Patch #136 - Do You Read The Other Messages In A Farewell Card?

Do you pump your tyres before a long drive? Josh does - two and a half hours out of town and the mental checklist kicks in, windscreen wipers included. Christian has owned his car for some number of months he'd rather not commit to and has never once checked the pressure. One of these men is doing routine maintenance. The other reckons that if tyre pressure really mattered, you'd see more people doing it at the servo. Then: who is responsible when you're handed a slice of cake twice the size of everyone else's? Is finishing what's on the plate a virtue or a character flaw? And in a seventeen-person group chat, does the setup deserve the same reactions as the punchline that only existed because of it? Josh got two. Someone else got six. A handshake emoji would have settled it. Plus: you cancel plans with friends because you're unwell, reschedule for a fortnight's time, then wander out for fresh air and a croissant - and run directly into them. Christian describes it as his worst nightmare playing out in real time. Is a locked-in reschedule enough of an alibi? Is open air a mitigating factor? And how long after a cough are you actually allowed back in public? Also: what happens to the ovens when a beloved local pizza shop gets bought by a chain, and at what age is it acceptable to first encounter a wonton? Follow us on Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Twitter and Facebook to see clips from the show: linktr.ee/welcometopatchwork For a couple of dollars a month you can sign up to our Patreon page and get a bonus Patch every off week! Check out: www.patreon.com/welcometopatchwork Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/welcometopatchwork See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How long can you refrain from opening a package delivered to your house? Josh managed several hours and a car trip, which Dion considers admirable restraint and Christian considers a moment that stopped being a moment about a decade ago. Is there any wonder left in a parcel arriving at your door, or have we ordered that feeling out of existence? And what do you do with a person whose reaction to everything you say is the same small noise? Christian has been thinking about it. Where does sincerity actually live in a conversation — and is there a way to tell someone their work isn't good enough without borrowing authority from someone further up the chain? And can you see your partner's side of an argument while still thinking they're wrong? How can you tell if a congratulations is genuine? And when you sing along at a party, are you enjoying the song or informing the room that you know it? Christian caught himself mid-performance and hasn't let it go since. Plus: whether anyone can judge a haircut from the mirror at the back, the mystery of smart hairdryers, and Josh's system for remembering the names of people he's just met. It is written down allll in a note. Follow us on Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and Facebook to see clips from the show: linktr.ee/welcometopatchwork For a couple of dollars a month you can sign up to our Patreon page and get a bonus Patch every off week! Check out: www.patreon.com/welcometopatchwork Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/welcometopatchwork See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Do people think you look your age? Christian's been forced to find out the hard way after a shaving mishap wipes out an entire winter's worth of beard growth in one accidental swipe - and the office small talk that followed was brutal. Does more hair genuinely buy you a few extra years of guessing wrong? And is "you look different" ever actually a compliment? Then: how much is too much when it comes to eating a meal that's gone slightly wrong? Josh commits to a week of pre-made dinners that turn out to have a distinctly gritty problem, and refuses to let it stand between him and sunk-cost dinner satisfaction. Where's the actual line between "this is fine" and "this needs to go in the bin"? Finally, a full audit of small talk - who's naturally good at it, whether confidence is doing more work than substance, and Josh's awkward run-in with a very senior colleague that neither party walks away from unscathed. Plus: is it ever appropriate for a stranger to comment on the size of your shopping order? Follow us on Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Twitter and Facebook to see clips from the show: linktr.ee/welcometopatchwork For a couple of dollars a month you can sign up to our Patreon page and get a bonus Patch every off week! Check out: www.patreon.com/welcometopatchwork Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/welcometopatchwork See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Would you eat a piece of gum that's been rattling loose in your pocket for a week? Dion has strong feelings on the matter, plus a backstory involving bulk-buying half a kilo of gum pellets to avoid the little plastic tubs. There's a genuine attempt to establish exactly where the hygiene line sits and whether a hard outer shell is doing any of the work Dion thinks it is. Then: what actually makes a piece of free stuff worth taking? A branded hoodie, a tiny sample-sized chocolate, a keyring from a movie premiere, a suspiciously political tote bag - a working rulebook is proposed for when a freebie is a genuine win and when it's just future landfill with your name on the guilt trip. Hand-me-downs, it turns out, operate under a completely different set of rules. Finally, Josh is put on trial over why he hasn't visited Dion's new place yet. Is there a real obligation to see a friend's new house, or is it just inherited social pressure none of us have ever questioned? And is there a statute of limitations on a housewarming? Follow us on Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Twitter and Facebook to see clips from the show: linktr.ee/welcometopatchwork For a couple of dollars a month you can sign up to our Patreon page and get a bonus Patch every off week! Check out: www.patreon.com/welcometopatchwork Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/welcometopatchwork See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Josh admits he doesn't know his grandfather's name. Doesn't know when he was born, doesn't know where he lived. Is that fair enough, or is it something he should know? More clear-cut is Josh never computing that his parents had grandparents. Then Josh gets thanked for a birthday gift he had absolutely nothing to do with. His housemate Georgia did all the work, and Josh signed his name on the card. How do you redirect the thanks without making it weird? And are you allowed to accept praise you didn't earn? The boys then design a tiered membership system for group gift contributions, complete with font size proportional to donation. Plus: when the sun is beaming into someone's eyes during a chat, whose responsibility is it to call it out? Remember to follow us on Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and Facebook: linktr.ee/welcometopatchwork And for a couple of dollars a month you can sign up to our Patreon page and get a bonus Patch every off week! Check out: www.patreon.com/welcometopatchwork Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/welcometopatchwork See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.