FLASHBACK 1974

"do yourself a favor, don't come out at night, 'cause the freaks come out at night...the freaks come out at night"
the exorcist came out in 1973. i'm only 8. i don't get to see it. but every single night, when i "lay me down to sleep bless the lord my soul to keep", the theme song comes on the radio. i've seen the commercials. i know i should be afraid. very afraid. in the spring of '74, the neighborhood teenagers punked me. they punked me hard. they told me and queenie that susie was possessed. they asked if we wanted to see. ummmmm...hell yeah! so off we go to susie's house. weird noises are coming from her bedroom. when we get inside, the room is cold as ice. susie is cussing at everybody, partially strapped to her bed. her face looks odd. dale gets a little too close. she throws him across the room. well. maybe not  THROWS? pushes. queenie and i run home. terrified. well, i was terrified. queenie was probably more like "whatever. i ain't skeert". now. i may have made all this up. it could have all been an elaborate nightmare. but, if it was, it was a nightmare that has stayed with me since i was 8. i have never asked queenie if it was true because...well...if it isn't i'm gonna look like a crazy person.
FLASH FORWARD september 2011
i keep seeing previews for paranormal activity 3. i REALLY want to see it, but haven't seen the first two. off i go to the redbox and rent them. they scared the PEE out of me. for the next few weeks, maddie has to be in the bathroom when i shower. yep. i can't even be in the bathroom alone. and going to the bathroom in the middle of the night? no thank you. i'll just suffer til dawn. finally, i can't take it anymore. i REALLY have to pee. it will not keep. i get in the bathroom. i check behind the shower curtain. it's all good. now for the long journey back to bed. i'm blind in the darkness. i finally find the bedpost. then it hits me. zombies. monsters. serial killers. any of those things could be lurking under my bed. what do i do? i certainly don't want anything grabbing my feet. my solution? grab the bedpost with both hands and marylou retton myself into bed. the bk jumps straight up, out of a sound sleep, "what's going on?!! are you okay?!!". ummmmmm....i never go to the bathroom without a flashlight again. 

^2 dorks out of breath after climbing the exorcist stairs in d.c.^

^as far up the exorcist stairs as i would go in the dark^

^trailer for zombie flick my kids made :)^