Estimated reading time: 3 minutes 487 Words!
Monday, and that means we self-inflict pain. Paul and Mary arrived at Peak Performance on Monday morning, hoping for a gentle workout and perhaps a muffin afterward. Instead, Antony and Najla greeted us in Viking leather outfits, brandishing sharp-looking knives.
“Are those real?” Mary asked.
“Relax,” said Antony. “They’re for opening protein-bar wrappers.”
Najla pointed toward the exercise bikes. “Three miles each. No pillaging until you finish.”
I pedaled with the grim determination of a man trying to escape a very weird history documentary. Mary kept pace, though she suspected the bikes ran on ancient Viking curses. After three miles, we dismounted, wobbly but proud.
That’s when the trainers sprang into action. Antony and Najla ushered us toward two horrible bone-crushing machines—or, as the sign put it, leg presses.
“Wait,” I protested. “We were promised fitness, not medieval consequences!”
We strapped ourselves in. The machines groaned. My knees sounded like a tiny ship sailing through ice. Mary pushed the lever and accidentally launched her water bottle across the room.
Najla caught it like a seasoned shield-maiden. “Excellent form,” she declared.
By the end, we were exhausted, triumphant, and negotiating for muffins. Antony lowered his knives. “You have survived the Monday workout.”
“Next week,” Mary said, “we’re bringing our own Vikings.”
We made it home and went straight (after a short but much-needed nap) to take down Halloween! We started at 3:00 pm and finished at 6:00 pm, packing five large plastic storage containers. The house now looks totally naked!
Of course, Oreo helped! We are working on hand signals!
We decided it was movie night, so we watched Goosebumps II. Haunted Halloween is a 2018 family-friendly horror-comedy and a loose follow-up to Goosebumps (2015). Jeremy Ray Taylor, Caleel Harris, Madison Iseman, and Wendi McLendon-Covey star, with Jack Black returning as R. L. Stine—though he has a smaller role than in the first film.
FYI: R. L. Stine (Robert Lawrence Stine) is an American author best known for the Goosebumps and Fear Street horror book series for children and teenagers. He was born on October 8, 1943, in Columbus, Ohio.
The story follows two friends who discover a mysterious manuscript and accidentally bring Slappy, the mischievous ventriloquist dummy, back to life. Slappy unleashes Halloween creatures and chaos across town, and the kids have to stop him before things get out of hand.
It’s aimed at younger audiences (like us), with spooky monsters, slapstick humor, and mild scares rather than intense horror.
We crashed around 9:45 pm, though I stayed up to finish the Halloween Elks Gala website. Oreo and I went outside and played catch before she went to bed. She understands the normal activities around the house; she is smart!
Bye bye Halloween; Hello Thanksgiving!
