Resolute (2013 Edition)

Percy is clearly apprehensive about the New Year

...or the fact that I'm smothering him. Hard to say.

Yes, I am aware that we are now racing through March and spring is well on its way, but nevertheless I wanted to write down my New Year's resolutions. I mentally formed these a while ago, around New Year's, in fact! (Fancy that.) Last year I found it infinitely helpful to refer back to my resolutions post as a means of checking progress and motivating myself to continue toward set goals when I felt in a rut, and I'm keen to continue that in 2013.

In true nerd fashion, I adore making goals, any excuse to write up a list, etc. That extends to New Year's resolutions. I liked what Claire from The Captive Reader had to say about this increasingly controversial practice, that she saw no need to form resolutions since she's already perfectly happy. And to some extent, I agree. I am happy! Still, I am an individual excited and motivated by the idea of improvement, especially self-improvement. Setting out to make changes for the better thrills me to no end. 

Really, I truly believe they can be great for the majority of us. They gear us up for new experiences at a time when most of us are feeling like we could use a boost. (For the record, I blame holiday treat overload for this effect.) Provided an individual steers clear of resolutions one loathes yet feels inexplicably compelled to make -- this is when many a gym membership is compulsively purchased then just as swiftly forgotten -- I wholly endorse the practice. Hurrah for resolutions! 

First up are my reading resolutions...

Read 45 texts. Last year I fell just short of my goal to read 40 texts, so I'm being slightly optimistic here. I'm perfectly aware I might not achieve this at all. And that's okay. Having my goal in mind last year often served as a gentle reminder to put down the remote control and pick up a book. It spurred me on or kept me going when suffering through a reading drought or in the middle of a dud. I'm setting this resolution with the view that it will provide much needed encouragement whether I meet the ultimate goal or not.

Get back to the classics! Last year I wanted to spread my wings by veering into twentieth-century and contemporary literature, experience the literary world outside my little box. I did, and it was great!

Come December though, I wanted to go back to my roots. I missed my crazy Victorians! (They still accounted for nearly 25% of my 2012 reading, so the fact that I felt their absence says something quite worrying about my psyche, I think.) The eighteenth-century was virtually abandoned, and I want to incorporate those writers back into my reading habits as well. It was great moving away from my comfort zone, but this year I'd like to refocus on my chief interests -- and make some major progress on my Classics Club list while I'm at it. 

Poetry and drama. In 2012 I pinpointed several new genres I wanted to explore and had great success in some of these, especially nonfiction. While I did read some poetry and drama, these formats weren't delved into with the depth I would have liked, so I'm reiterating this goal for 2013. After receiving some gift cards for my October birthday, I picked up some new titles under these categories: The School for Scandal and the major works of John Keats among them. I have no excuse to neglect poetry and drama this year.

Children's classics. When I worked at a bookstore I took advantage of the employee discount by accumulating as many items as my meagre paycheck would allow, and I collected some great children's classics during this time. 

I haven't read any of them. 

It's time to stop making excuses and finally finish The Secret Garden despite any distractions. Time to open The Jungle Book. Treasure Island. Peter Pan. Multiple novels by Jules Verne. Simply typing out these titles whets my literary appetite. Why haven't I done this before?

Literary nonfiction. While I made great headway in this genre last year, there's still room for improvement. I have multiple author biographies sitting forlornly on my shelves, accounts of my beloved eras or their monarchs, etc. that call for my attention. I'm especially looking forward to Claire Tomalin's recent biography on Charles Dickens, another recent addition to my library.

And now for my general resolutions...

Take a photography class. I've gleefully been snap happy lately, and I'd like to learn how to use the fabulous camera I received for Christmas. I mean, I kinda, sorta know how to use it...but not really.

Get published. I set this goal last year and failed, but I'll keep plugging away at it. To be fair, I have spoken at three conferences in the past four months and was accepted to present at another this summer. Progress, slow but steady progress. 

