With Goblins We Just Got Done

(Sometimes my blog titles are obscure references, and here is this week's reference.)

Halloween is over, and I'm sad to put the spooky things away for another ten and a half months. And there are so many spooky shows and movies I wanted to watch, but I also don't want to watch movies when the weather is so perfect. 

Anyway, here's this week's update.

I wanted to post this last week but forgot. Last Sunday, there was a fly on my backup camera.

On Monday, my ward had a pie night, so the night before, I made an apple pie using the apples from our tree. I used the recipe from my mom's Better Homes and Gardens cookbook from the 1970s, and it is a wonderful recipe.

Then Monday evening, my mom and I watched the season finale of Halloween Baking Championship, and the winner is a Utahn! When I went to Albuquerque a few weeks ago, I heard some people talking about knowing about Utah because of Real Housewives of Salt Lake City and Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. I'm glad to have some other representation.

Tuesday, there was a Halloween social at work, so I wore my favorite Halloween sweater.

And in the evening, I carved pumpkins with my parents and my niece. Mine is the one on the left.

On Halloween itself, after work, I decided to cut a cucumber that my mom picked from the garden a few weeks ago. This cucumber had a hole in the end, and I didn't think much about it.

But the hole extended halfway up the cucumber, and I was surprised to find it contained a potato bug (aka roly-poly, sow bug, pill bug, wood louse)! (Potato bug is the term I use as a native Utahn.)

In fact, I ended up finding six of them. And they were all alive, even though they had been inside for a while!

In the evening, I put on my old standby vampire costume and went to my friend Sean's house for his Halloween party. I didn't know most of the people there.

Then Saturday, I was able to go on my first really long run of 2025. I went up North Canyon, down Mueller Park, and across the Bonneville Shoreline Trail, for a total of fourteen miles. I'm glad I'm in good enough shape to do this, though of course it was tiring, but I wasn't totally wiped out. But I don't get how/why people do fifty- or hundred-mile runs. I just think it would quit being fun.

It wasn't a cold day, so I was surprised to see frost in various places on the trail. I was surprised how muddy some parts of the trail were. There were also more bikers and runners than I usually see, even on some of the farther portions of the trail.

The last time November 1 was a Saturday was back in 2014, and I remember running the Wild Rose Trail that day, so that run would only have been less than four miles (I don't remember if I ran anywhere else that day). I've come a long way since then! Back then, I didn't even have a fitness tracker, and I still wore old shoes that were not dedicated to trails, shoes that were relatively inexpensive.

After my long run, I still had enough energy to take down all the Halloween decorations. But as of this writing, I still have to put up the Thanksgiving decor (though I put up the outside decorations).

***

This week's pumpkinundation roundup marks the transition from Halloween into Thanksgiving. So from now on, there will be Thanksgiving-themed foods here. (I often include homemade items, but I'm not going to this week, because I just don't think it's that interesting to mention other people's homemade goodies, and there were a lot this week.) Also, these aren't in order because of Blogger's terrible photo-adding system.

I actually got the Big Bite Breads Caramel Apple Roll last week and forgot to put it on here. It had cooked apple pieces with a caramel topping. I remember liking it, but it wasn't anything spectacular. 7/10.

The Arby's Gobbler has deep-fried turkey, stuffing, and some kind of cranberry topping. Oh, and I think there's cheese as well. I love turkey and stuffing sandwiches, but this one's not as good as most. The stuffing is more subtle, as is the cranberry. But it was still a decent sandwich. 7/10.

I'm going to write a formal review of the Arby's Apple Pie Shake. Arby's isn't known for having great shakes, but this is the best Arby's shake I've ever had! It really does taste like apple pie. 8/10.

Pecan pie is my favorite kind of pie, so I'm disappointed that Softsoap Pecan Pie Scent doesn't really smell anything like pecan pie. 4/10.

But Softsoap Apple Pie Scent is a little better; it smells like apples and spices. But still a little artificial. 6/10.

This week there were Thirst Apple Cider Beignet Bites. I didn't really taste apple cider, but they were good beignets. 7/10.

