No, "a pressing issue" has nothing to do with ironing. I know you have come to expect that sort of pun hilarity from me, but I'm just not up to the task right now, at 11:00-ish at night, when I should be in bed rather than here on my computer typing a little whatnot 'n' whozit so you don't think I've gone the way of the dodo.

The issue in question, or at issue, is the one I posed in a poll at the end of December, during my trip to Arkansas, which was a supersonic surprise for my boyfriend, who thought he'd have to survive without my sparkling wit and ebullient Christmas spirit for the duration of his trip there: Did I or did I not dig the fried dill pickles (memorialized photographically via iPhone) that appeared on my table while out to lunch?

Here was the tally:

No, I did not. This is almost as wrong as a fried Oreo. 58% (18 votes)

Yes, I did. They made me not miss calamari so much. 42% (13 votes)

The minority wins!

Not only did I enjoy the pickles, but — sit down for this part — I am the one who suggested them as an appetizer. I did not expect them to resemble other fried appetizers, like zucchini or calamari, though. I had expected pickle spears, with seeds fully intact, with more pickle surface than was present in the more chip-like form in this presentation. So, I posed the question, Was I a bit disappointed that the fried pickles did not appear as spears?, the answer would have also been Yes.

Tomorrow: I reveal my new true love.