Fill up my personal journal. Blogging is a fantastic way to document life and its experiences, but I still need to make time to express those private thoughts and feelings.

Make time for cultural activities that make me happy. I simply adore museums, theatre, and traveling. The stimulation they provide adds significantly to my happiness. Basically, if I'm mentally bored, I'm miserable. Yet I often make excuses about why I can never make time for these things: I'm too busy with work, I don't have the money right now, there's nothing good around at the moment, etc., etc., etc. 

Enough with the excuses! I need to make it a priority. Progress has already been made in this arena, particularly with my recent visits to the ballet. I'm looking forward to more of these experiences throughout the year. 

Organization/Stress Management. Guys, I'm posting my New Year's resolutions in mid-March which speaks volumes. Organization seems to be my Achilles' Heel. Despite my best efforts, I always seem to be frazzled, stressed, feeling like I'm eight tasks behind. If I can conjure up an organizational system that works for me and focus on remaining calm when under pressure, I'll be more at ease in every aspect of my life.

Be Kinder. This is a lifelong goal. While I consider myself to be a fairly nice person as it is, I think it's useful to always be mindful of how I treat others and aim to speak and act with kindness to everybody, especially those I love.

I'm sure you're all much more organized than I am and posted resolutions in January. How are they going so far?

Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day! I know many object to the commercializaton of February 14th (and I agree the cliches can easily induce nausea), but I maintain it's nice to have a holiday dedicated to love. Because love, actually, is all around. ;)

Last year on February 14th I wrote about the importance of expressing that love to all the important people in our lives. While I've attempted to abide by that philosophy this year, I've also decided to be my own Valentine today! Oscar Wilde, after all, did tell us that 'to love one's self is the beginning of a lifelong romance.' And I must say, I've rather enjoyed the romantic gestures from myself. I unashamedly bought myself flowers, indulged in luxurious naps, and I'll be whipping up a batch of chocolate cupcakes with pink buttercream frosting later.

I hope whatever you do today, you spend it surrounded by the ones you love!

P.S. Last year I also wrote a Valentine-themed post recounting my favourite literary couples. I enjoyed it so much, I have another one in the pipeline this year. Thoughts about what I've learned about love and relationships from the incomparable Jane Austen have invaded my brain, so expect a post sharing those details in the near future.

2012

Before I set forth resolutions for 2013, I'd like to review 2012, what I accomplished and how well I adhered to my resolutions. 

My reading goal was forty texts, for which I was far ahead of schedule until I started my job. I ended up finishing just short of my ambitions, but that's okay. More than anything, I wanted to increase the quality of my reading while broadening my horizons, and I did that. Hurrah!

Here's a more detailed recap of my reading goals:

Read 40 texts. I completed 36. Since I failed to reach fifty percent of my reading goal in 2011 (I blame all that literary criticism -- what a distraction!) and more or less abandoned pleasure reading with the commencement of my job, I'm fairly pleased with this result.

Read more non-fiction. I kicked some major ass here and thoroughly enjoyed myself in the process. I read seven non-fiction books this year, which accounts for nearly twenty percent of my reading. What an improvement. These ranged from author biographies (Bill Bryson's Shakespeare) to essays on reading (Ex Libris by Anne Fadiman). Hopefully this trend continues in 2013.

Read more poetry and drama. I read two books of poetry (Sylvia Plath and Elizabeth Barrett Browning) and two Oscar Wilde plays. Not a bad start on the whole. The good news is I've recently been accumulating some texts that fall under these categories by writers such as John Keats and Richard Brinsley Sheridan, so I'm gearing myself up for continued growth in this area.

Read more 20th century/contemporary fiction. Again, major success! In the past I've been drawn to awful YA fiction when not in the mood for Victorian density. Not to say that there's no merit in this genre -- there is -- but more often than not I'd finish a YA novel wishing I hadn't wasted my time. So, I promised myself I'd seek out higher quality literature for my escapist reads, and I'm happy to say I've experienced few reading regrets this year as a result. Nearly a third of this year's texts are literary 20th century/contemporary publications, and I'm pleased to report I  found some new all-time favourites (e.g, I Capture the Castle; this book is, without question, the bee's knees).

