+briansnat Posted November 1, 2007 Share Posted November 1, 2007 Yesterday afternoon I was working from home and the bell rang. I suddenly realized that I forgot to buy candy and sure enough there were several kids on the porch in costume. Time to think fast. I ran to my geocaching swag box and pulled out a few small cans of Play-Doh and gave them to the kids (the actually were excited about it), then placed a frantic call to my wife to get candy on the way home. I spent the next hour holding off the trick or treaters by giving them geocaching swag like watercolor sets, Matchbox cars and more Play Doh, hoping my wife arrived with the candy before my swag box emptied of all kid appropriate swag (I'm not so sure they would have appreciated the rain ponchos and waterproof matchboxes). Now I have to replenish my swag box, but at least my house wasn't egged. Quote Link to comment
Dinoprophet Posted November 1, 2007 Share Posted November 1, 2007 Better stock up again next year. Now you're the Cool House. Quote Link to comment
+Snake & Rooster Posted November 1, 2007 Share Posted November 1, 2007 Yesterday afternoon I was working from home and the bell rang. I suddenly realized that I forgot to buy candy and sure enough there were several kids on the porch in costume. Time to think fast. I ran to my geocaching swag box and pulled out a few small cans of Play-Doh and gave them to the kids (the actually were excited about it), then placed a frantic call to my wife to get candy on the way home. I spent the next hour holding off the trick or treaters by giving them geocaching swag like watercolor sets, Matchbox cars and more Play Doh, hoping my wife arrived with the candy before my swag box emptied of all kid appropriate swag (I'm not so sure they would have appreciated the rain ponchos and waterproof matchboxes). Now I have to replenish my swag box, but at least my house wasn't egged. You're a better man than I am. I'd have turned off the porch light and pretended to be away. Does this make me curmudeonly? Quote Link to comment
+sbell111 Posted November 1, 2007 Share Posted November 1, 2007 You're a better man than I am. I'd have turned off the porch light and pretended to be away. Does this make me curmudeonly?You better hope the kids in your neighborhood don't get one of these: Quote Link to comment
Mushtang Posted November 1, 2007 Share Posted November 1, 2007 I thought you were going to say you camo'd your house and the Trick or Treaters couldn't find it. Quote Link to comment
anital76 Posted November 1, 2007 Share Posted November 1, 2007 I agree with Dinoprophet... I have 2 little ones here and listened for 15 min before school started this morning as the kids in the school tarmack discussed where they "had" to go next year (ie where they got jumbo sized chocolate bars, cans of pop, stuffies, etc) Quote Link to comment
ScottFla Posted November 1, 2007 Share Posted November 1, 2007 We took our 16 monthold, 3.5 year old and twelve year old (yes, it is her last year of trick or treating) out and we passed one group of kids excitedly talking about the house where they got play doh, so you were probably a big hit with the kids that stopped by. Quote Link to comment
+wimseyguy Posted November 1, 2007 Share Posted November 1, 2007 Quick thinking. When I saw the topic and the OP I figured he just used his standard muggle diversion technique to deal with the little beggers. I think one of my neighbors also forgot to buy candy. Many of the kids visiting our porch had cans of Diet Coke in their sacks already. Quote Link to comment
+CurmudgeonlyGal Posted November 1, 2007 Share Posted November 1, 2007 Quick thinking. When I saw the topic and the OP I figured he just used his standard muggle diversion technique to deal with the little beggers. I think one of my neighbors also forgot to buy candy. Many of the kids visiting our porch had cans of Diet Coke in their sacks already. Already? Does that mean you forgot too... and were ALSO handing out Diet Coke? (There is a house we visit every year that regularly and purposefully hands out soda... this year, some off brand stuff... BUT two bonuses - NOT diet and NOT caffeinated. Not that it matters on the caffeine front... I usually let them take it to school in their lunch for a "I don't have to deal with the repercussions" treat.) michelle Quote Link to comment
+Driver Carries Cache Posted November 1, 2007 Share Posted November 1, 2007 (edited) I'm not so sure they would have appreciated the rain ponchos and waterproof matchboxes I just spewed coffee everywhere! I can just see it now.... "The guy up the street is giving the kids matches?!?!" ROTFLMAO! My house: "Here ya go kid...." "What is that mister?" "That my boy is a .40 caliber cartridge" "But mister... my gun's a 9mm" "Life ain't fair kid, get used to it.... and get off my porch." (DISCLAIMER: For those of you who don't "get" humor... I didn't give ammo out to any kids (costs too much). In fact, we had candy ready and got not a single visitor.) Edited November 1, 2007 by Driver Carries Cache Quote Link to comment
