I can't do another thing until I get those severed heads!

On Saturday I decided to go help out with the U.S. Embassy's haunted house. It was a good decision. I met some friends for lunch then we headed over to the embassy housing. Most of the prep work was already done on the house and we were down to the final touches.

After a nice walk-through I took over the 'Barbie Party' room. It already had scores of mutilated dolls strung up from the ceiling, but that was about it. By the time our small crew was finished there were blood soaked draperies, shelves of ex-boyfriends' heads, and the words "I want to be pretty!" spray-painted on the wall. I was satisfied. I moved on to the surgical room. I took over the lighting and blood splatter. Once my effect was achieved I helped Lila arrange the chicken backs around the room and broke for dinner.

For the evening I opted out of one of the acting stations and worked as one of the four tour guides. It was the best decision of the day. I got to see the whole show 20 or 30 times and with a different set of reactions every time. By the end of the night I'd fine-tuned my spiels to a tour-guide art form, I'd led at least 10 crying kids out the back door, and I'd thoroughly coated the bottoms of my shoes in ramen (from the devil's kitchen.) I can't remember last time I had so much fun. Just imagine my pleasure at delivering the line, "Be sure to watch your heads as you duck through this next door, and please don't look the girls directly in the eyes; they've had a long night and they're a little agitated." through my best southern-hospitality smile.

I wish I could do it again. Lucky for me, I still have five more Halloween parties this week (of course, three of them are here at school.)

One final note: our newest teacher didn't show up for school on Monday. After several hours of not answering her phone the directors sent someone over to her apartment to make sure she was alright. She was gone, along with all of her stuff. That's right, she did the often-joked-about, but seldom-carried-out midnight run. Now I have two extra classes a week, but at least I'm getting payed for it.