Adventure

"It's a dangerous business, Frodo, going out of your door," he used to say. "You step into the Road, and if you don't keep your feet, there is no knowing where you might be swept off to."
~J.R.R. Tolkien

My friend Cody Berry would probably say that I've become a bit like Bilbo Baggins in The Hobbit, before he left Bag End to fight the dragon Smaug. Hobbits typically avoid adventures, at all costs. They are simple-minded, peace-loving people. But last night, I had a great time. I worked hard this week, and just let myself do something I haven't done for about a year. With my friends, I, sort of, just, let my feet be swept off to various places, enjoying the world surrounding me.

Chi Alpha Scavenger Hunt! Wooo-hoo! Lots of fun. I'll post (other people's) pictures soon. I was the character Neo from The Matrix. Okay, so I'm sure you've heard of a scavenger hunt before. In this case, though, the people playing the game were looking for historical figures, cartoon characters, movie characters, etc. Other costumes of people being "hunted" were Greek gods, the seven deadly sins, the Phantom of the opera, the tooth-fairy, Sting the wrestler, Quailman from the show "Doug," and the two witches from The Wizard of Oz. We were spread all across campus in various locations, and groups of people playing the game had to follow a sheet of clues and come apprehend us. We had to award points to groups who apprehended us, based on how much we were worth, who found us first, etc. Some of us were negative points. Some of us fought back.

I was at the Indian Mounds with the tooth-fairy. The scenario was a bit crazy. Neo was looking for Trinity, but mistook the Tooth-Fairy for Trinity, leading him to the Indian Mounds. When I couldn't find her, I continued searching around the mounds, calling "Trinity! Has anyone found an exit?!" Whenever a group of people came after us, I would yell, "Toothfairy! They're agents, run!" Then I would run up the hill to the top, where I had an iced chest of water balloons. I would toss water balloons at my hunters. Then I whipped out my plastic machine guns and pretended to spray them. Eventually I would "give up," though I stayed in character and pretended I had something of significance to give them. I led them to the top of the hill, telling them I would give them their token for points. Then I whipped back my trenchcoat and revealed two silly-string cans in my belt and two spray bottles in my pockets and soaked them with string and water. After they were thoroughly frustrated them, I gave them their points, and sent them on their way, warning them to beware of "he who sings a sweet melody, for poison are in His words" (the Phantom of the opera). It was a blast.

Later on, at Cafe Chi Alpha, we had a concert with Luke Ash & Co. and the band Everglow. Then we went over to Jacob's apartment and played Super Contra and other games, ate lots of candy, and told scary stories. Then Jack, James, Cody, Amanda, Kim, and I piled in my dad's Mitsubishi and drove to the area around the Cox building and did some "exploring," let's say. Then we drove along the riverfront and got lost. Then we drove downtown to the area near the U.S.S. Kidd battleship and climbed about on the various structures and fountains. It was a night of adventure. We're going to do a little more of that tonight at the State Capitol and go to a pier over the Mississippi River. I feel neglectful not having realized how beautiful the city of Baton Rouge is. It's good to be appreciating the world around me again. I think it's the cold weather that does this to me, I don't know.