Butterfinger pumpkins

While listening to the spaghetti epside today, Matthew's Memory Lane brought up a question I've often been curious about. Considering nostalgic foods from childhood - if you taste them again as an adult and they aren't as satisfying, do you think the main reason is:

1. that your palette has changed as you've aged and thus foods simply taste different
   
2. that the product/ingredient's formula has changed so that it is actually different
   
3. or that nostalgia adds a sensory layer of it's own that is virtually unrecreatable
   

Naturally, the answer is most likely a combination of all three or dependent on the food/recipe in question. But I'd love to hear Molly & Matthew's take. For example, my grandmother's pumpkin roll recipe was just off the can and I think memory/nostalgia play a bigger role than anything substantively changing; meanwhile, I used to love Butterfinger candy bars and I know the formula was changed several years ago and no longer appeal to me. Any major ones stand out to you?

FINAL EDIT: Surgery was a failure, they thought it was SVT and went looking for the problem area and my heart was misfiring all over the place and concluded that it is in fact Atrial Tachycardia, so now I am trying new medications. It was tough to go through all that to not get a conclusion.
EDIT: Surgery is postponed until December 7, so get to worry for a longer time.
Finally happening, surgery today, in 30 minutes time as I type. Optimistic, but anxious.
The title sounds more dramatic than it is, but I have a genetic heart defect, supraventricular tachycardia, that was always just there and didn’t give me too much difficulty, but over the last 12 months it has deteriorated significantly, where even a short walk leaves me breathless and the onset of arrhythmia is much quicker, on top of severe vertigo that regularly has me falling over or passing out.
The surgery on 23 November, ablation, is up to 6 hours in twilight anaesthetic where they trigger the arrhythmia to find where the electrical disruption occurs and burn a section to stop the disruption. I am in good health otherwise and not a high-risk patient at all, but the fact of the matter is that there is no such thing as risk-free surgery, with a death rate ~ 1 in 1,000, which the rational part of my brain sees these odds as good and those with underlying health issues being most at risk.
The problem I will have and hence the reason for the music choices is that I have extreme anxiety around anything that feels like I am trapped, and forms a large part of having chronic nightmares. A simple example was as a teenager with my first sleeping bag (hooded) when I woke from a nightmare and in desperation to get out of it, I tore it open. Being stuck on a table for up to 6 hours, unable to do anything whilst having my heart fiddled with fills me with great fear long before I get there as there is a good chance that I will have a full-blown panic attack.
In an attempt to get into a calm zone, I will be seeking to have headphones and my iPod Classic to chill to. I am 63 and started listening to Triple J in 1993 and they have curated my music ever since as I still love them, so who better to curate what could possibly be the last 6 hours of my life? All these absolute classics bring back so many memories, where our first child was born in 1993, so raising our family had the soundtrack of Triple J, making up the core of birthday parties, long holiday drives and just enjoying singing and dancing along to many of them.
If I go out, I go out with Triple J and the associated wonderful memories. Feel free to judge me for my musical taste.
90 of the best songs from 30 years of the Hottest 100:

1. Closer Nine Inch Nails (1994)
2. Hyperreal [feat. Kucka] Flume (2017)
3. On Melancholy Hill Gorillaz (2010)
4. This Year The Mountain Goats (2005)
5. Clair De Lune [feat. Christine Hoberg] Flight Facilities (2012)
6. Internet Friends Knife Party (2012)
7. I Love You 'Cause I Have To Dogs Die in Hot Cars (2004)
8. Everyday I Love You Less and Less Kaiser Chiefs (2005)
9. Knights of Cydonia Muse (2007)
10. bury a friend Billie Eilish (2019)
11. Mutha Fukka on a Motorcycle Machine Gun Fellatio (1999)
12. Welcome to the Black Parade My Chemical Romance (2006)
13. Chop Suey! System of a Down (2001)
14. Little Lion Man Mumford & Sons (2009)
15. Pump the Brakes Dom Dolla (2021)
16. Wynona's Big Brown Beaver Primus (1995)
17. Come Out and Play The Offspring (1994)
18. Mr. E's Beautiful Blues Eels (2000)
19. Paper Aeroplane Angus & Julia Stone (2006)
20. Friday I'm in Love The Cure (1993)
21. Pass That Dutch Missy Elliott (2003)
22. Some Kind of Love Song Friendly (1999)
23. (He'll Never Be An) Ol' Man River TISM (1995)
24. Frontier Psychiatrist The Avalanches (2000)
25. Default Django Django (2012)
26. Song 2 Blur (1997)
27. Do You Want To Franz Ferdinand (2005)
28. Let's Dance to Joy Division The Wombats (2007)
29. I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor Arctic Monkeys (2005)
30. Hey Boy Hey Girl The Chemical Brothers (1999)
31. Breathe The Prodigy (1997)
32. Insane in the Brain Cypress Hill (1993)
33. Intergalactic Beastie Boys (1998)
34. Theophilus Thistler... An Exercise in Vowels Sonic Animation (1999)
35. I Feel Loved Depeche Mode (2001)
36. Zero The Smashing Pumpkins (1996)
37. Shoot the Runner Kasabian (2008)
38. Pumped Up Kicks Foster the People (2010)
39. Hash Pipe Weezer (2001)
40. Eat Sleep Rave Repeat [feat. Beardyman] Fatboy Slim & Riva Starr (2013)
41. Dead Eyes Opened (Remix) Severed Heads (1994)
42. Swamp Thing The Grid (1994)
43. Getting Away With It (All Messed Up) James (2001)
44. Where the Wild Roses Grow Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds & Kylie Minogue (1995)
45. Everything Now Arcade Fire (2017)
46. Never There Cake (1998)
47. Cannonball The Breeders (1993)
48. Talk Deep E^ST (2019)
49. Arse Huggin' Pants Spiderbait (2002)
50. Scream Whole Methyl Ethel (2018)
51. ! (The Song Formerly Known As) Regurgitator (1998)
52. Everytime Butterfingers (2003)
53. Prisoner of Society The Living End (1997)
54. Time Bomb Rancid (1995)
55. Zombie The Cranberries (1994)
56. Mr. Brightside The Killers (2004)
57. An Honest Mistake The Bravery (2005)
58. Float On Modest Mouse (2004
59. You Don't Know Me [feat. Regina Spektor] Ben Folds (200)
60. Hate to Say I Told You So The Hives (2002)
61. Glycerine Bush (1996)
62. Kids MGMT (2008)
63. Born to Die Lana Del Rey (2012)
64. Every Day Should Be a Holiday The Dandy Warhols (1998)
65. This is America Childish Gambino (2018)
66. Da Funk Daft Punk (1997)
67. Creep Radiohead (1993)
68. No One Knows Queens of the Stone Age (2002)
69. Sexx Laws Beck (1999)
70. It's Oh So Quiet Bjork (1995)
71. Up Dune Rats (2021)
72. Filthy/Gorgeous Scissor Sisters (2005)
73. Over and Over Hot Chip (2006)
74. Seether Veruca Salt (1994)
75. Flagpole Sitta Harvey Danger (1998)
76. Enter, Space Capsule (Remix) Gerling (1999)
77. Martini The Presets (2018)
78. Fire Water Burn Bloodhound Gang (1997)
79. Josie (Everything's Gonna Be Fine) Blink-182 (1998)
80. Lump The Presidents of the United States of America (1995)
81. Got the Life Korn (1998)
82. Dragula Rob Zombie (1998)
83. Step Into My Office, Baby Belle and Sebastian (2003)
84. Machismo Gomez (2000)
85. Last Nite The Strokes (2001)
86. Chicken Payback The Bees (2004)
87. Second Class Citizen Area-7 (1999)
88. Bring Me The Horizon Parasite Eve (2021)
89. Punk's Not Dead Darren Hanlon (2002)
90. Heaven is a Halfpipe OPM (2000)

