Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Breaking Tradition

Joyce and I have rituals -- probably because we’re both so brain-dead we can’t remember what we’re supposed to be doing if it isn’t what we always do. The only other possible explanation is we're Catholics and don't know it.

Anyway, one of our rituals is a conversation we have whenever I’m ready to leave the office. I call home and (thanks to caller ID) Joyce knows that I’m the one ringing her line, so she answers with her traditional liturgy.

You see, I usually take the train, but sometimes I'll drive, so (after one close call when I almost rode the train home -- thus abandoning my car in a downtown Dallas parking lot) we've mutually agreed to discuss my mode of transportation before I set out. Since I usually have a train to catch, we keep the conversation brief. Yesterday Joyce again answered with her usual one word question:
Joyce: "Train?"

But rather than replying as protocol dictates, "Train!" I spiced it up with:
Bob: "Hi, beautiful! How was your day?"

That stumped her:
Joyce: "Uhhhh ... Who is this? And How do you know I’m beautiful over the phone?"

Bob: "It's the guy you've been sleeping with. Your pretty face is the one thing I won't ever forget. By the way, I’m taking the train -- see you soon."

Joyce: {Sigh} "I love you, you know."

Bob: "Love you more."

12 comments:

Teresa said...

Now... where did leave my car???

LOL.

Jerry said...

It must be a Texas thing.

When Barbara called to let me know she was coming home this evening I answered with a single word: "Train".

Her response was "Huh? Did you say 'train'?"

Mrs. JP said...

You two beat all! Thanks for the "awwwww moment." True love it is.

Bag Blog said...

Toby and I have had similar conversations. Once we were suppose to meet somewhere, but my cell phone was dying and everytime I called him, the phone would go dead after a few words. So I pulled over at a convenience store and used their landline to call Toby's cell. Thinking that he could only say one word before my phone died, he answered with, "Walmart!" I replied, "Sorry, I have the wrong number."

His work number at Halliburton shows up as "unavailable" on my caller id. I used to answer with something a bit sexy now and then, but Jesse went to work for Halliburton and her phone id is also "unavailable," which caused some embarrassment.

joyce said...

I guess it does sound strange now that you describe it, but I know you cut it close to catch the trains, and if I wax too long, you'd miss your bathroom break, as well as have to take the later train.

But, tomorrow, you have jury duty here at our hometown, so if you don't get on a jury, and drive in, and then call tomorrow evening to say you are on the way home, and I say, "train?" you will say, no, don't you remember I had jury duty? And I will say I was just testing you, even though I will have forgotten...by then...even though it was a completely different routine.

caller ID says you are in Grand Prairie----which is a hoot, 'cause you are supposidly in downtown Dallas.

joyce said...

we also have this game we play about "I love you..." and you say, "I love you more..." and then I say, "no, I love you more..." and back and forth.

sometimes I will slip with the kids, when they say I love you back, and say, "I love you more" and there is this silence, as they refuse to play the game. Maybe they are thinking to themselves, of course you love me more, you are my mom, and therefore, you have been around longer to love me, or you have to...

Bob said...

My laptop chose yesterday to quit booting up and now the dang DSL modem/router at home has died. AT&T is send us a new modem, but it won't arrive until Monday. So I guess all my FarmVille crops are all gonna die. Oh the humanity!

Catiche said...

I love these blogs. I love the Christmas one about the truck, which is sort of like the story about Langston Hughes not seeing Jesus when he was saved as boy. Very good stories.

Oh, and snow? Could barely pick out my car from among the neighbors' vehicles on our heavy snow days this year. Almost lost it right in front of the house.

joyce said...

Bob's laptop is not even one year old, so, still under warranty, hopefully. But, he is still "down" and when he uses my computer, he is saving his crops. ha. (farmville addicted, he is)

Since Bob voted today, and drove on in to work downtown, he just called and said he was driving home to play with his tools in the garage for the upcoming insulation project. Surely, he will blog about it. blown-in insulation. twenty bags sit in the garage. Bob's diagram is a work of art. Wish the scanner was working, so I could share it.

joyce said...

or maybe he will blog about the new digital meter?? He even came up with a great name for it: Watt-hour-meter, said to the tempo like we do the "what-a-burger" ad.

Hula Doula said...

AWWW True love.

joyce said...

Thank you for insulating the attic ! I think it makes the house quieter... and your laptop comes home on Monday. Then you can blog and farm !!!