The Romance of Artichokes

I’m just now getting around to posting, as the last few days have been chock-full of writing-related engagements, dinners and lunches with relatives, and (of course) more appointments with the pediatrician. (This time it’s Ian, who has a nagging cough.)

Anyway, about a half hour ago I got back from teaching a mystery class on a semi-empty stomach. (I was forced to eat Doritos, which I love, but which are horrible for me.) When I came home, I was craving vegetables, so I rooted through my pantry and located a can of artichoke hearts. They’re packaged by a Mexican outfit called Luna Rossi, with the intriguing tagline “Romance you can taste.”

(Yes, that’s right, ladies and gentlemen. We’re talking ARTICHOKES. Granted, they’re artichoke HEARTS, but still.)

Anyway, I ate the whole can, even though they were disappointingly spotty (despite the promise of being canned “eight hours or less after picking”) and more than a bit choky (that wiry hairy stuff). So now my mouth feels like I’ve been chewing on acid-laced Brillo pads. And if that’s what romance tastes like, I’ll pass, thank you very much.

But enough about artichokes. I wrote 1400 words or so today, and plan to make up the 100 words I missed tomorrow. I long ago left the outline I made, and am hoping that the new road I’m forging will lead somewhere interesting and in some way related to the beginning of the book. We shall see. And in the meantime, things are moving ahead full-steam on the third Gray Whale Inn mystery, despite the fact that I haven’t had a lot of time to think about it. I have decided that this whole two-series thing would be much easier if I had multiple-personality disorder.

At any rate, it’s time to de-choke myself with a toothbrush and hit the sack. Sweet dreams everyone, and I’ll be back tomorrow!