Autumn

During my first semester of college a decade ago, I was a very good student. I was very dedicated to my studies. I didn't even watch the Vancouver Olympics at all. 

My first semester of grad school has been more of a challenge, though. After goofing off all spring and summer, it's been hard to get into the groove of devoting my time to studying.

Also, my grad-level classes are basically expensive, academic book clubs. We read books and articles and then discuss them. So it's not like I have to study for tests or submit homework. I'm not expected to read every word of the books, so it's been hard to stay motivated. 

But this week I've spent more time doing homework, and I do feel more satisfied that way. But I feel like I still don't have time to do all the things I want to do.

This truly is the best time of year. This week I had to return to the trails to see if the trees had been cleared away. 

On Monday, I went to Mueller Park, because I thought it would be more likely to have been cleared. It had been cleared, but it was still busy as usual.

The fall colors have returned!

Tuesday through Friday, I went up North Canyon, where the trees had also been cleared. On Friday, I went eight miles instead of the usual seven. I need to prepare for more long runs up there as the temperatures cool down. But the leaves keep getting better and better!

These autumn trail runs are better in the evening, but they're more convenient in the morning, so that's when I do them.

I have to tell you, as an aside, how relieved I am with Blogger. Over the last few months, they've been rolling out a new Blogger, but adding pictures was worse on the new interface. I would have to add the pictures individually if I wanted them in chronological order. I was using the old interface just because of that reason. The old interface is no longer available, but they fixed the photo issue! Phew! But I still think the new interface is not any better, and in some ways it's worse.

Last week, I was able to return to church for the first time in six months. We had to be spaced out, and there was no singing. But I didn't entirely feel comfortable with the arrangement. Now we will be meeting more often, but sacrament meeting is also broadcast via Zoom. I think I'll stick with the at-home arrangement, especially since Utah's experiencing a tremendous spike in cases. And yet Davis County wants to go back to school four days a week. I hope they make the only smart decision: NOT do that!

My family also went to the state fair yesterday to see what it was like in a pandemic. Nearly everyone was wearing masks, thankfully, in part because they're required. There were fewer entries and retail. But I still felt a bit uncomfortable with it. There was a huge line as we were leaving. Also, they encouraged people to buy tickets online, but when we got there, they seemed poorly prepared for online purchases, as though in-person tickets were the default. Why?? 

I really have a hard time having charity for the anti-mask crowd. The nicest thing I can say about them is they are dumb.

A lot of the new cases are from Utah County. I don't know all the reasons for that, and it is disappointing.

But I see this perception where people think BYU is this ultraconservative, far-right school. I went there, and that was not my experience. My Davis County friends tend to be more conservative than my BYU friends were. Most of the geology faculty at BYU are Democrats. In fact, my perception (I don't have hard data, just anecdotal evidence) is that Latter-day Saints who go to the University of Utah are more conservative than Latter-day Saints who go to BYU. (This does not apply to grad students or non–Latter-day Saints). BYU has come out with some very pro-mask studies. So quit badmouthing BYU!

Another thing that happened this week was September 15, which has been my arbitrary day to begin the Halloween season ever since I was seven years old. Sometimes I wonder, "Should I wait until, say, the autumnal equinox?" But no. I just can't wait any longer! I have started decorating for the holiday, but I still have a lot to do. It's hard when you have to do homework! But I have brought out my collection of Halloween Squishmallows.

Top row: purple and black cat, bat.
Middle row: pumpkin, mummy, ghost, witch, zombie, pumpkin, green and black cat, candy corn, monster, witch, new vampire, Frankenstein, werewolf, spider.
Bottom row: Frankenstein, old vampire, pirate pumpkin, spider, orange and black cat that flips into a pumpkin, green bat, candy corn, purple and black cat.
Not pictured: devil, bride of Frankenstein (they are both tiny and would get lost among the bigger ones)

I have also been enjoying Food Network's seasonal programming: Halloween Wars, Halloween Baking Championship, and Haunted Gingerbread Showdown. These make me want to get creative with cooking. Today I made zucchini pancakes (using homegrown zucchini), but I just followed the recipe.

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And since the Halloween season has begun, so has pumpkinundation roundup! This has been a surprisingly popular seasonal feature of this blog. I document the fall-flavored foods I have; the three biggest flavors are pumpkin, caramel apple, and candy corn.

While I document the fall flavors on the blog, I pursue seasonal flavors all year long. Earlier this year, I thought, "I keep getting these foods that I have had before, but I should instead prioritize new things." But then the pandemic hit, and my new priority is supporting local businesses. (That applies to fast food/bakeries, not to things you buy in stores.)

