Wednesday, December 19, 2007

It was better than the party youth group full of people I don't really know

So our church had a Christmas dinner this past Sunday night, along with the Fair Oaks* people. And it was really fun! A lot more fun than it would be even if we had a youth group! :) And considering the fact that if the youth group consisted of all the kids 13-19, there would be only five of us...there's really no point. And I'm glad we don't have one anyway, because I don't like youth groups real well.

Anyway, a lot of the kids (of all ages) sat at one table, and I was right at the end of where the girls were sitting because no one else wanted to sit next to the boys. All four of them. :D I'm the oldest of all the kids, so I have no problem with sitting next to the boys who are all younger than me anyway, except for one guy from Fair Oaks, and he reminds me of my cousin John.

After everyone ate there was a program which consisted of the kids reading scripture passages and everyone singing hymns. I wasn't aware until Sunday morning that I was reading something...I didn't know there was going to be a program at all, let alone that people were just going to be assigned to read! I managed to get through it all right, better because everyone had to read, and we just had to stand up where we were, not get up in front of everybody. I don't know if I've ever mentioned this, but I'm really, really shy about speaking in front of people...I've gotten over the rest of my shyness, but I still can't do that!

So while we waited for our table's turn to go get food, and then while we were eating, the discussion was random and varied!

On seeing my knitting that I was trying to get done that night while we were waiting, the guy across from me asked if I was "Actually knitting?" and biting back laughter and the impulse to say that I was virtually knitting, I told him that yes, I was. To which he responded that he'd never actually seen someone knitting, he'd only seen people knit in movies. "Ah," I said.

After that the discussion turned to how does knitting work, and I tried to explain, unsuccessfully, at which point my friend next to me changed the subject and asked how a shirt like the one he was wearing would be made. I explained that it was woven not knitted.
"But where's the fabric made?"
"In a big factory somewhere!"
"And how do they get the different colors?" So I explained how on the plaid shirt he was wearing, the threads are different colors, and then they're woven in a pattern, but some fabrics are plain and then the pattern is printed on one side.
"How do you make a shirt? Do you start at the bottom, or the top, or what?" I started to try to explain, but they obviously weren't getting it, so I gave up.
"If you were making a sweater, would you start that at the top or bottom?" I told them that you can start at either end for a sweater, it just depends on the pattern, and that totally confused them! :p
"So you could basically knit a t-shirt?" my friend asks. Basically, although it would be a lot thicker than a standard t-shirt, I say. "So someone had to actually sew this shirt together?" *makes vague sewing motions*
"Yes, somewhere in China probably, someone sewed your shirt together!"

Then later there was a discussion about school, and the evils that are Geometry and Algebra 2, and someone says, "Then they combine the two for chemistry!" And I said something about not having to do Chemistry.
"Where are you planning on going to college?!" my friend asks.
"Nowhere."
"Oh. I was going to say you couldn't get into college without Chemistry! What are you planning on doing?" he asks, just as I put a huge bite of dessert in my mouth. I motion to him that he's going to have to wait till I've finished chewing.
"She's going to be one of those people who gets paid to taste things, some sort of taste-tester!" says the guy across from me. I glare at him as I try to not laugh with my mouth full, and then answer the question.
"I'm thinking of some sort of home-business, but I'm not sure what yet."
"Hmm."
"What are you planning on doing?" I ask rather defensively.
"I have no idea!!" he replies. Hmm indeed!

There were various other subjects we discussed I think, but I can't remember them all now! Oh, and I had to explain to my friend and his older brother what the lines from "Winter wonderland" meant:

In the meadow we can build a snowman,
Then pretend that he is Parson Brown.


He'll say: Are you married?
We'll say: No man,
But you can do the job
When you're in town.

Which I thought was fairly self-explanatory, and why I stared at them blankly before realizing that they were serious and I'd have to try to explain it! Maybe it's more obvious to girls?? Does anyone else not know what it's talking about? Although there seems to be a whole Wikipedia article about the song: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winter_Wonderland

Anyway, that was our Christmas dinner. Mom told me later, "We had some interesting discussions at our table, what about you?" I told her I'd had a lot of fun!!! :D

*I may have explained this before, but for anyone who doesn't know, our tiny little church doesn't have a building, so we meet in a hotel meeting room in the morning and in a little church near us that has so few members that they don't have an evening service.

23 comments:

Anonymous said...

It's possible those young men had never heard the original version of "Winter Wonderland."

