The rest of the week

First off, I want to thank all of you for your kind comments for my coming-out post this week. I feel nothing but love and support. (I have noticed that I have a lot more pageviews than I have reactions or comments. But I appreciate that if you didn't like what I wrote, you kept your thoughts to yourself.) I have also been sad this week as I ponder the reality that the life I envisioned, and the life that others envisioned for me, isn't going to happen. But I guess everyone deals with that in one way or another.

I attended a virtual support group for LGBTQ Latter-day Saints, and one of them told me, "Well, I hope you get lots of hugs this week." I said, "Well, I'm not a hugger, so I hope I don't!"

I have seen that when other people come out, suddenly their blog is all about being gay. I don't want that for mine. It will come up, because it's part of my life, but I'd rather talk about holidays, trails, and candy, just like I've always done.

Speaking of which...

Yesterday I decided to try out the new loop between North Canyon and Mueller Park. I had no idea how long it would be as a total loop, even though I have previously been on every portion of it. In total, it ended up being 14.3 miles, the second-longest I've ever done (after the fifteen-mile run three weeks ago). I'm really pleased that I'm in shape to do a run like that, and I hope to continue these longer runs in the future. But I do have to ask myself if I really want to spend more than three hours running every Saturday. Trail running really is such a wonderful hobby.

One week ago, all these aspens were yellow, but now a lot of them are bare!

Obligatory Elephant Rock picture. Lots of people like to hike there, but that trail is generally too busy and easy for my taste if that's all I'm doing.

This sign said the distance between Mueller Park and North Canyon was 3.1 miles, but according to my watch (twice now), it's exactly 4 miles.

Last night, on my way home from picking goatheads, I was surprised to see a Jerusalem cricket crossing the sidewalk. We used to find them in our house once a year or so, but it's been around two decades since I can recall seeing one.

They look like giant ants combined with bees.

So, yeah. Coming out and a fourteen-mile run were really the highlights of the week. Time for...

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Pumpkinundation roundup!

The Pumpkin Pie Quest Protein Bar definitely had a spice flavor. I've had these before, and it was better than I remembered—maybe because I was hungry, or maybe because now I know what Quest bars generally taste like. 7/10.

Remember when I formally reviewed Pumpkin Spice Cup Noodles last year? I still had one leftover. It's weird but surprisingly edible. 7/10.

I really like SugarFix cookies, which are sold at certain gas stations. But the Sugar Fix Pumpkin Brown Sugar Cookie was drier than I remember it. I like the frosting though. 6/10.

The Mrs. Cavanaugh's Pumpkin Chocolate Chip had a strong pumpkin flavor. It reminded me of Arctic Circle pumpkin shakes. 8/10.

You probably saw that I formally reviewed the new Burger King Ghost Pepper Whopper, but you might not know that I had to go buy a second one, because they put the wrong cheese on the first one. This one was noticeably spicier. 8/10.

This is the second sandwich

The Blacksmith Apple Crisp Ice Cream has actual bits of apple crisp in it. It was delightful! 8/10.

Maybe I was just ice-creamed out, but the Blacksmith Pumpkin Cookie Butter Ice Cream wasn't that interesting to me. 6/10. (Blacksmith is an ice cream shop on Main Street in Bountiful.)

Sunbelt Bakery Pumpkin Spice Granola Bars don't really taste like pumpkin or spices to me, but they're fine. 6/10.