I can’t believe just how much devastation is out there. The closer you got to the river, the worse it got.  Videos 4 and 6 have a lot of the major area video, but here are all 5 of the videos I shot.

By the way, at around $5 a meal, every day, that’s about 2200 worth of food.  That means that Chic-Fil-A is giving away at max $22,000 worth of good – not bad for a story that people will tell over, and over, and over to their friends, right?

So, who’s with me?

Holly has never been much on Halloween (I have, but that’s just because I knew where the good houses were for candy!), but we wanted to let Luke’s first Halloween be special, and save the scary stuff for next year.  And so, like all good/sadistic parents do, we wanted the best costume ever for the event.

And Holly’s mom, Claire Morgan out of Montgomery, AL, delivered:

Behold, Warehouse Mouse, from Imagination Movers fame. For those of you who are wondering why a woodland creature might have such day-glo orange hair, here is the real deal (one on the left):

Every morning while we get dressed Luke is allowed to watch one hour (if that) of television.  One of the shows is the Imagination Movers, a really cool show on Playhouse Disney about four guys who work in a warehouse solving problems for others.  Some of the few great male role models for kids who aren’t absolutely flamboyant in appearance or actions – they’re just four normal guys.

At any rate, the costume was a complete success.  We placed “judges favorite” in the Macy’s costume contest that morning, and in the top 10 for the costume contest held at PumpkinFest, so her mom was (obviously) very happy – and so were we!

That being said, there’s lots of fun stuff going on this weekend.

From Nashvillest:

FRIDAY

• The Features CD release show: These local favorites are launching their new record Some Kind of Salvation tonight at Mercy Lounge with special guests Elle Macho. If you haven’t heard them, check them out here. $10, Mercy Lounge, 8pm, 21+.
• Nashville Ballet presents the Bell Witch: It’s almost Halloween, and that means the Nashville Ballet is opening the Bell Witch–what’s said to be the best-documented haunting in the nation’s history that took place right here in Tennessee. We’ve also heard something about 3D glasses to boost the creepiness factor? They’ll be accompanied by the Nashville Symphony Orchestra. $21.50 – $72.50, TPAC, 8pm.

SATURDAY

• Franklin Pumpkinfest: Definitely one of our Fall favorites, the Franklin Pumpkinfest promises a family-friendly day full of outrageous costume contests, chili cookoffs, hayrides, arts & crafts, delicious caramel apples as big as your head (trust us, we’ve tried ‘em!), and plenty more. FREE, Main Street in downtown Franklin, 10am – 6pm.
• Great Nashville Duck Race: What could possibly be better than a few hundred rubber ducks racing their way down the Cumberland for a good cause? Oh, right. Nothing. FREE, Riverfront Park, 11am.
• Pumpkin Carving 101: Come out and watch as some of Nashville’s hottest chefs pull out all the stops and spill their best pumpkin-carving secrets. Featuring chefs from Ombi, Acorn, Opryland, and more. FREE, Nashville Farmer’s Market, 11am.
• Ghost Story Festival: Not that Halloween’s supposed to be educational, but we can’t blame the folks at the State Museum for trying. The 8th Annual Ghost Story Festival features a ghost trail with storytellers along the way and prizes at each stop. Dress the kids up, be sure to take advantage of the free parking by the Capitol, and learn all about Tennessee’s spooky past. FREE, Tennessee State Museum, 1pm – 5pm.
• Nashville Predators vs. LA Kings: Cheer on the Preds as they host the Los Angeles at the Sommet Center. And well, they’re in last place so they need all the love they can get. $26+, Sommet Center, 7pm.

SUNDAY

• DrinkHaus Customer Appreciation Day: Germantown’s new too-cute-to-be-true coffeeshop will be offering half-price drinks and hourly giveaways all day long. 9am-10pm, DrinkHaus.

I’ll be at the Pumpkinfest from 10-11ish (working the Peoples’ Church Inflatable section) and the Great Nashville Duck Race. If you’re there, I’ll see if I can snag the bandana and make it easy to find me, but come and say hello if you know me!