Costume.

Lacking in creativity right now. I need Halloween costume ideas.
Nothing scandalous, something easy to put together, and relatively cheap.

Come on friends, help me out :)

Blast from the Past.

Rewind to this same upcoming weekend in 2008. I found this email in my inbox -- some of you have read this account. It would only happen to me... haha. Warning: It's a long account but worth every word. Enjoy...


Picture Averi in a black ruffled tie tank with a red pencil skirt and black flats from by BFF Old Navy.. Classy and fabulous. Full of sass.
We're at Carter Finley tailgating nicely when I run into a friend of mine from freshmen year -- he had graduated my senior year and hadn't seen him since the State/BC game my sophomore year -- needless to say with the Blue Moon in my system and my excited state, I was giddy.

Still keeping it together, I'm a great fan during the first and second quarter. The fan beside me, not so much. He decides to send the contents of his tummy all over the ground right next to my beautiful handbag and sassy feet. ew. Decided it was in my best interest to leave the premises and or that might just be me. So I called up the parental unit and joined them in their exclusive seats for the rest of the game. Watched State lose. Again. We leave the stadium after the game with the 50,000 other people, making our trek practically to Meredith College because we had to park so far away. When we return to the car, my parents share with me their opinion of my need to NOT drive all the way to CC that night. So they drop me off a mi casa where my car is already packed for the weekend...

12 am -- Got a call from a friend, Nelson, who wants a play-by-play of the game? or maybe just wants to make small-talk? not sure. REGARDLESS, I talk to him while I'm UNpacking my car (finding my necessities for the evening). Bags, phone conversation and all, I make it upstairs and into bed. With the alarm set (for 5:30 am), teeth brushed, and hair managed, I'm asleep by 1am.

5:30 am comes FAST -- I shower, get cute, and packed again for the road for my car appointment in MHC. Enjoyed some cereal and GMA and head out to the garage to load up my car. Go to put my bags in the car. Wait. No keys. Donde esta mis llaves? Tu sabes? No se. ergh. I search my bags. I scour my super-tidy (in all honesty, my room was spotless) room and no keys to be found. I searched the driveway. No keys. My first instinct is to call Daddy -- but I withhold that urge and call the little sister, Jenna Beth. Jenna answers and says that she has a spare key for me so no worries. She'll bring my key to me. Wait. She doesn't have her car. It was left at UVillage (5 miles away) with the keys with her roommate who didn't come home last night? SKETCH. So...I knock on my rooommate's door because her car is home. I could use her car to go get my spare key... Is she home? (Sometimes she stays with the boy) I call her cell, no answer. I knock on her door, no answer. Do I open the door? Turn on the light? No, that's creepy. At this point, I'm already late for my car appointment in MHC at 9:00 am. So, I take a deep breath and brainstorm the "awake" people of Raleigh that could deliver my spare to me. No one reallly pops in my head. I call Raleigh Cab. They will come to get me. Oops. Averi has no cash. Nor does Jenna. Perfect.

7:00 am -- Roommate wakes up and hands over her keys! yahoo! I head downstairs to try out her vehicle. Doesn't start at first. Seriously? She comes outside in her cute pjs and works her magic...? I guess the car didn't like me. I drive to campus, meet little Jenna to get my spare key. Get home and realize I'm locked out. Gross. Ring the doorbell and Gracious Roommate lets me in :)
I use my key to pop open the car to access the KEYS and EW, they aren't inside. Well, I'm so late at this point, I might as well search for the dern keys. I replay every moment of my home arrival from the night before and remember a detail I had not thought of. I was hungry last night. I wanted a snack. Oh yes, Oreos, Halloween ones with orange creme...yummy...so I head to the pantry, the place of goodies. And there they are, nestled neatly on the shelf along with the Oreos. My keys.

7:30 am -- Seatbelt up, say a prayer, and drive to Newport.

I digress. I'm safe and sound, nestled at Coffee Affair in MHC, "doing work".

Talking.

Third graders LOVE to talk.
Most of my students undertand when it's appropriate to talk with their neighbor.
One of my little darlings does not. He would talk to a brick wall. Seriously.

Me: Luke, will you PLEASE read your book instead of talking?
Luke: Good point, Miss Henderson, good point.

I don't know what kind of "point" I made but he was quiet for the rest of the afternoon. Praise the Lord.