspar and McGillicutty.
They are having NONE of this Christmas in October BULLS**T.

Anywhoo... I'm participating in the official "Countdown to Halloween," run by the blog of the same name, and you'll notice I'm proudly sporting one of their boo-riffic badges in my sidebar again this year (you can scroll down and see the ghosts of countdowns past if you're curious). Be sure to click that link and check out all of the other countdown sites that are celebrating as well!

While I'm plugging stuff, I'll just remind you all that I'm also on Instagram and Twitter as @TheGoodwillGeek so if you want even more holiday hijinks be sure to follow me there, and be sure to "like" the Goodwill Hunting 4 Geeks Facebook page for updates on what's going on here, as well as at a bunch of my blogging buddies' blogs.

ALSO the podcast I am part-founder of, Eclectic Mayhem, just so happens to be putting out a Halloween episode this month! Imagine that! We'll be doing our very own Horror Anthology where each of your three creepy hosts will lead a different Halloween-themed conversation... so be sure to check that out when it drops around the middle of October! We're on iTunes so be sure to subscribe and leave us a review!

So sleep well tonight kids! Upon the morrow this blog will be ready for Halloween festivities to begin! October 31st isn't enough Halloween for me! I must have 31 days and no less of that old orange and black magic! So stay tuned! I'll be back with Halloween-Themed Goodwill Goodies soon enough, and until then Happy Hau... Hunting! 

October Eve Has Come Again!

Well Boils and Ghouls, October Eve is upon us once more. Tomorrow, whatever parts of the internet are not already blazing up with odes to Halloween will join the fray and start counting down to that Hallowed Eve of Halloween.

This blog has been redressed for the occasion, and will be counting down. If you look over in the sidebar on the right you will notice my official badge as a Crypt Keeper for this year's count-down. This year we got Creatures from the Black Lagoons!!! So cool. 

I've posted some pictures of my local Goodwill, also flaunting it's Halloween spirit. All in all... I'm excited!

I'll be making at least one post a day this October, featuring at least one Halloween-y item from Goodwill. On hop if that I'll still be doing the occasional regular posts as well, featuring other stuff I've bought second-hand. I may also interject a post here or there about some spooky topic or another. We'll see just what my energy level permits. 

So it's October Eve. The wind is picking up... The leaves started changing just over the last few weeks... And there's something in the air that flies on raggedy black wings and smiles with a glowing orange grin.

Here we go folks. You're either all-in or you're OUT. 

That's all I've got for tonight kiddies! I'll be back tomorrow with some Gruesome Goodwill Goodies! Until then, Happy Haunting!!!

It's October Eve Once Again!!!

Yeah... it's not centered. But I wanted it BIG.

So it's that wonderful time of the year once again! The night before we tip head-long into the creepiest and BEST of the autumn months, October!

What does this mean? Well, let me tell you dear reader. Shortly after I post this, I will be redressing m site in it's October colors. I will be changing from the amiable Goodwill Geek into the Goodwill Ghoul. The site will change from "Goodwill Hunting 4 Geeks" to "Goodwill HAUNTING for Geeks" See what I did there? (There will be no URL change, JUST the site title will change for the month...)

I will be focusing the next month's worth of posts on Halloween, and I will be posting daily rather than the 3-4 times a week I have been managing up until now.

This will be done as part of a couple of different Halloween Countdowns I am participating in, and it is always EXHAUSTING. In the picture up there you can see that the shelf that I keep dedicated to Halloween year-round. This is my tin altar to the spirits of Halloween. They're almost here!

To celebrate, I want to share an original Goodwill Gee- er... GHOUL poem that I use to celebrate the season:

Halloween Is Coming

Fall has fallen, can't you tell?

The shorter days, the sharper smells.

The shadows stretching all around. 

The leaves all drifting slowly down,

And each one glows with gold-red flames,

The pumpkins patchworked just the same. 

Their faces carved to leer like loons...

For Halloween is coming soon. 

Those leaves? They'll soon turn dead and brown.

To scritch and scratch across the ground.

With shifting whispers, here and there,

Their secrets fill the frosty air.

The wind grows chill, and sharp as knives.

The trees' bare branches rattle-writhe.

Their blackened fingers claw the moon...

And Halloween is coming soon.

Now Autumn's ghosts are flying free.

Through night; Through sky; Through you and me.

October spirits in the night,

Their cloaks are deep, their faces white.

They sing-song tease, and whisper near,

"The night of Masks will soon be here..."

They ride the winds, and trill their tunes...

"Oh! Halloween is coming soon!"

Fall has fallen. Yes, it's true.

The trees all feel it, why can't you?

The Jack O' Lanterns, ripe and round,

The listless leaves that paw the ground,

The ghosts in lace and drifting cloaks,

The cemeteries, gray as smoke,

The signs all bright as a harvest moon...

That Halloween is coming soon.

It should go without saying that this poem (as with most of the photos and all of the other writing on this blog) is copyrighted by me, Derek Ash, the Goodwill Geek, and it is my property. Please don't steal it. Feel free to share it and give credit to me and/or to this site.

So Happy October everyone! I hope it's the best one yet, and that it's a magical and spooky one for everyone out there! I'll be back soon with some Grave Goodwill Goodies! Until then... Happy Haunting!