...If I can't retain all my faculties, I'm going to be as senile an old bat as ever you'll see. I'll have fun, and at least I'll afford the people around me some amusement.
Last night, I went out to a Thai restaurant with my family, and we were sitting at a table next to three old chooks and a bloke (ladies and a man to be more formal, but this is my personal blog, so...), and the women were talking constantly. The poor old fella couldn't get a word in edgeways - I don't think 'henpecked' is the right word, but it came close.
There are different classes of old people, I think. You have your 'nice grandparental old person', your 'razor-sharp wise old person' and, the best fun to listen to, the 'gossipy, ripping into others' type old person.
The lot on the table next to us were of the third kind. Hoo yes.
They were discussing politics, and getting stuck into Party 1's leader and Party 2's leader, our current PM, until one of them says "Actually, you know who I voted for?" and lowers her voice like she's telling some dirty secret. "Palmer," she says.
To give the uninitiated a bit of news, Palmer, first name Clive, apart from being the man who runs our canteen, is a billionaire eccentric whose party, the Palmer United Party, ran for parliament in the federal election. Eccentric is the crucial word. Some of his great theories and ideas include:
Building a replica of the Titanic, down to the last little detail
Making a theme park with animatronic dinosaurs, like Jurassic Park
Accusing Rupert Murdoch's estranged wife, Wendi Deng, of being a Chinese spy
Thinking Greenpeace is sent by the CIA to shut down our nation's coal mining sector.
In my opinion, he has too much money and not enough things to do. But that's just me.
He seems the perfect candidate for the old folks on that table.
They were great teatime entertainment. My family and I almost didn't talk to each other, busy as we were eavesdropping and trying to stifle laughter. If you are reading this, Dot, Marlene, Trish (I think) and Unmentioned Old Guy, thank you very much for the amazing conversations you had and your wonderful division skills. You gave us a lot of entertainment, and I aspire to be like you when I am your age.
(Meant to post this last night, so I think I'll double post tonight because of exciting news!)
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