GEEK MYTHOLOGY

Geekily beginning to prepare for "Hogwarts, A Halloween" party. Making lists:

For Butterbeer:
butter
brown sugar
powdered- sugar
nutmeg
cinnamon
vanilla ice cream
rum (or rum extract) (or both)
apple cider

Instead of Pumpkin Juice:
cinnamon-pumpkin spiced chai (from Borders). Mmmm. Can be served hot or cold.

Bangers and Mash or Shepherd's Pie?

OR perhaps!

A good old fashioned stew fixed in a large cauldron (or pot)
- beef (steak, hamburger, or meat balls?), carrots, potatoes, corn, green beans, cabbage, stewed tomatoes (or Rotell) --- served with steaming breads and lots of butter and condiments.

Or I could just serve up a big smorgus board.

NO, NO, NO steak and kidney pie! Several people have advised me against it.

Other people are bringing scones and pumpkin pasties (so far). Who knows what else!

3 large sketch books from Borders to be converted once again into Gilderoy's publications, only this time I'll decorate the spines as well as the fronts.. These will be posed casually on my bookshelf, spine out --- I'll see if anyone notices!

There are some large lollipops at Allivan's with owls in their center!

"Ogden's Old Fire Whiskey" labels to put on any bottles of booze I may have at the party. Beers and wine can be renamed "Hagrid's Brew", "Hogsmeade Select", "Polyjuice", "Elf Wine", etc. All of these can be created on my PC.

I already have costumes, wands, etc. Thinking of putting a witch hat on Rerun, so she can be Professor McGonagall.

I have all the house banners (from work), and a "Flourish and Blots" sign, a "Defense Against the Dark Arts" sign, a "Leaky Cauldron Sign", etc. Floating candles, too.

GAMES:
HP trivia. Pin the pigtail on Dudley Dursley (extra fun for those who drink!). Wizard's chess? I have a chess board, but it isn't quite so ... graphic. Still, somebody might want to play a nice game of muggle chess.

I've still got my dementor and fog machine.

I'd like to get a fireplace video to play on the TV for effect. I think they can be cheaply rented. Or I could just put on the HP movies. I already have those, and besides ...

... I can make a real fire in the real fireplace.

I already have the HP soundtracks for music, but people may get tired of those ... which is OK, there are lots of other CD's to choose from.

I wish I knew a band called the Weird Sisters!