Here's the funny thing: while I'm proud to have pushed myself outside my comfort zone, I feel as though I barely read from the long nineteenth century at all. Nevertheless, the Victorians accounted for nearly one fourth of my reading. This goes to show how much I rely on them. Maybe I'll shift this year's focus back to my beloved era. 

Read from my Classics Club list. I read eight titles from this exhaustive list. I need to quicken the pace.

Read from libraries. Don't buy books. Ha! I was doing quite well with this until I generated an income and decided to reward myself with (what else?) multiple trips to the bookstore. Also, I received gift cards for my birthday; and books you didn't technically buy yourself surely don't count, right?

Despite my hopeless book-buying compulsion, I read nine texts that had been sitting on my shelf for some time. 21 were borrowed, either from friends or the library. Only four were texts I purchased this year. Not too shabby. Of course, this doesn't account for all the books I bought but haven't yet read, but I'd rather not count those at the moment....

Right, that's the books. Now let's move on to general resolutions:

Get published. No, not yet. I'm still working on this one. I did, however, present at my first academic conference this fall and have two more on the horizon. 

Get creative with cooking. Success! I wanted to try various vegetarian recipes this year. Not only did I do that, I managed to convince my resolutely omnivorous family that meat-free dishes can be tasty too. Over the past months I've tried the following:

Chana masala with cream and extra veggies

Sweet potato curry

Goat cheese pasta by Giada de Laurentiis 

Quinoa-stuffed zucchini boats

Mexican quinoa with black beans and cilantro

Roast potatoes (for Christmas dinner, obviously)

Victoria sponge cake

Caramels

Visit a Literary Mecca. No literary pilgrimage for me in 2012. I had to content myself with local mini-breaks, but I'm not complaining. It was lovely to get away for as long as I did, and I can look forward to holidays further from home in 2013. 

Earn money of some sort. Success! Not only did I get a job, I'm finally on the career ladder I want to climb. 

Get in shape. Ha! That's all I have to say on the subject.

I have some photos from 2012 to share, but that will have to wait for another post. How did you fare with your 2012 resolutions?

Literary Love: Favourite Fictional Couples

The story that started it all...

Ever since I read Jane Austen's quintessential tale of Regency courtship Pride and Prejudice during my teenage years I have been fairly obsessed with classic love stories. Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy started a habit that has continued well into adulthood -- nor does it show any signs of abating in the future. In honour of Valentine's Day, I would like to share a list of the beloved couples that comprise my favourite narratives. These appear in no particular order, because I didn't think I could bear the stress of ranking them in addition to narrowing the list down to one (long) post...

 Anne Shirley and Gilbert Blythe

From the moment he called her carrots I was hooked! When he told her, on what seemed to be his deathbed, that 'there would never be anyone for me but you' I was a goner. A favourite of mine from my days in high school, I'm still quite taken with Anne's overactive imagination.

Bridget Jones and Mark Darcy

I'm generally not a fan of Jane Austen sequels, modernizations and what not, but I have to make an exception for Helen Fielding's Bridget Jone's Diary. I relate to Bridget because she's an older single woman who is reminded of her marital status on an annoyingly regular basis, and she constantly puts her foot in her mouth. I often say the most thoughtless things, only I can't attribute it to inebriation like Bridget does. If Ms. Jones managed to snag herself a Darcy, then there's hope for the rest of us awkward single girls, right?

Helen Huntingdon and Gilbert Markham

The inclusion of this pair from Anne's The Tenant of Wildfell Hall may spark controversy. I know many who maintain that Gilbert is a bit dumb and Helen, therefore, deserves better. But I love that Gilbert can see Helen is outspoken, independent and far more intelligent than he is -- yet he's not intimidated by it. That's rather forward thinking on Anne's part. When Helen and Gilbert undergo a separation midway through the novel, I was so moved I cried to the point where I could no longer see the page.

