If Life Hands You a Gnarly Lemon, Quick, Call Your Agent!

Hebe Rosell of Alhambra recalls that when she saw it hanging from her lemon tree a few weeks ago, “I didn’t know what it was.” It was a lemon but a very unusual one -- more like a strange silent creature (see photo).

So unusual that the “Ripley’s Believe It or Not” folks are considering it for their next edition.

And, hearing opportunity knock, Rosell has also proposed a series to the Cartoon Network: “The Adventures of Theodore the Lemon.” Yes, that’s the name she gave it.

Ironically, the lemon tree bore little of note before Theodore. “Most of the lemons were small and green-y, not soft,” she said. But since Theodore’s appearance, “the tree is now giving us beautiful lemons. And we didn’t do anything -- just watered it.”

Theodore, now residing in a freezer, is “like a pet for us,” Rosell said. There are familial connections, too.

“It resembles the nose of my husband,” she said.

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Best choice of words? Ronald Raschke of Oak View was a bit surprised to see who was talking about “a once in a lifetime event” (see accompanying).

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Ax included: A job offer that includes some heavy exercise was noticed by Ray Butler of La Habra Heights (see accompanying).

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Made for each other: Considering the other topic on one talk show’s agenda, Lela Rodriguez of Arcadia figures it makes sense that Flea would be on hand (see accompanying).

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Calling all poets: In honor of St. Patrick’s Day, the L.A. Downtown News is holding its annual five-line limerick contest, the catch being the subject must be downtown L.A. So forget about Nantucket.

Pat Nordstrom won last year with this ditty:

There are those who would put L.A. down

But the sky’s lookin’ blue, not brown

Rid the Dodgers of codgers

Fill the hotels with lodgers

And bring back the Raiders to town!

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Quick-thinker-of-the-month: So far my vote goes to the convenience store clerk in Hesperia who was confronted by a gunman demanding cash. She responded that she couldn’t give him any, adding that there were other employees inside the store. The gunman said, “Thanks,” according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, and left without taking anything.

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miscelLAny: Apparently USC students aren’t hungry for knowledge alone. Sam Gordon was elected Student Senate president this week, the Daily Trojan reported, with a platform that “guaranteed” an In-N-Out restaurant would open in the neighborhood.

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Steve Harvey can be reached at (800) LATIMES, Ext. 77083, by fax at (213) 237-4712, by mail at Metro, L.A. Times, 202 W. 1st St., L.A. 90012, and by e-mail at steve.harvey@latimes.com.