They came with Thirst Pumpkin Cream Cheese, which was overly tangy for my taste. I preferred the beignets on their own. 5/10.

I have always loved those trashy little "pies" that come in boxes, so I was happy to try a JJ's Bakery Pumpkin Spice Pie. There is a nominal amount of pumpkin in it. I remember loving it, but mostly because I love this genre of pie; I don't remember it being overly pumpkiny. (I ate it while I was working, and I've found I pay less attention to the food if I'm doing something else, so I try not to multitask if it's a new food. But I forgot that time.) 8/10.

For the work Halloween party, there were various pumpkin items that I was eager to try so I didn't have to commit to buying them myself. Two-Bite Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes were forgettable, as I literally don't remember much about the one I had. 6/10.

Gen Bake Pumpkin Spice Old Fashioned Donut Holes are just what you would expect from donuts. How can you not like them? 8/10.

Last month, I saw Litehouse Pumpkin Spice Caramel at the store but didn't buy it, because I didn't want to commit to that much caramel. Then I regretted it, but when I went back, they no longer had it. So I was happy to try it at the party. It's just caramel with spices. 7/10.

And I bought Dick's Caramel Apple Cookies, which were soft and chewy, just how I like cookies. But I didn't think the flavor was that special. 7/10.

Halloween shoes

I generally consider September to be my favorite month, but it's a close contender for October. What an amazing, spectacular time of year! There are lots of people who claim Halloween as their favorite holiday, but is it the Halloween they love, or is it the October they love? It's just so wonderful.

My Garmin app allows me to track gear (shoes, etc.) so I know how much I've used them. Since the spring, I had put four hundred miles on my trail shoes, and it was time for some new ones—they were literally ripping apart. So I went to Salt Lake Running Company (formerly Wasatch Running) in Centerville for new shoes. When you get these shoes, you don't get them based on the color—they're always updating the color, with each model of shoe having a different color scheme. I bought the same model I was already using, and I was surprised to see they were orange and black this time—a perfect combination for Halloween time! So when I'm wearing these shoes in March, I'll still remember Halloween. I even titled them "Halloween shoes 🎃" in my app.

Since I was already up there, I took the opportunity to run on some of the trails in Centerville. I don't really go running there, but I did do a low-key trail race there back in 2017, so I think I went on some of the same places.

That night, I received a text from a woman I don't know in my ward telling me about an event that someone else in the ward is hosting. She said, "Would you like to come with me?" Now, doesn't that sound like a date? So I responded that I declined if it was a date, but I could go if we were just friends, and it was cool if she went with someone else. She sent me a vague response, so I interpreted it to mean no. But today, the host of the activity told me that she heard I was coming? I will have to make sure we're all on the same page. I think the woman who asked me might not be a native English speaker. What a frustrating situation! 

On Tuesday, my work had a "field trip" at the Natural History Museum of Utah. I wore my Over the Garden Wall cardigan, which elicited so many compliments. We got to tour behind the scenes, and I was amused by a poster encouraging people to smash box elder bugs.

I also bought an expensive button-up shirt with dinosaur bones and Delicate Arch on it. It was pricey, but I'm happy to support the museum. I haven't tried it on yet, so I hope it fits. And I enjoyed seeing the donation dinosaur that I remember from the old museum when I was a kid. It's smaller than I remembered.

Wednesday was my first day working full-time for Utah Historical Quarterly for a few months. But it's only temporary, so I still don't get benefits.

On Wednesday, I remembered that earlier this year, I planted a rotting potato, and I needed to harvest whatever was there. The internet told me that you should harvest potatoes when the leaves die back. I had noticed that the leaves had begun to die back, but when I went on Wednesday, there were no potato leaves whatsoever. I remembered approximately where I planted it, so I started digging until I found little tiny potatoes! Since I'm not a gardener, I find myself really pleased by them. I baked them in the microwave, and they were just like regular potatoes, except small.

The last time Halloween was on a Friday, as it is this year, was back in 2014. That year was the same year that both Over the Garden Wall and Song of the Sea came out. These are both shows that are beautiful and engaging and take place on Halloween. 10/10 for both of them. So I introduced them to my cousin, my sister, and my grandma this week. I don't think they liked them as much as I do, but they seemed to like them.

