• Dude #1: Mmmm… you should try my tamale. It’s really good.
• Dude #2: I’ve never really liked tamales.
• Dude #1: Are you sure? You’re not talking about those crappy Hy-Power ones that come in the can, are you? Because this is a real good, authentic tamale.
• Dude #2: I don’t get it — so you take off the corn husks and THEN eat them?
• Dude #1: You’re kidding me…of course you take off the husks first! You don’t eat the waxed paper on those canned crappy ones…do you?
• Dude #2: Ummm…maybe that’s why I’ve never liked tamales.

Picking the nuts off the brownie?

Brenda had some great-looking brownies at work today…at least I though they were, until I investigated a little further.

She lovingly put nuts in them, and I’m definitely not a nut guy. More specifically — and I know this borders on OCD or something — I do like peanuts and almonds, but I despise walnuts and pecans. I have no idea why!

• Brenda: “You liked my peanut brittle…”
• Me: “Yes…yes I did. It was fantastic.”
• Brenda: “So why don’t you just have one of my brownies?”

This reminded me of an age-old debate I used to have with my mom (bless her heart). You can substitute “mushrooms” for “nuts” here, because the conversation went that way on occasion too:

• Mom: “Aren’t you going to eat some of _______?”
• Me: “But Mom, it has little pieces of [pecan | mushroom] in it!”
• Mom: “They’re really small, and you can’t even taste them.”
• Me: “Then why would you bother putting them in?”

It’s amazing how many times this conversation has repeated itself over the course of my life. I’ll just do my Tom Hanks impression — from the movie Big where he nibbles on the “baby corn” at the dinner party. I’ll delicately eat around the nuts and enjoy the rest.

Is your life full of nuts/mushrooms that are irritatingly tough to pick out, but provide a little texture and variety anyway?