# Haunter Fatigue?? Anyone else feel it?



## Ironside (Aug 1, 2008)

Just getting into the Halloween mood again (usually happens around spring/early summer) and I was thinking about possibly putting on another haunted attraction.

It seems, though, whenever I think about Halloween and building my walk-through haunt, I get excited and happy but also feel stress and anxiety. When I build my haunted house, I renovate an entire basement and usually start building around July to be ready for Halloween (I have it open to the public for about a week straight).

There is just SO much work, time and effort that goes into these haunts that every year when I am faced with started ALL over again, the task seems SO daunting I become discouraged.

How do you top yourself every year? How do you change things up enough to stay fresh and original? Last year I suffered Halloween Haunt fatigue so badly that I skipped the whole walk-through haunt all together and went with a smaller scale "garage/yard" haunt. 

It was cool and turned out really nice but wasn't quite as satisfying as setting up the "full meal deal", advertising in the paper and on the radio and the whole nine yards.

Anyone else know how I feel? I WANT to have a haunt setup but I kinda want to skip ahead to the finished product (and sometimes skip right to the final night's performance, but still somehow have the great experiences and pictures to go with it... LOL)

On the positive side, i'm taking a trip to Niagara Falls this week to go through all of their Haunted Attractions, research new ideas... hehe.

I'll be stopping by "Screamers House of Horrors Part I & II", "Nightmares Fear Factory", "The Haunted House", "Castle Dracula", "The House of Frankenstein" and a couple other smaller haunts that are inside wax museums. 

Should get me right in the mood and lift my spirits. :googly:


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## Frighteners Entertainment (Jan 24, 2006)

I used too. I took a year off, that helped.
Now it's been 3 years since I've done my walk through.


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## trishaanne (Aug 20, 2005)

I'm burned out already this year and have barely made anything new yet. I want to take a year off but the neighbors expect it. And, since our house is going up on the market at the end of this year, this is the last time we're doing our set up here. Looks like we're stuck...lol.


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## Howlinmadjack (Jul 20, 2009)

It seems to come in waves with me, I'll work on some projects and take a break for a while and then work a little more, but this year has been more breaks and less work. I'm working on three projects at once, and I think I'm getting a bit burnt out cuz the thought of going out into the garage and working on finishing the props is sometimes a bit tedious. But then I think about the finished product and kick it into high gear.


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## Hauntiholik (May 17, 2006)

Maybe you'll get into the mood when people start posting about the halloween finds at local stores? I know that is when I start to feel some excitement and ramp up my plans.


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## The Bloodshed Brothers (Jan 25, 2009)

All it takes for us is to that first wall to go up. After that its hard to stop...And once its starting to be built its kind of pointless not to stop


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## niblique71 (Dec 2, 2009)

I feel the same way. Especially after last year. Every year I spend countless hours building, tweaking, and imagineering. I think I had about 4-500 hours in last year and almost that many every year prior. Last year the weather sucked on halloween night with rain and very high winds. I still had 3-400 tots but the spirit was lost as everyone was drowned and the effects just weren't the same in the rain. It made my ask myself "WHY do I do this???". This year I already have 600 hours into halloween and it's not even June yet. I seriously question all of my activities sometimes. But then again... the HUGE Eyes of the TOTS and thier parents seem to be what keeps me going. I think if I had a little help It'd make a BIG difference. I do the entire build/haunt all by myself.


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## PeeWeePinson (Feb 23, 2006)

I've been feeling this way off and on for several years. I will get excited in the planning process, but when I think about all the time it takes and how stressed I get I begin to feel overwhelmed. I do most all of it myself through the year and usually only have help the week before the haunt. I find myself thinking "this is my happy place, why am I feeling so much anxiety??!!" For the last couple of years I have just had small haunts but this every one is expecting THE BIG ONE and I am going to try my best to deliver, even tho I am already feeling stressed. I agree that someone helping me get ready would make it better.


