The Prof's family have a beach hut on Broadstairs beach. They have had one for a couple of generations. Apparently you " stake" your beach area with judicial usage of chairs, wind breaks and an assortment of plastic furniture so that no member of the general public ventures within a gnat's crotchet of your encampment.....Think the settlement of Alexandria in The Walking Dead and you will get my gist......
The Prof made himself comfortable as Sorrel and I had a chat about nothing....these "nothing"conversations drive him to distraction.......which makes them even more entertaining.
Sorrel " I love slices mango and melon"
John: " Do you?........I am a bit partial to pineapple chunks myself"
Sorrel: " Really?"
The Prof " harrumphs" at this point.
John " yes......especially tinned pineapples"
Sorrel" thats strange, I would have thought you'd go for fresh
Brief silence
Sorrel: " Do you like raspberries John?"
John " I've gone off them a bit "
Sorrel " hum"
John:" they are a bit bland, the ones from the supermarket"
Sorrel " What about strawberries?"
The Prof then sighs very loudly and shifts in his deck chair
John" Oh I love stawberries ! ........"
Sorrel " I love them too"
Prof ( under his breath ) " oh For fuck's sake"
Long silence
Sorrel " John......what Are your thoughts on passion fruit?"
The Prof screaming into the wind " OH MY GOD........I WAS ADOPTED!!!!!!"
Great conversation ! Get the prof some ear plugs. Have you got your shorts on too? It must be warmer there than it is here today.
ReplyDeleteSmall talk is a form of bonding. This is from a Harvard Business School article, but applies to real life too: ..."the ability to make effective small talk is essential for creating a quick sense of rapport .... small talk is essential to bond [relationships]...."
ReplyDeleteMaybe the Prof needs to work on his skills? In a good way, of course.
Oh My Goodness, the Professor would despise my conversations. I usually start right in the middle of a statement.
ReplyDeleteYou are a bit squished there. I hope the neighbors don't show up.
I looks like some sun is trying to show up.
cheers, parsnip
We used to love beach hut holidays when the kids were small and we had a beach hut holiday in Broadstairs once.
ReplyDeleteWhat do you think about Figs? greengages?
We have a wonderful crop of Greengages this year; I'm freezing them by the ton.
DeleteI am with the Prof on this one. Mango - pahrumph!
ReplyDeleteYou stick to you nonsense conversations - that's the way to relax and that is exactly what you need.
ReplyDeleteHahahahahahahahaha!
ReplyDeleteThe Art of Small Talk!
ReplyDeletebwhahahahahahahaha! too serious for his own good!
ReplyDeleteBrilliant! hehehe
ReplyDeleteBrilliant! hehehe
ReplyDeleteI'm with the Prof on this one...no small talk for me...unless it's about animals...
ReplyDeleteHa, I loved the (very old) series The Odd Couple and (forgive me for saying this) but you and the Prof. seem to be morphing into them (meant in the kindest possible way of course). Anna
ReplyDeleteJohn, sometimes, I believe ... nah better not say it.
ReplyDeleteProfessor - he could get senile and forget fruit ...
WHOOHAY!!
ReplyDeleteWhen do you think the Prof will realise that the more he 'harrumphs' the more random your conversations will get?
ReplyDeleteToo funny!!!
ReplyDeleteThe script is like something from a Samuel Becket play - existential meaninglessness - "Nobody comes. Nobody goes." As for the Prof. Hire a couple of burly lifeguards to bury him in the sand with just his "Bah humbug" visage above the surface.
ReplyDeleteJohn, you make me laugh nearly every day. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteWhat are your thoughts on passion fruit?"
ReplyDelete"OH MY GOD........I WAS ADOPTED!!!!!!"
Priceless.
Please inform the Prof that I'm very partial to bananas, satsumas and figs. But I've totally gone off apples.
Won't he be surprised when he finds out supper is a giant fruit salad...
ReplyDeleteSuch talk makes my head ache.
ReplyDeleteI bet you both do it on purpose!
ReplyDeleteAnd a beach hut! Wow! An MBE, a Professor and a beach hut in the family; ok you're in serious danger of becoming posh; I'm thinking Gosford Park. Have a wonderful holiday. :-)
This was a true LOL moment - I scared the cat with my laughing :)
ReplyDeleteyou and sorrel would love my sister. she would fit right in. i would be with the prof.
ReplyDeleteIt was easier for me to talk non-sense with Jay's mother, than my mother. I miss her.
ReplyDeleteHilarious. Willy Dunne Wooters would probably go insane if he listened to my conversations with my children.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Janie
I love your relationship John, you are priceless xx
ReplyDeleteCharm school for the prof.
ReplyDeleteSmall talk is about bonding and, my gosh, doesn't everyone love strawberries.
ReplyDeleteStill chuckling over here. I find the oranges in the store right now are very poor quality. You?
ReplyDeleteYour husband must be a riot at cocktail parties!
ReplyDeleteHas the Prof not heard of knotted hankies?
ReplyDeleteThis put me in mind of a scene in the marvellous 'Early doors' on tv......especially the 'do you like circuses' conversation.......the mister and I still say this sometimes in such situations....and how come its piddling down here but you are on the beach??
ReplyDeleteThat made me laugh. Love the beach hut x
ReplyDeleteI detect an incompatibility here. He needs silence, you a silence-breaker. Oh dear!
ReplyDeleteActually its totally the other way around
DeleteI need help. I go for long walks here on my holiday at this very moment to avoid multitudes of small talk.i could scream.
ReplyDeleteBrilliant .... just brilliant!!
ReplyDeleteI bet without meaning to you do it all the more,
I'm totally jealous of the beach hut, although to have one round here at the moment would mean sitting inside it with the doors closed, you've headed in the right direction .... it's done nothing but rain and get colder and colder here since you left .... please when you come home bring the sunshine back with you :-(
I have to say small talk is not one of my strong points...lol But you did rather well even with the prof background noise...lol Being from the states the idea of a beach hut like that is odd... How many of those things are around? I'm a fan of the beach in Fall or Winter when everyone else stays home.. :) Hugs! deb
ReplyDeleteSmall talk passes the time well and you get all that useful info!!!
ReplyDeleteYou guys really should have your own sitcom:)
ReplyDeleteHahahaha! The meaningless conversations we have help us unwind...banality at its best..... love the beach hut... I had forgotten all about them... like a shed on the beach.
ReplyDeleteJo in Auckland, NZ
Damn academic, must everything have footnotes and data?? The Prof seems like a pip.
ReplyDeleteI like small talk as it sometimes leads in to more interesting conversations.