25 Oct 09 Weekend Recap: Puzzles, Muggles, Costumes, Cars, Boyfriend (not in that order)

Friday

On Friday, Catie and I decided to head out of the apartment to look for beds and stop at Target. Our venture was cut short by a car accident on West Lake; we rear-ended someone. While the damage was minor and no-one was injured, the airbags deployed and somehow, managed to strike a sensitive area upon my person. I was pretty sore, and still am a bit…ouch.

We went back home, shaken but alive, and I continued to work on Bryan and my Halloween costumes. In the end, I finished with an awesome Grim Reaper costume for Bryan and completed the light-up sword for my own. Friday was rounded off by being given an invitation for an interview on Monday for a new web project manager position.

Saturday

Knowledageable Ravenclaws on the way to their next objective in MN Puzzle Quest 7: Muggle Quest.

Saturday was going to be a busy day. At noon, I had Minnesota Puzzle Quest 7: Muggle Quest, an event being put on by my friend Claire. A Harry Potter-themed puzzle quest, participants were running around the University of Minnesota campus, solving some pretty advanced puzzles. I was the official photographer for the event. There was a logic puzzle to start off, a rock-paper-scissors 7-way variant puzzle, a grid puzzle, and some CSI-like investigations of props and codes. All in all, I was really impressed with what some of the participants brought to the game–it required a good set of legs, a good brain and some excellent critical thinking skills.

Later that night, I was an actual participant in my friend Nathan’s Annual Halloween Party. His Halloween parties are of great renown–he typically spends and entire year preparing, setting up, writing, and creating props and decorations. His house was transformed into an 80’s horror/thriller/slasher movie mayhem theme! The quiz was to try and find Jack the Pumpkin, who had been abducted by one of the horror movie creatures. Bryan and I did a good job–and were on track to finishing it–but we got way too tired. Once we hit a couple impasses we lost our energy and instead, spent our time with the Endless (Dave, Kameron, Jeremy et al) upstairs, making campy comments on The Fog.

Sunday

Bryan and I woke up early and made some good breakfast (eggs, toast, bacon) and then I made him sit through Trauma: Life in the ER. This was a burn episode too, and included debriding, and injured kids, and huge scalp wounds. Bryan was a trooper and watched every minute…well, almost every minute. I spent the rest of the day editing the photos from the Muggle Quest, getting those ready for submission and publication later this week. I hear that the group that runs this might be moving towards non-profit status, and if that’s the case, then I’ve just done my first official photography work!

Catie is moving out tomorrow to her new place in Maplewood and slowly has been packing. I’m taking over her room once she leaves and haven’t even begun organizing for the move into the other room. It’s only eight feet…but I am thinking I can make this very easy or very hard on myself.

All in all…a good weekend. And if you haven’t guessed it, Bryan and I are now officially dating. After two and a half years…finally in a relationship.

Tags: car accident, costume, halloween, Muggle Quest, photography, weekendery