I haven’t been to crumbl in about 6 months so I was very happy to go this week! I’m on vacation and knew I would be near a location so I was praying it would be a good lineup and I’d say it was pretty solid.
Peanut butter crisp: I absolutely love peanut butter so I was excited for this one. I found it to be a more understated pb flavor but still satisfied the nuttiness you want. The chocolate was a nice complement and wasn’t too overpowering. Butterfinger is not my candy bar of choice but the crushed up pieces on top were a nice addition and gave some texture. Not my favorite pb cookie I’ve tried from crumbl but still one I’d get again.
Oreo crumb cake: I absolutely LOVED this one! I’m not a chocolate lover and have found some of their chocolate base cookies to be a little too much for my liking, but there’s something about the Oreo base that’s just so good! It tastes more like a lighter chocolate that still has the richness, and with the Oreo crunch it’s simply chef’s kiss. The cream cheese frosting felt lighter and almost refreshing combined with the Oreo cookie. Probably my favorite from this week.
Honey bun: I was pleasantly surprised by this one. I knew I wanted to try it but didn’t have big expectations for it, but after trying it I was impressed with the flavor. It’s a pretty simple cookie with notes of cinnamon & honey but it was nice to have a softer flavor amongst several other heavy & rich cookies. The texture was nice & soft but had that very subtle crunch from the glaze.
Lemon pie: I was looking forward to this cookie mainly because I don’t think I’ve ever seen it before?! Not sure if it’s new or they just haven’t had it in awhile? My favorite cookie from crumbl is the pumpkin pie so I knew I would enjoy this cookie solely because of the pie shell base. It’s soft & buttery and just melts in your mouth. As for the lemon filling, it’s very light & refreshing with a smooth, silky texture. The flavor is bright and is perfect to have a bite after some of the other rich and sweet flavors.
Cookie butter white chip: unfortunately I was disappointed by this cookie. I’m a cookie butter fiend and was excited to have this flavor profile for the week but sadly the cookie fell short. It was quite thin, too crispy for my liking, and pretty dry. I didn’t taste much cookie butter and had to search for the flavor. If I didn’t know it was supposed to be cookie butter I probably wouldn’t have guessed it. The white chocolate chips provided some texture but ultimately overpowered the already lacking biscoff flavor.
Semi sweet chocolate chunk: I’m the type of person to prefer a chocolate chip cookie without the chocolate chips lmao, so needless to say I usually skip this one. However, my mom loves it so we got one in our box. I’ve only ever tried the milk chocolate chip cookie which has always been enjoyable for a few bites, but it quickly becomes too sweet after that. Mom usually finishes that one. It’s definitely a lot better with semi sweet, it has more balance and isn’t too sweet after just one bite. I’m glad they decided to rotate this one in more often.

