Dave and I invited 3 or so people to our Hott Cider Party in our office today at 3. We were very excited, planning our day so that we would be prepared in time to host. Dave gathered up a few mugs for the cider while I tidied up the office and found a good online holiday radio channel. Everything was set. Then nobody showed up. Dave and I just sat there, two little hosts without guests. In our swivel chairs swiveling. We talked for a while, avoiding the obvious. But then, at one point the conversation went like this:

Z: Microwaves are weird.
D: Microwaves are weird.
Z: Yeah.
(long silence...we both sip from our cider at the same time...long silence)
Z: I bet my beard looks different in firelight.