A Yucan Gold potato, the world’s greatest tuber, is on the table when Herbert enters the room.

***

An older couple sits in the outdoor area of Banana Bread, a bakery so named for serving baked sandwiches and banana-themed desserts. They hear an ambulance’s siren in the distance. “That sure is loud. Do you think there’s more than one siren?” the wife asks. “It sounds that way,” the husband says. The ambulance drives past the older couple. “I think it’s just one ambulance,” the husband says. “Why does it have to be so loud? Damn loud siren,” the wife says.

***

We’re buying another painting at a Laguna Beach art gallery. The owner of the gallery is helping us. He’s in his thirties and wears a flaring white shirt and shoes. I ask about shipping and he says, “well, my husband—I mean wife and I have not been charging tax for California residents, so since we’re shipping it, we can pass that tax discount to you in the form of shipping cost.” Afterwards, we wondered if he thought he’d lose the sale if he had stuck with his original description of his life partner.