Ode to pumpkins...

I love fall.  The crisp, refreshing air, filled with the earthy scents of wood smoke and wet leaves.  The trees changing to glorious shades of yellow, orange, and red, looking like living flames against grayish skies.  It's such a beautiful season.

Image credit

But you know what irks me?  Pumpkin.

Fall is the time of year when everyone goes nuts for pumpkin, and they put it in EVERYTHING.  Pumpkin coffee creamer, pumpkin lattes, pumpkin bread, pumpkin yogurt--the list goes on and on.  Let's not forget the ubiquitous pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving. <shudder>

Image source

I do not see the appeal. Don't get me wrong--I like to look at pumpkins.  They come in all sorts of interesting shapes and colors.  I even like roasted pumpkin seeds.  But the pumpkin itself?  Disgusting.

Now, I know what you're thinking.  If you hate pumpkin so much, don't eat those things.  Trust me, I don't.  But I can't get away from the SMELL.  And every once in a while, someone slips pumpkin past my radar, and I'm left with a mouthful of grossness.  If this is a social setting, I'm forced to pretend that yes, your homemade spice bread _is_ delicious.  Did you add pumpkin?  Lovely.  Meanwhile, my taste buds are rebelling, threatening to shut down out of a desperate sense of self-preservation while I paste a smile on my face that I'm sure is all sorts of awkward.  It's exhausting, I tell you.

Image credit

I have no illusions that this fall obsession with pumpkins will ever fade. I think it's too ingrained in our culture at this point, and moreover, I think there are actually people out there who enjoy pumpkin stuff.  I don't understand them, but they do exist.  That probably makes fall their favorite season as well.

So here's my question to you: are you one of those people who likes pumpkin-flavored stuff, or do you prefer to stay away from pumpkins? What's the strangest pumpkin-flavored thing you've ever seen?