This one goes out to Shortauntiej

Last night, Ryan and I borrowed Christena's car and drove out to Carroll's Pumpkin Farm. It was the first time either of us had driven in two months. I picked two pumpkins from the actual patch that were both 15 lbs. Carving will commence in approximately 45 minutes. I stupidly wore my red Danskos. They are still covered in mud and rotten pumpkin. Mrs. Carroll let me wash my hands in the sink of the concession stand- the store is really cute and the farm has a ton of scarecrows with pumpkins for heads depicting various popular characters like Spiderman and Captain Jack Sparrow from Pirates of the Caribbean. It's like the Disneyland of pumpkin farms. We were really pleased with ourselves for making the effort to buy local until Anna freaked out on us at dinner. Danny Carroll is the Republican candidate running for State Representative. He's against stem cell research, same sex marriage, and freedom and we just contributed 20 pumpkin dollars towards his campaign. Damn. We don't regret our trip, however, because it was such an important mid-western experience. He's probably going to win though. People LOVE Danny Carroll around these parts.

While we were out, we stopped by Hyvee for tube rolls and brownies, our contribution to family dinner on our floor. Christena invited Ryan and me to dinner when we picked up the keys to her car. She LOVES to cook and sew and make art and watch movies. She's one of my favorite people on the floor. We had chicken and corn and mashed potatoes and rolls with Meredith's low sodium salt; Britt did the dishes. I'm bringing cooking supplies when I come back from winter break so I can be more domestic.

Ryan and I figured out our Halloween costumes. Initially, I thought it would be really awesome if I went as a sperm and he went as an egg. He wasn't into it. So last night at Goodwill, I decided that I would be a truck driver, inspired by this really awesome jacket I found on the costume rack. Then, Ryan found these really hideous purple short shorts. He's going to be my dead hooker!!! It's going to be sweet. We bought ropes and fake blood at Wal-Mart last night (we hit Carroll's Hate Farm and Wal-"We don't DO Unions"-Mart on the SAME night) and we're both going to wear the work boots we bought for NOLA.

Kathleen is getting a Little Sister from Grinnell. She passed the interview that the organization insisted be held in our room this afternoon. We did a bit of cleaning last night in preparation. My side was wholesome for approximately 14 hours.

This evening's itinerary:
1) Pumpkin carving
2) Dinner
3) Saw II (Ryan bought it last night at Big WM)
4) Saw III premier at the Strand Theatre downtown
5) Other things until 2 AM probably

Auntie Joanie! I got the package. It is incredible. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!!! Needless to say, the candy is gone, the window clings are up, and half of the people on my floor think you're really rad because you sent what they believe to be "Vampire Porn" (the Hanson card has helped too.) I painted a pumpkin on my window with the markers and I hung up the glow-in-the-dark skeleton right away using a piece of yarn with a condom attached to the end of it from a dance party I went to at the beginning of the year called Red Light, Green Light. We will go to New Orleans together some day. I think we would have a really good time being obscene and obnoxious. I'm finally old enough to be a cool niece. YAY!