Margaret Hale and John Thornton

Oh, the tension! The tension between these two in Elizabeth Gaskell's North and South is so palpable you could cut it with a knife, proverbially speaking. Watching Margaret and Mr. Thornton overcome preconceptions and misunderstandings (much like Darcy and Elizabeth) as they slowly come together is a complete joy! Thornton gets bonus points for carrying around a flower from Margaret's childhood home. I know some were disappointed when the book didn't have the epic kiss the adaptation portrays. If you look closely at the final pages of the novel, it's there. What else could Gaskell have meant by 'some time of delicious silence'? I ask you!

Margeurite St. Just and Sir Percival Blakeney, Baronet

They seek him here, they seek him there. I certainly did seek him everywhere, rabidly consuming the novel, the film and the musical. Set against the dramatic events of the French Revolution, I almost wished I was a French aristocrat at risk of losing her head -- just so I could have the privilege of being rescued by the enigmatic Sir Percy. Instead, I named my dog after him. 

Beatrice and Benedick

The witty banter of this dynamic duo has officially made Much Ado About Nothing my favourite Shakespeare play. This is quite a distinction, because anyone who's anyone knows that choosing a favourite Shakespeare play is virtually impossible. In addition to the comical, playful insults they pass back and forth at lightning speed, these two also have their sweet moments. Refer, for instance, to the line in which Benedick first confesses his love for Beatrice: 'I do love nothing in the world so well as you: is that not strange?'

Anne Elliot and Captain Wentworth

As much as I adore my beloved P&P, there's something about the quiet maturity of Persuasion that makes Jane Austen's final novel utterly enchanting. I love the way Anne blossoms before the reader's eyes, the poignant discussion of constancy in relationships, how Wentworth notices and appreciates our heroine in a way no other character does and the theme of getting a second chance at love. Captain Wentworth, for the record, writes what is possibly the best letter in literary history. 'You pierce my soul.' How can that be beaten? If by chance you are unacquainted with this wondrous epistle, do yourself a favour and read it now. You may want to read it sitting down though. I myself some women have been known to swoon.

Jane Eyre and Edward Rochester

Again, this can be seen a controversial choice. I'm sorry Heathcliff fans, but Rochester is the clear winner for me. As I have remarked before, Rochester would not kill my dog. Percy wouldn't fare so well as the hands of Heathcliff. But seriously, this novel kills me. I reread the good bits all the time once in a blue moon. The passion, the celestial telegrams, Rochester's attempted seduction, their eventual reunion, the brilliant simplicity of 'Reader, I married him.' I. Can't. Get. Enough. I don't even mind that he has a wife hidden in the attic. Observe the following passage where Rochester is speaking to Jane (p. 291 of the Penguin edition):

I sometimes have a queer feeling with regard to you -- especially when you are near me, as now: it is as if I had a string somewhere under my left ribs, tightly and inextricably knotted to a similar string situated in the corresponding quarter of your little frame. And if that boisterous Channel, and two hundred miles or so of land come broad between us, I am afraid that cord of communion will be snapped; and then I've a nervous notion I should take to bleeding inwardly.

How can that not win a reader over? I ask you!

And while this last selection isn't a literary couple, I had to give a little shout out to...

The Ladies of Cranford

I love that Elizabeth Gaskell's Cranford validates the lives of Spinsters, particularly since nineteenth-century society consistently exhibited a propensity to write these women off. Masked behind an amusing veneer of Victorian propriety, these ladies are unbelievably kind and loving. Watching them take care of one another (even at great personal cost) moves me to tears. That's love.

P.S. My Halloween-themed favourites!

Happy Valentine's Day!

