Our peaceful and pleasant Sunday afternoon walk through the woods and autumn foliage sparked the following conversation:

Katherine: Hey Mom, remember that ad on the radio about the zombie thing? How they gave you a map and let you run through the woods at night being chased by zombies? Doesn’t that sound AWESOME?

Me: Uh, yeah. Awesome. Sure.

John: What’s the map for?

Me: Your only question is, “What’s the map for?” You’re not curious about the existence of zombies in the local woods?

John: Yup. Just the map.

Me: Oh, it’s some game or other, possibly a fund-raiser for a charity? You have to use the map to find the antidote to the zombie disease and save humanity.

John: Of course. I presumed saving humanity would factor into it. It’s one of the basic assumptions of zombie hunts.

Me: I really read the wrong books.

Katherine: Or maybe the right ones? (pause) But apparently Mom says I can’t do the zombie hunt. What do you think, Dad?

John (who has been married a very long time): I think…. Why did your mother say you couldn’t?

Katherine: It ends at 11 at night. I go to bed at eight.

John: Ah, yes, that does nix that one. They really should have a kid version.

Me: What, that ends at five and they give you a juicebox and granola bar for provisions?

Katherine: Yes!! And you have to run away from, from, from…..

John: Tribbles!!

Me: And the map shows you where to find what? A spay and neuter kit?

John: Somehow herds of children, pumped up on sugar, roaming the woods looking for means of surgical castration is slightly ironic.

Katherine: So that’s a “no”, then? And what’s a tribble?