(Note: this is just one frightened collector's opinion attempting to predict how much candy he'll eat tonight.)
Standard Scare Pack: 2500 coins, Uncommon 1:5; Super Rare 1:75
Super Scare Pack: 200 diamonds, 2 guaranteed Uncommon; Super Rare 1:3
I was curious how Topps would celebrate Halloween this year and instead of getting free pumpkins we get an entire collection dedicated to today... the most holy of holidays! There are nine spooky panels to collect, duplicated into uncommonly chilling variants and super rare treats. Unlike Halloween itself, which only lasts one paltry day, these will be haunting the store for a whole week!
Ah... nothing tells me it's Halloween like a Kang card, am I right? And how about all those legendary battles Spider-Man and Kingpin have fought on hallows eve? Great times, great times. I can't believe Topps chose panels that are so apt!
And have you gotten a load of the Green Goblin card? That sucker is creepy. The Jack O'Lantern card is really bone-chillingly cute. Same with the one he shares with Venom. And what about that Wolfsbane card? Pretty cool, huh? And Mysterio is here! That's a great panel of him fighting an evil red devil. (You know Halloween is Mysterio's favorite holiday, right?) And wow, have you seen this Ghost-Spider-Gwen award card for collecting them all? It's only the greatest Halloween card ever!
But as frightening as the panels are, nothing scares me more than these awesome frames! Bats, glowing pumpkins, and a haunted house make for a great atmosphere on days like today. I'm not sure which I like better, the purple or orange, because they both make me shiver!
Coin Saver ** Coin Spender ** Diamond Spender
Have some fun, buy some Halloween cards. Unless you don't believe in the Great Pumpkin, in which case you won't get any candy or any of these elite-top-shelf-best-of-the-best Halloween cards.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to put my bag of fun-sized Butterfingers into a plastic pumpkin and queue up Michael Jackson's Thriller.

Joe, Brad, Richard, Bauer, Mario, Poindexter, Stripes, Isaac, Dirt, Chili, Ketchup, Cheese, Burger, Paddington, Oscar, COW, Bird, Orlando, Cupcake, Pepper, Belle, Chevy, Kenai, Yasmine, Michael, Gil, Fish, Hunger, Lemon, Roger, Mikhail, Scary, Chuck, Saxton, Spooky, Skeletona, Zombie, Frankenstein, Ghost, Dell, Mundy, Burrito, Wilson, Ottoman, Pumpkin, Ornament, Pedro, Tonto, Buster, Squid, Apple, Rojo, Carrot, Hans, Patrick, Mustard, Timmy, Albert, Jones, Blueberry, Lluvia, Pepper's Clone, Nigel, Canteloupe, Mike, Tooth, Tamale, Ryan, Mojo, Popeye, Jared, Gnat, Olive Oyl, Butler, Carver, Gerbil, Chartreuse, Mick, Arbor, Dimaggio, Howie, Kylo, Twerp, Nosegay, Gibraltar, Shigeru, Veggie, Heron, Butterfinger, Honeydew, Trooper, Remi, Oddish, Anthony Kiedis, McDonald, Ronald, Boron, Tyler, Trevor, Hayden, Holly, Woolie, Jacket, Carl, Gridiron, Maple, Ultra Spicy, Potty Mouth, Baker, Po, Louie, Pearl, Peetah, Stewie, Chacho, Dave, Whitney, Jeremy, Linguine, Crawmad, Cyanide, Anthrax, Pulitzer, Bert, Gassy, Ploodoo, Dee, Gusteau, Mr. Poison, Shoppa, Pumpkin Spice, Dennis, Cornholio, Vanilla, Ross, Spence, Trent, Igor, Jeb, Sourdough, Suede, Goose, Usain, Caroline, Speed, Mrs. Venom, Lightning, Xavier, Francesca, Clark, Ivory, Sugarplum, Todd, Pink Drink, Sacagawea, Flik, Trip, Celebi, Chipmunk, Chick-Fly-A, Moon, Bench, Squirrel, Leonard, Wood, Stark, Cookie, Gumdrop, Cruella, Henrietta, Harriet, Tinker Bell, Dwayne, Remy, Gerbillionaire, Marble, Granite, Williams, Pepsi, Diamond, Raptor, Ribombee, Termite, Bench, Jupiter, Chicken, Honey, Salty, Pepperoni, Goggles, Big Smoke, Wild Thing, Phelps, Gloriana, Bean, Clank, White Bomber, Penguin, Dad, Dr. Stupid, Dr. Seuss, Cookie, Thornberry, Deville, Abraham, Sharpay, Caffeine, Scissors, Plum, Baaaa Boy, Kyle, Canthave, Leg, Shampoodle, Poultry, Sparrow, Igneous, Buoy, Buzz, Emil, Jet, 747, Napoleon, Nana, Flying Fish, Erosion, Prawn, Rio, Boogieman, Moose, Wild Rock, Spherical, Snowmin, Granby, Mix, Trail Mix, Street, Nonut, Wapiti, Devil, Yoko, Scarf, Shopaholic, Tetra, Colorado, Saint Nick, Vu, Grandma, Rapunzel, Paper Mario, Paper, Grunch, Miracle, Pond, Lakeith, Ruler, Floe, Bcap, Buster Brown, Frosty, Pikachu, Dye, Syrup, North, Smurf, Rocky, Judas, Colonol, Boolean, Borat, Diabetes, Pickles, El Capitan, Crab, West, Anakin, Scientology, Ypslip, Wilbur, Nunzia, Honeycomb, Nimzy, Bool, Captain Hook, Wigfrid, Ness, Printer, Snoopy Snoop, Bumblebee, Carbohydrate, Bigfoot, MILF, Hullababrew, Otter, Cutlery, Enchantress, Ewok, Cookie Dough, Ye Olde Pikmin, Salima, Lamar, Rockzilla, Chugga, Park Ranger, Conductor, Coach, Travis Not, Rhonda, Superman, Eight Inch, Tetra, Extremely Bad Man, Cinna, Grandfather, Uncle Umbra, Scag, Collaboration, Oyster, 437, Ovaltine, Utensil, Party, Karate, Little Woman, Exploud, Williamson, Polly, Mila Kunis, Loco Boy, Macademia, Ronald the Second, Charlene, Fishy Wishy, Honest Work, Lipten, Wallow, Boots and Cats, Pioneer, Taboo, SoCo, Arc, Wishiwashi, Osbourne, Farmer John, La-a, Norris, Sephiroth, guudburger, Hanafuda, Behemoth, Hamburglar, Panda, Membrane, Jo Thingsweneed, Malt, Bartleby, Lightbulb, Bestican, Tile, Plusle, The Gorilla Friend, Billy Crystal, Lil Cloud, Signal, Witherspoon, spookers, Porpoise, Cyanocobalamin, Danaerys, Heidi, Swamp Thing, Lookout B. Low, Minun, BBQ, Hearall, Edward, Bozo, Uni, Freedom, Togedemaru, January, Dedenne, Hindenburg, Emolga, Tannehill, The Chicken, Ritalin, Droidbate, Mamma Mia, Vienna, Huckleberry Finn, Morpeko, Swimmarnie, Thunn Blunn, Caesar, Pumpernickel, Ogre, Bewitch, Treat, Woodpecker, Sunset, Whitey, Goblin, Verne, Belch, Pachirisu, Michael Richards, Polio, Oblongada, Barq, Demon, Ye, Yeti, Cabello, Charjabug, Bob Vance, Lanturn, Gourd, Mancha, Khamila, Burp, Enguarde, Thirteen, Java, Avocado Pit, Rambler, Limmy, Electrike, Wilversare, Sonny, Beelzebub, Gene Simmons, Anger, Kewpie, Party Animal, Lanturn, Ruce, Swallo, Spirit, and Racism
What have you named yours?

