“Hey Steven, whatcha doin?”

“Well, you know how it is, Bob. Life gave me a whole bunch of lemons, so…”

Bob let that hang for a moment before pushing further, “Yeah, I can see that. So, you’re making…”

“Lemon launcher,” Steven completed in a matter of fact tone that belied the garage full of mechanical debris and schematics.

“I don’t think that’s how the saying goes.”

“What saying?”

“The one about the lemons.”

Steven looked up from his work, face and hands smeared with grease and soot, “There’s a saying about lemons?”

“Yeah, the one about making lemonade.”

“Ooh,” Steven winced, “I hate lemonade. Can’t stand the stuff. Cherry limeade maybe, but not lemonade.”

“Well, it is metaphorical.”

With a breath of exasperation, Steven stated with all due condescension, “Well, then it doesn’t really apply here, does it? I don’t have a backyard full of metaphorical lemons, do I?”

“I suppose you’re right,” Bob conceded, “But why a launcher exactly?”

“The cats, Bob. The cats,” came the somber reply.