Random 5 for October 31, 2021 – Halloween Grinches, candy, vaccines, fall, lousy communication

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This is me preparing lunch for my construction workers.

Happy Halloween! – We are at a new house. We have no idea if kids come through our neighborhood for trick or treat. Most of the people here are older as it’s a place where people move to downsize. No young kids live in the ‘hood. You never know though. Because the houses are close together they may come from the development up the road. In any case, the Grinch and I will turn out our lights and watch a movie. I did not buy candy to get stuck with it.

So what do you do? – I have a friend who only buys candy she doesn’t like so she’s not tempted. I tried that once and had a lot left over. I was working so I took it in for the staff. I’m retired. I don’t have an outlet to get rid of stuff I don’t like. What do you do?

Booster day! – We are getting our booster covid vaccine today. I’ve cleared my day so I can take it easy in case I get any side effects. I didn’t get any for the first one and just tired and draggy for the second. We are cautious but the vaccines have given us a level of comfort as we go about doing the things we have to do. I can’t assume the people I come in contact with are vaccinated.

Slam bang! – Almost overnight our trees have dropped leaves. The trees by the serenity walk past the creek have lost 75% of their leaves. It’s a very different but beautiful look. Makes you want to drink hot chocolate in front of a fire. I love the seasons although I can guarantee I will whine about the long cold winter in a few months.

Speaking of winter – We haven’t yet received a start date for our kitchen renovation. With a six week time line we will most likely be under construction for the holidays. I didn’t do anything for Halloween because I was hopeful (delusional) we’d be underway by now. Not even a pumpkin resides in our house. Now I’m wondering what we should do for Christmas. Depending on how they access the house, putting things on the front porch will only get in the way or maybe even damaged. It’s truly a lost year. I wish contractors would communicate better.

So how was your week?

 

 

68 thoughts on “Random 5 for October 31, 2021 – Halloween Grinches, candy, vaccines, fall, lousy communication”

  1. To be honest I had a little different feeling about Halloween this year. I was so sad for the children missing out entirely last year, so I bought really good candy and we waited hopefully for a crowd. There were only a handful of children, which was a disappointment in a way, but those kids made out with bushels of candy. I heard some happy Trick or Treaters leaving our door!

    And with your Starbucks stories, I have a good one for my booster adventure. We had our boosters and planned to just take it easy. I reasoned that I deserved something decadent and outside of my normal indulgences, so I had a hot chocolate with matcha and I don’t remember all the “caffeine” that gave the drink its own boost. I was rewarded with such a bad case of insomnia I was wired! I at first tried to associate it with the immunization, until it dawned on me what I’d done! I can’t have that kind of caffeine mid-afternoon without consequence. Good news…I didn’t have any reaction to the booster!

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  2. I have not passed out candy in about five years. Only two people passed out candy on the street so the street was dark and most kids skipped the street altogether. I had my Moderna booster a week ago Saturday and no side effects, unless the second shot when I had flu-like symptoms for about a day (which hit me like a ton of bricks 24 hours after the shot). I wasn’t looking forward to having the symptoms and was happy I had none – it would be worth it anyway.

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  4. We’ve had a monster week. It was my half term break but it didn’t feel like much of a break because we partied so hard! Louis Catorze still has energy, though. It’s a sad day when your cat can party harder than you!

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  5. We didn’t get a lot of kids for Trick or Treat this year, which was unfortunate because we bought a mixed bag of 100 pieces of candy. Even with giving each kid a handful of candy, there was a lot left. I took it in to work to give away 🙂

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  7. No trick or treaters here. The building I live in has locked entries. Planning on getting my booster shot this week. Other than some tiredness not expecting any negative reaction. Trees here still changing colors, probably start dropping leaves soon. It is a wonder how beautiful they are in every season.

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  8. I got my COVID booster last Monday. I got the Pfizer shots previously but chose the Moderna booster. I have had some muscle aches but fewer side effects than I did with the second shot. Also got my flu shot then.

    I have been planting bulbs because I like flowers and spring flowers always make me happy. Here’s hoping for daffodils, tulips and iris come March!!!&

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  9. We didn’t participate in trick or treat last night. It’s one of my favorite things, but with only 51% of our county fully vaccinated it’s seemed ill-advised. There were only a handful of kids out on the street, so maybe just as well to step back again this year.

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  10. We were ready just in case we got trick or treaters but we had a grand total of SIX. Lots of leftover candy – we think it’s a great idea to take them to the senior center or retirement home in town. I had my booster Thursday and two days of sore arm which was expected – the Pharmacist said they’d had a lot of people in for the booster but I was the only one there the day I went. Have never gone through a reno but it has to be “discombobulating” and inconvenient – I guess you just have to keep your eyes on the prize of enjoying the reno when it’s DONE!

    Hugs, Pam

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  11. We don’t get any trick-or-treaters in our neighborhood. I tried buying candy in past years and ended up eating it myself. Now I don’t even buy any. The merchant in downtown Edmonds give out candy, so that’s where lots of the kids go to parade their costumes and get their treats.

    We had a party on Sat. at my daughter’s house with pumpkin soup, chili, and mulligatawny soup, pumpkin bread, cherry pie, etc. Plenty of food since my grandchildren were coming. We could count that as our Halloween party, although it was more like a harvest party and a celebration of October birthdays.

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  12. All the deciduous trees here have changed colors and leafs are almost all gone – except for our cherry tree. It’s leaves are still green and on the tree. What’s with that? We didn’t do anything for Halloween, either; I worked all day. Certainly, we did not buy candy! I hope your renovations start soon. Ours are coming right along!

