10-9-2009 Happy Leif Erikson Day!!!

<ledge> dammit.  did I miss Leif Eriksson day again?

<wheeerm> No.

<wheeerm> I saved it for you.

<ledge> oh damn

<wheeerm> It's TODAY!!!!!!

<ledge> I was gonna say, DAMN YOU GOOGLE

<wheeerm> And I'm going to celebrate it!

<ledge> they didn't change their logo, how am I supposed to know something happened

<wheeerm> HINGA DINGA DERGA!

<wheeerm> Get a paddle.

<ledge> goddammit.  I didn't even run out and buy a commemorative claymore.

<wheeerm> lol

<ledge> all I have is this bloody goddamn 800 year old Masamune katana.  who wants that kinda crap on Leif Eriksson day.

<wheeerm> A Johns Hopkins student?

<wheeerm> I wouldn't carry a Claymore around; people will think you're crazy.  Carry a paddle around instead!

<ledge> took it on Antiques Roadshow

<ledge> "priceless artifact of Japan's historical heritage"

<ledge> pfft...

<ledge> It makes a good doorstop

<wheeerm> paddles are indicators of sanity

<wheeerm> I always say.

<ledge> but it has to be an authentic viking paddle

<ledge> otherwise you're just a guy with a paddle

<wheeerm> why/

<wheeerm> ?

<ledge> it's all about perception

<wheeerm> It's not Viking Day!

<wheeerm> It's Leif Erikson Day!

<wheeerm> He was just a guy with a paddle.

<wheeerm> I am just a guy with a paddle.

<wheeerm> A kayak paddle.

<ledge> on the one hand, "dude with a paddle", versus "whoah, that guy has an authentic 10th century Nordic paddle!  On Oct 9!  he really knows his Leif Eriksson."

<wheeerm> Don't tell me Leif would've shunned a fine carbon fibre Werner paddle!

<wheeerm> That's right.

<ledge> he might have

<wheeerm> I said fibre.

<ledge> I bet his paddle was handed down from his father, and his father's father before him

<wheeerm> Just another way of celebrating: using words like "fibre".

<ledge> I bet his paddle has a rich historical background that was sung about in hours-long eddas while they were on their boat ride

<ledge> you've got to wait until your grandfather gives your dad that paddle

<wheeerm> He acquired his paddle in a whorehouse.

<ledge> then your dad can give it to you

<ledge> ok, see then that's heritage

<ledge> so yes, you have a good paddle

<wheeerm> Why can't I just give my dad a random paddle.  Then politely ask him to give it right back?

<ledge> nobody said you couldn't

<ledge> it's all about having received it from your father, who received it from your father's father before him

<wheeerm> Then it will be handed down, even though it was handed up also.

<ledge> so just hand it to grandad, have him give it to your dad, and then he can give it back to you

<ledge> and voila, family heirloom

<wheeerm> Can Aunt Maye lick it somewhere along the way, for fun?

<ledge> sure

<ledge> that gives it a rich tradition of some sort

<wheeerm> yeah

<wheeerm> "This Warner carbon fibre kayak paddle was richly licked by my Aunt Maye."

<wheeerm> "...and no, you may not touch it.  EVER (shriek an run away)"

<ledge> "why thyƒ paddle, which I received from myne father, waƒ licked upon by myn father'ƒ ƒiƒter which didst grant her myƒterious powerƒ of paddling"

<wheeerm> awesome

<ledge> makes it darn near mythical it does

<ledge> only problem is then someone has to keep up the tradition of licking the paddle

<ledge> so you have to have "Licking the Paddle Day" as a family tradition

<ledge> but that's ok because it can basically be an excuse to bring the paddle to the pub and get drunk as all piss

<ledge> and then convince the other drunk bastards around you that licking the paddle is a rich family tradition and they'd best all be licking it pretty toot sweet or there shall be some vicious flailing about with your heirloom Warner carbon fibre goddamn paddle, goddammit

<wheeerm> yes.  yes.

<ledge> and then start singing Norse drinking songs

<wheeerm> These are empowering thoughts.

* wheeerm caresses the paddle.  "My precious."

<ledge> and don't tell anyone but you know what

<ledge> I bet if you called your dad and said "hey dad, if gramps had this paddle, he would have given it to you right?  and then you would have handed it down to me right?"

<ledge> and then bam

<ledge> good enough for history