We had a fun weekend with Anne and Terry! It was so nice of them to make the long trek (almost seven hours) from Columbus to see us! Okay, really to go to El Famous. Then spend some time with us, since we happen to live nearby.
(They actually came out here to spread some of their dog Heidi’s ashes at her favorite preserve from when they all lived here, but it’s light-hearted to joke about them coming just to eat at El Famous, right?)
FRIDAY!
We met at El Famous on Friday night, hence all the jokes about them driving so far just to eat there. We offered to let them spend the night since we ate around 8:00 pm, and it seemed cruel to make them drive back over night. Ha ha ha, we so funny.
We went back to the house, and stayed up late chatting! (Note: late for me is anytime after 10:00 pm… but this “late” was past midnight!)
SATURDAY!
Anne brought us a delicious and beautiful sourdough loaf that she made! We had some of that with breakfast, along with hashbrowns, vegan sausage, and eggs. Totally NOT things that bother your stomach when you take a fitness boxing class after eating them muah ha ha.
While Anne and I were at Fitness Boxing, Steven and Terry went to Milwaukee to get donuts from, you guessed it, Holey Moley, and to get coffee from Hawthorne Coffee Roasters. Even though I had Holey Moley donuts two weekends ago, and um, donuts last weekend, I was STILL excited to have a donut when I got home from boxing. I was thinking about it while I was teaching.
We stopped and got Starbucks on the way home, and remembered to take a photo. Phew!
THEN WE GOT HOME AND THE BOYS WERE STILL IN MILWAUKEE WITH OUR DONUTS.
Ha ha ha. We were glad they were having fun together. Just also excited to eat our donuts!!!
I made our fettucine alfredo recipe for lunch (and messed it up, again, sigh – I suck in the kitchen) and we had donuts as dessert.
Then we decided to do a fire, and take some cutesy not-posed-at-all photos, and watch Tales of Halloween (very gory), and drink a little wine to get in the mood for the haunted house.
When Anne and Terry visited last February, we went to an escape room that is run by the guy who does the Dungeon of Doom in our town. I suggested to Anne and Terry that they come back in October for the Dungeon of Doom, and when Anne visited in August, I suggested it again.
Of course, all week, when people asked what we were doing with our guests this weekend, I kept saying “They want to go to the Dungeon of Doom! I don’t know why, it looks so scary!!!” Anne, Terry, and Steven reminded me it was MY idea. Oops. Ha ha ha.
Just looking at the website freaked me out! I was worried it would scare me so much I’d have nightmares, or pee my pants (while there). Ha. Ha ha. Eek.
I invited Jen and Troy, thinking the more people we had, the less scary it would be.
The Dungeon of Doom opened at 6:00 and I read there could be long lines so we got there around 5:15… and were the second group in line… and it was cold and really windy while we waited outside. Oops, sorry guys.
Steven, Terry, Anne, me, Jen, & Troy
Then we got inside and realized it was cash only. I didn’t buy tickets online since we were planning to get there early. I happened to have cash (anniversary money from my parents, thanks!) but everyone else didn’t and I felt bad they had to use the ATM. Anyway, the more you know, if you go.
They had “characters” walking around spooking you while you paid and stood in line to start. They’d sneak up on you and get right in your face!
There was quite a bit of that at the start – people in your face, breathing right down your neck. It was annoying, especially when they did it for so long (one guy did it for what felt like a minute to me!).
But after that, we were in the maze that is the haunted house, and it was harder for the characters to do that because there was less open space, AND, they had advised us not to get separated, so we were holding hands in a big chain, and I think it made it harder for the characters to get between us, muah ha ha. So, more people DID make it less scary!
And it really was one big maze. We almost always knew where to go (Steven lead the way), but had NO idea where we were in the thing! We went through many themed areas – a circus, a derelict old house, a hospital, a butcher shop, you get the idea. It was really dark in there – we could hardly see at times, so the scary props weren’t too frightening, yay! I wasn’t scared by the characters (I just laughed at them!), but the air compressors and loud air horns/etc freaked me out, especially when they blew right on me.
Our favorite parts were the sensory type experiences – going through a tunnel that feels like it’s turning on itself, slanted floors, moving walls, soft floors, leaning over to get under big padding or walking through it, etc. There was even a “buried alive” experience!
I was impressed by the actors playing the different characters. They’d jump all over around the props in the rooms, and climb on rails on the walls (so you’d approach a hallway and there’d be one of the characters elevated on the wall, facing you, eek!). They seemed very energetic. We all wondered if they were able to stay that way all night (did they get breaks?), and if they lost their voices from their scripts (whether it was talking or screaming or screeching or whatever).
It was well done! Kind of steep pricing at $35 a person for “peak” weekend (it’s normally $30), but we were in there over an hour and all enjoyed it, and the adrenaline rush. And I never felt that scared! I just laughed and tried to be curious and enjoy it! They have a cheaper “blackout” event in November where you go through the whole thing with NO lights at all, and they give you one glow stick per group. Ha, no thanks!
So, regarding the blog title – I never peed my pants out of fear! Ha! Woo hoo! Success!