My first pumpkin item was the Dairy Queen Pumpkin Cookie Butter Shake on September 1. I was allowed to have it early because it was for a review. It was amazing! It had little speculoos cookie crumbs in it. 9/10.

I got Caramel Apple Jacks back in June. It should tell you something that we still had them. I think Apple Jacks are, like, the blandest of all sugary cereals. The caramel version is better than the original, but that's not saying much. It's like regular Apple Jacks with a bit of caramel flavor. 6/10.

My niece got me this Swig Pumpkin Cookie before I officially began the season, but it was close enough that I still ate it. Most pumpkin chocolate chip cookies do not have frosting. Most do not need frosting. I thought this cookie used frosting to hide the fact that the cookie itself had little flavor. 6/10.

I love getting seasonal granola bars, like these Sunbelt Bakery Pumpkin Spice Chewy Granola Bars. I like them, but the pumpkin flavor isn't very strong. 6/10.

This Candy Corn Pez is leftover from last year. I like it better than I remembered; it has kind of a butterscotch flavor. But it's still Pez. 6/10.

Thomas' makes the best grocery store bagels, so I love Thomas' Pumpkin Spice Bagels, the best pumpkin bagels I've had. They have a lovely spicy flavor and scent, with little bits of pumpkin. Since I eat so much sweet stuff this time of year, I like to mix them with savory things (this week, it was cheddar cheese and fried eggs). 9/10.

Archer Farms Candy Corn Crunch Trail Mix has been around for years. It has candy corn, honey-roasted peanuts, white-chocolate-covered pretzels, and raisins. Candy corn and peanuts are a classic combo. I think the pretzels and raisins are distracting. 7/10. 

There's a reason I have had Pumpkin Pie Pop-Tarts every fall since 2013. They are like the brown sugar ones, but better! They have actual pumpkin! 9/10.

The Archer Farms Rustic Pumpkin Spice Trail Mix has pumpkin seeds, various spice-covered items, and yogurt raisins. The yogurt gives the mix a tang. The spiciness can be a bit overwhelming, and the tang is a bit off-putting, but it's still fine. 6/10.

Brach's Skulls and Bones are new. They have banana-flavored skulls, regular candy corn, caramel-flavored bones, and sea-salt-chocolate-flavored candy corn. The skulls taste and feel just like circus peanuts. The bones have kind of an off-putting flavor, but I don't know why, because I have liked caramel candy corn in the past. The chocolate candy corn isn't very good. I like the classic Indian/harvest corn with the chocolate ends, but this one just tastes weird. But Brach's regular candy corn is the best candy corn. 5/10.

When I first taste the Good & Gather Pumpkin Spice Granola, it tastes like bland granola. But then the spice kicks in, and it's quite nice. 7/10.

I got the Crumbl Pumpkin Oreo Cookie last year and loved it, but it just wasn't as good this year. It's not very pumpkiny. 6/10.

Kettle Brand Apple Cider Vinegar Potato Chips are made with apple cider vinegar—which means it tastes like vinegar, but not like apple. I like Lay's Salt and Vinegar better. 6/10. 

Entenmann's Little Bites Pumpkin Muffins are enjoyable, even though they have wasteful packaging. 8/10. 

Taco Time Pumpkin Empanadas are something I like to get every year. There's pumpkin pie filling in a fried tortilla, dusted with cinnamon sugar. So simple but effective! 8/10.

I'm telling you, Caramel Apple Sugar Babies are the best Halloween candy, and I don't even like regular Sugar Babies. 10/10.

Pumpkin Pie Jelly Bellys have been around for years, but I think this is the first time they've been sold on their own. Previously they were part of a Holiday Favorites mix that included eggnog, candy cane, hot cocoa, and cranberry sauce. Unfortunately, the pumpkin pie is the worst part of that mix. It doesn't taste like pumpkin pie, even though Jelly Belly usually does a good job with authentic flavors. There's some vague spiciness, but it's more like a candle, including the wax. Spiced jelly beans are literally my favorite Easter candy, but these don't work. They at least should have mixed them with other fall flavors they have made in the past (caramel apple, candy corn). I like the softness, though, because in the summer I keep buying expired red, white, and blue Jelly Bellys, so it's nice to have them fresh. Fun fact: when I go running, I often imagine seasonal Jelly Belly flavors. Pumpkin pie is one of those flavors, but I wish they made it better. 4/10.

I got this Valued Naturals Caramel Apple Crunch from Miller's gas station. It really isn't very good. It has dried apples with a spongy texture. The mixture tastes like walnuts, even though it doesn't have walnuts, and I don't like walnuts! Even the butterscotch and vanilla chips can't save it. 3/10.

At the fair, I got this chocolate coconut caramel apple. It's certainly cute. It was very decadent, almost too much so. 7/10.