Monday, February 4, 2008

Anharmonic Convergence

Today's story is another convergence of categories. It's both a True Story From One Of My Jobs and Another Reason Why People Don't Talk To Me.

This goes back to a time when I worked with a lady named Marie. For some reason, it had become apparent that Marie was really irritated by alliteration. So, of course I began using as many alliterative phrases as could reasonably be worked into conversation. There finally came a point where I quit being reasonable. Read the following aloud for best effect.

One day as Marie sat down at her desk, next to mine, I began a conversation with the random co-worker sitting on the other side of her.

"Hey, random co-worker, know what I heard?" The random co-worker may or may not have responded; it really doesn't matter now and certainly wouldn't have mattered then. I forged ahead with the bit.

"Mischevious monkeys mauled Marie's minivan."

Marie, unsure whether to laugh, cry, or drop a heavy object on me, expressed her admiration for this turn of phrase by muttering, "Shut up, you idiot."

Prepared for a negative reaction, I had my apology ready. "Sorry. I'll stop saying silly sentences with strings of similar sounds."


Enough rambling. Here's a picture of my bathroom door.

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