Frikkin' Fricatives

I was back in my hometown for Mother's day. My family regularly has Sunday dinner at my parents' house, and I often teledine via Skype. The time zone difference often means I am just thinking of preparing my dinner when the family sits down to eat, but otherwise, it's just like being there. Okay, not really. But it's what I've got, and it works in a pinch. Last Sunday, however, I was able to be there f'reals. In the last couple of months, Pretty has been bringing around a gentleman friend.

An aside: I don't recall ever experiencing this first-hand, but have you ever brought a significant other to a family function, and had your grandmother introduce them as your "friend"? You can tell by everyone's shift of gaze that it's a little awkward for everyone. Like, is grandma oblivious, or does she possess a wry sense of humour based on understatement? In the case of the former, perhaps you're going to have to check her into a home. In the case of the latter, you're horrified to consider that she's much more clever than you've given her credit for, is aware that you're just now considering checking her into a home, and is going to call her lawyer tomorrow to change her will.

Yeah, so Pretty has a gentleman friend. I'm pretty sure they're snogging. I asked where he was, expecting her to say that he's at his own mom's for mother's day. Instead she said that he's gone viking.

Pardon me?

Biking. He's gone biking.

Oh, okay. That makes more sense. Because one of those activities is socially acceptable. The other marks an unnatural interest in live action roleplaying. Unless you're filipino, in which case, the two activities are indistinguishable.