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## Ryan Wern (Dec 3, 2009)

Ya I get fatigued too. I'm kind of in the same boat as Trishaanne, the neighbors expect it from me, so it's hard to say no. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy doing the haunt, but people don't understand just how much work it really is and how much money it costs to put on. When I moved into my new house, which is only 2 houses up the street from my old one (bigger house, bigger lot, cheaper rent, you do the math), the fist thing the neighbors said to me was "you're still doing the haunted house this year, right?" I don't know, I enjoy building the props and all the millions of walls and sweating my a$$ off in the summer sun building zombies and all, but I think next year I might take a little break. We'll see.


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## Haunted Bayou (Feb 16, 2007)

All I have is a garage haunt, and I get fatigued just thinking about what I am going to do.
I decided just to rotate props and make it a little different each year without trying to top what I did the year before. I do everything by myself so I can't get any bigger because I don't have time to set-up.

I don't want to make my favorite holiday so stressful that I can't enjoy it, whick is where I was headed. So I made the decision not to grow but to tweak it instead. Besides, most of the neighbors can't remember exactly what I do year to year since they only see it for one night.


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## RoxyBlue (Oct 6, 2008)

Spooky1 and I pretty much follow in the same line of thought as Haunted Bayou. We do a yard display (front yard only) and change out a few things every year to keep it fresh.


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## The Watcher (Sep 13, 2008)

I thought that Haunter Fatigue, is what my wife gets. Every time I have a idea.


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## Toktorill (Sep 15, 2007)

My wife and I have been driving force behind a charity haunt for the last 10 years, so our timing is quite different from the pro/yard/house haunters here. A local mall provides a site for us in an unused storefront. We usually get 2-3 weeks to build the haunt, 3-5 days to run it, and a week to clean up. I spend the summer brainstorming and organizing our materials, but nothing is done physically until we have keys to the site in our hands.

When we do get keys: I have the week booked off work, and will be at the mall every spare moment (Record: 90 hours in 7 days). The coffee pot on at all times- so caffeine is partly to thank. I also work fast, and cheap- doing as many small things as I can think of, on top of a few large "WOW" props that several volunteers work together to make.


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## grantbrott (Feb 22, 2010)

I hit the fatigue point usually in october with all the last minute things coming up but find that breaking it all down into sections and smaller projects throughout the year makes it much easier to take in and accomplish it instead of looking at it as one giant project. The hard part is sticking to one thing and not getting distracted from the ideas.


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## Ryan Wern (Dec 3, 2009)

The Watcher said:


> I thought that Haunter Fatigue, is what my wife gets. Every time I have a idea.


I'm sure mine would second that!


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## Ryan Wern (Dec 3, 2009)

To keep things fresh before I did my walkthru, I would just change the lighting a little and change the soundtrack and add small props here and there. It worked for me, but nobody else noticed much. Now, after the walkthru thing evolved, I have totally reinvented the haunt for this year. It will be bigger, more detailed, better props, better sound, better planning. Thats how I'm keeping it fresh. Next year will likely just be a yard display, then I'll come back in full force in 2012. That will give me a break and give the ToT's a whole year to want to see my haunt again.


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## beelce (Jul 21, 2007)

This is an area that I mastered years ago....
I have my haunt/party every other year.

Yep, I skip a year. That way it gives me time to rest my haunted brain a bit, gives Mrs BeeLCe a chance to to forget how much time and money I put into props, and the best part is my guest are always excited to hear that we will indeed have another party. ( I ALWAYS tell everyone that this is my last year. That really makes them savor the moment and worry that it may all go away)

You know how someone in your family, or a friend always has the same party every year...like new years eve, or super bowl , or 4th of July ? And you go every year just because that's what you do? And in the end it's the same people, same activities, and you would rather be doing something else. After a few years, people start drifting away, and the party just sort of dies out.
Well.....I switched to every other year for my haunt/party. And so far, it has stayed fresh with my guest, and we regularly have over 150 people who show up and who want to be there.....and I don't BURN OUT.
It also gives me an extra year to add props.

