
My first Halloween in this building, I spent a whole Saturday decorating my door. Wreath, lights, a very proud paper ghost. Then I sat inside with a bowl of full-size candy bars and got exactly two trick-or-treaters, both of whom were my neighbor’s kids and both of whom knocked because their mom told them to.…

Two Halloweens ago I taped a paper ghost to my apartment door with regular Scotch tape, and by 7pm it had peeled off, slid down the door, and was lying face-down on the mat like it had given up. Not a great look when you’re hoping the kids in the hallway will actually knock. Since…