Pictures and Conversation, Part 1

‘And what,’ thought Alice, ‘is the use of a book without any pictures or conversation?’

Overhead at the dinner table:

Michael: This is really good. What is it?
Me: ‘Hearty Chicken and Rice Soup.’
Michael: Hmm, that’s funny. It looks and tastes like it has barley in it.
Me: Well, actually it does. That was just the soup’s name in the cookbook.
Michael: What a funny cookbook! I wonder why it would call for barley in a rice dish!
Me: Ummm…actually, it did call for rice, but I thought barley would be better.
Michael: Ah. And did you actually use chicken for the chicken part, or maybe some leftover quail that you had lying around?

Later:

Me: What would you like, a cinnamon roll or a slice of peach cobbler?
Michael: I’ll take a cinnamon roll.
Me: What! You’d rather have a cinnamon roll than a slice of juicy peach cobbler fresh from the oven, all crunchy and crisp, with ice cream melting over it??
Michael: Oh, boy! I’ll take peach cobbler then. Silly me!

Overheard on the nightly walk:

Me (breathing deeply): Ah, the fresh scent of spring!
Michael (sniffing): Actually, it smells a lot like a dryer vent.
Me: Well, maybe it’s Spring Fresh fabric softener.