Yes I know that most haunters are die hards and just can't wait for the big night, but that's the other good thing about skipping a year between haunting, on your off year,....YOU GET TO GO TO OTHER HAUNTED PARTIES AND ENJOY THEIR HARD WORK!! And all you have to do is put on your favorite costume and show up........WORKS for me.


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## Dark Angel 27 (Sep 11, 2008)

I already have fatigue and I've only painted a few bottles. it's more to do with being let down by someone i was counting on...and the drain comes from having two or three small props ready and now not knowing if I can do that theme anymore. It really does make me want to screw it all and not do antything at all...still trying to get back into the swing of things.


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## Tricia (Jun 4, 2009)

I get fatigued just thinking about how hot it's going to be in Simi this summer. Prop-wise, though- I'm ready. At all times. I wake up covered in greasepaint and fake blood on Nov.1st ready to go for next year. That's probably not good.:googly:


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## Ryan Wern (Dec 3, 2009)

Tricia said:


> I get fatigued just thinking about how hot it's going to be in Simi this summer. Prop-wise, though- I'm ready. At all times. I wake up covered in greasepaint and fake blood on Nov.1st ready to go for next year. That's probably not good.:googly:


My wife is from Ojai, and I was shocked how hot it gets down there. I always thought of that area as being "the beach" because Ventura has great beaches. Didn't expect tripple digits down there


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## Tricia (Jun 4, 2009)

Ryan Wern said:


> My wife is from Ojai, and I was shocked how hot it gets down there. I always thought of that area as being "the beach" because Ventura has great beaches. Didn't expect tripple digits down there


Ojai gets SO HOT. It'll be 78 at my house, and 105 in Matilija. It's crazy!


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## trishaanne (Aug 20, 2005)

I was just outside painting some new headstones, which I plan on keeping when we move to the new place, and was going to paint and finish the fireplace. It's so hot outside, and humid, that I'm working up a sweat sitting in a chair painting. It's days like this that make me want to just forget it and wait till fall, but there's not enough time once the cool weather finally starts. I'm kicking myself for wanting to make it the best ever this year, since it's our last in this house, but we want to go out with a bang! I'm suffering from haunter fatigue BIG TIME right now, BUT there are only 147 days till Halloween, which means only about 110 days till we start setting up! OMG....110 days? Better grab some water and head back outside!!!


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## MoldyCoffin (May 5, 2010)

*Been there...*



Dark Angel 27 said:


> I already have fatigue and I've only painted a few bottles. it's more to do with being let down by someone i was counting on...and the drain comes from having two or three small props ready and now not knowing if I can do that theme anymore. It really does make me want to screw it all and not do antything at all...still trying to get back into the swing of things.


First off, I like BeeLCe's idea to go all out every OTER year... (Now if I could just convince my 6 grown kids to go along...). But Dark Angel, when the "which theme blues" hit me, I fall back to increasing the size and/or design of our cemetery. A week or so of tombstones, statuary and pvc fences, and my mind is cleared of cobwebs, and I'm ready to get back into 'theme' mode. In fact, I just went through that phase. Then 5 days ago I was at the dump, and somebody had tossed 10 old rusty pickaxes, sledge hammers, etc.
VOILA! "Ye OLDE Abandoned Mine" became our theme for this year! Anyhowl, hang tuff! :devil:


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## NytDreams (Sep 10, 2009)

I think, at one point or other, most haunters understand the fatigue associated with doing all the work, putting out all the money, and so on. My own frustration comes in a slightly different form...lack of time & money. I have all the ambition and willingness in the world, but a distinct lack of knowledge for creating props (just haven't had the time to try it yet) and a huge lack of time because of work and going to school online.
If you're feeling overwhelmed, scale back a little for a year. Don't force yourself to do a lot of things, just do a few, or even a couple of things, well and call it good. People will still enjoy the trip through what you do put up. 
The last thing you want to do is make yourself dread doing Halloween stuff.


