I went to Our John’s Work Do last night.
I had forgotton about it so I was still in my work clothes, filthy, straw in my hair, working, when he came out to the barn, home from work early, showered and dressed to tell me we were leaving in thirty minutes.
I did one of those fast changes from filthy overalls and fat gloves to tights, short tunic and city boots. The drive to the venue was long, Johns work mates were bearded and be-jeaned and very polite. I started to play pool to pass the time and ended up on the table half the night. Beating them all one after the other not because I am any good but because they were very bad. I have no idea where all the wives were.
I said to one fellow that I am really a terrible pool player and he said “Yeah. But you look good on Paper.”
That made me laugh. In New Zealand when you beat a guy in pool you walk over and shake his hand and thank him for the game. Here they shake your hand and then hug you – go figure. Must have been the drink.
And now I am late for work.
Love celi
The Kitchen's Garden 
53 responses to “Look Good on Paper”
Thought you might enjoy reading this, Miss C.
Ah, Christmas parties. Always good to find a place and stay there if it’s working…
Sounds like you had a fun time- tights, boots and long sweaters are my go to for winter dress ups! Have a lovely day today!
I really love that last picture. I can’t quite put my finger on it… maybe it’s the low angle or the peacock saying, “No one here but us chickens.”
Laughing, Celi, laughing! We’re actually ‘birds of a feather’ in this . . . don’t know the difference twixt billiards and pool, but used to be pretty good at the first and would have joined you immediately . . . politely ‘sitting down with the ladies’ has never ever been my scene 😀 !! Boots, tights and tunic: uhuh!! Can relate to that also . . . perhaps some could not . . . and I DO like Big John – my guys would have laughed [and been proud] also . . . .
I love that you said ‘work do’. It’s so very not American, and I say it now too! I only win at pool because I have a talent for letting the other person clear the table and then scratch when shutting for the 8 ball. It’s actually happened way too often for me to keep thinking it is coincidence!
that’s how I win too!! wonderful.. c
Wonderful .. I love playing pool too. Hugs after a win? Awesome ..
Is it a Kiwi thing to not want to get stuck in a wive’s huddle? I have noticed it before when travelling overseas, and had others comment on it too, how the Kiwi women always join in with whatever is happening, even if other women are hanging back. Glad you had fun at the ‘do’ anyway!
I can’t remember a wives huddle when we had parties in NZ. I would always be in the kitchen though leaning on a bench talking with the blokes . c
I did not know northerners were huggers. They certainly were not where I lived in Nebraska. My family are a sorry lot of huggers – kind of wimpy at it. Hugging is big in the south though. I was always the girl hanging out with the guys. Maybe I was a fella in a previous life. 😀
Having been at a few work holiday parties, I’ve overheard the wives talking about laundry detergent, which cereal their kids were eating that month, which brand of box mix mac and cheese they preferred, what beauty salon they went to, etc. Since none of those things are remotely interesting I played pool when it was available and usuall beat the pants of the guys, getting menacing looks from the women. I always end up hanging out with the guys too.
You surprise me every time I read your post…..excellent:)
If there’s a pool table, you can’t keep me away. I’m pretty good too, much to the surprise of my gentleman opponents.
In my carousing days, I was a fixture at many a pool table and handled myself pretty well. Haven’t picked up a cue in 10 years, at least, and I see no reason to give it another shot, so to speak. I’ll get the drinks, instead. 🙂
Sounds like you had a fun time, and I’ll bet you looked fetching in under thirty minutes!
I’m thinking that a hand shake’s pretty universal (and the hugging totally taking advantage; )