I don't suffer idiots well

We've been through this before.

If you are going to eat at someone else's shabbos table, dominate conversation, annoy the other guest, demand everything be repeated, chew with your mouth open, hum while you chew and ask the hosts inappropriate questions...at least have the decency to show up on time.

Ned doesn't do that. He knocks at the door just as we are settling down to our scrumptious lunch. Besides asking our hosts how long it takes them to drive to New York and quizzing them about the Pennsylvania Turnpike, he asked me something, too. (I don't remember.) I declined to get into a major discussion with Ned, knowing doing so would only cause problems and drive me crazy.

I should be thankful I haven't seen him for quite some time. I wish my visits to this particular host were not also The Plague of the Annoying Guests. I was really going to criticize Ned sharply here, and then I remembered The Other Side of the Story. Let's look at his situation. He's divorced/widowed or NBM (never been married)--an older single with no children. He probably doesn't have much of a social life; and if he doesn't work, he doesn't have much to do. Maybe lunch at my hosts is the highlight of Ned's week. (I know a guy like that; I tried to help him. His social life doesn't extend beyond his shabbos meals.) Maybe he's hard of hearing, and that's why he needs everything repeated. Maybe he's a nice guy who just needs a friend.

So I shouldn't be judgmental. But Ned still drives me crazy.