Halloweenie

Lawrence Toppman:

When you're losing weight, you're faced with a dilemma: Do you buy a sack of Halloween candy you hate, so you won't be tempted to eat pots of it if nobody comes to the front door? (That happens to us every year: We live on a safe, walkable street in a quiet, well-kept urban neighborhood. And I bet we don't get a dozen trick-or-treaters a year. What's happened to America?)

Or do you buy really good candy to impress your neighbors and, when few of them ask for it, stare at the bucket of uneaten chocolates until you drool or bring it to work? We solved the problem this year by purchasing trash only a middle-schooler would consume -- and, let's be honest, I would have consumed in middle school -- with the idea that my wife's students will be the beneficiaries of corn syrup-filled leftovers.

On the other hand, I did grab a homemade chocolate cupcake at the office today and tucked it into Tupperware to take home, so I'd have one small but delicious indulgence. Hmmm...I wonder if it's big enough for two? Nah, I guess not. Sure hope my wife doesn't see this.