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]

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]

*snork* I see you're putting <strike> to good use! LOL :)

Subtle humour? Have I been missing the best bits?

But if you think you you suffer, try having mine: all my jokes have to have religious, mathematical, and general knowledge footnotes to explain them. And what's worse it I *enjoy* that :)

[nakedtoes.livejournal.com]

Subtle humour? Have I been missing the best bits?

:p Yes! Definitely! (Frantically re-reads posts to make things up)

But if you think you you suffer, try having mine: all my jokes have to have religious, mathematical, and general knowledge footnotes to explain them. And what's worse it I *enjoy* that :)

I feel your pain. And your enjoyment. Hmmm...
Tricky one

[cartesiandaemon.livejournal.com]

The best place would be in your lj entries, because you can edit them. But make sure to point out the subtle humour for me, I wouldn't want you to go to all that effort and me still not see it.

Alternatively, find things that *could* be puns, and pretend they were; it works especially well with innuendo, but even normal puns can appear when you're *told* there's one there, even if you didn't notice it before.

[nakedtoes.livejournal.com]

The best place would be in your lj entries, because you can edit them. But make sure to point out the subtle humour for me, I wouldn't want you to go to all that effort and me still not see it.

It's just adorable that you're being so helpful!

I've just realised that my entire repertoire when it comes to men pissing me off is to either smother them with endearments or to handbag them. I need to branch out!

[cartesiandaemon.livejournal.com]

It's ok. I've found two people who laugh at my most obscure jokes (MHF and Naz), and that's more than I probably deserve; I'm content :)

[nakedtoes.livejournal.com]

Aw. I get the mathmo ones if they're explained to me...

[cartesiandaemon.livejournal.com]

Yes, and maybe I'm misjudging you. But most people get the mathmo bits *or* the references to obscure historical astronomers with metal noses *or* the references to Joshu saying "Mu" *or* the reference to the joke about two cats sitting on the roof *or* the references to Wagner's ring cycle, *or*, more likely, none, but most people don't get *several* of those. And it's hard to *find* them without giving the joke away :)

Conversely, I'm left out in the cold when people make foreign language, history, politics or geography jokes :) :(

[nakedtoes.livejournal.com]

but most people don't get *several* of those. And it's hard to *find* them without giving the joke away :)

Fair enough. And you're so not misjudging me!



Conversely, I'm left out in the cold when people make foreign language, history, politics or geography jokes :) :(

There are geography jokes?

[cartesiandaemon.livejournal.com]

Fair enough. And you're so not misjudging me!

I'm grateful enough to have another person who understands the mathmo portion.

There are geography jokes?

Yeah. For instance Tim and Rachel's 'my wife went to' jokes. Eg:

My wife went to the west indies
Jamaica?
No, she went of her own accord!
Ba-boom!

Some of them involve the capitals of, to me, obscure countries :)

[nakedtoes.livejournal.com]

Aaaargh! *hold head while writhing in agony*

[cartesiandaemon.livejournal.com]

That was one of the better ones, believe me. I had to listen to a whole atlas full! :)

We had a long discussion about whose puns were worse: his, which were bad, or mine, which were bad and obscure :)

[nakedtoes.livejournal.com]

Who won?

[cartesiandaemon.livejournal.com]

Rachel :)

[nakedtoes.livejournal.com]

:) Go girlfriend!

[nakedtoes.livejournal.com]

She probably wouldn't like me calling her that, huh?

[cartesiandaemon.livejournal.com]

LOL. I was about to say, you might be taking this endearment thing too far. I guess you'd have a nice making-fun-of-tim rapport instantly, so you might get away with it :)

[nakedtoes.livejournal.com]

Nah. No fun to pick on people I didn't know.

BTW, apparently Drew ROFL when I mentioned that my male friends didn't like copious quantities of endearments. He thought it really sad that you're not all 'man enough' to take it.

The concept of culture differences seems to have totally passed him by.

[cartesiandaemon.livejournal.com]

!! Did you tell him *which* endearments you were using? :)

[nakedtoes.livejournal.com]

This was still at the 'honey' and 'sweetie' stage :)

I don't think you're less of a man. I think it's all just macho posturing. *puts on mid-West accent* "Come sit on my knee, ma'am, and call me sugar-puff"

Ok, that was pretty lame, but you know what I mean

[cartesiandaemon.livejournal.com]

Ah, yes, I think I see. Though some of it is the *way* you say sweetie :)

Though I'm still a bit confused by the whole middle paragraph :)

[nakedtoes.livejournal.com]

Ah, yes, I think I see. Though some of it is the *way* you say sweetie :)

OK, now I'm genuinely confused. How do I say it that makes it weird/irritating?

Though I'm still a bit confused by the whole middle paragraph :)

Oh, that. I don't know, I get the impression he's trying to prove how much of a man he is by mocking my friends. Which is irritating.

[cartesiandaemon.livejournal.com]

OK, now I'm genuinely confused. How do I say it that makes it weird/irritating?

A lot! :)

No, sorry. I didn't mean you specifically, I meant that one can say 'honey' in different ways: as a casual friendly name the way people use 'pet' in brum and up north; as an endearment some people would find sweet and some sickening; to tease friends because they don't; etc.

Oh, that. I don't know, I get the impression he's trying to prove how much of a man he is by mocking my friends. Which is irritating.

And weird. I guess it's that he's more mature than me, because I get irrationally anoyed by 'snookie' and he doesn't :) But still odd.

[nakedtoes.livejournal.com]

And weird. I guess it's that he's more mature than me, because I get irrationally anoyed by 'snookie' and he doesn't :) But still odd.

Yeah, he's winding me up a bit. I think his time as my beta's come to and end.

Don't sell yourself short: you're the only snookiedums for me.

(Ok, we need to change topic soon, because that term is really beginning to lose its impact)