Hey, I’m Autolycus: the Plastic Action Figure and Margui usually calls upon me to write her gathering reports. She’s kind of out of practice since she missed the last gathering. This time the gals decided to visit some old haunts. They went back to Arlington and scheduled a return visit to the Scottish Festival and Highland Games. I’ve always wondered why they were called “Highland Games”. All the games I saw ere played on pretty flat lands, not high lands. We began our journey to Arlington midday on Thursday. Margui packed up some clothes, along with a really boring game she had designed…oh, I stand corrected, a board game. Why’d you do that?…oh, in case they got bored…I get it. As usual, I expected a delay in arriving at the hotel. My dyslexically directional Margui always seems to get lost in Arlington. But then what do you expect? The sweet girl can get easily lost from one thought to another. But I digress… Wait, I’ve been handed a scroll…What? You want me to write it down? Oh, alright. Margui wants me to tell you that this time she did not get lost in Arlington. There, I said it. Bus she did have to ask directions to her room. A short time later, Ceryndip, Jane and Rebecca showed up. Rebecca? Do I know Rebecca? Good, because I thought I was loosing my little plastic mind. But wait. Where’s that multi-talented, siren of songsters, Bwell? I was told that she wouldn’t join us until Saturday. Thursday night was spent on getting reacquainted, gossip, and a little Iolausian business. Iolaus, Iolaus, Iolaus. Why is it always about Iolaus? Well, anyway, after dinner, there was a quick jaunt to the grocery store. It seems Jane forgot to pick up some doctor named Pepper (I didn’t know you could pick up doctor’s at grocery stores, I‘m sure Margui would have already tried if you could, but I digress…) and my Marguimarz forgot her toothbrush. The girls had to stop by the toy aisle, where they ogled other plastic action figures. I was hurt. Really hurt. Before leaving the aisle, Ceryndip pawed the Twizzlers at the end of the aisle. “You know,” she said, “If I stare at them long enough, I could see them get hard.” Margui then made the offhanded comment that it didn’t work that way. Clearly her mind was already in the gutter. Things didn’t improve much when she checked out. Buying an expensive toothbrush with a rotating head, the cashier immediately commented on its price and said, “This is an expensive toothbrush. What does it do?” Margui answered coyly that it had batteries, which immediately sent the cashier, as well as the rest of the group straight to the gutter with her. Friday was spent at a museum. The group went to the Kimball Art Museum in Fort Worth on a Quest for Immortality. This must be some museum! First, it’s located in a fort, and you can find immortality there. Not that Hercules or Iolaus have to worry about that. I hear they have this immortality thing covered. And well, I’m of course plastic, so we all know I’ll last forever. Actually, the Quest for Immortality was an exhibition of treasures from ancient Egypt. Did you know Egypt and Greece booth believe you arrive to the afterlife on a boat? I bet they don’t have to pay a token to that creepy-crawly Charon to get there, either. The rooms were filled with all sort of treasures. And talk about your big heads. Hercules and Iolaus would have felt right at home in the second room of the exhibit. The room had the large head of a king at least eight feet high. It was quite a wonder, but that wasn’t the only head Margui wondered about. Margui wondered about something hanging out of the belts on two of the stone statues. Again, her mind quickly landed in the gutter as she absently glanced at the feet of each of these statues. The museum supplied each guest with a headset and digital player that allowed you to roam around in the museum and hear a narrative about each piece. Ceryndip seemed particularly interested one exhibit that explained many uses of Lotus. I’ve heard of the song “The Eyes of Texas”, but this museum had the “Eye of Horus” upon you. They had priceless jewelry and jars that must surely hold something valuable. I asked what they kept in each of the jars. Margui’s answers sounded like a smorgasbord of delicacies fit for Iolaus. The jar with the hawk head held intestines. The jar with the jackal head held stomach. The jar with the baboon head held lungs. The jar with the human’s head held liver. What? No onions? What kind of a smorgasbord is that? We were at the museum for several hours. Margui and Ceryndip fondled the books in the museum store while Jane and Rebecca continued to ogle the museum exhibits. Saturday was spent at the Scottish Festival and Highland Games. Most of the morning was spent listening to bards and music, and then the group wandered around for a while. When Rebecca and Jane asked Margui if she wanted to look at looms, she must have thought they said loons, and she wandered off toward the bird exhibit. She soon got separated from the crowd. While she wandered around looking for them, she watched a few of the games and brought a good luck charm or two for her watch. Hey! I thought I was your good luck charm. Bwell finally arrived in the evening and we spent another few hours at the Festival. Then they came back to the hotel to watch color movies in black and white. What’s with that? Actually the small T.V. Ceryndip brought was on the fritz. She blamed it on Toshiba, but I blame it on my magnetic personality. Anyway, before we knew it, it was Sunday and we had to leave, but not before a trip to Walmart and the toy store. I tell you, these girls love to play and they know how to play. The girls don’t play with us plastic action figures like they use to but at least once a year, Margui gets me down and lets me write a gathering report. I’m one lucky action figure. So until next time, this is Autolycus: the Plastic Action Figure signing off.