I used to loathe Valentine's Day. I saw it as a pink and red assault on singletons the world over. It took years before I fully realized that whether I'm in a romantic relationship or not, I am surrounded by people whom I dearly love. That's always something to celebrate. Obviously we should express our appreciation for the those who enrich our lives throughout the year. Still, it's nice to have a holiday dedicated to the purpose. It serves as a reminder to not take the love given to us for granted. So, I would like to thank the friends and family members who infuse my days with their warmth and humour. You make my life a joy and I love you for it! Happy Valentine's Day!

The above is my attempt at creating Valentines of the edible variety. Sadly, the recipe I used was not a good one, and the sugar cookies I meant to make came out like crumbly shortbread biscuits that are begging for more butter. At least they're pretty, right?

P.S. In honour of V-Day I'll be writing a post about my favourite literary couples. First, however, I must pare down my epic-length list into something that will accommodate a single blog entry. I won't lie, this will be tricky. :)

The Charles Dickens Museum, Vol. I

It occurred to me when I wrote about the Dickens Bicentenary that I had yet to share my experience visiting the Charles Dickens Museum when I went on a mini-break to London last Christmas. So, in honour of this quintessential author on his 200th birthday, I would like to take you on a little tour of his former home on Doughty Street, London.

In hindsight, I explored the museum at the perfect moment. I was finally starting to comprehend of the brilliance of Dickens novels and was consequently more open minded to embracing what I saw there. Visiting just three days after Christmas, I wasn't faced with crowds of tourists. Victorian Christmas decorations (particularly in the drawing room) brought a holiday atmosphere to the home of one who wrote so effectively about Christmas and the spirit of giving. It was a lovely touch. Mostly, however, I greatly appreciated that the museum was quiet and peaceful, allowing me to have a personal experience with these Dickensian relics.

So, on the with the show...

Welcome to 48 Doughty Street!

 The entrance hall

Pause for a self-portrait

 Down to the cellar...

For a view of the kitchen

Bars from the Marshalsea

where Dickens's father was imprisoned for debt

Bust of the young author

Looking onto Doughty Street from Dickens's study

His paper knife

Late photo of Catherine Dickens -- poor woman!

Catherine's handkerchiefs

Room at the back of the house

This page from a manuscript was accompanied by a note

explaining that Dickens lived in a time when there were no computers

News flash!

A creative representation of the literary imagination

Signatures

This concludes part one of the tour. Part two shall follow shortly. In the meantime, have a wonderful weekend! 

Happy New Year at the End of January

Ringing in the New Year with spiffy hats

I hope everybody enjoyed happy holidays and a lovely New Year.  The New Year is a time for reflection and resolutions, and I've made a fair share of my own for the coming months.  The goal with which I'm most concerned is my resolution to read more.  Occasionally I am easily led away from my reading.  I don't always persevere when I have difficulty concentrating on a text, or I let myself become preoccupied with day-to-day tasks.  That needs to stop.

But my resolution is equally concerned with quality as it is with quantity.  In the past my reading choices have been somewhat bipolar: nineteenth-century fiction or young adult novels.  This was particularly the case when I was working retail.  After an exhausting eight-hour shift spent entirely on my feet, I often felt too dead for intelligent thought.  So I turned to brain candy YA series.  While some of what's currently circulating in that genre is contemplative and well-written, after two years of wading through many of YA's 'hot titles' I've determined much of what's published is pure tripe.  Not every novel needs to contain supernatural figures (vampires, werewolves, fallen angels, fairies, leprechauns) and unconvincing pubescent entanglements of the romantic variety (love triangles, love squares, love octagons).  I was joking about the leprechauns and love octagons, but if I ever decide to write a YA novel I've inadvertently stumbled upon a brilliant concept. 

I've finally concluded that even if I'm not in the mood for Dombey and Son, it doesn't mean I need to degrade myself to [insert horrible teen title here].  This is the year of increasing the breadth of reading!  So long, crappy teen fiction littered with grammatical errors and five reiterations of the same word on a single page!  I will still continue to cleave to my beloved Victorian novels, but it's time to spread my wings a little bit.  Below are some of the reading categories with which I'm hoping to become better acquainted:

Non-Fiction: I really struggle to tear myself away from novels, but I'm denying myself so much enjoyable learning as a result.  I'd like to read biographies on favourite authors and dig deeper into British history.  Literary criticism does not count.

