Still on the Quest

But I had a great time. My nephew came out to be Harry Potter for us, so our annual wander around Salem as the Hogwarts professors had added spice. Moreso because Harry was half a foot taller than Snape... (He got into the Elastic Elixir and was very bouncy as a result. Wanted to be as tall as Ron, but you know how that sort of thing goes.)

And now I am exhausted.

Alas. Although after four days in Salem, you'd think I'd have had quite enough of Halloween.

I missed some of my friends, who couldn't make it this year, enjoyed having my niece join us, very much, and have walked around so much that my feet are going to take a few days to recover. But it really is the best party around. We spoke to folks from China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, India, Kazakhstan, Australia, Saudi Arabia, Israel, the UK, Holland, Colombia, Venezuela, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Puerto Rico, California, Iowa, Ohio, Illinois, Oklahoma, Missouri, Florida, North Carolina, Texas, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Maine, New Hampshire, New York, New Jersey, D.C., and at least twenty towns in Massachusetts. And those are only the ones I can remember off the top of my head! (Or who answered, when I asked.)

My flist is plus some obscene number, so if there's anything important I've missed, feel free to point me at it. Now I need to go work on the housecleaning that didn't get done before I left. Ah, the joys of being a grownup!

Brief wave before I head for the plane.

I had a blast wandering around Salem with friends in costumes, and got a bonus round when I told spooky stories at the library and startled the smallest child in the room so badly that he burst into tears. (His father deserves it for leaving a three year old in the room alone...)

But the nine-year-olds had a great time!

But from now to the ninth my internet access is likely to be spotty (except perhaps Halloween day, when I will be at work so as to frighten the children with scary stories.) So I will wave HI now and remind all my US friends to get out and vote... (Preferably in a way that gets Rove's Rubberstamp Republicans out of Congress and kicks the Democrats into remembering their responsibilities to the planet in races where they aren't up against Republicans on the local level.)

It started by snowing in Saturday. Yes. Snow. Hasn't snowed in Salem in October since 1832, according to the locals, but there it was, all white and fluffy.

By Sunday morning it was all melted away. We put on our lovely woolen costumes and went out into the sixty degree weather.... and melted...

And Monday we did more of the same!

It was a good thing it snowed, really.

There will be pics I think, when one of the friends who could find her camera passes some along. But in the meantime, there's always this.

Car, check,
Stuff, check,
Junkfood, check....

but ansothehobbit is still among the missing.
double plus ungood. If you hear from her, let her know I was worried, okay?

*hugs flist*

See you Tuesday.

I should be cleaning house.

*checks flist again*

*ignores sink with dirty dishes*

But there is CHOCOLATE, so everything is good.

*does the happy mailbox dance*

I found my game of Munchkin to take along with me to Salem!

(Now I just have to find three acceptable sets of underthings...)

I have had all month to get ready for going off to Salem to play for the weekend. All month. Am I ready? No.

It'll be fun, in spite of the threat of *gasp* snow or rain on Saturday, because we're there till Monday and Monday is supposed to be good. But I'm not ready to go.

Late monday, I suspect.

I've got to finish packing and getting ready for Halloween, and the annual coming together of the friends who like to costume with us. But I've finished the Nine Walkers to go with the Nine Riders. I've done an experiment with this series, going back and putting links from one drabble to the next. Tell me if you think it works, and I'll do similar links back through my journal to make reading the fics easier.


ETA one last political link. The editors of the New Yorker have endorsed Kerry with one of the most well-reasoned and articulate essays I've read this year. http://newyorker.com/talk/content/?041101ta_talk_editors It not only makes it clear how Bush has failed, but also how Kerry could do better.