Joe, Brad, Richard, Bauer, Mario, Poindexter, Stripes, Isaac, Dirt, Chili, Ketchup, Cheese, Burger, Paddington, Oscar, COW, Bird, Orlando, Cupcake, Pepper, Belle, Chevy, Kenai, Yasmine, Michael, Gil, Fish, Hunger, Lemon, Roger, Mikhail, Scary, Chuck, Saxton, Spooky, Skeletona, Zombie, Frankenstein, Ghost, Dell, Mundy, Burrito, Wilson, Ottoman, Pumpkin, Ornament, Pedro, Tonto, Buster, Squid, Apple, Rojo, Carrot, Hans, Patrick, Mustard, Timmy, Albert, Jones, Blueberry, Lluvia, Pepper's Clone, Nigel, Canteloupe, Mike, Tooth, Tamale, Ryan, Mojo, Popeye, Jared, Gnat, Olive Oyl, Butler, Carver, Gerbil, Chartreuse, Mick, Arbor, Dimaggio, Howie, Kylo, Twerp, Nosegay, Gibraltar, Shigeru, Veggie, Heron, Butterfinger, Honeydew, Trooper, Remi, Oddish, Anthony Kiedis, McDonald, Ronald, Boron, Tyler, Trevor, Hayden, Holly, Woolie, Jacket, Carl, Gridiron, Maple, Ultra Spicy, Potty Mouth, Baker, Po, Louie, Pearl, Peetah, Stewie, Chacho, Dave, Whitney, Jeremy, Linguine, Crawmad, Cyanide, Anthrax, Pulitzer, Bert, Gassy, Ploodoo, Dee, Gusteau, Mr. Poison, Shoppa, Pumpkin Spice, Dennis, Cornholio, Vanilla, Ross, Spence, Trent, Igor, Jeb, Sourdough, Suede, Goose, Usain, Caroline, Speed, Mrs. Venom, Lightning, Xavier, Francesca, Clark, Ivory, Sugarplum, Todd, Pink Drink, Sacagawea, Flik, Trip, Celebi, Chipmunk, Chick-Fly-A, Moon, Bench, Squirrel, Leonard, Wood, Stark, Cookie, Gumdrop, Cruella, Henrietta, Harriet, Tinker Bell, Dwayne, Remy, Gerbillionaire, Marble, Granite, Williams, Pepsi, Diamond, Raptor, Ribombee, Termite, Bench, Jupiter, Chicken, Honey, Salty, Pepperoni, Goggles, Big Smoke, Wild Thing, Phelps, Gloriana, Bean, Clank, White Bomber, Penguin, Dad, Dr. Stupid, Dr. Seuss, Cookie, Thornberry, Deville, Abraham, Sharpay, Caffeine, Scissors, Plum, Baaaa Boy, Kyle, Canthave, Leg, Shampoodle, Poultry, Sparrow, Igneous, Buoy, Buzz, Emil, Jet, 747, Napoleon, Nana, Flying Fish, Erosion, Prawn, Rio, Boogieman, Moose, Wild Rock, Spherical, Snowmin, Granby, Mix, Trail Mix, Street, Nonut, Wapiti, Devil, Yoko, Scarf, Shopaholic, Tetra, Colorado, Saint Nick, Vu, Grandma, Rapunzel, Paper Mario, Paper, Grunch, Miracle, Pond, Lakeith, Ruler, Floe, Bcap, Buster Brown, Frosty, Pikachu, Dye, Syrup, North, Smurf, Rocky, Judas, Colonol, Boolean, Borat, Diabetes, Pickles, El Capitan, Crab, West, Anakin, Scientology, Ypslip, Wilbur, Nunzia, Honeycomb, Nimzy, Bool, Captain Hook, Wigfrid, Ness, Printer, Snoopy Snoop, Bumblebee, Carbohydrate, Bigfoot, MILF, Hullababrew, Otter, Cutlery, Enchantress, Ewok, Cookie Dough, Ye Olde Pikmin, Salima, Lamar, Rockzilla, Chugga, Park Ranger, Conductor, Coach, Travis Not, Rhonda, Superman, Eight Inch, Tetra, Extremely Bad Man, Cinna, Grandfather, Uncle Umbra, Scag, Collaboration, Oyster, 437, Ovaltine, Utensil, Party, Karate, Little Woman, Exploud, Williamson, Polly, Mila Kunis, Loco Boy, Macademia, Ronald the Second, Charlene, Fishy Wishy, Honest Work, Lipten, Wallow, Boots and Cats, Pioneer, Taboo, SoCo, Arc, Wishiwashi, Osbourne, Farmer John, La-a, Norris, Sephiroth, guudburger, Hanafuda, Behemoth, Hamburglar, Panda, Membrane, Jo Thingsweneed, Malt, Bartleby, Lightbulb, Bestican, Tile, Plusle, The Gorilla Friend, Billy Crystal, Lil Cloud, Signal, Witherspoon, spookers, Porpoise, Cyanocobalamin, Danaerys, Heidi, Swamp Thing, Lookout B. Low, Minun, BBQ, Hearall, Edward, Bozo, Uni, Freedom, Togedemaru, January, Dedenne, Hindenburg, Emolga, Tannehill, The Chicken, Ritalin, Droidbate, Mamma Mia, Vienna, Huckleberry Finn, Morpeko, Swimmarnie, Thunn Blunn, Caesar, Pumpernickel, Ogre, Bewitch, Treat, Woodpecker, Sunset, Whitey, Goblin, Verne, Belch, Pachirisu, Michael Richards, Polio, Oblongada, Barq, Demon, Ye, Yeti, Cabello, Charjabug, Bob Vance, Lanturn, Gourd, Mancha, Khamila, Burp, Enguarde, Thirteen, Java, Avocado Pit, Rambler, Limmy, Electrike, Wilversare, Sonny, Beelzebub, Gene Simmons, Anger, Kewpie, Party Animal, Lanturn, Ruce, Swallo, Spirit, and Racism
What have you named yours?

