Hog on the Run
Monday, May 02, 2005
Living and Mooing
I experienced what is perhaps the essence of true adulthood this weekend. This single event, more than anything else, illustrates that I am hurtling towards 30, and half my friends are rapidly fleeing it: the dinner party.
More than that, this was an actual fondue party. For real, there was a cheese fondue, and hot oil, all in all it was an accident waiting to happen. But I'm getting ahead of myself.
Once upon a time the pub was the place for social interaction, meeting there at about 7ish after having scarfed down a pizza by way of ballast. Being fairly sozzled by 9ish was par for the course, in fact it was actively encouraged. This, my Bacchanalian idyll, my drink fuelled Eden, is long since gone. Because, let's face it, it was all about getting your phreak on (as I believe the kids call it these days).
These days it is all done differently. Most of our circle is now regularly (or perhaps not so regularly - it is also no longer de rigeur to ask) getting their phreak on with just the one person. This makes social gatherings change. The underlying tension is gone, leaving a different dynamic for interaction. This particular party started off as a gathering of the damned.
Imagine a bus stop. Then imagine a group of listless people waiting for a bus, one which may never come. Now position them on a group of sofas around a coffee table laden with three (count 'em) fondue sets. Give them neat little glasses of white wine, or pint glasses of lager. With guests quaffing tidily, silence descends. I deeply regretted not having stayed at home, I mean, Casualty was on and everything.
Thank God I managed to breach the gap and start up conversation with the other geek in the room, otherwise I might have had to strangle myself with my own knickers just to end the boredom. I never get tired of talking about how Trekkies are sadder than Star Wars fans, and about how, if I get the chance, I will drive toothpicks into George Lucas's cold, black heart for what he has done with the last two films. Or what browser is best, or about sites to go look at. Geek and proud of it, that's me.
The food was good too.
And finally, the crowning glory of the evening. One guest, desperately trying to cling to adulthood while everyone else was trying to forget it, piped up with this little gem: "I'd love to see a live production of The Mikado..." There was a short pause as we tried to compute this, like someone kicking the record player at a real party. Silence. Then Sidekick said "Naw. That'd be really dull - watching them tighten nuts and bolts and stuff". I replied "No, you're thinking of Meccano."
He sets 'em up, I knock 'em down. Being childish really kicks ass sometimes.
:: gibbered Okapi, at 5:53 pm
4 Comments:
You should have spilled the hot oil or something....you know, kicked it up a notch.
We would have family fondue parties at the holidays, and I will always remember my grandfather grumbling about it. He was not used to having to cook his OWN food, EVER, my grandmother having always cooked everything for him EXCEPT for fondue, and he would always mutter, "Boy you really have to WORK for your food around here". Like my mom was being lazy by serving a fondue meal or something.
I hope you went to the pub after the Party of the Damned.
I used to work with a woman whose husband worked to similar principles. He wouldn't even make himself a cup of tea, he would wait until she came home. If she'd left him alone for a week he would presumably have died of dehydration, let alone starvation.
I did think of upending the oil fondue, and shouting "surf's up!"
No pub. Was too tired, tragically.
Too bad one of the fondues wasn't chocolate. Then you could have started some sexy sexy dripping action on peoples limbs and stuff, daring them to lick it off. I think that's anti-adulthood. Which I'm all for!
One of the fondues was chocolate, but I'm sorry to say it was not used for any licking. We got a fair bit on the floor though.
Schpicks, m'girl, you missed nothing. Si (the host) didn't even take his clothes off, although he did eat raw meat dipped in chocolate. Mmmmmmm. I should let you know that this is the first party ever where he didn't get nekkid. End of an era.
Monday, May 02, 2005
Living and Mooing
I experienced what is perhaps the essence of true adulthood this weekend. This single event, more than anything else, illustrates that I am hurtling towards 30, and half my friends are rapidly fleeing it: the dinner party.
More than that, this was an actual fondue party. For real, there was a cheese fondue, and hot oil, all in all it was an accident waiting to happen. But I'm getting ahead of myself.
Once upon a time the pub was the place for social interaction, meeting there at about 7ish after having scarfed down a pizza by way of ballast. Being fairly sozzled by 9ish was par for the course, in fact it was actively encouraged. This, my Bacchanalian idyll, my drink fuelled Eden, is long since gone. Because, let's face it, it was all about getting your phreak on (as I believe the kids call it these days).
These days it is all done differently. Most of our circle is now regularly (or perhaps not so regularly - it is also no longer de rigeur to ask) getting their phreak on with just the one person. This makes social gatherings change. The underlying tension is gone, leaving a different dynamic for interaction. This particular party started off as a gathering of the damned.
Imagine a bus stop. Then imagine a group of listless people waiting for a bus, one which may never come. Now position them on a group of sofas around a coffee table laden with three (count 'em) fondue sets. Give them neat little glasses of white wine, or pint glasses of lager. With guests quaffing tidily, silence descends. I deeply regretted not having stayed at home, I mean, Casualty was on and everything.
