I don't even know what to call this

So... I apologize for being MIA the last month or so. I'm not really sure how I fell so badly out of practice with my weekly posts, but I did. I'm not sure I remember everything since the last post, so I'm sure there will be holes, but I'll try to give a decent summary of the month of October.

At the beginning of the month, I had my birthday trip to Miami. This was my first time going and I'm really glad I went, it was a great time! I went with my mom and sister and we got to go to the beach and in the ocean and see a bunch of the sights. We had some great food and found a few fun bars and it was generally a great way to spend the four days around my birthday. There was also an extra bit of niceness because the weather had just turned chilly here so the few days of 80-degree+ weather was much appreciated.

When we returned, it was Canadian Thanksgiving so I saw some family for that and had a good time. Also got an offer on my house, so I now officially have a new place, although the closing dates aren't until the end of November.

Related to the above news, I've been kind of stressed about the house this past month. First it was wondering if I'd get any offers and then it was cleaning and packing and dealing with all the utilities. I think I *might* be past the worst of it now, but I'm not really hopeful about that. I still need to figure out how I'm moving all my stuff and where I'll store it for the few days between the closing dates. Mostly I'm just going one day at a time though.

I also had a few days in there where I got to see some friends and have time to decompress, so that was very nice. I have another such opportunity this Saturday, which I'm really looking forward to.

We got a new piece of equipment at work finally (this is the one that gave me an opportunity to go to Germany in July), so it's been fun seeing that start up and getting to be a part of the early tuning process. We are currently stalled due to electrical set-backs, which sucks, but hopefully those can be ironed out soon and we can get back to turning out product. There is a long weekend coming for remembrance day, which is much needed, and then the Christmas break not too long after that. We've been running so many Saturdays, and even Sundays lately, that everyone is feeling a bit burnt out and snappish, so the breaks will do everyone some good.

I hope you've all been keeping well, and I promise to try not to let it go so long until next time. Love you all!
J

Fall Fest Bingo Cards

This is exceptionally late, but I did peg interesting cards earlier in the month, I just never made a post. And now I'd like a place to keep the cards so I can come back to them later, so have a post. XD

( cut for bingo cards )

Fall Fest Prompt: Disguise

I am 2 days late with this fill, but I did start writing it on October 31. This story fills the "disguise" square on the Sherlock Holmes card from the Fall Fest Bingo. It's my first time writing in this fandom and I'm not a Brit, so hopefully I didn't butcher anything too badly.

Title: Blending In
Fandom: Sherlock Holmes
Rating: G
Warnings: None
Tags: Molly Hooper, Sherlock Holmes, John Watson, Bakery, Following someone, Disguise
Prompt: Disguise
Word count: 500-1000 words
Summary: Molly likes to watch Sherlock work.

Blending In
Molly made sure her disguise was firmly in place before heading off down the street. She loved to watch Sherlock work, but he always made her so nervous, and he had no time for tag-alongs. She wore a different disguise every time she went out, and she made sure never to follow him from one place to another; she would choose one location and watch there until he and John went running off elsewhere. Even with her disguise, she wasn't confident enough in her spying abilities to avoid being noticed by Sherlock if she followed after them.

Today, she was headed off to a little bakery not far from the morgue. While examining the body, Sherlock had commented on the poor man's clothes being covered in flour, and something about a business card in his pocket. Molly stopped one store away, checking her reflection in the glass. She had her brown hair braided and tucked under a straw sun hat, dainty sunglasses perched on her nose, with just a hint of blush on her cheeks and lipstick a shade darker than her natural colour. She had learned early on that going over the top drew more attention than she wanted and was more likely to get her noticed. Better to blend in in this case, at least above the neck.

When it came to her outfit, she tried to make it as far from her normal as possible, without going into the "look at me" territory that some outfits seemed to reach. Today she was wearing a bright yellow blouse under a lacy white shawl, a calf-length, flowing white skirt, and a pair of simple white sandals. Her goal was to look like any other woman out to enjoy the nice day and avoid her usual love of patterned tops and comfortable cardigans. With a last check in the window, she considered herself good and walked into the bakery.

As she entered, she could see John and Sherlock engrossed in a conversation with one of the employees. Determined not to draw attention to herself, Molly made her way up to the display cabinet and perused the treats that were available that day. Incidentally, this also put her close enough to hear what the consulting detective was saying, and the conclusions he was drawing with the information given. She got so engrossed in listen that she startled a bit when the lady behind the counter asked if she needed any help.

Silently admonishing herself to stay focused, Molly cleared her throat and placed an order. "I'll have two apple danishes and one cheese scone, to go please," she said, in a voice that was deeper and more confident than her normal tone. As she waited for her pastries, she continued listening to the conversation that was happening off to the side, picking up a few more details about the on-going case. Presently, the cashier came back over and handed her a box. "Here you are dear, enjoy your pastries," the young lady said with a smile. "Ta very much," Molly replied as she handed over the appropriate amount of change.

Transaction completed, Molly took her treats and turned to leave. Both Sherlock and John were now facing her direction, which made her heart skip a beat though her step never faltered. Much to Molly's relief, she didn't see any recognition flicker in Sherlock's eyes. Just as she was about to count this disguise a success, she registered a knowing gleam in John's eye. The doctor didn't blow her cover though, as she made it out the door and down the block before she stopped to catch her breath. Of all people, John was sure to understand her fascination with Sherlock and his marvellous brain, but all the same she would be taking a long hiatus from following them out on a case, just to be safe.