I've really been looking forward to Halloween. Until now.
Now, I just want all this trick-or-treat nonsense to be over. And it isn't even the actual holiday yet.
And it's all because of that stupid little girl...
Okay, some backstory: I'm 16, my name is Carlos and I go to school outside my town of Blackthorne, Ohio. Meaning I have to take the bus there every day. And when I got home from school, a little girl was waiting for me at the bus stop.
She had bright orangey-red hair in two pigtails, glasses with red frames, and was completely covered in freckles all over. I can still picture her clearly.
Her costume looked odd, if even it was a costume. She wore a long bluish-black dress that was glittering all over, but not the glitter type of glitter. Not like school glitter. It was as if tiny stars had been woven into the fabric.
She held an old-fashioned pumpkin bucket, and held it up to me. "Trick or treat?" she said.
I laughed. "Sorry." I said. "It's only the 27th. In a few days, okay?"
She pouted. "I said trick or treat. I can trick or treat whenever I want."
"No." I said. "Sorry. It's only the 27th and I have no candy."
"You're mean." she said.
I sighed. "What's your name?" I asked.
"Thelma."
"Well, Thelma, just go back to your parents and they can take you on the 31st. I gotta go."
And I walked away, back to my house, where thankfully I was alone. Inez was out with friends, Alejandro was at daycare, and Romina was at her school's Halloween party. The elementary school's out of town too, so she should be out for a while.
I was chilling on the couch finally getting around to watching Hocus Pocus 2, when I heard her voice at the door.
"Trick or treat?"
I was pretty annoyed at this point. I went to open the door and found nothing.
Then I heard a series of smashing noises coming from the kitchen.
I ran inside and found every lightbulb smashed.
I screamed, and as I did I heard a giggle. And it sounded like Thelma.
I ran do every window and door checking for her, but nothing.
But I came to my room last. And found it completely ransacked. Messed up and ruined.
And there she stood, in the middle of the wreckage. "Trick or treat?" she asked.
I ran for her, but just before I reached her, she vanished. I thought I was hallucinating. I rubbed my eyes over and over, but as God is my witness, she had vanished.
I heard a small scream from downstairs and came to find Inez's pet cat Paprika dead. Her neck fully snapped.
I was done with being nice to Thelma.
"WHERE ARE YOU, YOU LITTLE PSYCHO?!" I screamed at the top of my lungs. All I recieved in response was another giggle and a "Trick or treat?"
"NO!" I screamed! "GET! OUT!"
A wall fell down, and I saw her.
I charged for her - and she vanished again.
The house went ablaze.
Like, one minute there was no sign of fire, and then BANG! A full five-alarm inferno. All at once.
"LEAVE ME ALONE!"
A snap in my arm. A shot of pain. Her giggling gleefully, as if this were the best entertainment in the world for her.
Suddenly, I had an idea. I'd seen it in that movie Trick 'r Treat. A character got the trick-or-treating child monster to leave him alone by giving him a chocolate bar when he wanted candy.
I ran inside the burning house, scorching my hair and clothes, and got out the first piece of candy I saw - a Butterfinger.
I ran outside to the little monster and shoved it in her face, sobbing. "HERE!" I screamed/sobbed. "HERE'S YOUR TREAT!"
She stared at it for some time before taking it and vanishing again.
And suddenly, the house fire stopped. The house was completely repaired. No wall fallen down. No fire damage. My arm felt normal again. I ran inside.
The lightbulbs were repaired. Paprika meowed at me and rubbed against my legs. My room was neat again.
I sighed in relief.
And my family came home to a normal house.
But a word of advice...
If you ever see Thelma and she asks you "trick or treat?" never mind that it's too early.
Just give her the treat.
Trust me.
It's the easiest option.