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## jdubbya (Nov 6, 2005)

Reading this thread, and another on a different forum, has me thinking of scaling back at some point soon. We do a walk through haunt that includes our front yard, driveway, back patio and garage (and even a bit in the back yard.) Watching the whole thing unfold on Halloween night is a feeling like no other, and hearing the comments/compliments and screams from the TOT's and their parents makes for all kind of warm fuzzy feelings, but....the thoughts of setting it all up, making some fresh scares and sets, and then tearing it down again seriously makes me reconsider the effort. My two oldest sons are gone now so I'm pretty much a one man show. My youngest helps but some of the things involved are heavy and there are several wall panels etc. that go up.
We have 6-7 older teens who look forward to coming over each year and helping as scare actors. This has become part of the "tradition" at our house, so not having them come over would be rough. Last year the weather killed me right up until Halloween afternoon around 1:00 p.m. We had wind knock over wall panels and facades. A lot of stuff got soaked from frequent rain, but we pulled it off. I guess the thing that's hard to factor in is the stress element, and I'm questioning if it's worth all the effort and "torment" to put myself through this every year, in spite of how much fun it is, especially when you figure the hours of work for just 2 hours of fun on one night. I would never stop decorating or doing some type of display, but the walk through has evolved as much as it can and it I'm thinking it's time to downsize. I like reading about the front yard only displays and how it would be easy to change this up each year and just rotate a few themes. Less set up, less construction, less worry and less tear down. We started with just a front yard display and I have enough props now that I could change themes almost every year and keep it fresh.
I look at other forum member's set-ups that I've seen like lewlew and MotelSixx. The work they put into them is remarkable and the rewards are great. As much as I would miss being in this league, I can see a smaller scale display in my near future.


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## psyko99 (Jan 11, 2008)

I know how you feel. My neighbors & I have been doing a walk through for three years. this year we decided to take a year off and just sponsor a ghost walk. We'll be setting up our own yard haunts cooperatively, but also help other neighbors get started.

We'll see how it works.


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## Spooklights (Jul 4, 2006)

I can't say I ever get tired of setting up my yard display; it's one of those things that I mark on my calendar when I get it in January, and count the days. Where I get tired is when I'm on the last day of taking stuff down. It's the same amount of stuff that I put up; why does it seem like so much more work to take it down?


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## CRAZYBOUTHALLOWEEN (Jul 19, 2009)

You need a friend that lives close that is just as into this as you are, my friend happens to be my sis in law, and we kinda motivate each other.... and after we finish a prop its just sooo cool the feeling that we get that we got it made and how it looks .. its kinda like excercising no one likes it alone and ususally get bored quick , but with a partner it goes better . well this is the same, get a Halloween partner .. and watch the results!!!


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## tot13 (Jul 25, 2007)

feeling it here, too. This will be my fifth year to run the Trail. Typically I'm in the woods by March clearing trails and starting station lay-outs. I've only been once so far this year . . . Last year I noticed that I enjoyed getting the Trail ready more than I did the actual live nights. I'm actually considering that this will be my last year - it might be time to move on and let someone else try their hand at it for a while.


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## kprimm (Mar 14, 2009)

I am glad to say this has never happened to me, i work on my stuff almost every day and i love it to death. This is my passion and has become my entire life. I really enjoy working on my haunt and researching new stuff.


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## debbie5 (Mar 2, 2007)

I cut my haunt in 1/2 last year (no graveyard, only house decorated & lit), and it was SO NICE not to have to worry about the damn gravestones blowing away. I'm ready for the full show this year
I think kids appreciate fresh stuff more than LOTS of stuff. And I wish I had a partner in this! My Man is so burnt out from it, he wants nothing to do with it anymore..(sigh). He will still take stuff from over-garage storage for me, which is nice..cuz I dont wanna fall off any ladders...


