at artiste:
me:  well, i’ll remain forthright.  stalwart, even.
phil:  stalwart?
me:  yeah.  only i can use words like that and get away with it.
phil:  i know, even when you’re joking.
thomas:  yeah, like yesterday you said “is there a moratorium on music in this place?”
phil:  ha!
thomas:  and then the day before that you said that the movie snatch was bombast.
me:  what are you, making a list?

at dinner:
phil:  you work hard, alison, i’ll give you that.  i commend you, and laugh at you.
me:  well, thank you.  and fuck you!
phil:  appropriate responses, both.

phil is good.  thomas is good.  i feel better.