Overheard in my house

The characters here are my mom and dad. The time is about 8:00 PM.

Dad [shouting from downstairs to mom who is upstairs]: You know, a lot of these vegetables you picked from the garden have an awful lot of bugs on them! [pause] Do you hear me!?

Mom [upstairs, distracted and irritated, entranced by DrudgeReport]: I know. Throw them out.

Dad: You want me to throw them out!? Even the green pepper!?

Mom: Does it have a lot of bugs on it?

Dad: I don't know! It's just lying there.


It's impossible for me to convey the tones - the agonizing, parental tones - and the volume - think jet airliners, think freight trains - in which this pointless exchange was delivered.