Counting down

The day after tomorrow, we leave. Today I am packing my carry-on tote. Gingersnaps for motion sickness. Protein bars as a charm against starving (they taste nasty enough that I won't eat them for pleasure, but good enough to assuage hunger.)Asprins and Immodium and Sudafed and bandaids for first aid. A paperback book. Glasses. Back-up glasses. Daily medications, my pearls, and a pair of clean panties in case the airlines loose our other bags. And the little bag with the silk blouse on the size 1 needles. I am mostly through the body of the blouse, but the sleeves should keep me busy all week and then some. Silk on size ones goes a long, long way. Hundreds of thousands of stitches. Maybe a million before I'm done. Just keep knitting. Just keep knitting.

Yesterday, as I was driving to work, I didn't see anyone else in costume Maybe it was because the holiday was mid-week, but I was the only freak on the freeway. And as pulled into the parking lot, it was full of ordinary folks in ordinary attire. I had one of those nighmare feelings: Maybe today ISN'T Halloween! And then, all day, no one commented on my get up. (Except my co-workers, bless them, bless them!) The holiday spirit is subdued.

It was colder than a tin toilet seat on the shady side of a glacier last night, and the wind chill factor was right down to bitter. We had only twenty or so kids - mostly tweens and young teens, mostly boys, mostly in costumes featuring layers of sweatshirts. One young man in a cow costume asked, most politely, "May I have two candy bars, please?" I gave him three. It's hard to deny a guy with chapped udders.

The past two days, I have finished two and a half scarves on whoopty twelve needles. The half-scarf is for the Red Scarf Project. I tossed the stash and found I have loads more red yarn to scarf with. Knit on, Roxie!