No matter what time of year it may be, Reese’s Pieces remind me of Halloween. You’d think a Gen X guy like me would have that spot reserved for E.T., but it’s the colors. No need for all that joyful M&M’s stuff; we like depressing candy on this side of the aisle.

My youngest son managed to snag this monster container of them at Costco last month and, between the two of us, we haven’t begun to put a dent in the thing. Currently, I have a small cup of them sitting beside me in the window as I await a blasted cup of Earl Grey to reach a comfortable lip temperature. It’s movie night.

Tonight, the three of us are checking out the newest Superman in the comfort of our own living room. Somehow, I developed a severe allergy to people during the pandemic. American society is so polarized right now and I don’t care to spend much face-to-face time with the opposite side. This is my version of a peace offering to the far-right Dallas extremists; I keep my happy hiney at home. Zero stupid confrontations come from that. Winning, but I miss my neighborhood shenanigans. We glitched as a society, I think. A scientific faux pas perhaps.

Besides, I was robbed of family movie night with my biological and adopted children via a parade of bad decisions and a job that kept me on the road. This is penance, and it’s far from over. I missed quite a few Halloweens as well.

Reese’s Pieces and Superman are about as “Halloween” as you can get on an August afternoon.