torquill | Dickens

We went. We had fun.

My costume was good enough that I got compliments -- not only a couple of "wow, thats really nice, and where did you get the fabric?" but "Excuse me, where are the bathrooms?" People thought I was show staff. Rock on.

We did take pictures. I'll try to remember to grab some from my dad.

The only thing I didn't get was a bag of cinnamon nuts. Otherwise, I got a string of silver bells so that I tinkled gently, and I bought a bag of tea from Cuthberts'. We had High Tea, I enjoyed my herbal infusion, and I deliberately ate my trifle. Since it was my first ever deliberate cheat on my wheat allergy, I'm glad it really did taste as good as it looked. (I love trifle.) No reaction, as expected. So I'll assume that I can cheat every couple of months, at least in small amounts, for something good.

I got some dancing in. A couple of waltzes (The Blue Danube and Greensleeves), a schottische, and a Congress which was so crammed it turned into shuffling. Ah well. It scratched my dancing itch for the time being, and introduced me to a couple of Gaskellians whom I will have to seek out again (Lincoln in particular).

Dropped off a gift for one person and got another Solstice gift (a barrette) from

semy_of_pearls. Stop giving me things, at least until I can remember to give you your gift, dammit! :) (The hair clip is gorgeous.)

Many, many people there I did not expect.

silverkun,

ceolyn, and entourage.

akienm. Mark, who is known to

eyeofcanaan as well. Kurt Kellersberger, whom I had run into for the first time in twelve years at the Verizon store two months ago. I'm told Ronan was there, and I haven't seen him in ten years. I expected to see the people I've met at Gaskells, but there were lots of familiar faces. I don't really want to go on the last day again, but it certainly brings people out of the woodwork.

My usual complaint: for all of the "greenery" things are decorated with, there is hardly ever any smell of pine or evergreen. Big omission.

When we first got there, we walked down the back way past the drive behind the buildings... and saw someone with a big stick, standing in the middle of a litter of smashed cans. The woman facing him looked up and noticed us, and called, "There are no spectators in fizzball!" We were laughing about that for a while.

I left without having felt like I had done a "Christmas thing", but I looked at the lights on the balconies as we drove home and realized that I finally feel like it's time for Christmas. I'm in the mood for the pretty lights, and the ribbons, and the music and baked stuff and tea. It's good, considering it's the day after tomorrow... usually it doesn't take me this long to get here.

I've wrapped a couple of presents now, and I'm quite sleepy. It was a good day, though.