Sue in October

Happy Halloween!

It’s been a busy time with books due and a trip to New York tonight. But I've had fun. The highlights include:

* I was the “victim” for a mad scientist at my friend Amy’s haunted house and Halloween party on Saturday. In a nearly dark room, I laid on a table covered in blood and gore with a long tangled wig over my face as I cried for the kids to come in and help me. Then when I had them in the room, I told them about the mad scientist trying to cut my arm off. “He’s gone now but he’ll be back. Hide. Hide!” Jeff Sauer would jump into the room with his Cruella de Vil wig and bloody lab coat, laughing maniacally and sawing at my arm. Either the kids would cry and beg to get out of the haunted house at once or stare at Jeff and me in boredom, “Yeah right.” I haven’t laughed so hard in a long time. I won “Scariest Costume” award, thanks to Natalie’s careful work with putty and fake blood.

* We had a birthday party with my students in the slum. The blond in the picture is Holly Cox, my excellent assistant, an exchange student from England this semester and my Audrey replacement, even if it’s an hour and a half on Fridays only. She’s a great teacher.

* I rescued a dog yesterday. She was asleep on the sidewalk, full of ticks and fleas and with my trip tomorrow to New York, I really wished I hadn’t seen her. But I brought her in and gave her a good shower, picked off bugs and fed her well. Cookie growled. The new kid cuddled up with Natalie while I called my friend who'd been tentatively looking for a dog. Felicia agreed to take her on a trial basis while I’m gone but I saw immediately when we did the hand off that success was near. I’m sure Felicia loves her already. How could she not?

I’ll see Audrey in a four days as I’ll go to New York for the recording of the CDs mentioned above. She’ll fly over and spend the weekend with me, as jetsetters do! We’ll post something this weekend.