On having "an f'ed up idea of fun"

Earlier this week, some of my co-workers and I were discussing my vacation plans for this summer. One of them had heard a corrupted version of the outdated plan of biking from Austria to London as "biking in Holland" and wanted to discuss/tease me about it. I told her that was no longer in the cards but that I would probably be biking from Victoria to Calgary. This led to a digression about biking with Margo and Chris' trip referring to our trip across Spain. Her response was to comment that I had "an f'ed up idea of fun". If she had been in Spain, she would have gone to the beach. I took that as a backhanded compliment.

In other, related news, I spoke with Margo and Chris via Skype from Fengxian. It was the first I had used Skype or indeed any VOIP protocol so it was a learning process. (And I still have to figure out how to send a video image.) It was very cool to see this technology in action. The videophones of science-fiction seem that much closer to reality, although there was a noticeable time lag.

Margo and Chris seemed a bit tired, but were about to take a day or two off. However, Margo said she was beginning to think they would actually manage their intended feat. I was a little bit surprised that there had been any real doubt, as I had assumed that barring some external event they would be successful. (I still assume they will make it.) Consequently, I was a little embarassed at not having done more "rah-rah" for them. (Go, Chris, go! Pedal, Margo, pedal!!! ;-) Still, there is the satisfaction at having been the optimist on this one.