For me, it was the following:
Coach Z: Jujyfruits (Ooh, Jorjyfruits!)
King of Town: The Stick of Butter (*Snarf Snorf* Trick or treat? Again, Please?)
Strong Mad/The Cheat: Rock Candy (Empty Stare, HALLOWEEN) or plain Rocks (*Munching Rocks*) Cheated on this one I know (How very The Cheat of me), but I always enjoyed both, so I listed both.
Marzipan: Steak (Is this a joke? It's not funny. *Strong Bad drops more into her bag*)
Pom-Pom and Poopsmith: Astropop (When not doing the Pumpkin, of course. *Poopsmith fires his gun, the laser bounces off Pom Pom's "I ♥ Flint" button, hits him and he falls over)
Homsar: Wrench (Oooh Noo, this one's my favorite!)
Strong Bad: Fun-Size Butterfinger (The only fun I'm going to have with this thing is smearing it all over your door when I leave.)
Strong Sad: Campbell Soup (I was kind of hoping for something that I wouldn't have to prepare.)
Bubs: Dum-Dums (I'm such a big dum-diddy-dum-diddy-diddy-dum-dum...my.)
Homestar Runner: Much like with SM and Teh C, it was always a split between the Circus Peanuts (Doot-do-doodly doot-do-doot) and the Handful of Change (So... thank you for adding a step to my Halloween process.)

THE CINNA-BITE PINHEAD APPROVED. French Vanilla Ice Cream with Thick Caramel Swirls and Layers of Cinnamon Sticky Bun Pastry Bites
THE CANDYMAN. CANDYMAN. CANDYMAN. CANDYMAN. CANDYMAN… Deep Chocolate Ice Cream LOADED with Halloween Candy: Kit Kat, Peanut Butter Cup, & Crunch Bar Pieces and Reeses Pieces
THE PUMPKINHEAD Pumpkin Cheesecake Ice Cream with Thick Layers Of Caramel and Chocolate Crackle Shell Throughout
THE SHAPE A TRIBUTE TO MICHAEL AND THE ULTIMATE MASK. White French Vanilla Ice Cream with CRUSHED Butterfinger Candy Bars, Round SHAPEd Lindor Truffles and Square SHAPEd Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate Squares
THE DREAM WARRIOR DON’T FALL ASLEEP!!! Espresso Ice Cream with RAZOR Thin Chocolate Bark Shavings.
THE PENNYWISE French Vanilla Ice Cream with layers of Cherry Fruit Hand Pie and Red Balloon Maraschino Cherries Floating To The Top Of Each Pint. WE ALL FLOAT DOWN HERE…
THE CRYSTAL LAKE SLASHER Dark As Midnight CH-CH-CH…CHo-CO-CO-late Ice Cream with a Flowing Lake Of Hot Fudge Layers, Plus Sliced Chocolate Covered Waffle Cone Spears
It was a huge hit last year... looking forward to this year!

