<p>I have really lost my mind this time. </p>

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<p>This Saturday, I am checking into a hotel known as one of the most haunted places in America.  I challenged 3 girlfriends to join me, and they were all crazy enough to accept.</p>

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<p>Haunted Destination:  <a href="http://www.jeromegrandhotel.net/" target="_blank"><strong>The Jerome Grand Hotel</strong></a> in Jerome, Arizona. </p>

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<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><strong><span style="color: #339966;">"What makes the Jerome Grand Hotel a worthwhile place to stay, is the fact that this is probably one of the most active haunted locations in the world," according to ghostlyfavorites.com. "Due to the high level of activity in the hotel, it is a quite popular destination for amateur ghost hunters."</span></strong></span></p>

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<p>If you go to their website, <a href="http://www.jeromeghosthunting.com/Ghost%20Hunt%20Photos.htm" target="_blank"><strong>you will find photos of misty orbs, ghosts, and even ectoplasm</strong></a><strong>.</strong></p>

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<p>Ectoplasm???</p>

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<p>That was the slime in <em>Ghostbusters</em>, right? </p>

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<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #339966;"><strong>3 of us have seen dead people before.  1 is a paranormal virgin.</strong></span></span></p>

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<p>Which is why I needed to use this "blog day" to share some backstory. </p>

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<p>I lived in a haunted house in New York when I was in 1st and 2nd grade.  I was old enough to etch a very vivid image into my memory banks.  And what was that image, you are wondering?</p>

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<p>The ghost of Mr. Santos.  Although it certainly wasn't the traditional image of a ghostly white apparition. </p>

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<p>One summer night my sister and I were sent to bed early for being naughty.  Since this was New York, and it was only 7:30 ish, it was still light outside. </p>

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<p>My sister and I were talking as I layed on my side and stared out to the hallway.  I saw a shadow of a man wearing what I now know as a fedora hat on the hallway wall.  I felt no fear at the time.  I simply called out, "Daddy?" </p>

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<p>My mom was downstairs dusting and yelled up, "Go to sleep!  Your dad is outside cleaning the pool." </p>

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<p>The shadow then moved away.  In my child's mind, I believed that it was my father's shadow.  Which I now know is an impossibility, as shadows are not cast up two stories and baseball caps are not transformed into fedora hats. </p>

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