I'd start talking about compost, and more compost, and more compost...just anything I could drone on about.

I have a friend and we have an agreement, He will not talk guns with me, and I won't talk compost with him.

Sue

I would calmly get up, walk to kitchen and get the tray of choc. brownies, cookies, cupcakes , RussStover chocolates, jelly beans...you name it...and sit it out on table...and proceed to munch......

patti

Well, if the soapbox is as giant as you say, I would hop up on it also with a big grin on my face, not saying anything, just a big smile. It will probably change the direction of the conversation as everybody will be guessing what you're up to.....LOL

Maybe just grin and bear it. Maybe it is the only outlet he has to air his views?

Ask him if he has any other interests.

Any legit violin has more than one string!

Ask him where he began to develop these ideas ... maybe he'll tell you about his childhood ... and you can tell him about yours.

Try to lead him off on branches from his main highway, if you can.

See if you can get him to take the scenic route ... for at least part way (freeways are boring).

Do you have a favourite topic?

How about taking your watch off, sitting it on the table, and tell him that you'll listen to his boring story for 10 minutes ... if he'll listen to yours for an equal amount of time. Or, if you have one of those wall clocks with pictures of birds for each hour, put that on the table - that way, everyone can see when the ten minutes are up ... (reset it at 10 min. to the hour - the one where the owl gives a hoot!).

Here's your opportunity, girl - you've wanted to write a book for years, haven't you?

Now's your chance to use some ingenuity, to figure ways to run an end run around him!

Hey! Maybe he could give you some good ideas on how to get set up for that book!

Think outside of the box (the more outrageous, the better) ...

... especially if there are other guests who'll appreicate what you're up to!

Set it up with the other guests before hand ... the one who's most successful at heading him off gets a prize!

That you award at the end of the evening, "for ingenuity" ... or whatever. When he asks what for ... tell him (if you can do it in a humourous, sprightly, light-hearted way that'll get the message across to him without getting him mad).

Some of us find it easier to laugh at our foibles when they are pointed out to us, in a light-hearted way, than do others.

Surely you guys can out-fox a sheep dog ... all that it has to do is heard sheep!

I know - trying to herd a health food nut is like trying to herd cats!

How long has it been since you were in High School?

What would you and your High School buddies have done to cope with such a situation?

Good wishes for having an evening that everyone finds enjoyable.

Hey - invite me over ... I'll tell him a dozen ways that he should manage his retirement account ... help his kids learn how to manage money ... how to pay less income tax ... whether to pay down mortgage or pay off credit card, etc.

ole joyful

P.S. O.K., all of you KTers ... I've got the ball rolling.

Surely you can come up with some ingenious ways for her to at least keep her evening in partial control.

o j

boy ole joyful - you are a tough act to follow!!

I think Ron should bring out his photos of all those wonderful places he has visited over the years. At least we know that 2 of you will enjoy them. And if you find yourself looking at the clock and thinking that it's getting a little late you could always say that since you lost an hour of sleep last night due to the time change you'll have to cut the evening short. And then stand up and offer to get their coats.

But since you do like them at least enjoy the non-soap box portion of the evening.

If he was my friend, after a certain point I think I would be able to say , OK I get it but if I wasn't prepared to listen to some degree and I knew he was going to be preaching, I just wouldn't invite them.

I think, since you've heard it all before, that you should try to change the subject every time he brings it up. If he says anything about that you can just say "I know you feel that way about food, Dave, but we've heard all this before. Did you hear about ......." and bring up something current from today's news.

Good luck. I'm sure you'll find a tactful way to swing the conversation to something interesting, BigBaby.

My oldest son is obsessed with politics,,,not normal politics,but way out in left field ideas which are bizarre.Any time we get into a conversation about anything,he always manages to turn it around to his far out political ideas.I finally had to put a gag order on him to avoid argument.I told him as much as I loved him...his political ideas were off limits at our house.So far it's working.
I realize that this doesn't really help your situation...just that I sympathize with you.My only suggestion is to try to steer the conversation away from his subject as much as possible.

Thanks for all of your tips. I would love to have oj over here to tell us all about saving money! Lots of good ideas. We just bought a home theatre projector with an unexpected windfall so we will be watching a movie tonight as well! I think we should be able to get through this phase of our friendship and come out of the other side with an even deeper friendship. Thanks again!

I'm right there with ya BB. Our friend dropped in last night and stayed waaaaay to late. He loves to talk about South American and the Politics there. I started mixing my drinks really strong so I could handle it. It got me through the night. But, I'm paying for it this morning.

The Birds are really LOUD this morning. ooooo

Gayle

oj, you have the greatest sayings.

Any legit violin has more than one string!

I'll have to remember that one.

Thanks,
Ron

LOL at Gayle's comments. Get out the game mentioned yesterday. What was it again. Fact or Crap? Stick your fingers in your ears and go la-la-la-la-la, if he starts in on his same old song.
Leslie

Just laugh and treat him very lightly, "Oh yes, Bubba, we know how you feel about eating healthy." Laugh, give him a hug around the shoulders, then change the subject. "Hey, who wants another beer?!"

Hi again Ron,

Thanks for the appreciation.

I don't know where they come from.

Flight of imagination, or what?

Actually, I think when I was a returned missionary I began trying to put common ideas into more vivid images that people would tend to remember. I think that when I hear one, I tend to remember it. Or think of a way of altering it slightly to fit a different situation.

Same for when I was an acting clergyperson, I think ... a 2,000-year-old story does get a bit of the same old, same old at times.

Quite a number of them are the pithy old sayings that many of our forebears used in earlier generations to sum up a number of common situations.

Life has become so busy and complicated. It's an increasingly competitive market for ideas, especially with the 10-second sound bytes that we get on TV so often.

I do enjoy getting on my own soap-box, at times!

ole joyful