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## Ironside (Aug 1, 2008)

I find that no matter how many good comments and acclaim I get for my Haunts, there are always the 1 or 2 people (or groups) that think they are entitled and that these things just HAPPEN... they usually end up ruining the experience.

I've had people pull the mask off my face inside my haunt, jump and bounce into all my expensive props (both people kicked out swiftly) and last year I even had some little bastard shoot a B.B. gun into my haunted garage from his parents mini-van. HIS PARENTS WERE SMILING AND LAUGHING when I went outside to confront them!!!

These are the kind of people that REALLY make me think "why do I even bother"... :finger:


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## Frankie-s Girl (Apr 5, 2009)

I'm debating about doing nothing this year at all. Maybe taking the year off and going away for a vacation. 

I am usually working on new props by February and here it is the end of June and I'm still not in the mood to build anything yet. Just not feeling it.


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## charlie (Jul 9, 2007)

Every year, after Halloween, while cleaning up, I tell myself it is way too much work and probably shouldn't do it next year. Then, around this time I always convince myself to do it and start the cycle over again.

My garage haunt had hit the ceiling as far as size, quality and complexity. I couldn't make it any bigger due to time limitations. Then, this year, my brother got two of his friends to help. Typically friends helping usually means distractions and less work getting done - but finally people came to the table that were as excited about building the haunt as I was (and they had stage/theater experience!). In two days we got more done that I usually could do in a week - and it turned out to be the best haunt we've ever had. I am so excited about this coming year I can't stand it - we are going to surpass anything we've ever done and blow everyone away.

The moral of the story is find someone to help, someone that shares your passion - and you will take some of the stress and workload off of yourself and be able to enjoy it more. 

Just my 2 cents, but that worked for me.
charlie


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## scareme (Aug 29, 2006)

I envy Crazybouthalloween and charlie, and sympathize with debbie5. I love the Halloween scene, and my haunt, but I get tired of fighting with my husband about it every year. I've been doing this for about the last eight years, so get used to it. I don't know why he thinks his complaining will just make me one day say "Alright, let's not do anything this year. Let's just shut the lights off." (Which is what he begs me to do every year) He retires in 4 yrs and we will move to Iowa. He has already said I can't do a haunt in Iowa, and I will have to get rid of everything cause he's not moving it. I have four more years of listening to this, and then fighting to keep my hobby? I would love to have a friend or neighbor to get excited with me about this stuff. But time to get down off my soapbox. Or is it up off my shrink's couch. I just need to vent, and you guys are good about listening. I think I've turned this from Haunt Fatiuge to Haunt Crabfest. (mmmm, crab). But it does fatiuge me.


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## RoxyBlue (Oct 6, 2008)

I'm so sorry to hear your husband does not support your haunting hobby, Scareme. I can understand a married couple not sharing all the same interests, but it's hard to imagine not at least supporting a spouse in something that's clearly so meaningful to him or her.


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## Eyes_in_the_dark (Jun 15, 2006)

I don't do a "Haunt" I just do a display so my workload is no where near what some of you do. I do it because I enjoy it and love the Halloween season but, I will never let my display become a burden which takes any of my enjoyment of the season away from me...if it ever does then I will stop the display.

Something that has really help me focus and get more enjoyment this year (and more done so far) is a segment on the podcast "Hauntcast" called theater of the mind. Revenant has allowed me to prioritize my projects by teaching me the ABC's of a building plan and the most important tip he has given me is to enjoy what I'm doing! I build my display always keeping in mind something he said in one podcast. IF I don't get everything done I would like to do, that's OK because, my display will still be better than 90% of what most people do and more people than not will appreciate it.

I feel if you haunt is ruining your enjoyment of Halloween or putting a strain on you or a relationship then STOP. I would rather buy a few scene setters and cheep spider webs to decorate the house and enjoy the night of nights than build the best haunt in town. Like I said If the day comes that I'm losing even one ounce of my enjoyment of MY Halloween for the sake of my display then it will be gone! 

