All right, I'm going to get the slime-covered mushroom part done first, then get right to the "life" portion of this entry. I'm also going to see how many times I can use the phrase "slime-covered mushrooms" in a single blog entry. So far, I'm up to three, counting the title, "Slime-Covered Mushrooms? Urgh."

I don't exactly know why I have this sudden obsession with slime-covered mushrooms, but I suspect that it is because compared to many of my daily activities, the awesomerosityficationalness of slime-covered mushrooms is probably more interesting to you, hence the blogging about slime-covered mushrooms.

My experience with slime-covered mushrooms was actually quite brief. I'd like to go on record as saying that, before the incident, I didn't even know that they made slime-covered mushrooms. Maybe I'm mycologically inept, but it's more likely that I'm mycologically apathetic.

Anyway, I was working Monday in our neighbor's orchard when I noticed a couple of mushrooms sprouting from the ground. I picked one up, purely out of curiosity, and was quite surprised to find, when I transferred it to my other hand, that it left a long trail of slime stretching from one hand to the other. Needless to say, I dropped the slime-covered mushroom immediately and got back to work. Did I mention I had gloves on? Didn't think so.

Just now I did a bit of research on slime-covered mushrooms, and found that the slime-covered mushrooms (never use a pronoun where a phrase such as "slime-covered mushrooms" will do) in question probably belonged to the Genus Suillus. There follows a quote from the author:

I would imagine that someone with a penchant for boiled okra, oysters on the half-shell, and escargot might really enjoy a good, slimy mess of Suillus . . . but if gooey globs of gunk gliding grossly down your gullet is not your idea of a good meal, then you would rather stick to the other edible boletes, as I do. Once some friends and I decided the sliminess would go away if we dried some Suillus and then reconstituted them in wine. The resulting ooze belonged in Creature of the Maroon Lagoon. Another time, we tried putting lots of Suillus mushrooms in a blender and making soup. Trust me: there are not going to be any more Suillus experiments in my neck of the woods.

Appetizing things, those slime-covered mushrooms.

And now for the "life" portion of our show. Computer class is going quite well, and I'm doing really well on almost all of the tests. This week we're learning about different ways to back up files, and also a little about viruses, given the damage that they can cause to those same files.

Oh, and I'm going to be a lumberjack for Halloween, not a slime-covered mushroom as was previously thought by absolutely no one.

Arpy

P.S. fifteen times I've said it, counting the title. Bit of a coincidence, considering my fifteenth birthday is in four short days..

P.P.S. This entry wins the award for the longest ANFSCD entry to date.

Original Date: 10/19/06