Wednesday, October 21, 2020

Random Thoughts: On Halloween and other things

  • I know I've talked about this many times before, but my gosh, I love a dark and rainy day like this one we're having today.  I just adore this time of year.  Don't get me wrong, I love sunshine and heat and swimming as much as the next guy.  But these dark mornings?  Puddles?  Leaves collecting along the sides of the street?  Bare arms of trees reaching spookily across the grey sky? I get a little thrill of excitement from it, for SURE!
  • Of course, the only thing that would make today even better would be if it was a Saturday lol.  These perfect rainy days never seem to fall on weekends!  On the radio this morning they said it was the kind of day you should "play sick" - but during a pandemic, "playing sick" doesn't seem appropriate.  Besides, my parents instilled in me a moral code that hasn't allowed me to "play sick" since I was a kid.  It never feels right and I never do it. 
  • However, IF I was at home... I'd be preparing my Halloween treat bags, watching scary movies, reading my book, crocheting, sipping hot chocolate, eating popcorn, curled up and cozy under a blanket.  Which, let's face it, is what I have been doing every evening and weekend for the past month anyways, so I'm really not deprived.  It's just fun to daydream sometimes!
  • The months seem to fly by lately, and October has been no different, yet at the same time, I'm loving that there's still a week and a half before Halloween.  I still have quite a few scary movies/specials to watch, and there's still so much time!  Halloween being on a Saturday definitely helps.  That WHOLE day to enjoy it... I love it!  And this coming Saturday is Scary Movie Marathon, so that will knock a few off the list right there.  
  • So far this year, none of my scary viewings have bothered me much...except one.  This past Saturday, during the afternoon when it was still bright and  cheerful out, I watched Annabelle for the first time. And this is the movie that has done it. That frigging doll... traumatizing!! Ugh!! 
  • So for Halloween, my mom and I have gone back and forth on what to do.  As of right now, our province is allowing trick-or-treating, with precautions.  So my current plan is to set up a table in the garage with our treats (pre-packaged), and hand sanitizer available.  We will wear face masks, and put the treats in their bags with tongs.  One family at the table at a time.  My mom hates the cold, so I expect she'll mostly stay inside and pop out once in a while to check out the costumes.  I don't know if we'll have as many trick-or-treaters (we never have a ton of them anyways, usually around 30) as families may be choosing to celebrate in other ways this year, but I'm glad that for those who DO want to trick-or-treat, the option is available.  As I said, with it being a Saturday, I still anticipate it being a fun day - scary movies and snacks, a few hours with Mom in the evening handing out treats... it will still be a great day!
  • So, Amazon Prime Days were held recently, and I decided to make a big purchase just for me.  Is it something I needed?  No.  Was it a must-have?  Definitely not.  In fact, I still have no idea where I am going to put the damn thing because it's much bigger than I expected.  But... I bought myself an Instant Pot Duo Crisp!  It's the two-in-one model - both instant pot & air fryer.  I have had my eye on an air fryer for a while now, and then a bunch of my friends kind of talked me into thinking I need an instant pot.  As of right now, it is still sitting in the box on my kitchen floor. lol!  Like I said - it is BIG and it is heavy, and I have no idea where it's going to go.  I also have no idea what I want to try making first.  Decisions, decisions!
  • Getting this thing home from the post office was quite an ordeal.  Jess at the post office warned me it was heavy and recommended I get my car, but I live two doors down.  Tough guy Jill says, "Oh, I think I can handle it.".  She opened the doors for me so I could get out, and then I start trotting home... about halfway there, my arms start to ache and wobble and all I can think is, "Please God, don't let me drop this, don't let me drop this..."  I made it to my house, pushed open the front door, and promptly dropped the box on the floor.  Then I saw the warning on the box that said in big black letters: DO NOT DROP.  Well holy mother trucker, how are you supposed to NOT drop it?!?!    I pray when I finally do get this thing out of the box that it works!!
Well, that's about all for today.  Hope you are all doing well, friends! :)

2 comments:

Rev. Nancy said...

Oh, Jillian, you always put a smile on my face, even when its pouring rain, and gloomy. I have an Instant pot, and love, love, love it. You will love it for soups especially. I have a crispy lid that goes on to make it an air fryer. We love it, and have switched from using the oven so much. Its so much less electricity! Reg's favourite food in it are bratwurst, even better than the barbecue. There are lots of sites on the internet for recipes. The Instant Pot makes the best rice, corn on the cob, and ribs!

Nicole said...

Have you had an instapot before? Mine sits on top of the fridge and has for probably over a year except when I have to move it to get something below it. And my air fryer sits in the garage. I think we used it 3 or 4 times and now it just sits. Let me know what you think. A lot of people love both, I guess I just can't get into either, plus I get tired of the clutter.

p.s. don't look at my kitchen counters right now... it's the flat surface rule. If there is a clean, flat surface, everyone puts stuff on it... oy!