On good friday I, too[1], went to meet my parents

[jack]

Tomorrow is a bank holiday, isn't it?

After ascerning that it definitely was easter tomorrow, and very nearly but not quite getting my program to compile in every configeration, mum and dad picked me up from work.

Ambiguity had been kept *mostly* as decent as it had been made the last parent-visit :) and I'd done the last of the washing-up and a bit of vaccuuming the night before, so it was acceptable. I made dinner mainly from frozen components, which was quite nice though, and I think it impressed mum that I'd settled in enough that I could produce dinner for everyone without any faff. It also reminded me of two beliefs: (1) that food looks more professional if it comes in half a dozen different portions on the plate instead of a big mix and (2) any room looks tidier if you empty and clean any table and put it in the middle

Like Mornington Crescent would be, if it wasn't Mornington Crescent

Then Dad and I went to the Golden Hind and played pool. He won, but I *am* getting slowly better :) And while we were waiting for the table, and discussing money-putting-down etiquette[2]. And while we were waiting we played beggar-my-neighbour[3] and had much fun pretending it to be a game with skill, saying things like "Aha! Little did you know I was saving a jack in reserve" and "Oh no! I didn't see that coming at all!"

In fact, it was quite like mornington crescent. Which reminds me of *last* saturday, which I completely failed to spod, when we played 'London' at Owen's belated housewarming, which really is best described as "Like mornington crescent, but not" because it is a game which REALLY IS about moving dice-thrown numbers along underground tracks, trying to get to six designated stations. There was also a mao-like game, except that the new rules were predetermined of the form of 'play n cards per round' and the like.

[1] Sorry for the blasphemous joke. I couldn't resist.
[2] I described my observations as "Anyone can put the price of a game on the edge of the table and they play in that order. Whether they play a person of their choice or the previous winner is implementation defined. How many games you can by at once is undefined."[4] Does that sound accurate?
[3] Half the pack each. Always play from the top of your pile. Play alternately. But when a J,Q,K or A appears the other player plays 1,2,3 or 4 cards and you collect the whole discard pile, unless one of those cards is itself a J,Q,K or A in which case it the first player has to play 1,2..etc.
[4] Except I didn't say it in those words because I was talking to dad who isn't a C programmer. But I translated it for geekblogging :)

Comments

[cartesiandaemon.livejournal.com]

Which is why I thought your referral with stage.

Should this sentence mean anything to me? I can't parse it at all :(

*dances around singing 'I'm not the only one missing the point!'*

Oh, I'm the one that *always* misses the point of everything, like some sort of poorly thought out porcupine metaphor...

[nakedtoes.livejournal.com]

Which is why I thought your referral with stage.

Should this sentence mean anything to me? I can't parse it at all :(

*hunches into self, embarrassed* My god, I meant to write 'was strange'. Seriously, I've been doing that since I got this cold - I think one thing, say another and then the words come out all jumbled. I don't know if I should be amused or concerned that I do it with typing as well as talking

Oh, I'm the one that *always* misses the point of everything, like some sort of poorly thought out porcupine metaphor...

*pouts* I think it's a good metaphor!

[cartesiandaemon.livejournal.com]

...was strange

Ah, yes, that must have been confusing. Sorry.

I don't know if I should be amused or concerned that I do it with typing as well as talking

But not as strange as that :) I don't know, it seems fairly normal, but should be kept in check before you turn into druscilla :) Mum and I do it all the time, and can understand each other perfectly well when nouns are substituted nearly at random. Just so long as I wasn't being stupid by not getting it :)

*pouts* I think it's a good metaphor!

Why are you pouting? Did you use a porcupine metaphor somewhere?

[nakedtoes.livejournal.com]

Why are you pouting? Did you use a porcupine metaphor somewhere?

:p

I'm so not Druscilla! (Even if she gets to have Spike all to herself... mmm.) Maybe I should explore this crazy thing :)

[cartesiandaemon.livejournal.com]

Eh? Still a bit lost there...

explore this crazy thing

Crazy does have a lot of advantages, but I think Spike was with Dru in spite of, not because of, her being crazy. I mean, she was always *rather* crackers, but I think at the start and end she was only averagely crackers...

[nakedtoes.livejournal.com]

Well, Angel did make her go insane by brutally murdering everyone she loved... Bastard. Spike's so the man!

*fangirls madly in circles*

[cartesiandaemon.livejournal.com]

Yes, (another reason to be cautious of going insane :)). But she seemed more compos mentis (sp?) when she met Spike than she was after being driven mad.

And I think Angelus and Bad Spike (TM) were equally bad, except that Angelus cared about people and wanted to hurt them, whereas Bad Spike only really cared about himself. Which makes him more possible to work with, perhaps (and people aren't so far from that a lot of the time), but not actually better. When he's cooler, he's just cooler, not because of that imho :)

*fangirls madly in circles*

LOL.

[nakedtoes.livejournal.com]

And I think Angelus and Bad Spike (TM) were equally bad, except that Angelus cared about people and wanted to hurt them, whereas Bad Spike only really cared about himself. Which makes him more possible to work with, perhaps (and people aren't so far from that a lot of the time), but not actually better. When he's cooler, he's just cooler, not because of that imho :)

That's interesting. Angel was an artist, Spike loved the thrill of the kill. Hence him killing two slayers and Angel killing none. I don't know: I always see Spike as having a deeper capacity for caring than Angel, but then I think his feelings for Buffy were more profound (but then we get to see them develop over a longer period of time.)