Poetry: I was woefully ashamed when I recently scanned my bookshelves and noticed a shocking lack of poetry.  It needs more representatives in my collection.  I'm particularly looking forward to more John Keats.

Drama: Again, too many novels.  I've taken Shakespeare modules more than once in my academic career, but I've never read Marlowe or Jonson *slaps wrist.*

20th Century/Contemporary Fiction: There are plenty of breezy yet intelligent novels I can turn to when Dickens's endless descriptions of the Victorian legal system seem too imposing.  And I'm sure there are plenty of excellent novels penned outside of the long nineteenth century.  There are, aren't there?  Aren't there?!

I've also made a few resolutions that to do not directly affect my TBR list.  They include:

Get Published: 2012 is the year my name will appear in an academic journal!

Get Creative with Cooking: My culinary skills are limited, but I'm determined to stick with my recent conversion to vegetarianism.  Unfortunately, exactly 98% of traditional Utah recipes call for ground beef (which I hated even when I was an omnivore) and/or cream of chicken soup.  Fact.  Therefore, I need to get creative in the kitchen with fun meat-free options.

Visit a Literary Mecca: I've decided life is not worth living if one can't visit author museums.  It's just not.  I even came up with some names of American writers whose domains I would love to roam: Louisa May Alcott, Edith Wharton and Edgar Allan Poe.

Earn Money of Some Sort: Whoa, dream big!

Get in Shape: I know this is the classic resolution with a .001% success rate come February 1, so I'm following the advice of nearly every fitness magazine by setting a realistic, achievable goal: workout more.  Period.  Like, once a month or something.

Those, my friends, are my official New Year's Resolutions.  In writing.  I am happy to report that I have had some success since I set these goals after my horrible rendition of Auld Lang Syne.  Not the getting in shape bit, but I still have until Tuesday to squeeze in my January workout.

Did you set New Year's Resolutions?  Have you kept them so far?  Also, if you're a fan of non-fiction I'd love to hear what some of your favourites are -- I need help in that department!

Happy Bonfire Night!

Last year's Bonfire Night

I had grand plans of forcing my family members to celebrate Guy Fawkes Day with me this evening.  I was determined to light a fire, however small it might be, somewhere in our back yard and pull out the leftover fireworks that have been gathering dust since The Fourth of July. 

Sadly, it didn't come together.

I'm not sure what culprit I can blame for its failure.  Mostly like it's due to a combination of factors.  We did receive our first proper snow last night, and the family isn't keen on going into the cold without good cause.  An ideal fire location does not exist on our property.  My mother had no idea what I was talking about when I suggested a Bonfire Night Bonanza.  Mentions of The Gunpowder Plot, Guy Fawkes and Houses of Parliament did not succeed in enlightening her, and I was finally compelled to provide a brief history.  It could also be that after watching the totally deep and cerebral movie Dodgeball we were too tired for much else. 

In fact, the only person who exhibited any enthusiasm for Bonfire Night was my brother.  I'm certain it has more to do with his deep and abiding passion for burning things rather than an excitement for English holidays.  His face lit up at the idea of burning an effigy in the fire.  Still, perhaps I can use his pyromania to my advantage and gain force for a celebration later this week.  

I hope my friends in England had fantastic Bonfire Nights.  And if my American buddies are curious what Bonfire Night is all about, I wrote a post explaining Guy Fawkes Day when I celebrated the holiday in Leeds last year.  It also contains an anecdote about the getting hit on by a weirdo (oh, joy!), but you can simply ignore that bit. 

