Thursday – The Art of Conversation

I don't know which I am more excited about. The Hoff has announced that he is moving today!!! I will be at work while he is moving out, and so I'll have to shed a small tear that I won't be there to see him off, and shut the door behind him. It is either that, or me moving out on Monday. As the day gets closer, I can hardly contain myself. There is a lot on the schedule on Monday morning, but it is what I am thinking about every day.

I did go to work today, and it was a pretty mundane sort of day. Just the usual weekday, and we finished on time, which is a bonus. Being Easter, it is a long weekend here, and everyone was out and about getting last minute shopping/food, as almost all the shops and supermarkets will be closed until Tuesday Morning. Easter is not a commercial venture here; it is a time to spend with your family. It won't be long before they are here with me.

Today was also the start of the AFL (Australian Football League) – otherwise known as Aussie Rules football. I was quite excited as I haven't really watched a game, and don't understand the rules, but am willing to learn. The local teams here cause a lot of strong feelings, either for one side or the other. I have been educated that there are the West Coast Eagles, and the Fremantle Dockers, and they both play their home games at the same ground. If you live north of the Swan River then you are supposed to be an Eagle's fan, and if you live south of the river, you are supposed to be a Dockers fan.

As the Eagles have been a very winning team, I think I'll be supporting them. It gives me something to talk to all the Aussies about anyway.

Anyway, after work, I settled down to watch the game with a couple beers, and a pizza, the Hoff arrives home and says that he will join me watching the game. I thought that would be alright, until he started asking me about every play, and the rules, and the tactics, and who are the teams playing, and the players. Very hard to keep saying "I don't know, this is the first game I've ever watched!" to every question. He still kept asking me, without listening to my answers. The only time he actually was quiet was when there where TV advertisements on. (That would have been the time to ask me questions I would have said).

The art of conversation was dead, as all he did was ask questions, and didn't really want to know the answer, and didn't listen to my answer.

I didn't stay up and make polite conversation with him once the game was finished, only because there isn't any point in trying to talk to someone who doesn't listen. My little pep talk (about his language and attitude towards other people) the other day was completely forgotten. He's gone on Friday. Great!!!