+Polarbz Posted November 1, 2007 Share Posted November 1, 2007 You're a better man than I am. I'd have turned off the porch light and pretended to be away. Does this make me curmudeonly? Yes. Without question. Quote Link to comment
+Jeep_Dog Posted November 1, 2007 Share Posted November 1, 2007 (DISCLAIMER: For those of you who don't "get" humor... I didn't give ammo out to any kids (costs too much). In fact, we had candy ready and got not a single visitor.) The no visitors is probably a direct correlation to the number of guns in the household... Quote Link to comment
+pigpen4x4 Posted November 1, 2007 Share Posted November 1, 2007 (edited) 9mm Thats funny. C. Edited November 1, 2007 by pigpen4x4 Quote Link to comment
+Machuco Posted November 1, 2007 Share Posted November 1, 2007 I actually DID go out to dinner last night just to avoid the little beggers. The last two years they rang the bell so often I didn't have enough time to sit down till about 10:30. This year I split!!! Quote Link to comment
+DavidMac Posted November 1, 2007 Share Posted November 1, 2007 Just start handing out old dirty golf balls- you can guarantee that they won't be back next year! Quote Link to comment
+FamilyDNA Posted November 2, 2007 Share Posted November 2, 2007 We gave out playdough with our candy, too! My husband got a big pack of little tubs at Sam's Club. Some of the kids were really excited. I think there was one "I don't want that." Quote Link to comment
+SmartSapper Posted November 2, 2007 Share Posted November 2, 2007 9mm Thats funny. C. That is funny. Nobody shoots 9mm anymore! Quote Link to comment
uperdooper Posted November 2, 2007 Share Posted November 2, 2007 9mm Thats funny. C. That is funny. Nobody shoots 9mm anymore! wanna bet? no trick or treaters at my house. Quote Link to comment
+MREAGLEWO1 Posted November 2, 2007 Share Posted November 2, 2007 Just start handing out old dirty golf balls- you can guarantee that they won't be back next year! they wont be back but the golf balls will be back but through the windows... Quote Link to comment
+Rattlebars Posted November 2, 2007 Share Posted November 2, 2007 You use PLAY DOUGH as SWAG! PLAY DOUGH is FOOOD! Raccoons LUV it. They will rip open an AMMO box to get at it and scatter far and wide anything else that's in there with it. NEVER put PLAY DOUGH in a cache. I have had to repair four caches because someone put PLAY DOUGH in them. If I ever find it as swag, I remove it from the cache even if I have nothing to trade. I figure I'm doing the owner a big favor by removing food from their cache. Quote Link to comment
+EScout Posted November 2, 2007 Share Posted November 2, 2007 Last year my wife and I could not agree on the number of kids that came to our house so this year, we counted. From 6:30 until 8:20 PM we got 457 Trick or Treaters, at which time we ran out of candy, and turned out the lights. We gave out 1,080 pieces of candy, giving 1, 2 or 3 pieces depending on cuteness or originality. A neighbor said they kept coming until about 9:30, easily 100 more. I did not think of Geo-swag, but it would not have lasted long. Just have to buy more bags of candy.... Quote Link to comment
+sbell111 Posted November 2, 2007 Share Posted November 2, 2007 ... NEVER put PLAY DOUGH in a cache. I have had to repair four caches because someone put PLAY DOUGH in them. If I ever find it as swag, I remove it from the cache even if I have nothing to trade. I figure I'm doing the owner a big favor by removing food from their cache.Since many people disagree with you and believe that it is a fine trade item that isn't against the guidelines, you might want to trade the playdoh out, rather than simply removing it without a trade. You'll make fewer enemies that way. Quote Link to comment
+Rockin Roddy Posted November 2, 2007 Share Posted November 2, 2007 Yeah...raccoons are EVERYWHERE around my area and I've yet to find ONE cache muggled because a coon thought the playdough was food. I often give playdough out as swag in my new caches...and will continue to do so. Quote Link to comment
+Rattlebars Posted November 3, 2007 Share Posted November 3, 2007 Then the muggles have very sharp teeth. Next time I encounter one, I will document it. Ammo box is no defense. Raccoons open them quite handily. Hmmmmm.... might play dough account for missing caches? It's possible and I would say probable. Quote Link to comment
+maldar Posted November 3, 2007 Share Posted November 3, 2007 I thought that I was the only one that still used kid friendly swag. Atleast in my area older cachers complain that there is only kiddy swag and nothing of quality. Now we have had to create kid friendly caches as there seems to be fewer kid friendly swag items. The last event I was at I just dropped off some crayons and chalk in the cache and was still in the area when a family came by and found the cache. I'll never forget how happy the little girl was when she pulled out the crayons for trade. While I don't have a problem with giving out adult items I think cachers need to remember the little ones also when they buy swag and try to get an equal amount of both adult and kiddie swag. Quote Link to comment
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