1. Is Halloween a big deal in your neighborhood? Was it something you celebrated as a child? With your own children? Do you like candy corn? 

It is and it’s not. I live on a fairly well-traveled road so kids don’t go to my house. Plus my house is off the road a good ways. But a lot of houses do decorate a lot. Up on our side of town, adults tend to take their kids to the more “well-off” neighborhoods because, well, it seems to be tradition.

Yes! I have always loved Halloween and dressing up and coming up with the costume ideas. We do celebrate with the kids and try to do family costume ideas a lot. This year, we’re all being Mortal Kombat characters.

You know, I DO like candy corn, but in small quantities. It’s get really old, really fast.

2. Are you a scaredy cat? About what? 

Jump scares in movies and haunted houses. We’re going to our friend’s house next weekend and I know it’s going to scare the crap out of me.

3. Last time you were somewhere that should have been busy but felt like a ‘ghost town’?

Hmm, you’d think with Covid and all, I could come up with something. Maybe every restaurant from last May on. Ash and I went out to lunch all the time and were often the only people. I’d like to think we helped keep those businesses afloat!

4. Do you like chili and if so how do you like it? Beans or no beans? Meat or no meat? Beef or chicken? Spice or no spice? Favorite toppings? 

I do! Sometimes the beans upset my stomach but I like it all in there: meat and beans. I do like a chicken chili if it’s a white sauce and yes, ALL the spice. Put sour cream and cheese on top too! Eat it with a nice stout or porter.

5. Would you describe yourself as a night owl? What time of night qualifies? What are you doing while everyone else is asleep? Do you then ‘sleep in’? Define ‘sleeping in’. 

Oh God no, I’d be asleep at 8 pm if I let myself. Now, if I can get past the hump, I’ll stay up. Like the other night, I was dying to fall asleep in my chair but I pushed through and we finished watching Alice in Borderland at about 11:30 pm.

I think a night owl is someone who makes it past 11 and tries to stay up until 1 or something. Especially if they have a job, they probably think about SOME sleep.

So, my by-myself time is in the morning when everyone else is asleep and I play a game called Puzzle Combat and watch youtube videos.

Sleeping in for me is anything past 7 am. Normally, my alarm goes off around 6. Even on weekends though I wake naturally around 6:30.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Tuesday afternoon: I swear I cannot stay on top of anything. I am behind on time today and where did it go? I ran a quick mile then hopped in the sauna then the shower and now I am grading final essays for one of my jobs. I have to leave in 24 minutes to go teach but then I need to hit the store. I guess this afternoon will be spent grading since the morning got away from me. Luckily, I have my class planned today so I won’t be driving to work thinking, “OMG what will I teach?”

On our walk yesterday, Ash and I decided to throw a big Christmas party this year. We’re thinking that we’ll have an ugly sweater contest, a photo booth, and ask everyone to bring a traditional dessert, NOT cookies. That’ll make it fun! We’re also saying it’s only 2 hours so people who want to bail can and anyone else can stay. Hopefully it’s a lot of fun! I have to really start thinking about decorating though. I have a lot but they don’t seem like as much in this bigger house.

Wednesday morning: In other news, the other day I realized I had this irritation on my top gum on the right side. Felt like just a sore starting (I get those often if I am stressed) but out of curiosity I put my finger up there and to my surprise, it felt like part of a tooth! Imagine the top part of your lower front teeth – it was about that long and jagged, poking through my gum just above the back teeth. It wasn’t necessarily painful but from Saturday to Monday it got more annoying – a dull ache. I was able to get into the dentist yesterday and I dodged a bullet because he pried it out of there! It was indeed a tiny bone fragment that he thinks grew off my jaw bone and became loose yet lodged in the gum. I am thankful it didn’t require major surgery and if the gum heals up fine, I am good to go. Plus, they didn’t charge me an arm and a leg for that. You know, if it’s not one thing it’s another and that was very random!