11:07 a.m. | 2004-02-18 What Goes Around Comes Around. That�s trite, but true. As you can see, I�ve been out and about lassoing clich�s. It�s not really a hobby of mine, but sometimes I just turn into my mother. Or somebody�s mother. Whatever. The details aren�t important. So, Colleague (C) stopped by our office (the one occupied by OMC and I) today to say hi and be friendly. That�s never happened before, since Colleague is all the way down the hall from us, but I�m guessing we were just a convenient stop. Along the way. To the, uh, elevator. I haven�t mentioned it to Colleague, or even to you, but I�ve noticed that C�s been taking the elevator up and down to and from the second floor. Frankly, I had anticipated that. Notwithstanding his new workout plan. Which makes it even stranger. See, the stairs almost slap you in the face when you enter the front door, however the elevators are all the way down at the other end of the building. From the entry point and from C�s office all the way up on the second floor. I�m guessing that it�s actually more work, but less of a workout, to walk all the way from one end of the building back to the other end than to just walk up the two flights of stairs at the same end of the building. More patience too, since the building is old and the elevator is, apparently, notoriously slow. Granted, I haven�t tested that all out myself, with my pedometer and patience, and I will say that the stairs are especially steep, however, it seems like more work, for less of a workout, to me to take the elevator. But, that�s all about C�s workout plan and not mine. And, frankly, it�s off point too. A little frolic and detour there around the point. So� the point? Oh yeah, C, OMC and I were discussing something and C and I started using �old fashioned� terms and OMC started mocking us. For background, there�s a 10-year difference between C and I, and OMC. I had this to say. (CI:) You can mock us all you want. (OMC:) I�m not trying to mock you, just teasing ya. (CI:) I know. That�s what�s so funny to me. And, frankly, why I don�t care. Because, in 10 years, you�ll be hearing all the same stuff you�re saying now. But, like me, you�ll find it funny. (C:) Exactly. (OMC:) I know, because I�m hearing some of that already. (CI:) No, see you don�t even have a clue about how funny it becomes. Really. And, again, it�s even funnier because you don�t give a rat�s ass. At all. I mean, at all. Shoot, wait until I hit the forties. That�s when you really refine that whole �don�t give a shit� thing. And the fifties? That's when you just flip off people, or wear florescent pink suits, or well, I don�t know, start randomly knocking people over. Because� you just don�t care what anyone thinks anymore. That�s probably when I�ll start the first page of a very long rap sheet. I jest, I jest. That�s probably when I�ll be petting bunnies and making lead-laden recipes for my pencil collection. Do pencils still contain lead? Anyway, I made a purchase today that amounted to $3.76. This is that. (Cashier:) That�ll be $3.76 please. (CI:) (Handing him four $1 bills.) (Cashier:) Thank you. (CI:) Wait! Wait! I have a penny! (Cashier:) (Looking at me as if I�d said: �Put your hands in the air, I�ve got a guinea pig!�. Then staring while I was fumbling with my change.) (CI:) Here! Here�s a penny! (Cashier:) (Holding out his hand rather reluctantly � like I�m gonna give him a dung beetle.) Oookaaaay. (Doing the dismissive shrug � like, hey, she�s the crazy person, not me � then punching in the amount I gave him only to be surprised at my change amount.) Oh, here�s your quarter. (CI:) Thank you. (Cashier:) (Looking back and forth from the register to me. Like it�s a mystery.) And, frankly, it is. I don�t fault the cashiers for not knowing about all the change and math stuff. Hell, that comes from actually adding stuff up, taking money, subtracting and counting back change. They�re not taught that anymore. Well, hopefully they learn that at school or something, but they certainly don�t learn about it when manning a push-button or scanning register. I love the look when I give them $21 and some change in order to get $5 back. It�s one of those looks that says: �Okay, I only know 10 kinds of crazy and you�re a 9.� Until they hand me a five dollar bill. Then the look says: �Oh, you�re either a 10 or you know how to do math.� That�s a toss up right there. Even on a good day. your thoughts? seed flower