A Theoretical Murder

Okay, storytime: 

So we're on a cruise a few years back. It's over Christmas, so the ship is absolutely jam-packed with people -- apparently this is the favorite/worst time to take a cruise. But my in-laws are paying, so we go anyway. Towards the end of the trip, we manage to get tickets to the onboard magic show. 

Now, the magician and his assistant are really good, and I remain jealous of his leather trenchcoat to this day. We're all sitting in a row, but owing to the way we came in it's kind of haphazard... with the result that I'm kind of seated at one end of our group, with my niece on one side of me and Firstborn sitting next to her. 

Anyway, the magician does one of the classic tricks: puts his assistant in a wooden box, sticks a few swords through it, and then saws it in half and swings the two halves apart. At which point my niece, who's about ten years old at this point, leans over to me and stage-whispers: "He killed her!"

And by the dark and forgotten gods, the only way I could think to reassure her was to whisper back, "No he didn't. Not enough blood." 

Challenge: Best Mother

(This post is part of the Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge. You can find links to other writers' answers over at Long and Short Reviews.)

Prompt: Best mother in a book, movie, or TV show

Easy answer! (For a change...) Having thought very, very seriously about this and rigorously considered the pros and cons of all sorts of fictional figures, I have identified the perfect mother: 

Morticia Addams. 

No question. 

I feel like I shouldn't have to defend this one, but let me just make a few points to illustrate: 

1. She's the perfect hostess when you have your friends over.

2. She provides her children with proper guidance in matters of etiquette.

3. She knows how to handle children when they squabble.

4. She's always there to be supportive, no matter what her children decide to do.

No doubt about it. Morticia Addams: best mother, hands down.

Thanksgiving Traditions...

Ah, Thanksgiving: when we settle down with family and friends in a spirit of gratitude and gluttony. Also, the time of our yearly watching of Addams Family Values.

Real Work Conversations: The Addams Family

Yesterday my boss and I were looking at event center ticketing setups, and found ourselves examining the State Theatre. This naturally led to some discussion of their upcoming events, including this one...



This, naturally, led to the following conversation:

Me: "I would totally go see that."

Boss: "No kidding."

Me: "Of course, that's partly because any time I see a reasonably-well-done presentation of the Addams family, I find myself thinking, 'I'm home!'"

Boss: "..."