And yeah, the Billy Idol look so wins over 'mathmo with only black in his wardrobe'

[cartesiandaemon.livejournal.com]

I suppose Spike genuinely cared to Dru. And maybe buffy. And mum, but that was before the vampirism, he was mostly a different person then... And Angel genuinely cared for buffy. But somehow I always thought Spike never really cared for anyone much since he became a vampire, whereas angel always did, if sometimes in a good way and sometimes in a bad way.

I don't know about the look. Normally I think Spike's is way cooler, but then I remember the very end, where Angel said "What? Captain Peroxide?" and somehow made Spike's attention to it seem too pretentious, whereas Angel was just naturally good looking :) Even though A angsts way too much :)

[nakedtoes.livejournal.com]

but that was before the vampirism, he was mostly a different person then...

Oh, but the whole point of the Buffy lore is that a vampire's personality does carry over. Eg gaywillow from the Wishverse, later Willow meets Tara.

I think we're arguing semantics here. I always give the word 'caring' positive connotations: maybe Angel feels more than Spike (I'd probably agree with that actually)

somehow made Spike's attention to it seem too pretentious, whereas Angel was just naturally good looking :)

Hello! Angel was wearing pink lip gloss a good three or series before Spike! And yes, all the Angel angst is so boring

[cartesiandaemon.livejournal.com]

OK, it sounds like we mostly agree, just focused on different parts of it, and described it differently.

And I know the personality is carried over, but it still evolves; it seems Spike was a different person after years of being a vamprie than he was to start with.

Hello! Angel was wearing pink lip gloss a good three or series before Spike!

Doh. I never notice that sort of thing. *is stupid* But still, while spike's attitude and look are cool, despite everything, Angel still manages to make him seel ever so slightly pathetic. Somehow.

[cartesiandaemon.livejournal.com]

We have been spelling "metaphor" correctly, but I've typed it too much: it's starting to look like it's spelled wrong now. Lots of words do do that, it's weird, though "Fish" does it most :)

[nakedtoes.livejournal.com]

Phisssssssssh.

Sorry, must get impulse control mechanisms... under control, really. I'm feeling kinda floopy today :)

Speaking of which, chap 17 is largely unloved! It only got 2 reviews *sobs again into mustache hair* However, I did leave a (slightly) zany A/N, which tends to put people off...

[cartesiandaemon.livejournal.com]

I was thinking "ghoti" :) Besides, floopy is good.

Aww. At least it must have been posted correctly. And people always drop away from an ongoing fic, don't they? Take pride in that it's good (I love it), and look for readers again when it's finished :)

[nakedtoes.livejournal.com]

*melts into a puddle of floopyiness and inflicts evil gooey hugs onto Jack*

(Floopiness is definitely gooey. Oh yes)

I'm not taking it too personally, but I'm feeling less compelled to try and rush c18 out. It's sad how knowing that people like affects motiveation...

*inflicts evil on Jack again*

Sorry, evil hugs. Honest!

[cartesiandaemon.livejournal.com]

Floopyness good. Evil good. Gooey good. Hugs good. Cuddles slightly shocking, because I only ever see *cuddles used between edith and pippa. Sorry, nothing personal; if I were to accept cybercuddles and cybersnookididumses there's no-one I'd rather than you :)

Aww. Write it because you enjoy writing it, don't be put off. Anyone who doesn't flock to it's opinion doesn't deserve to be taken. I know it's depressing, you should see how many people haven't read Saldini...

[nakedtoes.livejournal.com]

Did I cuddle you? I don't even remember.

cuddleslut alert cuddlesluta alert

Snookies! People haven't been reading Saldini? *cuddles*

Sorry. I know I'm very unfunny. Promise not to cuddle again... (I love snookiedums too much to give it up :) )

[cartesiandaemon.livejournal.com]

Maybe it was a typo :)

Snookie? Grmph. Hmph. Pah. Humbug! </grinch> :) Yes, that snookie made it all better. Really. </sarcasm> :)

Unfunny? Not at all; haven't you seen all my [lol]s in your fic? I enjoy being teased, and actually prefer *cuddles* to "snookiedums", just give me some warning to brace myself :)

[nakedtoes.livejournal.com]

Snookie? Grmph. Hmph. Pah. Humbug! :) Yes, that snookie made it all better. Really. :)

lol! And I didn't actually mean that I'm unfunny - I know I am, from people laughing at with me all the time. Some people however aren't sophisticated enough to appreciate my subtle sense of humour :)

[cartesiandaemon.livejournal.com]

Also *hugs chap seve*

[nakedtoes.livejournal.com]

*seve hugs back*

*nteen throws a hissy fit and wears a threatening disposition*

[cartesiandaemon.livejournal.com]

*snork* rofl

*hugs X*|X<="seventeen"

[nakedtoes.livejournal.com]

*hugs X*|X<="seventeen"

OMG. I had to re-read that several times before I got that.

MATHMO ALERT! MATHMO ALERT! MATHMO ALERT! MATHMO ALERT! MATHMO ALERT!

[cartesiandaemon.livejournal.com]

LOL.

Well, you remembered enough to understand it, there's not just me :) And you even figured out my dodgy improvised notation! :)

[nakedtoes.livejournal.com]

It wasn't that dodgy. And yup, we're scarred for life :) *grins proudly*