Around Here

Todd watched his mother cube the zucchini, on the heavy oak cutting board, for  the ratatouille. He had never seen such big chunks before.     “It looks like dinosaur vomit,” he said. That brought a rise from Madeline, who  was sitting on the couch in the living room.     “It’s beautiful,” she called out. “It does not look like dinosaur vomit.”     “You can’t even see it!” Todd protested. “I’ve seen it before. It’s delicious.”     “I didn’t say dinosaur vomit was a bad thing,” Todd said to Dana, as he plucked  an olive out of the bowl. “I didn’t say you did. Anybody who seasons his Spaghetti-O’s with Good Seasons  Italian salad dressing mix would eat anything.” Dana looked at her 15-year old  son, as he stopped chewing the olive. A piece of pimento, red and spongy, clung  to his lower lip.     “You know about that?” “I’ve been wondering what to do about it. We’re considering sendin...