I hate mushrooms like Indiana Jones hates snakes:

In 2011, Brad and Amy Feld invited Ellen and I to a few days in Tuscany.

My disdain for mushrooms became the ‘meme’ of the trip for whatever reason. I have so many weird habits so was glad that the mushrooms were the focus.

Flash forward…we see Brad and Amy every year in San Diego, but this year we are all in Phoenix for March and have had a few meals together. Each night, the Feld’s have had waiters bring me mushrooms disguised as another dish. I have NOT been fooled.

Tonight they changed tactics and brought me a ‘mushroom in a box planter set’. It’s the perfect mushroom sneak attack gag gift:

Now I must grow mushrooms and share the story of the ‘Howie Mushroom of 2017’.