"Nice punch, ya little bastard! Now let's go have cake."

I've always been amazed at the way guys can get in a fight, including one that involves the throwing of punches, and then shake hands and go have a beer minutes later.

Women do not do this.  We can resolve our differences, but it invariably involves tears and recriminations and self righteousness and martyrdom, and that will last for awhile before any resolution is reached. 

It certainly made living in a sorority house a barrel of laughs at least once a month, when all our cycles had synched.

Anyway, with guys, I guess it's just how they're hard-wired from birth.

Yesterday Zeke went to a friend's birthday party at a jumping castle establishment.  So there was much running around and bouncing and general rambunctiousness.

Also at this party was his friend Connor.  Connor is his "best buddy," as Zeke describes him.  They play together at school all the time.  When they greet each other in the mornings, they run towards each other as if they haven't seen each other in years and give each other a big bear hug.  It's hilarious and cute.

They also tend to get in trouble together from time to time.  And sometimes they bitch at each other like an old married couple. 

So yesterday, for whatever reason, Connor was in a mood and was being a bit of a douchebag to Zeke.  Kept pushing him and pushing him and pushing him.  And Connor is bigger than Zeke -- taller and a bit brawnier.

But I guess Zeke finally got to the point where he had had enough.  After being on the receiving end of one push too many, Zeke cocked his extended arm back as far as he could and swung it around in a classic haymaker punch, connecting right at the side of Connor's head.  Connor didn't see it coming and dropped like a ton of bricks.

An older lady who had witnessed the whole thing remarked, "wow, I didn't think the little one had it in him!"

Connor wasn't really hurt, just a bit taken aback.  And he tried to whine about how Zeke had hit him, but everyone had seen that Zeke had essentially been pushed to the breaking point and was just defending himself from being pushed down yet again, so J gave Zeke a half-hearted talking-to about how you're not supposed to hit your friends and left it at that.  And the kids were fine after that -- Connor and Zeke played nicely for the rest of the party and fun was had by all.

This morning when I dropped Zeke off at school, he and Connor ran towards each other and hugged and ran off to play with trucks.  So no hard feelings, I guess.

Typical guys.