A funny thing happened the other day...

Robbie · Post by **Robbie** » Sun May 09, 2004 2:43 pm

Have a tale to tell?

Getting Personal
When it comes to your business, the importance of customer relationships cannot be stressed enough, or so you thought…

Tokasa, my wife, worked in our family accounting business for 3½ years and in that time made a habit of sending little personal messages she had created to my printer. Depending on circumstances it may have been a ‘how are you doing letter’; ‘sorry for being grumpy’ or just a ‘love you’ note. They didn’t arrive at any particular time of the day either and always turned up unannounced.

One day, our little affair came to light much to the amusement of the rest of staff. I was called to my dad’s office where my mum & younger brother were assembled. I was dutifully informed that ‘we have a problem with these financial statements’… or rather I did as I am responsible for all data entry & reports presentation. My brother had tried to maintain a serious countenance but for want of self control was instead cacking himself laughing.

Taking back the Financial Statements I had just bound not 10 minutes before, I sifted past the profit & loss, balance sheet, depreciation schedule, letter & discovered an additional note reserved not even for the best of our clients… intended for me, destined for a client, it had obviously slipped unnoticed into my print queue.

Robbie

popo · Post by **popo** » Sun May 09, 2004 4:07 pm

Aah. Bless.

Wish someone would send me notes like that

Davimad · Post by **Davimad** » Sun May 09, 2004 4:16 pm

You and me both popo!

Robbie, you have given me another idea

The most embarrassing thing that has ever happened to you!

What do you think?

Thanks for sharing that with us.

M.A.D.

SharonM · Post by **SharonM** » Sun May 09, 2004 6:19 pm

That's sweet Robbie. And very romantic. I loved the story. Thanks.

Robbie · Post by **Robbie** » Mon May 10, 2004 12:15 am

Uh huh. Ever since she went into full-time motherhood, I've missed my notes. I can tell you though that after that I always watched for what was coming out of my printer

Mmmm... embarrassing Maureen huh?

Well, this didn't happen to me but to one of my brothers on a little trip...

Department of Water & Waste... I Guess
Back in 1990 as I’ve previously mentioned, we went a holiday to the land of OldPete & Popo, England, where my mum’s parents were from. We stayed in London before venturing out to the countryside, various towns & cities, Wales and Scotland (Bear country right?). And later on to Holland (where my dad was born), Germany, Austria, France.

We had an amazing time & it was a real eye-opener. The history, the beauty, the sheer age of places. My home town of Moree is famous in Australia for its natural hot artesian waters – 1st discovered in the 1890’s. Then we visited Bath (with similar waters) which has been in use since Roman times! We visited castles 1000 years old & even one B&B we stayed in out in the countryside we learned was over 400 years old, built some 70 years before our country was even settled. Places like Stonehenge... they were just a fraction of the wonders we saw before we even left England.

While we were in London, we dearly wanted to go & visit Portabello (?) Road from the movie Bednobs & Broomsticks – if it even existed. Well, as we discovered it did exist, and so, one sunny day (of the 2 such days in 3 weeks) we got in our hired car & found our way there. The markets were simply amazing – everything & anything... I went for a wander but spent most of my time in a comic shop I found there. At the appointed time we all met back at the car and left to go back to the motel.

As we were driving off my mum pointed out one particular public convenience she had visited & commented that she had to pay 10p to use it. Bit stiff if you don’t have any change... One of my brothers pondered this concept, not too deeply, before enquiring innocently “who gets all the p”...

some moments passed before he realised what he'd said...

Robbie

Jersey · Post by **Jersey** » Mon May 10, 2004 1:47 am

Funny tales, Robbie! Nice to know I'm not the only one who can embarrass myself in public.

I was 17, and journeying through England, much the same as Robbie, family in tow. We had just spent a very full and very frustrating day in London, trying to get our EuroRail passes for the next leg of our journey. My aunt and I tried to make the 2 hour trainride home pass quickly by playing Hangman. After an hour or so we started coming up with words that described our day in the city: frustrating, getting lost, getting off at the wrong "Tube" platform, that sort of thing.

Now, picture me, a gawky 17 year old, self-conscious, like any teenager, flirting with a good-looking guy sitting a few seats away (well, actually we just kept glancing at each other, and blushing), and trying to be ever so grown up and professional.

It was my turn to guess the letters; already my aunt had drawn a head, neck, arms and one leg in the noose, when it clicked. I was so excited to finally have guess correctly after a dozen or so hangings, that I shouted out just as the train went into a tunnel, and plunged everything into silence.

The word was meant to describe my down-in-the-mouth, don't-want-to-be-here attitude all day - JACKASS...the worst part was, I didn't shout the word, but rather immitated the animal, and rather loudly - EEY AHHH EEY AHHH...the whole carriage erupted with laughter, including the good-looking guy and his cute friends. I was so glad when my mother decided to get off at the next stop.

Davimad · Post by **Davimad** » Mon May 10, 2004 1:02 pm

Thanks for the laugh Robbie and Jersey.

I am sitting here literally "down in the mouth" so really in need of a good laugh...... One of my fillings has come out and split my gum.OUCH!

I have had so many embarrassing moments in my life, it would take me to write a book on them!

One in particular always makes me laugh.

Years ago I had an elderly gentleman as a neighbour, he was great fun and always ready with a joke.

One of his favourite things, was to look over into my backyard and make funny comments about my smalls hanging on the line.

I had one of those rotary dryers, placing small items on the inside and larger ones outside.

He maintained that my wee pants were put on the inside to be hidden from his view.
The neighbour on his other side was a very stout woman, he called her smalls "passion killers"!

Anyway, one day I thought of giving him one in the eye.

I placed my smalls on the outside of the line and placed a large placard next to them.
I had drawn two large eyes and wrote, LOOK THIS WAY AT MAUREEN'S KNICKERS!

I forgot that the coalman was due to deliver that day!

I heard the coal lorry stopping outside, I rushed downstairs to grab the placard.......... too late!
There he was, bag of coal on his back.......... staring at my washing line!

I never went out to pay him again, left his money inside the coal bunker!

My neighbour found this hilarious and told anyone that would listen.

Wonder if that's really why I moved house!

M.A.D.

Jersey · Post by **Jersey** » Mon May 10, 2004 7:34 pm

Oh, Maureen! That's the funniest I've heard yet!

I really have to stop reading these posts when I'm at work, I'm gonna get into trouble laughing out loud all by myself.

Davimad · Post by **Davimad** » Mon May 10, 2004 7:49 pm

They would never believe you Jersey, if you told them what you were laughing at.

That same neighbour also liked a wee drink.

One day I had all my cuddly toys hanging on the rotary dryer and a line stretching the full length of the yard.

They were all shapes, sizes and colours..... including a massive blue elephant.

The neighbour, slightly staggering, came out of the house looked over the wall and immediately scurried back in.

John and I were in stitches, maybe it put him off drink for life!

M.A.D.

Jersey · Post by **Jersey** » Tue May 11, 2004 12:45 am

Just think, maybe you started a whole new thing for curing alcoholics!

Hanging blue elephants where they least expect to see them!

I know it would sober me up pretty quick!