Sneezing Party

Conversations with Anna can start out as a knock-knock joke and end up as a roomful of naked Muppets with severe sinus congestion.

Apparently not all of my genes are recessive.

"Knock, knock," said Anna.

"Who's there?" I asked.

"Aaahhtch," she said.

"Aaahhtch who?" I asked.

Anna had to stop and think about this for a while. "What's the word?" she asked me.

"Gesundheit?" I suggested helpfully.

"Yeah! That one! Welcome to the sneezing party!" laughed Anna.

"That," I could not help observing, "does not sound like a very fun party."

"There are lots of flowers around!" she went on. "And everybody's allergic to them! So everybody is sneezing! All the time! Sneezing into all the food and all the drinks! Like this!" She demonstrates with her hands, puppetlike, sneezing repeatedly.

"Remind me," I said, "not to go to this party."

"Too late!" says Anna. "You're already there!"

Story of my life, I tell you what.