Hm. [not quite full agreement, but he doesn't really feel like delving into the topic right now. carnivals are surprisingly not great springboards for discussion, who would have guessed!] It's been a bit of a learning experience, I suppose. ...Or an exercise in futility, I feel like either could apply depending on the particular situation.

[a beat] Speaking of exercises in futility, I do have a meeting with someone shortly that I should be preparing to attend.