Novocaine for the Soul

Gearing up for a crazy, candy-filled week...The girls are getting psyched. We went to a Halloween dance at Hannah's school on Friday night, where the girls had a blast. It was kinda cool to see them running around with their friends (Lily befriended the little sister of one of Hannah's classmates), although it was pretty strange to see much-older seeming fifth graders dancing next to kindergartners. Yesterday, the girls went to a Halloween party at my mom's condo building. Wednesday, there's a big party at my office where they'll haul in a ton of candy. And, of course, Friday is Halloween itself. We only trick or treat on four streets in our neighborhood, but they still manage to collect a lot of goodies.

I've barely watched any of the World Series, not because I'm not interested. I've just been busy or otherwise occupied. The Phillies are up 3-1 in the series and looking to clinch tonight, but right now it's tied 2-2 in the 6th and there's a rain delay. We're supposed to get that lousy weather tomorrow.

I've been impressed with the play of the Leafs the last week or so. They lost in a shootout to the Ducks last Monday after dominating the last two periods, then beat Boston and Ottawa with strong performances. Coach Ron Wilson has them playing hard, which on the one hand is great, but on the other, may not help them in their quest for a high draft pick next summer. There's a long way to go, though. They could still suck mightily before all is said and done. At least they've been fun to watch so far.

Whither the short items...

• This is one of the most senseless things I've heard of in a while: An 8-year-old boy died after the Uzi he was firing recoiled and shot him in the head. How someone could think this was a good idea is beyond me.
• Hey, I'm as in favor of a Led Zeppelin reunion as the next guy, but doing it without Robert Plant would be insane. In the so-called membrane, if you will.
• Congrats to Amy Poehler and Will Arnett, two wicked funny people who just had a baby boy who will probably be pretty damn funny hisself. Or he might just go the other way and not have a sense of humor at all.