Miles and miles

I haven't had a desk job for nearly a year, when I was working at the Church History Library. The CHL and the Sundance Film Festival have almost nothing in common. I loved the CHL, so that's too bad.

But there are some positives at Sundance. Since we don't work with archival materials, we can eat at our desks. And since we can eat at our desks, it means I can reserve my lunch (and other) breaks for other activities besides eating.

I also can wear pretty much whatever I want.

And there's a trailhead right by the office. So, because of all of these advantages, I have been using my breaks to run on the nearby trails. I had to invest in some clothing that is suitable for both working and running. It's not ideal for either activity, but it works. Unfortunately, it is November, and November trails aren't that gorgeous. (Still better than February, though.) But a trail is still better than a street. And it drives me totally nuts to sit all day. I haven't had this advantage of trails at work before. If I didn't spend my breaks going running (or walking), I would get hardly any steps at all. I have to take advantage of the trails before the snow comes, especially since it's dark when I get home now.

One trail led me through man-made snowfields, right underneath a ski lift. But I didn't like that trail that much.

Creating snow!

For most of the week, I didn't have much actual work to do, which meant I was able to work on the book I have coming out in the spring. I appreciate the extra time to work on it. I haven't been spending as much time at home working on it as I should. 

My own book and a cat that loves me? Is this real life?

Since I have been running every single day, I wondered how much energy I would have for a Saturday run. But I overcame the mental hurdle and ran up Mueller Park to Rudy's Flat, 12.2 miles round trip! I haven't run that far in more than a year, but I was less tired than I was last time. It feels great to know I'm improving. I might have already begun a new decade of life, but physically I'm in my prime.

After my long run, my family headed to the Bountiful Temple to do baptisms for my biological great-grandmother, after my mom got permission from a long-lost uncle last summer. It was a productive Saturday.

On social media (and blogging), it's easy to create the impression that life is perfect. Don't worry, I have an imperfect life. Just like everybody else.

***

One of the reasons I go running is so I can consume lots of seasonal goodies, so pumpkinundation roundup continues. This week, I'm going to include some savory items; I've been purchasing turkey foods to include, now that it's Thanksgiving.

I forgot to include the Arby's Gobbler sandwich, which has deep-fried turkey and cranberry sauce. It was a great sandwich, but the cranberry flavor wasn't as pronounced as I would have liked. 8/10.

This Lean Cuisine Comfort Roasted Turkey & Vegetables is just turkey in gravy and green beans with almond slices. The green beans are more similar to fresh beans than to canned--but when it comes to green beans, I actually prefer them canned. The turkey and gravy were typical. 7/10.

I had a Harmons pumpkin chocolate chip cookie with cream cheese frosting at work. As good as you would expect. 8/10.

Since I work in a rather liberal place, someone brought in a vegan pumpkin pie. Not as good as regular pumpkin pie. 7/10.

Trader Joe's Pumpkin Cranberry Crisps have a nice flavor, but the texture, dried bread, is weird. 6/10.

Trader Joe's Pumpkin Soup is OK, but a little bland. But it was a lot better with lots of cheddar cheese. 6/10.

I got two flavors in one: Bahama Buck's Candy Corn Sno is on the left, and Bahama Buck's Pumpkin Spice Sno is on the right. The candy corn was better; it had an almost buttery taste. 8/10. The pumpkin side was more artificial. 6/10.

I had Baskin-Robbins Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream. Pumpkin ice cream is classic, but I don't remember it standing out. 8/10.

Pecan pie is my favorite Thanksgiving dessert, so I was glad to see this Baskin-Robbins Bourbon Street Pecan Pie Ice Cream. I don't know that it quite tastes like pecan pie, but it is amazing. It has a gooey ribbon throughout it with actual pecans. It has more calories than pumpkin, but who cares? 10/10.

I had Trader Joe's Fall Zucchette Pasta with Trader Joe's Autumnal Harvest Pasta Sauce. The pasta (I think made with butternut squash) doesn't taste that special, and the shape is problematic: it falls apart easily, and when it comes out of the pan, it holds hot water inside it. 6/10. But the sauce has more of a squashy flavor, with just a little kick. It's a creamy sauce, but I prefer veggie pasta sauces. 7/10.

I had never had a Chip cookie until I had this Chip Pumpkin Nutella Cookie. I didn't notice the pumpkin being particularly prominent, but who cares when the rest of the cookie is so good? 9/10.

At Walmart, I got this Marketside Pumpkin Brioche. It's a nice sweet bread, but the pumpkin isn't super strong. 7/10.

I got another local gourmet cookie by getting a RubySnap Isabella, which is a pumpkin cookie with hazelnut-soaked raisins. They told me the alcohol cooks out. There was an unfamiliar tang to the cookie, but it really was wonderful. 9/10.

I found this Nature's Path Organic Pumpkin Spice with Chia Hot Oatmeal in the cupboard, leftover from last year. That should tell you something. I'm not a big oatmeal fan to begin with, and this one has like no flavor. 4/10.

I haven't seen these Quest Pumpkin Pie Bars since 2015, and I found them at Target with a pile of Christmas candy waiting to be stocked. I think they were meant to be sold individually, because the box didn't scan, and the cashier might have undercharged me. I didn't like them last time because I thought they mostly tasted like a regular protein bar. That's still true, but I've had way worse protein bars. One thing I like about these is that they have less than one gram of sugar, but I can't believe it. I think, "There's got to be some sugar in this!" As you can see from my diet, I consume too much sugar, so it's nice to have something without it.

I hesitated showing the Kneaders Turkey Cranberry Croissant, since they have it year round. But since I had the Arby's sandwich, I thought I'd include this, especially since I avoid it except at Thanksgiving. This is what I had the very first time I went to Kneaders on July 13, 2012. I really think it's their best menu item. 10/10.

Another seasonal classic is the Kneaders Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cake. It's well worth the 700 calories, though it was better back when it was a cake slice instead of this "petite cake" nonsense. 9/10.

Archer Farms Pumpkin Spice Granola is one of the least interesting seasonal granolas I've had. 7/10.

Marie Callender's Roasted Turkey Breast and Stuffing has less than 300 calories, so it's not really a full meal. The veggies have like no flavor, but the other components are pretty good. The stuffing tastes exactly like the stuff I eat on Thanksgiving. 7/10.