Unevent-fall

 It seems like this should have been a more eventful week than it was, but that's OK.

It was my birthday on Tuesday. I am now the same age that my mother was when she had me, and the same age that my second grade teacher was when I was in her class. I didn't do much. I did my usual run in the morning, and my family had pizza and cake and ice cream. I got a rug with interchangeable seasonal mats from my parents, edible glitter (like for cake decorating) from my sister, and a large Squishmallow turkey from my niece (she gave it to me a few weeks ago so I wouldn't buy one myself). My old boss from the Church History Library, who is now a mission president, called me, which was very thoughtful, coming from someone as busy as he is. Then I had class in the afternoon. We were joined by the author of the book we were discussing this week. He was in England, so it was well past midnight, but he was still very talkative and long-winded. The debate was that night, but I didn't watch it because I was doing homework.

I did my North Canyon runs Monday through Friday, and I had a few little things that changed it up. One day, I saw a flock up birds up in the sky. Sometimes they were white, but when they changed direction, they became black and white. I remember seeing that back when I was seven years old, but I hadn't seen it since then. Another day, an insect flew into my mouth, and I had to push it out with my tongue. It was uncomfortable to feel the exoskeleton in my mouth. The next day I had a bump on my lip, so I wonder if it bit me or stung me (it didn't hurt, but it looked like a mosquito bite). Another day, I noticed a lively spider on the trail. The best way I can describe it is as a kung fu spider. It was either a small tarantula or a very large other kind of spider, and it kept putting some of its legs in the air like it was ready to strike. At one point I noticed it was lying on its back, and I wondered if it needed help flipping over. But nope, it just liked doing backflips. 

The leaves aren't as spectacular this year as they are in other years, but North Canyon still has some wonderful sights. Friday was cloudy, and when it's cloudy, the lighting is better for vibrant colors.

I gotta say, President Nelson raised the bar for general conference so that this conference seemed boring, because there weren't any major announcements, except for six new temples. I liked Sunday's talks better, and there was a lot of acknowledging the pandemic hardships.

***

Pumpkinundation roundup is sparse this week. Since it was my birthday, I could eat whatever I wanted, so I didn't have as much seasonal stuff—and schoolwork and other things kept me from going out as much.

This Bobo's Pumpkin Spice Oat Bar is from last week, but I forgot to put it on last week's blog. I first saw these a year ago, and they seem to be a newly popular bar. I don't get why. It's very dense and dry, and it's a little bland. Also, each bar is two servings. Really?? One bar has more than three hundred calories. There are better ways to have calories. 5/10.

This Kroger Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream has pie pieces and a white swirl. I don't know what the white swirl is; it seems like marshmallow. I appreciate the mix-ins, because it's not just another pumpkin ice cream. 8/10.

Nature's Bakery Pumpkin Spice Fig Bars are like Fig Newtons. I honestly don't remember what I thought of this when I ate it. So 6/10?