...so we're in the car during the lightning storm and talking about all the various ways to kill Sara Sidle on CSI. Suz hates her and wants her dead. Kari doesn't issue an opinion as far as I can recall, and I'm sitting there on the fence because I've been invested in the storyline for the last 9 years and I want Gil to be happy, but then I'd really love to see him cry.

In the middle of all this Suz sees a sign and says that she likes the Mennonites because they give her butter. All conversation stops. Then the laughing begins. And laughing and laughing. And I'm sure that Mennonite butter is *WAY* better than Ron Jeremy butter and I don't want to know what's in that. Sorry - that came from watching cartoon network way too late at night (I was in the shower when that showed up and almost fell over when I was greeted with it when I walked out of the bathroom).

So the next morning we were off to the Market. Let the acquisitions begin. We rushed through to Picture This Plus because we had been warned by Lisa and Mel to get there quickly because she was running out. I added a cut of Pansy linen to my stash - my first official CATS purchase of the year! We met those two briefly outside to chat before they headed off to Gettysburg and had a great time talking.

So we shopped and chatted when we went back in. Jo at Dinky-Dyes got a lot of my money when I bought yarn, charts and cottons. And the Dinky-Dyes pin. We said hey to Sandy at Sweetheart tree where Suz found a spotty monster and I didn't buy anything from her for the first time in forever. I brought back the new Dracolair model to Marilyn at Picture This Plus and she loved it. Chances are if you saw me stitching anything at all in the lounge that was what I was working on. Otherwise I was crocheting (and I finished that scarf last night just after midnight and B is wearing it to school today).

It was great to finally meet Nan of Just Nan and pick up a darling little snowflake chart that was the show special. I just have the beads and treasure to put onto it and then I'm done. And of course I got the chart signed. And checked on whether or not there will be more Christmas stockings coming out.

Lunch, shopping, dinner (which we were late for, but not nearly as late as Eileen was), and the lounge for the Swap Meet - it was a full and long Friday. Dinner was great (the company was, the food not as much), and it was fun when someone pointed out a signed picture of Chicago. Two of us (sorry, I can't remember who the other one was) fought mockingly over who was entitled to it. Someone else wondered if it was still going to be on the wall the next day. Ah yes, I would have *LOVED* that souvenir.

I really loved meeting and talking with people and having faces and personalities to go with usernames. I swear Mike (yosesam) and I have met before or I know his doppleganger. He just reminds me of someone that I know and we got on very well. Jenni (thermalgal) is evil - how else do you describe someone who puts the knitpicks interchangeable circular points in front of you and says "You want to learn to knit, right?" There aren't words for Eileen (Melantha Chimera) - she walks into dinner I have no idea who she is and then she comes over to the table, gets my attention, says who she is, and I start knocking down chairs to hug her and squeal. Yes, I was very happy that she made it. Carol (cebmd), Kathy (StitchinKat), Tina (SunMatrix), Glenda (wxcaster) - we all had a great time chatting over dinner. And Cindy (xstitcher82) did a fabulous job organizing the dinner.

The really funny part was when I met Helen (who doesn't have a username yet)...

...I'll talk about Helen and the swap meet and the lounge tomorrow as I wrap up my travels.