Never Challenge the Master

My dad routinely gives me a hard time--no, wait, let me finish, ha ha I know--both in writing and in verbal conversations if I use vague pronouns. He's no dummy, and I know damn well he could extrapolate from the implied direct or indirect subjects in the sentence, so it's just one of a half dozen things he does to frustrate-annoy me into a laugh.

Also, if he could figure out how to comment on this booger, he would say, "What the hell does 'extrapolate' mean?"

Today, I texted him to get an update on Chen Lee, his weirdo senior Siamese cat who injured himself trying to jump up on the kitchen table this past weekend.

Me: Chen Lee Report?
Dad: Still at work.

HA HA! Finally! My opportunity to zing Father for the very thing he so often razzes me!

Me: Chen Lee got a job? Good for him!

I ran my laundry down and cleaned the litter boxes, relishing the idea that I would stump him. Perhaps he would not have any response at all! Clearly, I am the champion of the one-liners in the family.

Finally, I looked at my phone...

Dad: Yes he sits on the street corner taking humans from his pockets and throws them at passers by [sic] while skreeching - MEOW!

Obviously, a reference to this Dad classic, and one of the many Simpsons references we enjoy running into the ground.

Game, set, match. I don't know why I bother trying.

And Dad, that bracketed sic means that it's actually "passersby." It's a compound word. Yes, I know: what's a compound word. I hope you once again appreciate what all your money paid for when I attended the venerated learning institute UWEC.