I've had plenty of good Halloweens. The time I dressed up as a crayon, twinning as Minnie Mouse even though I was too old to dress up, or matching costumes at school with my sisters are all great Halloween memories of mine. However, I've also had plenty of bad ones. There was the time my mom spent $50 on a "Snow Queen" costume for me and I trick-or-treated in the rain and completely ruined it. The time I dressed up as a butterfly, and managed to misplace the only distinguishable part of my costume (my wings) right before trick-or-treating, so I wore my all black and was a "Bad Guy" instead. The time that I wore my costume to a Halloween party a week before Halloween and got stuck in the hay on a hayride, completely ruining it. However, the worst would have to be Halloween 2008, when I was a victim of the swine flu.
The swine flu was the worst sickness I've ever had. I would rather have strep throat, a sinus infection, and ear infection, and a cold all at the same than have the swine flu again. It was absolutely awful. This was when half of my school was out sick as well, and they would send you home if you looked sick. That was what happened to me. I fell asleep in class, and woke up to find the teacher sending me to the office. I went home but swore to come back to school the next day because it was Halloween.
Long story short, I did not go to school the next day. My fever had gone up to 101.something and I was quarantined to the couch with a bottle of water to "drink until the sickness went away." I desperately wanted to go trick-or-treating with my friends and wear my ballerina costume (although looking back on it now, I realize it was probably better that that costume never saw the light of day). Naturally my mom refused, so I had to cancel my plans. However, she said I would be allowed to trick-or-treat to the five houses around the cul-de-sac that I lived in, but I had to wear a costume that would keep me sufficiently warm.
All of you readers who have had the flu probably know that the worst part is the chills: you can never be warm enough no matter how many sweaters you wear or blankets you hide under. So going out in the freezing cold didn't sound too appealing to a chill-ridden me. However, I was determined to get candy in some way, shape, or form even if it was just a Snickers bar from the family next door. Luckily, my mom had the answer. She dressed me in her Pillsbury doughboy costume from when she was seven months pregnant with my younger sister. This meant XL white sweatshirt and sweatpants, as well as a hat with the Pillsbury logo on it. Since I didn't quite fill out the costume, I wore two sweatshirts and two pairs of sweatpants underneath, and my mom stuffed my stomach with pillows. Since I was already pale from the sickness, there was no need to do anything to my face. I looked like a human marshmallow.
In the end, my trick-or-treating haul was five pieces of candy. I successfully made it halfway around my cul-de-sac before collapsing back at my house. The Pillsbury doughboy is known as a chipper, happy-go-lucky little character, but I was the exact opposite. I could barely moan the words "trick-or-treat," and when my neighbors asked to hear the trademark Pillsbury doughboy laugh, all I could do was stare at them. They took sympathy on when my mom told them I had the swine flu, however they did back up a few feet and practically threw the candy at me. Then, it was back to the couch for me where I watched Charlie Brown and the Great Pumpkin and felt sorry for myself.
And that was my worst Halloween. Although it seemed like the end of the world at the time, I do suppose it could have been a lot worse. Although it was a week before I felt well enough to eat my candy, I was so proud of myself for persevering and getting those five candy bars. And the Pillsbury doughboy costume sits in a box in the attic, waiting for its next user. So if anyone would like to dress up as an extra-large baking mascot for any holiday, you know who to ask for a costume!