Thank God I managed to breach the gap and start up conversation with the other geek in the room, otherwise I might have had to strangle myself with my own knickers just to end the boredom. I never get tired of talking about how Trekkies are sadder than Star Wars fans, and about how, if I get the chance, I will drive toothpicks into George Lucas's cold, black heart for what he has done with the last two films. Or what browser is best, or about sites to go look at. Geek and proud of it, that's me.
The food was good too.
And finally, the crowning glory of the evening. One guest, desperately trying to cling to adulthood while everyone else was trying to forget it, piped up with this little gem: "I'd love to see a live production of The Mikado..." There was a short pause as we tried to compute this, like someone kicking the record player at a real party. Silence. Then Sidekick said "Naw. That'd be really dull - watching them tighten nuts and bolts and stuff". I replied "No, you're thinking of Meccano."
He sets 'em up, I knock 'em down. Being childish really kicks ass sometimes.
More than that, this was an actual fondue party. For real, there was a cheese fondue, and hot oil, all in all it was an accident waiting to happen. But I'm getting ahead of myself.
Once upon a time the pub was the place for social interaction, meeting there at about 7ish after having scarfed down a pizza by way of ballast. Being fairly sozzled by 9ish was par for the course, in fact it was actively encouraged. This, my Bacchanalian idyll, my drink fuelled Eden, is long since gone. Because, let's face it, it was all about getting your phreak on (as I believe the kids call it these days).
These days it is all done differently. Most of our circle is now regularly (or perhaps not so regularly - it is also no longer de rigeur to ask) getting their phreak on with just the one person. This makes social gatherings change. The underlying tension is gone, leaving a different dynamic for interaction. This particular party started off as a gathering of the damned.
Imagine a bus stop. Then imagine a group of listless people waiting for a bus, one which may never come. Now position them on a group of sofas around a coffee table laden with three (count 'em) fondue sets. Give them neat little glasses of white wine, or pint glasses of lager. With guests quaffing tidily, silence descends. I deeply regretted not having stayed at home, I mean, Casualty was on and everything.
Thank God I managed to breach the gap and start up conversation with the other geek in the room, otherwise I might have had to strangle myself with my own knickers just to end the boredom. I never get tired of talking about how Trekkies are sadder than Star Wars fans, and about how, if I get the chance, I will drive toothpicks into George Lucas's cold, black heart for what he has done with the last two films. Or what browser is best, or about sites to go look at. Geek and proud of it, that's me.
The food was good too.
And finally, the crowning glory of the evening. One guest, desperately trying to cling to adulthood while everyone else was trying to forget it, piped up with this little gem: "I'd love to see a live production of The Mikado..." There was a short pause as we tried to compute this, like someone kicking the record player at a real party. Silence. Then Sidekick said "Naw. That'd be really dull - watching them tighten nuts and bolts and stuff". I replied "No, you're thinking of Meccano."
He sets 'em up, I knock 'em down. Being childish really kicks ass sometimes.
:: gibbered Okapi, at 5:53 pm
4 Comments:
You should have spilled the hot oil or something....you know, kicked it up a notch.
We would have family fondue parties at the holidays, and I will always remember my grandfather grumbling about it. He was not used to having to cook his OWN food, EVER, my grandmother having always cooked everything for him EXCEPT for fondue, and he would always mutter, "Boy you really have to WORK for your food around here". Like my mom was being lazy by serving a fondue meal or something.
I hope you went to the pub after the Party of the Damned.
We would have family fondue parties at the holidays, and I will always remember my grandfather grumbling about it. He was not used to having to cook his OWN food, EVER, my grandmother having always cooked everything for him EXCEPT for fondue, and he would always mutter, "Boy you really have to WORK for your food around here". Like my mom was being lazy by serving a fondue meal or something.
I hope you went to the pub after the Party of the Damned.
I used to work with a woman whose husband worked to similar principles. He wouldn't even make himself a cup of tea, he would wait until she came home. If she'd left him alone for a week he would presumably have died of dehydration, let alone starvation.
I did think of upending the oil fondue, and shouting "surf's up!"
No pub. Was too tired, tragically.
I did think of upending the oil fondue, and shouting "surf's up!"
No pub. Was too tired, tragically.
Too bad one of the fondues wasn't chocolate. Then you could have started some sexy sexy dripping action on peoples limbs and stuff, daring them to lick it off. I think that's anti-adulthood. Which I'm all for!
One of the fondues was chocolate, but I'm sorry to say it was not used for any licking. We got a fair bit on the floor though.
Schpicks, m'girl, you missed nothing. Si (the host) didn't even take his clothes off, although he did eat raw meat dipped in chocolate. Mmmmmmm. I should let you know that this is the first party ever where he didn't get nekkid. End of an era.
Schpicks, m'girl, you missed nothing. Si (the host) didn't even take his clothes off, although he did eat raw meat dipped in chocolate. Mmmmmmm. I should let you know that this is the first party ever where he didn't get nekkid. End of an era.