Pumpkin Carving

I haven't carved pumpkins in ages, so this year I was determined to get out the carving tools!  I left it until the last minute; fortunately, our local grocery store still had a good selection of pumpkins on offer.  After careful consideration, the siblings and I decided on two designs: an owl and the grim reaper. 

The gourds in their natural state

Pumpkin Guts!

It's time to disembowel...

Christian is evidently grossed out by the slime

But I don't mind it too much

Chelsea is undecided on the matter

Starting the carving process

Deep in concentration

With the finished product

Chelsea is making an owl face

Christian's Grim Reaper complete with scythe

Chelsea and I were quite proud of our little owl

We named her Hedwig

Then we displayed these works of art (ha ha) outside

where the cat added to the Halloween vibe

We were constantly interrupted by trick-or-treaters during the carving process, but we still had a fantastic time with our little gourds.  Afterwards, I went over to my dad's house where we watched Poltergeist.  It was a low-key, but pleasant, Halloween.  Did you have a good holiday?

P.S.  I didn't dress up this year, but after seeing this amazing costume I have a great idea for next year.  Or maybe I could be a Regency-era zombie in the vein of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies?  Oh, the possibilities.  But now it's time to gear up for Thanksgiving and Christmas!

Happy Halloween!

An old photo of mum and me

I'm guessing this was my second Halloween -- I was a hobo

I hope everybody has a wonderful Halloween!  Do you have any fun plans for the holiday?  I'm hoping to carve some pumpkins and visit my younger sister -- whose birthday is today!  If I'm going to chop up some gourds I better get on it.  Trick-or-treaters will be invading the streets in no time. 

Roller Coasters & Haunted Houses

The parentals are in the front row

A few days after the pumpkin festival, I was lucky enough to have another Halloween adventure with my Dad's side of the family (minus sister Rachel).  Last Friday we drove up to our local amusement park where, in addition to the usual rides, they were hosting some Halloween events.  Two thoughts struck me on this visit.

Observation No 1: Man, I am getting old.  I remember the days when I would get off a roller coaster and go right back on -- no problem.  I aspired to ride The Colossus (the behemoth of Utah coasters when I was a wee girl) at least ten times.  I usually achieved, and occasionally exceeded, my goal.  But now...wow, I'm just old.  I left each ride feeling dizzy and nauseated.  It took me a good half hour to regain my equilibrium and gear up for the next go-round.  I managed most of the roller coasters once, but in general I found myself gravitating towards the mild attractions, like the classic carousel.  And I'm not even thirty!  What happened?!  What will an amusement park visit look like ten years from now?  Will I be driving around a little motorized cart (you know, the tiny vehicles generally reserved for senior citizens), because I can't even handle walking anymore?

 I'm on a pig!

By the way, I love carousels

They remind me of Mary Poppins

Observation No. 2: Why, oh why, did we ever come here in the summer?  Going to the amusement park was a summer tradition when I was growing up.  We sweltered in the July heat while inching our way through an hour-long line for a 90-second ride.  But in October...the weather is perfect.  Slightly warm during the day, just chilly enough at night to require an extra hoodie.  The lines are shorter, and you get all the added Halloween features as a bonus! I revelled in the ghosts and pumpkins; the synthetic fog; the dressed-up employees whose sole objective is to wander round the park frightening the patrons.  And while I may have clutched tight to my family while walking through the haunted houses, I rather enjoyed myself.  Except for the maze of clowns. Everything about clowns is so, so wrong.  

 I loved the faux gravestones with hilarious epitaphs that littered the park

Like this one

Bonus points for the skeletal hand popping out of the earth

A picnic for lunch

Lovely fall leaves

The family gets ready to blast off on The Rocket

The Sky Ride

Courtney and me on The Terror Ride

 Dracula's Castle

The spiderwebs are an October treat

Dad on the Bumper Cars

A ghoul searching for prey

Jack-O-Lantern Pyramid

Like father, like daughter

Wow, what a fantastic day...even if I received an unwelcome reminder that I am rapidly approaching senility.  Thanks to my family for this October treat!