Halloween ambience

Around holidays, I like to create a kind of ambience so it really feels special. I like to surround myself with themed decorations, music, foods, and movies. I also like being outside, because that is one of the best means of ambience.

In many ways, I've had a hard time feeling the Halloween ambience. I've grown a bit tired of many (most) of my holiday shows, so I'm not watching them as much anymore--but even though I've been a bit tired of them, they do contribute to the feeling. Also, working in a professional environment doesn't have a whole lot of fun atmosphere when it comes to holidays. I remember elementary school, and things just aren't as festive anymore.

Nevertheless, I have had some moments of Halloween feelings. I raked leaves at night in the light of our pumpkin decoration, playing Halloween music from my phone. My Halloween playlist is currently the best of all my holiday playlists.

We carved pumpkins. Mine is the one on the right. Gutting pumpkins certainly feels Halloweeny, although it seems less so since I've starting cooking with squash.

I hear that before Halloween (or All Hallows' Eve, or Samhain, or whatever predecessor) was transported to America, they used to make jack-o-lanterns out of turnips. Their turnips must have been different from mine, because I cooked with turnips yesterday, and it would have been very difficult to hollow them out as a lantern.

(It is not far fetched to assume their turnips were different, due to selective breeding and other issues--to say nothing of semantic shifts and what the word "turnip" actually meant.)

I had two occasions to dress up this week. At a ward activity, I dressed up in full vampire garb. I loved that costume in high school because I really wanted to be a vampire. And then yesterday we went to my dad's work to see the devices they make (bits for artificial heart valves) and it was a costumed event. I wore my Vector costume from last year. There was a family there dressed as Minions and Gru and they talked to me, but my social awkwardness kicked in full gear and I don't think I responded appropriately to them. Oh well.

Speaking of my dad's work, earlier this week he was driving home from work, and his engine was making noises and came home to discover that a cat had gotten up in the engine. I didn't even know the cat, and I feel sad about it. My dad, who pretends to dislike our cat, felt terrible about it. I'm kind of pathetic, because this week I was thinking about how cute and hilarious cats are.

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Caramel apple items are almost over with, because I consider caramel apple a Halloween flavor, not Thanksgiving. But pumpkin and candy corn are both, so pumpkinundation roundup will continue.

 I got this Caramel Apple Blow Pop at a Halloween party. I'm glad, because I wanted to try it, but I would never buy a whole bag. Sometimes it tasted like caramel and sometimes like apple. It's pretty typical for a Blow Pop, and I don't think any Blow Pop can get a rating better than 3/5.

 In 2013, 2014, and 2015, I had the Kneaders pumpkin chocolate chip cake. It was one of the best cakes I've ever had, although I couldn't eat it in one sitting. They didn't have it this year, and this Kneaders pumpkin chocolate chip petite cake is apparently its successor. I've often wondered how they managed to keep making those giant cakes without wasting them, so this is probably more economic for them. But it was disappointing. I feel like regular pieces of cake have a better cake-to-frosting ratio, but cupcakes are more convenient. This cake took the worst part of cupcakes (big glob of frosting) without the best part (you still have to eat it with a fork). So what's the point? Also, I don't think this one used cream cheese frosting. Maybe it was, but I couldn't tell. And it has chocolate pudding in it. I have nothing against chocolate pudding, but it seemed kind of out of place, like a cheap filler. Now, the cake was good. But it was so disappointing compared to what it could and should have been. 4/5.

 I went back another day and got a Kneaders Butterfinger caramel apple. It was good, but I think it would be better without the Butterfingers. 5/5.

 I ate a piece of this Pepperidge Farm Pumpkin Spice Swirl bread, but I don't really remember what I thought of it. I think it was good? 3.5/5?

 I didn't want to let Halloween go by without trying these Hostess Caramel Apple Cup Cakes. I gave most of them away, but only because they're not good for me and because I can't have them after Halloween. I like them better than regular Hostess Cup Cakes. They do taste like caramel and apple. 4/5.

 These Pumpkin & Spice Triscuits are one of the more unusual items. I don't care much for Triscuits, but I liked these better. They're a little sweeter. 3.5/5.

 Ever since I've started counting calories, I've been less inclined to get Pop-Tarts, because one package (two Pop-Tarts) has 400 calories. But these Caramel Apple Pop-Tarts are new. I liked them. They're not as good as the other holiday offerings (pumpkin pie, sugar cookie, gingerbread, red velvet), but I like them better than any berry Pop-Tart. (Seriously, why is strawberry the most popular flavor?) 4/5.

 Since I ran six miles and made a low-calorie dinner, I could afford to have a big bowl of Dreyer's Pumpkin Patch Ice Cream. It's tasty, but I feel it could still be better. 4.5/5.

 These "The Bakery" (Walmart) Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes are better than storebought vanilla cupcakes. But that's not saying a whole lot. Still, I liked them. 4/5.

 A collection of items I had at church: pumpkin chocolate chip cookie, the above cupcakes, apples with caramel sauce, and pumpkin chocolate chip cookie with cream cheese frosting. I'm not going to rate them. The other item was a peanut butter bar, but I thought it would be a pumpkin bar. I had to punish myself for eating it by doing pushups.

This Franz pumpkin bagel might be the worst pumpkin bagel I've had. Other brands do it better. All I could taste was clove. Now, clove is an underutilized spice, in my opinion, so I was glad to see (or taste) it so prominent. But I doubt clove bagels will ever catch on. 3/5.