TD;LR: The Cube Queen called you to see how you are doing. When a mysterious person knock on her door. When she open it, it was an invitation to a masquerade ball.
​
The Script.
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(SFX: Phone Ring)
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(On phone call voice) Hey listener, how've you been? That's good to hear, I had a wonderful time last night, right the smores you made was fantastic.
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(SFX: Knock on door)
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(On the phone call voice) Oh! Someone is at my door, I'll be right back.
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(SFX: Walking)
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(SFX: Door open)
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(Normal voice) Hello- Oh no one is here, but we do have a cool looking letter.
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(SFX: Open letter)
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(Reading voice) Congratulations you are invited to our Annual Halloween masquerade ball. Tonight at 10pm. You are required to bring a plus one. The tonight's menu is Homemade burgers served with Cucumbers and Pumpkin cider with a hint of spice. If that don't sute your fancy, we also have Shrimp Fiesta severed with Lettuce and Wine.
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(Excited voice) Oh my gosh! I just received an invitation for a masquerade ball!
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(Normal voice) Who should I bring as my plus one?
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(Realization voice) Oh!
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(On the phone voice) Sorry I forgot you were on the phone, I have a couple of tickets to the masquerade ball, I was wondering........
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(Nervous voice) Do you want to go?
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(Excited voice) Really! This will be so much fun with you there!
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(Normal voice) Ok, I'll pick you up at 6, yeah, what is your hotel number again? 413, Yeah I'll be there at 6, see you soon.
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(Fade out)
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(Fade in)
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(SFX: Knock on door)
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(SFX: Door open)
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(Normal voice) Hey list-
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(Surprised voice) Wow, you look really good in formal wear.
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(Flattered voice) Aww thank you, I'm happy you like my outfit.
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(Normal voice) Let's get going, I would like to have first dibs on food.
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(SFX: Door shut)
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(SFX: Walking)
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(SFX: Sliding doors)
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(SFX: Elevator sound)
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(SFX: Music)
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(Normal voice) Done, oh hey look, they have a costume contest, hurry! Let's enter it together.
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(SFX: Walking)
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(Normal voice) Hello, can we enter the costume contest? What do we have to do to enter? Yes thank you.
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(Excited voice) Come on listener, let's get in the photo together, we can enter in the couple one.
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(Normal voice) I know we aren't officially together, but, we look good together.
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(SFX: Camera)
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(Amazed voice) Oh, the picture looks awesome!
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(Normal voice) I'll write our names on the back and-
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(Curious voice) What was that?
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(Normal voice) You. You want to stop being close friends, is there something I did wrong?
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(Surprised Voice) Girlfriend, Y-You want me to be your girlfriend!
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(Happy voice) Yes! Yes! 100 times yes!
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(Kiss 1 time)
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(Music plays)
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(Happy voice) Well, I guess this is our song now (Laugh)
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(SFX: Walking)
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(Normal voice) Oh thank you.
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(SFX: Walking)
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(Normal voice) It's a box, I wonder what is inside.
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(Curious voice) Why are you giggling over there?
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(Normal voice) Ok, I'll just open it.
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(SFX: Box open)
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(Normal voice) Let's see, we have Skittles, Lays chips, Pringles, Butterfinger and Heresy's.
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(Happy voice) I love all of these.
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(Curious voice) What is in the small box?
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(Flattered voice) Oh, it's a beautiful necklace.
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(Normal voice) Read it? Ok.
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(Reading voice) To the one who stole my heart at first sight. May our love grow stronger than hades ember.
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(Flattered voice) Aww, this is so sweet, did you buy me all of this stuff?
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(Thankful voice) Thank you.
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(Kiss 1 time)
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(Normal voice) I'm getting a little hungry, let's go see what's on the dessert table.
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(SFX: Walking)
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Script ends.

