Reach out and bug somebody.
Posted: Fri Mar 12, 2010 6:24 am
As I am not a big believer in running old tires (unsafe at any speed) and our set will be seven years old this spring, it now appears time to put some new shoes on the mule. We rarely run our tires over five years, some will make the trip, and some do not. After several blowouts and close calls because of side-wall failure, we have adopted a policy of running tires five years and then replacing.
So, I am at the tire shop; sitting there with every known smoker in the state of Oklahoma, our old hoopie needs new skins. You can just about bet that I can think of three other places to be beside’s the tire shop and the first two don’t even count.
Once again, I am considerably lighter in the checkbook because of my bus, this not one of those “Priceless Moments” you see on TV. Other than my ever present mild addiction to diet Dr. Pepper, this day has promise, it appears it is going to be a rather nice day, or at least that is what I thought.
Then it happens.
Thru the din of air wrenches and other related noise I hear it. My symbol of modern technology goes off, the cell-phone in my pocket starts ringing. Not wanting to answer it, I just ignore it, knowing full well that it will eventually drop the caller into voice mail; it is no big deal to me.
This guy sitting next to me however, is bothered by it ringing, he says “You gonna answer that?” and I reply, “Naw, it will go to voice mail.”
He then says, “It might be important, answer it.”
Which kind of irritated me, I mean, “Who is this bozo telling me to answer my phone?”
I reply, “no big deal, don’t worry about it.”
He then says, “It might be your kids.”
Jeeeze, how in the world does this complete stranger even know I have kids? The luck of the draw … I just wanted to have my new tires mounted and read my paper. Trying hard not to just stand up and strangle the guy, in a nice, calm voice I reply, “Listen, when you start paying $49.60 per month for this little marvel of technology, then you can tell me what to do with it.”
End of conversation.
While we are at it? Women and cell phones crack me up. Women see a number on their telephone and they do not recognize the number, so they then call the number, and ask who it is on their phone?
Never fails.
I can’t get enough of that, it just amazes the fizz out of me. I have on numerous occasions misdialed numbers and women will call me and ask who I am and why am I calling them. Wanting to know if I am personally entered into the Charles Manson early release stalker program or something.
Jeeeze Louise, it was a wrong number.
My wife yesterday had two of calls of this nature. She was given wrong numbers by people at work, so the women call her up and ask her what is going on. And on top of all this … She explains it to them! This is insane. I find two or three; sometimes even more numbers on my telephone routinely. And I just delete them.
That is a man for you. Pragmatic … To the point, most always.
Taking it one step farther … The Lone Ranger has an episode on today with a female sheriff …… What is this world coming to for crying out loud? Bad news for Comanche Joe and the folks in Gunstock! I seem to be on some kind of estrogen rush this morning. Hmmmm Kemo-Sabe … A female sheriff in Gunstock? Who would’ve ever thought.
And yes … I get letters …. lot’s and lot’s of letters.
This is why I spend a lot of my waking moments out in the bus shop, working out the wrinkles of man, 6” buffer in one hand and a new cleaning-shine-rag in the other, softly whistling in the wee hours of the night, and caressing my chrome.
See Y’all in the funny papers or at the tire shop, whichever comes first.
BCO
So, I am at the tire shop; sitting there with every known smoker in the state of Oklahoma, our old hoopie needs new skins. You can just about bet that I can think of three other places to be beside’s the tire shop and the first two don’t even count.
Once again, I am considerably lighter in the checkbook because of my bus, this not one of those “Priceless Moments” you see on TV. Other than my ever present mild addiction to diet Dr. Pepper, this day has promise, it appears it is going to be a rather nice day, or at least that is what I thought.
Then it happens.
Thru the din of air wrenches and other related noise I hear it. My symbol of modern technology goes off, the cell-phone in my pocket starts ringing. Not wanting to answer it, I just ignore it, knowing full well that it will eventually drop the caller into voice mail; it is no big deal to me.
This guy sitting next to me however, is bothered by it ringing, he says “You gonna answer that?” and I reply, “Naw, it will go to voice mail.”
He then says, “It might be important, answer it.”
Which kind of irritated me, I mean, “Who is this bozo telling me to answer my phone?”
I reply, “no big deal, don’t worry about it.”
He then says, “It might be your kids.”
Jeeeze, how in the world does this complete stranger even know I have kids? The luck of the draw … I just wanted to have my new tires mounted and read my paper. Trying hard not to just stand up and strangle the guy, in a nice, calm voice I reply, “Listen, when you start paying $49.60 per month for this little marvel of technology, then you can tell me what to do with it.”
End of conversation.
While we are at it? Women and cell phones crack me up. Women see a number on their telephone and they do not recognize the number, so they then call the number, and ask who it is on their phone?
Never fails.
I can’t get enough of that, it just amazes the fizz out of me. I have on numerous occasions misdialed numbers and women will call me and ask who I am and why am I calling them. Wanting to know if I am personally entered into the Charles Manson early release stalker program or something.
Jeeeze Louise, it was a wrong number.
My wife yesterday had two of calls of this nature. She was given wrong numbers by people at work, so the women call her up and ask her what is going on. And on top of all this … She explains it to them! This is insane. I find two or three; sometimes even more numbers on my telephone routinely. And I just delete them.
That is a man for you. Pragmatic … To the point, most always.
Taking it one step farther … The Lone Ranger has an episode on today with a female sheriff …… What is this world coming to for crying out loud? Bad news for Comanche Joe and the folks in Gunstock! I seem to be on some kind of estrogen rush this morning. Hmmmm Kemo-Sabe … A female sheriff in Gunstock? Who would’ve ever thought.
And yes … I get letters …. lot’s and lot’s of letters.
This is why I spend a lot of my waking moments out in the bus shop, working out the wrinkles of man, 6” buffer in one hand and a new cleaning-shine-rag in the other, softly whistling in the wee hours of the night, and caressing my chrome.
See Y’all in the funny papers or at the tire shop, whichever comes first.
BCO