We got pizza and hung at our place after and played a little of Five Second Rule. And spent some time laughing at Steven’s pose in the group picture from the Dungeon of Doom. Ha ha ha.
It was a fun day and night with lots of laughs and joking around. And our two groups of friends (only the ladies had met previously) seemed to get along well!
SUNDAY!
We had pancakes and eggs Sunday morning, and hung out and chatted a bit before Anne and Terry took off, a bit after 10:00.
Then Steven and I were lazy AF the rest of the day. We took a nap, watched three movies (Pacific Rim Uprising, Ocean’s 8, and 7 Days in Entebbe), and did a few chores. It felt good to be so freaking lazy. I can’t remember the last time we sat around all day like that!
RANDOM CAT PICS!
Apollo and Starbuck hung out with us most of the weekend, and Khali even came out from under the bed a few times!
That bread looks awesome! I also love the kittie (is it Starbuck) just staring into the fire…so cute.
It was/is!
I thought that was so adorable too! It’s Apollo 🙂
Sounds like the best of both worlds – lots of laughter and company, and then enough hours for some good old fashioned down time. I haven’t been in a haunted house in ages but it would be fun to do as a group. Although I startle easily so not sure my heart could take it, LOL.
It was! I love it when we aren’t on the go all the time with guests!
I think doing it with a group helps with feeling startled – it kind of shares who gets startled when so you get startled less individually overall, if that makes sense!
WHAT! I cannot believe the donut fairy didn’t get to your house before you did!!!! That’s like the whole point of having a donut fairy – not having to wait for donuts!! Hahaha 😛 I’m glad you got them eventually. I suppose they really should count as a dessert food, even though they’re breakfast food (though I guess you could say that about most breakfast food, haha), so eating them for dessert sounds appropriate!
I’m impressed that you made it through the haunted house unscathed! Those things seem so terrifying to me (which is the point, I guess, haha) – I don’t think you could pay me to go to one! I get scared enough in my own house every time I hear a weird noise – I don’t need to be in another “house” where there are people paid to make weird noises/otherwise freak me out, hahaha.
Eeeep! I love the first kitty picture so much! The tucked paws…! *dies*
My donut fairy must be a donut-fairy-in-training, right? That is why that happened?! HA HA HA. It was weird to eat them as dessert, especially after I accidentally made a super carb-y lunch. Oops.
Thanks, I was impressed I did too. I was worried I would freak out, but just tried to laugh at it all! It’s definitely not for you if you get scared in your own home – you don’t need anything to add to that!
Thanks! I thought Starbuck looked super cute there too <3
Wow, that haunted house seems really well done! I’m pretty sure that I would be too much of a scaredy cat for it 🙂
I wonder if you would be! I thought I would have nightmares but I did okay since I laughed at it all! I definitely think it was too much for kids though (we saw a few)!
Sounds like a fun weekend!! I have 0 desire to ever go to a haunted house. It’s a really big deal in KC, and they are sooooo $$$$$$$$$$. I don’t get it!!!! I don’t like being scared lol!
A huge amount of people must, right? For them to be so popular?! Steven was talking about some of them that he had been to in KC, like they’d be huge buildings and you worked your way up to the top floor then went down a slide to get out.
Yeah that one is still there! It’s called “The Edge of Hell.” When I was last in the West Bottoms I stupidly said to Katelyn “Wouldn’t it be crazy if that was a slide?!?!?!?!” thinking it was some duct of some kind… And she was like “It is a slide. I’ve been down it when I went through that haunted house.” And then I felt like a moron. lol!
Ha, being in the design industry, I would have assumed it was a construction duct too!!!
(Mom voice) I’m so glad you had a fun weekend with Anne and Terry who were visiting to go to El Famous and didn’t pee your pants!
Actually, I’m really glad you guys had a lazy day yesterday! And a rest day no less!
We had so much fun visiting! I’m glad you guys live so close to El Famous so we could stop by to hang out. I guess it would have been silly to drive that far JUST for burritos.
Aww, thanks Mom!
I am too! I am so beat! You guys must be even more so from your drive(s)!
I’m glad you did! We did too. I can’t wait for the next time we get to get together!
Would it have been silly though? Nah. 😉
Sounds like a great weekend!
It was! 🙂
That haunted house sounds equal parts annoying and really fun! I would have HATED all the screaming and screeching (especially right in front of me), but loved all the crazy things inside the house. Sounds like a fun night, and yes, much better with a group!
Yeah, I am not sure who likes people in their face like that, and loud noises in their ears?! Someone must! HA!
This weekend sounds so fun–I especially love the totally not-posed photos of you two hanging out. You should become an IG influencer, and then maybe the Haunted Houses will pay you to come be breathed-on by actors.
I’ve been to one haunted house, put on by and held at my daycare, so…yeah. I think I’d like to go to one now, but I guess I’ll have to wait until next year. This sounded fun (minus the actors breaking the fourth wall so much…that makes me uncomfortable), especially the differently oriented rooms.
I should become one, right? I could totally use the extra bread. LOLOLOLOLOL
Wow! That is it?! You haven’t gone as an adult?! I hope you get to go next year! It was so fun with a group of friends (yeah, minus the actors being in my face)