Today is Halloween. And I can’t believe how much it has changed in the 16 years I lived here.

When I moved to England in 1998, going trick-or-treating was very awkward. Hardly anyone did it. When my kids got old enough, I would take them door to door. We encountered a lot of older people who had no idea what we were doing. Sometimes, we even saw friends of my kids standing in the doors because their parents didn’t believe in it.

And forget about finding a good costume back then. It wasn’t easy. Now, Sainsbury’s has an entire Halloween section.

It’s nice to see it gain popularity.

But now. . . . I’ve kind of gone off it!

Yesterday was American Independence Day.

I’ve been living in England for 15 years now, but I still really miss the fourth of July. My dad asked last week if I was taking the day off. I had thought about it, I said, but it wasn’t the same when everyone is is still at work and school and your sitting around the house watching daytime TV like you’re ill.

I was only occasionally reminded it was a holiday when people at work would with me a happy Independence Day (there are no grudges in England anymore, if you’re wondering) and I got a little note at the bottom of an email from an Ear Spy user that said “enjoy your fourth.”

Last year, some friends from work and I went out on the town in Oxford on the Fourth. It was a great time. All the American students and teachers from the university were out and about. This year was much more low key.

I was going to write a “Happy Fourth of July” post yesterday. But since I’ve hardly written anything on this blog in almost a year (so busy working on Overpass and writing on that blog) that I thought a cheap post like that to be dumb. But, belatedly, happy Fourth.

I might start celebrating Bastille Day . . .