Halloween Bunko - An Unexpected Treat

Last night was the annual Halloween Bunko. It was a lot of fun as usual just to get together and eat and gab and play and laugh. We wear costumes generally, and we give a few costume awards. Last year, I was feeling creative, and Lisa and I went as dice. That is somewhat clever considering bunko is a dice game.

This year, I wasn't feeling inspired. I have also loaned out my sewing machine and couldn't complete the other costume I was shooting for as a result. Therefore, I opted with an old standby, Trent's fencing costume. Just so you know, my friend Lisa did get a repeat win for her costume. Last year we won most original for the dice. This year, she won funniest. It was perfectly done really. She was a little late, so the presentation was perfect. She had on jeans and a tie-dyed t-shirt. She took her shoes off so that she was bare foot and went make-up free. She had on a Rastafarian hat and wig and then brought brownies for her treat. As she came in the full kitchen, she told us all she brought "very special brownies" for us. That sealed it for funniest. I promised some that I would take a picture last night. Trent took it for me at the end of the night, and I look awful, but I am posting it anyway. A big thanks to Trent for making it possible for me to even go. He has to teach the Coast Guard segment at the Domestic Operations Course today and has been extremely busy.

Also, I made a cheese ball for my goodie. It was pretty typical as far as cheese balls go, but the presentation was fun. By the way, all of you who have ever complained about photographing food, I now know where you are coming from.

This picture was also taken at the end of the night. I just turned it around so you really can't see the dug into side. That is why the celery leaves have gone limp though.

Now for the unexpected treat............

Maureen Block took her citizenship test yesterday and was talking about the experience last night. Maureen is a character and just an all around fun person to be around. She is married to Colonel Block (the man most likely to promote my husband in the next few weeks) and has been in the U.S. for many many years. She is from Scotland. Anyhow, she was telling us about her experience and asking people some of the questions she had to answer. It was so great. Some of us are hoping she will tell us when her swearing in ceremony is, but I doubt she will. We got talking about the questions on her test and how disappointed she was that they didn't ask her more considering she had studied and prepared for it. I confessed that I had taken a sample citizenship test a little while ago. When asked why, I confessed that I feel that we require a certain level of knowledge of our country and of how our government works from people desiring to become U.S. citizens and should require the same basic level of knowledge from our own citizens prior to allowing them to vote and participate in government given that we are the source from which our government is supposed to get its power (sovereignty) and authority. I took the test because I do believe this and don't want to be a hypocrite. I don't tell many people this, because I get called an elitist and all kinds of other things, and it really isn't worth it to me to be confrontational given that my theory isn't going anywhere anyhow. What a pleasant surprise that Maureen agreed with me and that all four of us at the table could engage in an absolutely level headed discussion without getting heated, angry, offended or offensive. It was nice to air out my idea. It was getting a little stuffy inside my own head.

For those of you interested in some sample questions from the citizenship test, click here. It is multiple choice, so that makes it easy really. Still, it will score it for you, and it is fun. You don't have to agree with me to give it a go.