Hey, Punkin

glowing punkins, originally uploaded by starbexxx.

We fled the city, choosing to carve punkins and drink cider instead of running amok across Manhattan, in search of the Best Halloween Party Ever.

Fleeing was a good choice.

My boyf's pumpkin is on the left. Mine is on the right -- it vaguely resembles Crazy Eddie, n'est-ce pas?

And speaking of crazy -- so, dig: I hadn't carved a pumpkin in years and years. And when I was kid, we always got the smaller pumpkins -- the ones that cost 3 bucks, max. I always got the round ones and my brother would get the tall ones -- I like Ernies, he likes Berts. But this was my first grown-up pumpkin to carve, and so I got a very big, way-more-that-3-bucks pumpkin.

And when I was a kid, I faintly recalled that pumpkin-carving always made my hands feel funny. But the tingle was always short-lived and it never really bothered me enough to mention. But this time!!! Carving a ginormous pumpkin?? INTERROBANG! Whilst scraping out the goo and seeds, I noticed that my hands started to feel like they were burning. But I kept going, diligent pumpkin-carver that I am. And my arms were plunged into the pumpkin up to my elbows. And I scraped and scooped and did all sorts of innards-removal and then I realized my hands were REALLY burning. So I washed off the goo, and I had nasty hive thingies all over my wrists! And I eat pumpkin soup all the time, so it can't be that I'm allergic to pumpkin; it must be some sort of contact dermatitis with pumpkin or something.

Has anyone else ever experienced pumpkin burn? Because holy shiznit, it SUCKS. And I am I totally weird? Is pumpkin goo my personal kryptonite? My gourdriffic Achilles heel?

Please, I beg of you: tell me I'm not alone.