A very belated Thank You to so many. The happiness you brought me through mail is indescribable. I have finally been able to send back some of the love shared with me… some of you will get some very, very , very odd envelopes (that’s all I’m saying… ) and while it may be odd, I do hope it makes you smile… ❤️
u/botanybeanqueen : Thank You so much for the beautiful handmade birthday card !! The wax seal with Happy Birthday was so cute !! I loved it so much !! Every year I hope everyone forgets my Birthday, it’s a delusional thinking that if people remember, I’m not getting older… and without fail everyone remembers !! It’s crazy because I do love celebrating everyone’s Birthday. I’m a bit of a homebody… I don’t get bored spending time at home. My sister is the opposite, she had roller skates for feet. My younger niece is just like me, and is all about getting carry out and chilling at home, then my older niece is my sister compact sized, she ALWAYS wants to be out… she went bonkers last year, to the point where she was thrilled about just a car ride !! It was wonderful to hear from you and your card and your heartfelt message made me happier than words could ever describe. I’m actually working backwards on Thank You’s… so I truly want to personally thank everyone whose sent me a card, and I have and will not forget you !! I’m trying to organize myself and the chaos of my so called life, and I know working backwards doesn’t make sense, because it doesn’t even make sense to me to be honest… but I’m gonna give this a shot…
u/56thorns : Omg, you are truly wonderful !! Thank you for the surprise Birthday card !! It was all the more special because it was unexpected !! I loved the star shaped glasses and had fun wearing them during dinner… and the nose strip was perfect. I’m going to need to do it more than once in a year !!! 😂 The past year with all the mask wearing, I’ve really let things go… the crazy thing is I don’t work from home, but in my mind I acted like I did… I wore leisure wear (basically pajamas) everywhere !! The message was perfect, “Count your life by smiles not by tears, count your age by friends not years”… with a dear friend like you how could one not ? Thank you so much
u/lovingsoul123 : Thank you for the adorable postcard !! It was so funny !! I did see “Ponyo” when my nieces were young, and we watched it on a loop, like as soon as the credits were rolling, we started it again, and again, and again. So, I did watch it again after you recommended it, and it is such a cute movie !! I will check out “When Marnie was there”… ok I have to admit I asked my niece if she saw the movie “When Martie was there” and she started laughing, and said “Ollie (the pet name she gave me and is now stuck) do you mean “when MARNIE was there ?” I misread the N for a T…thank you so much for the card
u/felineintuition : omg what an awesome card !! Thank you so much !! I loved the art work on the card … the website was really cool. My niece wanted a T-Shirt (invisible man) and the Devil enamel pin, so I asked my sister and she gave the thumbs up !! She’s very much into art, and anime so she had fun looking at the card…. and she could appreciate the detail of your friends artwork.
u/oksandz: Thank you so much for the Flowers postcard !! It was the best coincidence that it had a peony, because I love peonies !! You have the neatest handwriting I have ever seen !! I agree with you, this subreddit is a really special place, I never knew how much joy there could be in sending and receiving cards the old fashioned way. Opening the mailbox and finding a card without fail will always make me smile… ❤️
u/bri7154 : Thank you new friend for the adorable Halloween Card !!! I LOVED the stickers and the Washi tape, and OMG the holographic stamp was AMAZING !!! It was so sweet of you to share such a special stamp with me !! Thank you for the Birthday wishes… I do love Fall in Michigan !! The Cider Mills are open, and one of the oldest ones is in dangerously biking distance !! It’s really pretty, to grab cider and donuts and just sit and enjoy the cool, crisp weather… you know when it’s not too hot or too cold !! I wish I could somehow capture that and share it with all of you. One year my sister and I were waiting in line, for something else, cause we had already bought the donuts and the cider and my nieces and brother in law literally drank it all, and left us half a donut !! 😂 I love taking the day old cider and making it into a pound cake !! One year my BIL bought this expensive donut fryer, and a ridiculous number of ingredients… back story, they live in Phoenix, so they miss the fall in Michigan a lot. Soooo… my brother after a couple of hours made ONE DONUT !! Exactly one donut !! But I must agree the weather is the best… I hate heat, I hate how my face turns a beet red and a sweat like a hog rotating on a fire pit. u/justalilpatience : you my dear friend are so kind … I have an envelope with a long letter that I must get off my big bubble butt and mail it to you. You always know how to make me smile !! I know Halloween is your favorite Holiday, and I’ve seen the coveted Halloween Wall, and hoping the contents of my mail to you, will find a place on the wall !! Thank you for the Halloween Card !! I love the free hand kitty drawing and such a sweet message… Thank you 🙏
u/1398_Days :Thank you for the cute Halloween Card !! Your Halloween wax seal is so cute ! There are so many cute wax seals, I think I need one too lol. I worked nights the entire month of October… go in at 5 pm come home at 7 am, so pooped out, but I shamelessly indulged on all the candy bowls placed out at work (my own personal trick or treating)… there are just a few candies I won’t eat.. Malt Balls, Butterfinger, peppermint Patties, oh and smarties and sweet tarts… other than that I will continuously stuff my pie hole with candy. I like the paranormal type of movies… The Conjuring, Amityville House.. I can’t do the Friday the 13, Nightmare on elm street movies, cause it’s basically a colonic and will scare the living shit out of me… although as a kid I loved torturing my sister and saying since she’s the youngest the Poltergeist will come and get her. Thank you so much for your card ☺️
u/similarnerve731 : Thank you so much for you r Halloween Card !! Milky Ways are definitely a favorite, as are skittle… I love the tropical flavor skittles for some bizarre reason. I love the stickers inside… I really appreciate you sending me a card… I☺️ u/zennet : Thank you so much for the Halloween postcard !! It’s so cute with the witches dancing around the pumpkin !! The moon looks like he’s been partaking in marijuana lol !! I really, truly appreciate you including me in your Halloween cards. My sister dressed up as a witch one year, but my mom decided to do her makeup in a very non scary way… she ended up looking like a pretty witch, but boy was she pissed !
u/bookworm02 : x2 Thank you for both the postcards, and the messages are so perfect and on point !! You don’t know how much I needed to hear those messages… just that oomph to say, I can do this… I love the sticker and the the cute note about texting the number to get bugs or squid facts !! I never have seen that before, and it was such a unique extra and I loved it 😊 u/
Sherlocklady : Thank you for the card and so many stickers, but my favorite was Mimikyu sticker !! He’s my favorite, cause he’s so twisted !! I’m not really into Pokémon but my nieces are, so he is my absolute favorite… and it was the sweetest !!
u/retrorabbit79 : I laughed for an hour straight seeing the awesome postcard !! It’s literally right up my alley in terms of humor !! These cards are so cute… you have this beautiful bird drawing with these awesome statements !! Thank you so much !! My sentiments regarding assholes are right up there with yours 😂
u/cheeniebobeanie : I need to first stop laughing before I write this Thank You. My dad brought in the mail, and the first thing he said was, “It’s scary how well this person knows you… I’m notoriously known for dealing with my problems by screaming… not just problems but I’m content having one sided screaming matches with the TV…. My family always complains I scream, I asked them “Have you ever thought to check my hearing?… What’s that ? A no ? “ I loved your card, and your advice was awesome, cause there is nothing holding me back.., but myself, so I’m applying to schools. The field of study I’m interested in, isn’t too far from what I do, but it’s been in the back of my mind for awhile, so thank you so much for taking the time for a pep talk !! I love sticker, and the Washi decorations… I don’t know how I lived this long without Washi Tape ? I’m in love with Washi Tape… ☺️
u/zamiewithazee : omg you were so generous with the BTS stickers.. I can’t believe how many you sent !! My niece went bananas when she saw them… so please know you made a fellow Army very very happy !! I actually really love their music, and OMG can they dance !!! Holy Cannoli, they’re incredible dancers !! It was so incredibly sweet of you !! Have you seen the Carpool Karoike with BTS ? I loved it and have watched it more than a dozen times !! God, I want their skin so bad (not their actual skin cause that’s creepy, but that beautiful milky texture ❤️
I have 3 mystery senders
1). Beautiful Eid Card from Malaysia : Thank you for the gorgeous Eid card. It’s a very beautiful card and I hope you had a wonderful Eid 2). An adorable postcard from the Atlanta Zoo with a Golden Lion Tamarin !! It’s so cute !! 3). An awesome Professor Lupine Card in a dress with the quote “What really finishes a Boggart is laughter.. you need to force it to assume a shape you find truly amusing”
P.S. I have finally been able to return the love and kindness you all shared with me… I know it’s belated, and for that I sincerely apologize… but I do hope when you get it, it will make you smile… ❤️
P.S.S- For all my Reddit family I have to send cards and post thank You’s for… none of you have been forgotten, how could I ever forget the kindness you have shown me… ? I love each and every one of you and I have asked Santa for discipline… discipline to post Thank You’s and to send out cards in a timely fashion and discipline… honestly you know it’s bad, when I have to make sure you’re all at the same address…