BTW I'm building my first FCG this year and I'm so excited! Shout out to Revenant and Hauntcast! :xbones:

....and no kiddies I'm not getting a kick-back from Steve-O or Hauntcast for my comments.


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## charlie (Jul 9, 2007)

Eyes_in_the_dark said:


> I feel if you haunt is ruining your enjoyment of Halloween or putting a strain on you or a relationship then STOP. I would rather buy a few scene setters and cheep spider webs to decorate the house and enjoy the night of nights than build the best haunt in town. Like I said If the day comes that I'm losing even one ounce of my enjoyment of MY Halloween for the sake of my display then it will be gone!


That's a great point. If the haunt is causing unhealthy stress, the best thing to do is start at square 1. Reflect on what parts of the holiday you enjoy the most and see if there is a way to focus more on those and less on the elements that have creeped their way into your agenda over the years. Bigger isn't always better when it comes to haunts.


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## steveshauntedyard (Nov 16, 2008)

I feel ya. I did a garage haunt for the first time last year. I have done a yard haunt for the last 5 years. Doing both was just to much. I am afraid to not do the garage because I don't want to dissapoint the kids. I fell they will now expect the haunted garage every year. I have been trying to decide between doing the garage again or makeing the yard haunt a walk through witch I have never done before and it would also be something new and different. And yes I am a little burned out. Trying to get my mojo back with some make and takes.


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## Ironside (Aug 1, 2008)

scareme said:


> I envy Crazybouthalloween and charlie, and sympathize with debbie5. I love the Halloween scene, and my haunt, but I get tired of fighting with my husband about it every year. I've been doing this for about the last eight years, so get used to it. I don't know why he thinks his complaining will just make me one day say "Alright, let's not do anything this year. Let's just shut the lights off." (Which is what he begs me to do every year) He retires in 4 yrs and we will move to Iowa. He has already said I can't do a haunt in Iowa, and I will have to get rid of everything cause he's not moving it. I have four more years of listening to this, and then fighting to keep my hobby? I would love to have a friend or neighbor to get excited with me about this stuff. But time to get down off my soapbox. Or is it up off my shrink's couch. I just need to vent, and you guys are good about listening. I think I've turned this from Haunt Fatiuge to Haunt Crabfest. (mmmm, crab). But it does fatiuge me.


Divorce??? :googly:

Seriously though, he obviously knows how much Halloween means to you and if he can't accept such a large part of who you are then what does that say???

That would be like me telling my fiancee she cant buy books to read anymore because she spends too much money on them or because I think reading is stupid (which I dont, but im just sayin')

Don't let someone take Halloween from you... I know that'd be a cold day in hell when someone got me to stop celebrating the greatest day of the year! :jol:


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## kallen (Jun 23, 2008)

hell, I only do the yard and house  burn out I think is a constant in what we all do. I do a group party every year and I know this year I already got huffy with so many " well.. if it's on this day then I can make it.." people and i called it off once already. we are doing a soft theme this year barrowing the haunted tiki theme. but thanks to living outside the city limits, I only get the folks for the party. I think what makes it stressfull is we demand much more of ourselves that most the people who will see it in the first place


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## spinwitch (Jun 14, 2009)

I (with the help of the spouse and a couple of friend) do a big 1/4 mile haunted trail as a fundraiser for a local natural history museum. I love it--we do about a dozen scenes and last year we ran about 1600 people through. And it's totally exhausting.

Usually I'm going at it by about March. Now it's July, and I'm just starting. Rather than waiting to feel it, I just started. Dragged out notes from previous years and decided on some scenes. Started getting some ideas. Put on my Nox Arcana and cleaned off my work table. There's a flicker of interest starting--I think I'll be in gear soon (then I have to get the other people going--they're burned out too). But I'd really miss it if I skipped it


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