This is the 1st Halloween I’ve been home for in 4 years. The last three I spent in Las Vegas.

This year I was looking forward to handing candy out to the kids for trick or treating with my dad but the Angels had other plans. We use to love doing that together. My dad really loved seeing the kids and handing out candy even when I was not here the last 3 Halloweens.

In the hospital just a few weeks ago I was telling my dad I was looking forward to being home for the first time in 4 years for Halloween. He knew.

My dad passed on since then.

I’m handing out candy tonight in memory and in honor of my dad. I’m doing a lot of things in honor and memory of my dad. I even talk to my dad more than God now.

I remember 24 years ago Halloween day and night I played my guitar all day and night only to stop to hand out candy with my dad and once and a while to say, “hey dad check this out” and I’d play him something I just learned. I was 16 24 Halloweens ago and just beginning to learn how to play guitar.

As I improved and got really good on that instrument my dad became impressed! I remember my cousin Robin telling me how my dad was bragging about me. I never heard my dad brag about my guitar skills first hand. I’m glad my cousin robin told me about it =)

Maybe he was bragging about me because in the early days, for a long time, I completely sucked at it..LoL Oh the horror of what my dad had to listen to just to be able to make a single note sound decent rather than like two cats in heat…haha!! But even when my notes sounded decent, it was Heavy Metal, and my dad would open the door to my room to peak inside and ask me, “Hey Tom can you play Solo? So LOW that I can’t hear you?” LoL My dad loved to make people laugh! I thought half of his jokes and puns were lame, but the other half more than made up for his lame ones.

I remember I was learning “For Whom the Bell Tolls” by Metallica. A very easy song, very basic and beginners like, and I was having a very difficult time with it. I can play that tune in my sleep now and much more difficult songs like second nature but that was my start 24 years ago on guitar.

I will always associate Halloween with my dad, when I started playing guitar, and handing out candy with my dad.

I love you Dad forever.

Tom