Spooky Singles

Last Friday was the Singles Halloween party, held at the home of Angel, Cap'n Cluck, and their roomie who I shall call Doc Jetson for the moment: Doc because Cluckity had decided that each of the members of their household (including the pets) synched up with one of the Severn Dwarves (Cluck was Sneezy, Angel was Bashful, etc.), and Jetson because I don't want to confuse her with my old roomie The Doc and that's who she was for Halloween: Jane Jetson.

Doc Jetson and Mad Doctor Angel

Upon our arrival, we were greated with a personalized graveyard Cluckity had made.

I got to help her write some of the epitaphs, but mine was all her doing.

What a horrible, horrible way to die! Horrible!

Cluck had set the house up to play a semi-murder-mystery game of Clue, and had asked me to come up with clues which would direct players from one room to the next, as well as provide hints to the identity of the killer, as well as the weapon of choice and murder locale. Of course, she asked me to come up with the clues back in September, and I didn't wind up writing them until, oh, a couple of days before the party in the span of about an hour. The clues were as follows:

Kitchen clues
It's the color of sin she doth wear
No, not black, well, except for her hair
It's the bloodiest shade
But some care must be made
For it still does not mean she was there

The killer may be blunt
His weapon, though, was not
Perhaps this devil danced
Where normal folks foxtrot

Ballroom clues
Although you see stilettos
On some women's dancing shoes
There were no pointed weapons
When Body life did lose

This room was made for dancing
And that's all that's been done
For more clues head on in to where
Reclining seems like fun

Lounge clues
A room meant for relaxing
And enjoyment of one's life
Could never be the scene
Of such horrendous strife

Instead let's set our sights
On where food our teeth do rend
Could a candle's flickering light
Illuminate our Body's end?

Dining room clues

All the colors in the 'verse
Might put our Body in the hearse
But the one with many hues
Isn’t one you should accuse

Perhaps there’s more to find
In the place of solitude
In the office where our Body
Often went to think and brood

Study clues

It’s such a mess that minds such as
A soldier’s might rebel
But a military drive
Is not our murderer’s tale-tell

So where to glean the knowledge
Of how best to kill one’s foe?
Why, perhaps within the room
With works of Christie, Doyle, and Poe.

Library clues

Killer used a smoking gun?
Well sir that’s a load of tripe
But it’s also true
He never used
A smoking pipe

And nothing here but books o’er which
The smoking prof might drool
Perhaps the trouble happened
In the room that’s used for pool?

Billiard room clues

Trouble with a capital T
May in this room be found
But one thing you won’t see
Is a body on the ground

This room is clear
There’s no blood here
It’s quiet as a mouse
So next you should
Go do some good
And look at the greenhouse

Conservatory clues

Pure as snow?
This I doubt.
Killer, though?
Count her out.

There’s something rotten here
Something reeking much like doom
Or is that just the stench from
The food preparing room . . .?

Now do you see why I didn't want to write a mystery for Write in the Thick of It? Apparently I should have had somebody who didn't already know the answer proofread the clues beforehand, as the intrepid detectives took a looooooooong time to figure it out. But eventually Li'l Random and his partner-in-crime-solving Mei-mei* reigned victorious in the game.

Following the protracted game of "nobody can figure out Todd's clues," we voted for the costume contest. Angel won funniest for her Mad Doctor outfit pictured above; our nickless Singles intern won scariest

Mei-mei won best overall
and Cap'n Bubbles and a couple of her friends wore best group theme

Surprisingly, I don't think I hear them burst into anything from Wicked all night long

Other notable costumes included a nickless pirate

Arrrr, I demands a nickname, ye scurvy dog!

Black Ops Fluffy and finally-back-from-deployment Cap'n Shack-Fu

"Just let them try to send me away again."

bloody victim Cap'n Peanut

"What, I didn't get best costume? That's it, time for some comfort food!"

Batman and his new crimefighting partner, Mullet Man

"No, Bats, I'm not Wayne. Or Garth. Or Joe Dirt."

and Gypsy Queen Cluck and her faithful companion Li'l Random


although after many people asked The Random One if he was supopsed to be a pirate, he decided that his outfit was more of a pirate/gypsy ensemble, or, to use the phrase he coined, "pripsy."

The random pripsy carrying one of his babies** close to his heart

Of course, the fact that Li'l Random decided to try on Mei-Mei's red go-go boots may have led to other, less flattering guesses as to his costumed identity . . .

"Why can't I ever find these in my size?"

After the costume contest, it was time for pumpkin carving. I didn't participate, what with my lack of artistic abilities and all, but a lot of the gang did. While there were some nice, intricate pieces, my two favorites were Li'l Random and Mei-Mei's, due to its simplicity

and Cap'n Peanut's because it was his own original design

Honorable mention goes to Li'l Random's foray into apple carving

After the pumpkin carving was over, some of the guests started to leave. Li'l Random and Doc Jetson, who had been having a bit of a feud going all night after she pegged him in the face with a handful of pumpkin guts, broke out into a full-scale water war in the garage, with Mei-mei and Cap'n Peanut jumping in for good measure. I stayed out of the way for the most part, only getting involved long enough to warn my best bud Li'l Random that Doc J. was hiding around the corner ready to drench him with the tub left over from apple-bobbing.

Sadly, no pictures of the drenched water-war combatants as of yet.

Cap'n Shack-Fu catching some Zs after a long night of Halloweening

*More on Mei-Mei's nickname another time, promise.
**Yes, there's a story there; oddly enough, it's sorta connected with Mei-Mei's nickname.