October in a Pumpkin Shell

Usually the phrase goes "in a nutshell", but seeing as it's Halloween I thought "pumpkin shell" was more fitting!  October was another good month to us... as you will see.

• Brian celebrated his 24th birthday this month!  He and I had lunch up at Thanksgiving Point where we also tried to do a corn maze only to find out that it didn't open to the public until later that evening.  So no corn maze.  We did do some new clothes shopping and invited some of his friends and family to a birthday dinner at Red Lobster.  Part of Brian's birthday present was a new Wii Console that I allowed him to purchase in September, but I also got him a ten-month subscription to Food Network Magazine.
• Michelle, Brian and I went to a production of Shakespeare's Macbeth, performed by The Grassroots Shakespeare Company.  It was held at the Castle Amphitheater in Provo, UT and it was fantastic... even if it was a bit chilly outside!  The cast managed to create a very low-key but effective atmosphere for this sometimes funny, sometimes terrifying play.
• My 20-year-old brother Daniel bought an engagement ring and proposed to his girlfriend of two years, Sofia.  A wedding date has not yet been chosen, but we are all happy for the young lovebirds.
• I got a 15 cent raise at work... which isn't a whole lot to shout about but I guess it's better than nothing!
• Brian's sister Amy returned from Florida this month (where she was doing an internship at Disney World) and we are very happy to have her back.  It just wasn't the same without her.
• My block class Professional Considerations for the English Major started this month, which means I am now taking three classes.  I only take it on Mondays and I just have three writing assignments total, so it shouldn't be too hard.  In my Ethics and Values class I had to give a 30-minute presentation on the issue of pornography, which seemed to go really well.  I currently have a high B in the class and hope to bring it up by the end of the semester.  I'm doing the best in British Literature where I have an A (I've scored a perfect 100% on both a test and a paper, which I am very proud of).  I just finished reading Othello for the first time and it was very good!
• Michelle, Brian and I have been on a Stephen Sondheim kick and have watched recorded productions of Sweeney Todd, Into the Woods, Passion and Company (with more shows coming through Netflix).  Michelle even got Brian a book about Sondheim for his birthday!
• My friend Dyann invited Brian and I to a Halloween party and it was a lot of fun.  We arrived dressed as cowboys which made everybody think instantly of the movie Brokeback Mountain!  The party proved to be a lot of fun and we watched Coraline and played the game Curses... which Brian won.  Oh, and we also managed to spill red cream soda on her beige carpet.  Oops.
• I was able to have lunch with my friend Ryan from Salt Lake City who I don't get to see often, and Brian's cousin Patrick also stopped by for a quick visit after doing the Halloween Marathon down here.  It's always nice to see those you love, which really makes me want to visit my family!