Staying Apart, Together: Happy Halloween! Let's celebrate (safely).
A very spooky, scary, safe Halloween to each and every one of you.
Especially because I work in the news media and write about the pandemic (as much as this newsletter counts for that), I feel like I've been talking about how to have an alternate Halloween instead of, you know, enjoying any of those ideas I've shared with you all, my co-workers and my friends and family.
So today, armed with the knowledge of what is safe and what isn't, I'm going to enjoy Halloween. We're going to carve pumpkins. I might just watch "Hubie Halloween" on Netflix. I don't have a costume, but I do have an orange shirt. The less I think about the fact that I could be doing something else, the more I'm going to enjoy what I am doing in the moment. I hope you all do the same today.
Also, since it feels like we've all been on this journey together, I wanted to tell you I successfully closed on my first house yesterday. We're not moving in for two weeks (have to do some pesky repairs, because being an adult is very difficult), but we did order a pizza and eat it on the floor of our new bedroom and toasted with sodas. We can't have a housewarming, or spend an afternoon roaming IKEA lazily looking for furniture, and we still have to move in wearing masks, but I'm so happy that this big life goal wasn't forestalled by the pandemic. We can't pretend this isn't happening, but we can make the things that matter happen if we put in the work to do it safely.
Today's socially distanced candy hacks
The other day I told my husband and my in-laws that maybe we could fashion some kind of candy zip line to deliver the goodies to any socially distant trick-or-treaters that stop by our house, and apparently I was not the only person thinking big.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention's guidance maintains that traditional trick or treating is a high risk activity — one that should be avoided to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. "One-way trick-or-treating," however, is suggested as a safer alternative.
The CDC identifies "one-way trick-or-tricking" as an activity with moderate risk. If homes choose to participate, individually-wrapped goodie bags prepared with clean hands and "lined up for families to grab and go while continuing to social distance (such as at the end of a driveway or at the edge of a yard)" are encouraged.
Across the country, people are getting creative — building unique gadgets to hand out candy in a fun, but COVID-cautious way. Some of the ideas include:
Candy Catapult
Candy Chute
Candy Garden
See the rest of the creative ideas, here. And I'll be trying to construct a zipline if you need me.
Today's reads
The pandemic didn't stop the morning shows from their usual crazy Halloween costumes. See them here.
"The Mandalorian" Season 2 premiered on Disney+ yesterday. I was a bit disappointed, even if Baby Yoda was still pretty cute.
Daylight Savings Time is over tomorrow. Prepare to "fall back." And for dark evenings.
Due to demand and supply chain struggles during the pandemic, you might want to buy these hot holiday gifts sooner rather than later.
Here's everything you should know about the Day of the Dead holiday.
Want a fun cooking project? Why not try pancakes of the world?
Today's TV recommendation
"The Mandalorian" may have disappointed me this week, but I was pleasantly surprised by a different show that might be under your radar: "The Queen's Gambit" on Netflix.
Smart, enthralling and a little sexy, "Queen's" has jumped into the top 10 list on Netflix in the U.S. for good reason – it's one of the best shows of 2020. Even if it's about chess.
Based on the novel by Walter Tevis, "Queen's" follows the rise of fictional chess prodigy Beth Harmon (a stunning Anya Taylor-Joy), a Kentucky orphan in the 1960s who learns the game from a janitor in her orphanage's basement. As a teen, she makes her way onto the international chess circuit, traveling the globe and handily beating men twice her age. She also spends that time battling addiction, a much harder fight for Beth than any chess match.
Thanks to Taylor-Joy's performance, a strong supporting cast and the right balance of trials and triumph, "Queen's" is a surprisingly gripping adventure (yes, a chess adventure) that still manages to find levity and happiness. It's a show that seems tailor-made for our joy-starved minds in a somber modern world. It might make even the most skeptical among us take dust-covered chess sets out of the basement.
Read my full review here. And if you watch, let me know (stayingaparttogether@usatoday.com). I'd love to talk about it with people. Especially the ambiguous ending.
Today's many pets
I couldn't include just one furry friend dressed up for Halloween in today's edition. How do you choose between one adorable dog costume and another? Here are the pictures I received from readers and some from USA TODAY staff.
Yes, I will still be taking Halloween photos for future newsletters. In 2020 who says Halloween has to end after October? We make our own rules.
That's it for this bizarre 2020 Halloween day. I will be back in your inboxes on Tuesday (which is Election Day, wow). Don't forget to send your pet pictures, TV recommendation requests and coping tips (and your full name and location) to stayingaparttogether@usatoday.com. Stay safe, stay well. Hopefully we all get more treats than tricks.
All my very best,
Kelly Lawler
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Happy Halloween! Let's celebrate (safely).
