Saturday, March 04, 2006

A Conversation Overheard This Weekend

Deals. and I were staying at a hotel in Austin because we were due to speak at a conference the next day (and that's another story). Her aunt and uncle dropped us off. Before I go any further with this story, I should tell you that D. has Snoopy as the wallpaper on her cell phone. In a minute, you'll see why I'm telling you this.

To continue, we went out to dinner with a friend of her Aunt A. and Uncle B. I was wearing jeans and a polo-type shirt. Not dressed up. I thought we were going to meet FODAU (Friend of Dealey's Aunt & Uncle) at the restaurant, but, no, we're picking her up, and I end up sitting next to her, which means that the shy person (me) is going to have to make polite conversation with a stranger. I find myself praying that it's going to be a short drive. About half a block from the restaurant, Aunt A. or Uncle B.--I forget which--asks D. if she's ever been to this restaurant before. She says that she hasn't, and FODAU says, "It's a private club."

My immediate reaction is the very uncouth, "Crap! I'm not dressed for a private club!" This was said in my head, by the way, and not aloud. In the words of Television Without Pity, Un!Comfortable!

Later, Aunt A. and Uncle B. drop us off at our hotel. We check in to our room and begin the getting-ready-for-bed process when D. realizes she's left her cell phone with her family. She finally manages to call Aunt A. on her cell phone and tells hers that if she needs to reach us, she can call my cell phone. Since Aunt A. isn't able, at the moment, to write down my cell phone number, Deals tell her that she can use her (Deals') phone, as my cell phone number is programmed in to said phone.

"Just press four-six-Send," she says. And that's when the fun starts.

"Four-six-send...send...it's the little green button....the green button...okay, let's start over. Close the phone and open it again...Do you see Snoopy? Okay, now press four-six-send...send...Go back to Snoopy...Go back to Snoopy...It's four-six-send...Oh, I know. Here, go back to Snoopy...Now, press four and hold down the six...just hold down the six....Go back to Snoopy...Now, press four and hold down the six...No, no, don't turn around! Don't come back! Just press four-six...Okay." She breaks off and turns to me. "[RR], what's your cell phone number?"

7 comments:

Amstaff Mom said...

Classic Deals. Classic.

And I always pity an introvert around new people. I feel your pain.

chirky said...

Ahahahahahaaa!!! Oh my gosh, I love this conversation. There should be more Overheards.

So funny!

Lia said...

That was too great! I am tech support where I work (totally unofficially) and I get to do that "Go back to Snoopy" routine all the time. Except it's never Snoopy. I think I'll have to start saying that, and hope not to get fired for insanity.

RR said...

Lia, I think I'm going to have to start using "Go back to Snoopy" to mean "let's start over." Only a few people will know what I mean, but that's okay. We can be crazy together.

Jes, I'll have to start eavesdropping on other people's conversations, just so I can get some more "overheards." :)

AM: Isn't it just? And thanks for "feeling my pain." :)

Deals On Wheels said...

Haha! Good 'ole, technology-impaired Aunt Mimi!

Now, if it had been your phone, I would have had to say, "Go back to the picture of the half eaten food...push four, six, send...No, no...go back to the picture of the half eaten food again...are you there?...okay, close the phone and open it again...see the food?...good...!"

Amstaff Mom said...

Half-eaten food? I'm going to have to see your ph. sometime.

I think that if I started saying, "go back to Snoopy", people would start looking at me like I had reached a whole new level of strangeness. And that's not in a good way.

RR said...

Bianca: it was the Texas State Historical Association. Sorry for the delayed response.