I'm down under again, and was lucky enough to be invited to a going-away party. I don't know the person who the party was for, but hey - any excuse, right?
We went down to the local pub, and I ordered my favorite local beer Little Creatures. Several more of them, someone decided to show us all the proper technique for sucking helium out of a balloon in order to talk funny. I have to admit, I've always been the one laughing at others when they do this. I am a virgin when it comes to sucking helium. The proper technique involves pulling the knotted end taut and biting a small hole in it, then inhaling as much of the stuff as you can handle. Why have I never done this before? We laughed until we cried!
One of the girls wanted to move downstairs where a musician was playing and there were pool tables, so I gladly went with her. She put a dollar on the pool table and told me to find two "good-looking men" to play with us. So I very politely tapped two gentlemen on the shoulder and told them that my friend asked me to find the two "best looking men" in the pub to play with, and would they like to be our partners?
I'm not sure they knew what to make of me, but they went along out of politeness anyway. They were both really interesting guys! I asked what they did, and they responded, "we're sailors". Interesting enough, that was their hobby, their passion; not what they do to make money. I saw pictures of a beautiful sailing vessel, which they plan on racing all the way to Tasmania. I would venture a guess that they were both in their 30's, maybe early 40's. The older one had tattoos everywhere, including his knuckles. He used to be a punk rocker, but now builds marine electronics. The other guy is an engineer, which translates to building gas stations.
For some reason, I felt like a celebrity with these guys. They hung on every word, and totally ignored the (much prettier and younger) girl I was with. What a great night - I wasn't looking for anything except having an interesting conversation, and that's exactly what I got.
The girl I was with was looking for a man, and these guys didn't meet her standards. She kept looking for something better in the pub. Which is probably why the guys ignored her. I told her that even if one of these guys wasn't Mr. Right, it didn't hurt to expand your circle of friends. Funny - I remember being just like her; looking around waiting for my handsome prince and ignoring the funny, smart guys sitting right in front of me. I guess when you stop looking for the pearl you get to enjoy the oyster.
