(scene opens at cluttered dining room table)
Me: (frowning over embroidery hoop)
Gamma: (sitting stupidly close, poking at her tablet) Mom, which is a German horse breed? Shetland, Holsteiner, or Gelderland?
Me: (stops, perplexed) Why on earth are you asking me that?
Gamma: I’m playing Horse Haven and I can earn coins for answering horse questions.
Me: Oh. (thinks) Uh, I’d guess Holsteiner. (turns back to embroidery)
Gamma: Yes! (silent a moment) Mom? What’s the name of Alexander the Great’s horse? Is it…
Me: (doesn’t look up) Bucephalus.
Gamma: (jackpot noise from tablet) You’re right! I got a thousand coins! You’re so smart, mom.
Me: There have been times in my life I’ve been mocked for knowing that.
First, we love these. I have since I started reading them, and now I read them out loud to the equally over educated geeky husband. Second, last line is priceless. Yes. This. Because, Third, first dog was named Peritas. Because of a longer story to tell you in person, but specifically because he was Alexander’s dog. So, we grok. No mocking here!
Random Persian facts have haunted me since high school, for maximum hilarity.