I'll try anything once.....or for a chance at 60 bucks.

I have been known to be a sucker for a challenge. All it takes is for someone to say "I bet you can't....." and I can't help myself. One day this summer, Eric said he'd give me $60 if I could swallow a tablespoon of cinnamon. He also indicated that he was certain that I couldn't do it. Well, I like cinnamon - on sticky buns, mixed with sugar on buttery toast, in my oatmeal - so if a little cinnamon is good, then a lot has to be better, right?

I was absolutely sure I was going to prove him wrong and swallow the cinnamon. I had never heard of anyone getting sick or dying from cinnamon poisoning, and I thought this was going to be the easiest 60 bucks I ever made. I almost felt a little guilty - like taking candy from a baby. I think my cocky attitude got into his head a little, and although he didn't say it, I sensed for a moment that he wanted to withdraw the offer.

He went ahead and prepared a heaping spoonful of cinnamon and Jon got the camera. Someone suggested we go out onto the deck. Here goes....

Let me make one thing perfectly clear - I do not recommend trying this, nor will I attempt it again. It burned like crazy - think 100 Red Hot Fireballs at once without the benefit of any sweetness. The cinnamon was so powdery/fine that it instantly absorbed all of the saliva in my mouth and sucked the rest out of my salivary glands, which only moistened about 10% of it. I thought if I could just hold on and "make some more spit" I would be able to moisten it enough to make it swallowable. In the meantime, it puffed up into my nose, and then when I started to cough, it went up higher. It felt like the bottom of my eyeballs were on fire. I think I did actually swallow a little of it, which of course burned my throat. I quickly realized that there was no way I was going to be able to swallow the stuff even if I could spittify it some more. That's when I went to the rail.

So the lesson I learned was........

.......................there was no lesson. The next time someone comes up with a kooky challenge, I'll be all over it, like a dog chasing a squirrel.

I had aspirated some of the cinnamon, so I coughed for a few days. My throat hurt for about that long. And when I blew my nose, well.......

I smelled like a car freshener for the rest of the day. That was nice.

Trick or Treat - Bwahahahahaha

This year I actually got to participate in the festivities, because I was not working or studying or some such nonsense. We had a nice evening for all the little (and not so little) ghouls and goblins and Darth Vaders and High School Musical Cheerleaders.

Raechel and Jon were in the Halloween spirit and decided to go as each other.

Leigh Ann was very generous with the "silver orb of chocolately deliciousness" for the youngsters who said BOTH "Trick or Treat" AND "Thank You."

However, the ones who failed to show the proper manners were whisked off to the dungeon.

Here she is showing a parent of one of the coarser urchins to the top of the "I don't know how to say 'thank you'"vat. He is going to try to retrieve his vile offspring from the foul goo.