The version sung in countless moronic school "holiday festivals" replaces the "Parson Brown" lines with the following:

"In the meadow we can build a snowman, and pretend that he's a circus clown.

We'll have lots of fun with Mr. Snowman until the alligators knock him down."


Yeah... it's that dumb.

Beth said...

But...BUT...that IS one of the verse! Not the alligator part, though...that could be a mondegreen. The verse is:

In the meadow we can build a snowman,
And pretend that he's a circus clown
We'll have lots of fun with mister snowman,
Until the other kids knock him down.

Speaking of mondegreens, though, as a child I thought this song was "Walking In The Window Of The Land". Which doesn't make ANY sense at all...

N said...

Yeah, that is one of the lines, often misheard I think. There's a version by Avalon (a very annoying one too, I might add) that has "other kids" and "alligators" sort of as a joke. WinterWonderland

Actually, from what I found a lot of people don't know what the song means, also I'll just say that there are some very,very confused people out there!

Anonymous said...

Unless there is some deeper meaning that I'm missing, it seems fairly obvious what the song means...

Is there really a guy older than you who acts like John??? I was hoping he'd grow out of it...:D

~Rebecca

N said...

Okay, not exactly like John, but he did remind of him in the way he came up with really random things to say and the way he said them. Plus he is built about the same as John except taller, and had his hair buzzed. And he's my age, so I don't know how much hope there is for John! ;)

Anonymous said...

Your very cruel Natalie!

Anonymous said...

Merry Christmas Natalie!

N said...

I'm not cruel, I like you! I liked this guy too...that is, I thought he was funny, just make it clear...

You just both have certain quirks, such as acting younger than you are! 'kay?

Good grief boy! Let me finish my comment before you comment more! :D

Merry Christmas to you too!

Anonymous said...

Good grief boy!

Haha...I say that a lot...

~Rebecca

Anonymous said...

So I had an interesting conversation with Cameron, the 3 year old, during Christmas dinner at my table!

Anonymous said...

Okay, Natalie, so why in the world were you knitting on Sunday? =) I understand the urge to get ready for Christmas...but not while I'm sitting at a table with my friends, eating! =)
I'm just kidding, though I don't think I'd do that! =)
By the way, Maria was cracking up at you when you tried to explain how cloth and different clothes are made...what an unusual question! =)

Anonymous said...

The "youth group" is full of people ages eleven to sixteen... gosh, Natalie,have you forgotten that you're an adult?!? How come I'm always hanging out with you guys, minus one certain person? ;) Zoe would've brought "balance to the Force." all the conversations were crazy!

N said...

But I'm a "teen"...I'll be a teen until I'm twenty! :) Of course the conversations were crazy, but I enjoyed it a lot! In fact, I had more fun than I probably would have talking about girl stuff...

Anonymous said...

Hehe...I thought knitting and sewing and weaving and not going to college was girl stuff :D

N said...

Ha-ha, true! Okay, so we talked about girl stuff, but I got to hear a different perspective on it!

Anonymous said...

Natalie, in the post you totally left what I said out! He he he. You know I'm kidding, but seriously, I told Spencer that fabric came from sheep, and everyone cracked up at my joke. Gosh, Andrew and I are the funny peeps at our church, so give us the credit we deserve! =) I also told you that you should go to Wake Forest! It rocks! I still forget Rebecca's fav. color. All I know is that she likes Indiana Jones but not Harrison Ford. I don't like Harrison ford, either. And anyone that's crazy about Elijah Wood is crazy! =) I'm done with actors.

N said...

As I recall, I did not crack up about your joke...I told you that all fabric did not come from sheep! :(

You go to Wake Forest then, Maria! ;)

See you tomorrow...

Ugh, you shouldn't have bothered me as soon as I got up this morning....that's never good.

Anonymous said...

Okay, I'll go to Wake, I'm all for that place! I meant everybody minus you laughed at my joke...'cause everbody minus you thinks I'm funny! I never wake up at eleven nineteen in tha morning!I never said all fabric...just Spencer's shirt!

N said...

I never said all fabric...just Spencer's shirt!

Neither of which would have been right...

BTW, don't expect me to be in a good mood tomorrow if you keep pestering me.

Anonymous said...

And, by the way, how come you'll be an adult when you're twenty? How about twenty-one? Then, like, everything's legal.

N said...

I'm an adult now, since I'm 18. I meant I'd be in my teens until I'm twenty.

Anonymous said...

Oooohhh...

Anonymous said...

How can you be an adult and a teen! It's not making any sense to me...