CLINTON —
There comes a time when a man has to put his foot down.
And on Halloween, I anticipate that will be my time.
Normally when my daughter requests something, I cave, and oblige. But her latest request has forced me to draw a line in the sand.
It all comes down to dressing up for Halloween. My daughter picked Dorothy from the “Wizard of Oz,” and then suggested I go trick-or-treating as a munchkin.
I laughed it off, thinking she wouldn’t remember. Unfortunately, the comment gained traction with my wife, pitting me against two women — never an equal matchup.
If you’ve read my columns from previous years, you know my distaste for dressing up. I still wake up in a cold sweat from nightmares of my mom pinning a tail on my cat costume.
So my daughter’s recent costume choice is where I’m standing up for myself. Sure, when she tells me to follow her around the house searching for “grasshoppers” that are magically placed throughout our home, I oblige.
There’s no reason for me stay back and get swarmed by the angry grasshoppers (we regularly read “A Bug’s Life,” each night before bed, wherein the grasshoppers play the bad guy), when I’m such a good grasshopper hunter.
When she needs a push on her tricycle, I’m there to lend a hand, no matter what else I’m doing. Usually that requires me to stand watch every time she needs a push uphill, but it doesn’t bother me, especially since it reduces the amount of time I devote to outdoor chores.
Even when she wants to jump off the couch (behind Mom’s back), imitating Jimmy “Super Fly” Snuka, I’m there, ready to be down for the “three count.”
But a munchkin? Not this time.
Last year, she was content with me wearing my normal attire of jeans and a sweatshirt, while she buzzed around the neighborhood in her honey-bee costume.
But reality started to set in Wednesday when her costume came in the mail. She immediately opened the box, put on the costume, which included her “dog” Toto and ruby red slippers, and requested to watch the “Wizard of Oz.”
Like always, I concurred, and then when she told me to sing a duet with her during the opening scenes, I reluctantly opened my mouth and sang along with Dorothy in her pursuit of seeing over the rainbow.
Of course, by the time Halloween comes, I’m sure I’ll be able to stand up for myself. At least, that’s the story I’ll keep telling myself.
Weekly picks
Week 5 record — 16-9; Overall: 81-19
My picks were bad last week, thanks to a few upsets and close games that didn’t turn out in my favor. One game that did work, though, was Iowa State.
Last week’s win wasn’t something the Cyclones usually pull off. After a letdown the week before, Iowa State regained its composure and won a conference game on the road. That shows leadership and hopefully that will continue this week.
Kansas State presents a much bigger challenge. This is a team disciplined enough to not look past anyone, and Iowa State is getting plenty of national attention for a possible upset.
Also, look for Iowa to put up a fight against Michigan State. The Hawks are coming off a bye, and Michigan State isn’t the same team that has done so well in the past few years.
• Winners are in bold: Louisville at Pittsburgh; Texas vs. Oklahoma; Syracuse at Rutgers; Iowa at Michigan State; Northwestern at Minnesota; UAB at Houston; Wisconsin at Purdue; Auburn at Mississippi; Duke at Virginia Tech; Maryland at Virgina; Alabama at Missouri; West Virginia at Texas Tech; Stanford at Notre Dame; Illinois at Michigan; Oklahoma State at Kansas; Buffalo at Northern Illinois; Boston College at Florida State; Florida at Vanderbilt; TCU at Baylor; Idaho at Texas State; South Carolina at LSU; Ohio State at Indiana; Tennessee at Mississippi State; Texas A&M at Louisiana Tech; Kentucky at Arkansas.
Scott Levine is the Associate Editor of the Clinton Herald.
Opinion
October 12, 2012
LEVINE: Halloween costume becomes issue again
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