just got back from apple picking w/ three of the do-gooders: sorelle and two sarahs. the wind blew our faces bright red and we huddled down in our sweaters and each others' hats. we took pictures of each other posing w/ the trees, which were spindly, weighed down by the apples, and more or less our heights. then we sat in a circle, played nostalgic games, told stories. laughed a lot. of course, ate too much apple. you don't have to pay for the ones you eat in the fields.

after we all wanted to go someplace warm and indoorsy. trouble is there aren't any cute coffeeshops around here. we drove down various streets, making fun of signs we passed (cvs advertised, "generic prozac now available!"; arby's brightly lit, 20-ft cowboy hat billboard, etc.) didn't find what we wanted and settled for Nifty Fifties, a diner whose window dressing invited, "come watch us do it!" they didn't specify what. the only veggie thing on the menu was french fries. i got a diet coke. it tasted strange and then sarah told me that was b/c it was diet "cola". i looked at it distrustfully but drank it anyway.
we had as much good discussion as we did apple -- perhaps even more. ("why do the protestant signs have a cross w/ flames on both sides of it? did they have a different jesus, one who was burned at the stake?") very relaxing and autumnal. would have preferred coffee after -- or real diet coke -- but that's quibbling.

returned Harry Potter III this morning. tried to obtain IV and found it already taken out. i growled; resigned myself to finding another way to clear my mind. very glad it's the weekend tho i don't have a costume for the halloween party tonite. might not even go -- last year it wasn't that great. ross is waldo, becca lydia from Beetlejuice. that means they'll both be going around w/ cameras. what could i be? hmm ...