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  13. Happy Hallowe’en Kate. I LOVE Hallowe’en (always have). Actually, I’m kinda giving out Hallowe’en Treats right now as I type this. I have little baggies of treats on a table on our porch, while I sit inside near our front wino and blog, etc. I put the baggies out five at a time so I can keep track and I can see the Trick o’ Treaters from where I sit. Win-win! As it gets closer to the end of the night, I simply ramp up what I having been giving out (call it a ‘closing clearance’). That usually works so that I don’t have left overs (okay, maybe just one or two…but please don’t tell)! 😀

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    • That’s a good way to do it. One year when we weren’t going to be home, we put a basket of candy out. I hear one of the early groups coming through emptied it out. We didn’t do that again. Five at a time is good.

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  15. No trick or treaters out here in somewhat of a rural area with no sidewalks. I’m okay with that – been there, done that, definitely bought several t-shirts. 🙂 Sorry about the construction delay. I’ve talked to several people in the last couple of weeks who have tried to find contractors but can’t get anyone to even look at their potential project whether it is inside or out. We had our boosters with zero issues so I’ll hope you have the same.

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    • We turned our lights out. I only saw one group of 3 come through early on. There are no street lights on our street and it’s pitch dark. If I were a parent, I wouldn’t allow it. I have a sore arm but I can deal with that.

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  16. We have so much candy in the house, and it has absolutely nothing to do with Trick-or-Treaters because we don’t get any in our condo development. My wife just can’t help herself when she sees it on sale in the stores. To make matters worse, I’m not even a chocolate lover. 🙂

    We finally got a contractor to lock in a date to come over and look at our kitchen! It’s not till December, but since we’ve done business with this company before, I actually believe them that they’ll come. Sorry for your kitchen delays. – Marty

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  17. When the kids were young we always gave out candy and went trick or treating with them and then they enjoyed giving out candy when they got older but now we turn off the light. We don’t get many children either and we had so much candy left over before that we don’t need! Plus our dogs are older, so they prefer the peace.
    I had my first cup of hot cocoa last night to start Fall off. Now that we don’t have 80 degree temps anymore it felt right and tasted good. 🙂
    Sorry your kitchen construction didn’t start yet. I may be tempted to tell them if they don’t get started soon to just wait til January, with the holidays coming up.
    Happy weekend to you! My husband is painting my son’s room, that’s been the excitement of our weekend, and I am plugging away at my manuscript that needs finished by Dec.31st. It will be, but time is moving fast!

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  18. We buy candy we like ~ dark chocolate DOVE, Heath bars, etc.
    We never have any kids show up so it’s all ours! :yum:

    This morning, we went to a farm doing a Halloween Pumpkin Patch for kids. This afternoon, we’re going to Happy Hour at the Chart House on Longboat Key and then to a Halloween celebration on Bridge Street. Like the way we celebrated in 2018:

    Hallow E’en Tricks & Treats!

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  20. I definitely buy candy I like. It’s the treat sized bars, so I can eat a few along with the kiddos without too much guilt. Then I donate the rest to our local food bank or the senior center. Never any leftovers there. Good wishes for your kitchen construction. That one is always a bear! ❤

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    • Over my many kitchen renos, this is only the second time where I went back to the studs. Many were updates or cabinet/counter refinishes. This will be a bear. I’m sure I’ll whine on my blog! Oh wait! I already am! 🙂 No candy for us this year!

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  21. I wondered why Costco had so much candy available this year. Not sure how many Halloween visitors we sill get, but the light will be on for an hour or so – until we see all the block’s kids have come by – with many moving to be nearer family/their kids last year, there are new families with kids now. Husband can pick through the candy once the light goes off, but the rest of it is going to some kids – or maybe the dog wranglers at Molly’s playtime field – that’s a good suggestion just above.
    Happy Holler-RIng to all!

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  23. Kudos to you Kate for going for the booster. Oddly enough for this worrier I never think of the potential for negative reactions to vaccines. Had my booster Oct. 5 with only minor soreness on that arm for a day or two. Made no preparations and had no expectations other than hoping the 3 shots will keep Bill and me out of the hospital.

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    • I don’t expect any reaction. I’m using it as an excuse to have a slow and restful Sunday! My hubby and I fall into the “higher risk” category for a lot of reasons so it was important to us. We just got back and it was easy and quick. We are vaxxed to the hilt having gotten the “regular” flu shot at the beginning of the month. Here’s for a healthy winter for us all.

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  24. Costco made a complete liar out of me this week–usually they run out of big bags of candy way before Halloween. But I guess because so much is delayed in the supply chain, they had TONS of bags on Friday.

    Our neighborhood has become a big destination for trick-or-treaters because we have sidewalks and folks who give out full-sized candy bars. And anything leftover will go to the middle schoolers tomorrow.

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  25. We felt so much better once we’d gotten our Covid vaccine boosters. Still wearing a mask in public, but we’re willing to go out to an occasional dinner and do other things now that we’ve avoided. Hope you don’t have any side effects! We were just a little fatigued.

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  27. When I worked I always took in the leftovers. Now that I’m retired, I buy a small bag of chocolate-any leftovers can be frozen and doled out slowly. In the 19 years I’ve been in this house I’ve maybe had a dozen trick or treaters. I loathe Halloween because of the doorbell that the dogs’ thinking it’s Jason. They should know the only serial killer is the postman by now. Stay safe and cozy 👻

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    • The doorbell makes that cats run for under the beds. It’s a form of exercise for them, especially Sasha. The new doorbell at this house isn’t as loud or annoying as the old one (we had gotten that on purpose because we were outside on the porch a lot) but it doesn’t stop them from the “traditional” lets go to the bedroom.

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