i've noticed my profession doesn't really lend itself to stories and anecdotes useful for general conversation to non geeks:

pinder: today i wrote java code for 30 minutes straight and when i compiled it, it all worked perfectly!

friend (not a web-geek): is that good?

other friend (also not a web-geek): isn't that normal? don't you do that every day?

pinder: no way! that is unprecedented! normally you compile —

*notices blank stares*

pinder: never mind.