On Thursday, I had to go to the dentist. My dental office in Bountiful closed down, so I had to go to their Salt Lake location, and they had one of the worst parking garages I have ever seen. I only saw one parking spot for the dentist, since there are lots of other businesses on site. And parking on the street is always a headache downtown. I hope I can find a parking spot next time I go! They told me I need to brush more softly. 

Because I went to the Western History Association conference last week, I had some extra time this week, so Thursday evening, I went on a nine-mile run in North Canyon, including up the new Mahogany Ridge Trail. It was a wonderful evening. I worried I had missed the aspens in their prime, but one of the aspen groves was all decked out. I don't usually go there in the evenings (instead opting for something shorter and closer), but it's always amazing when I do.

Also on Thursday, I got an email from a colleague, saying that a local reporter was looking to talk with a historian about the history of Thanksgiving in Utah. I cannot possibly think of a topic I would rather talk about, so Friday morning, I did an interview. But I can't say I was very helpful. So we'll see if I end up quoted or not.
 
On Friday, I ran five and a half miles, and then I picked apples from our own tree. They seem unusually buggy and holey this year.

And on Saturday, I went back for another long North Canyon run. I was worried about running so much, especially in new shoes, but I did fine, and I could have gone farther (I went 8.73 miles). It was a nearly perfect day. It is important to take pictures in October so that when it's February, we remember that life will be beautiful again.

In the evening, I made apple crisp from our own apples. It's always a hassle to peel the apples and cut out the bad parts, but it feels satisfying.

Last month, I got the idea that instead of using AI to illustrate my dreams, I should draw them myself in order to foster creativity. But I'm not an artist, and I don't want to take the time to make detailed images. But we play games like Pictionary and Telestrations, so why can't I illustrate them with simple drawings? So, I present to you, last night's dreams:

A sloth enters the kitchen by breaking through the screen of the open window 

The LDS church website sells solid-gold sacrament trays, but it doesn't encourage people to use them

The swimming pond has small rattlesnakes and mini platypuses in it

***

Here's pumpkinundation roundup!

Nielsen's Frozen Custard Pumpkin Concrete has a strong pumpkin flavor, and I like that it has actual pumpkin in it. 8/10.

After I went to the dentist, I stopped at Mrs. Backer's Pastry Shop, which I have long seen but never visited. So I had a Mrs. Backer's Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread. I can't say theirs was much different from others, but it was still great! 8/10.

And I also had Mrs. Backer's Pumpkin Cream Cheese Cupcake, which was predictable and fine. 7/10.

I like having Trader Joe's Fall Harvest Salsa every year. It's made with pumpkin and other fall ingredients. I tried making my own pumpkin salsa once because of it, and mine wasn't good. But this one is. 7/10.

Trader Joe's Fall Leaf Corn Tortilla Chips have coloring from pumpkin, so I will count them as a pumpkin item. They are so cute! 8/10.

I don't love the crunchy sugar bits in Trader Joe's Brioche Style Liège Waffles. They're OK. 6/10.

A recent candy fad is freeze-dried candy, and Rolling Pin Autumn Mix Freeze Dried Candy is freeze-dried candy corn and pumpkins. One of the best things about candy corn is the texture, so this candy keeps the mediocre flavor of candy corn and makes it crunchy. I don't love the sugary crunch of freeze-dried candy. But I like these more if I suck on them and let them dissolve, which you can't do with regular candy corn. 6/10.

The old Snelgrove Ice Cream signs are iconic to Utah, so I want to support the newly revived Snelgrove ice cream stores. The Snelgrove Pumpkin Cookie Butter Ice Cream is fine, and I really like the cookie butter swirl. But I think it was overpriced—$5 for just this one small scoop! And the cone is entirely empty. 7/10.

I formally reviewed Pumpkin Pie Cup Noodles four years ago, but it was called Pumpkin Spice at that time. It's so unexpected, but I enjoy it! 7/10.