Wednesday, March 4, 2015

Conversations by Rote


Saturday, Feb 14th, I entered Walmart at 6:40 AM 
And
for the next five minutes I entertained myself by standing and watching the SEVEN men who were shopping the candy, cards and flowers that filled the aisles .
The mid twenties, movie star gorgeous man had a GIANT box of candy under his arm, a $25 dollar bouquet in his hand while browsing cards. 
(my thought was handsome and has money)

Each of them stood and carefully selected, picking up and putting down, concentrating so carefully on finding just the right one.  
Should I get 5 dollar Flowers With Candy or 25 dollar flowers and no candy.
I kid you not, I was having a blast and 
then

I watched as a man dressed in black leather jacket, black T-shirt with skulls on it, boots and long hair, stepped in the door and stopped in front of the display of some kind of X box game called magic. the games had skulls and crossbones on them, he studied them all carefully and then with a HUGE sigh he shrugged his shoulders and left the games and wandered reluctantly to the cards and candy. 

I laughed and left, although I wanted to spend the morning.



Bob and I have so many Conversations by rote, I decided to share two that are used over and over in our house.


Sandra: Bob, it is still 66 outside
Bob: Really?
(no, I just felt like saying that)

Sandra: Do you want another cup of coffee?
Bob; Yes, if there is enough.
(really there isn't, i just wanted to ask if you WANTED one)

the most famous of them all is
Hi, How are you? Fine, how are you?

Can you think of examples of mechanical conversations?


24 comments:

Unknown said...

BOL funny. He should have resisted the peer pressure and bought the game. Have a wonderful Wednesday.
Best wishes Molly

betty-NZ said...

Ah, men just get so freaked out by Valentines' Day!! Great story.

Anonymous said...

That is too funny about VD at WalMart! We have similar conversations all the time!!!

Jo said...

Ah what a lovely post! We also have conversations by rote - trying to think of few - not succeeding! Have a great day. Jo x

My Mind's Eye said...

MOL MOL LOL LOL LOL
Oh MS the only thing that could have made this story any better was if MS had been able to snap away while the men were at the display.

My favorite rote is the response to many 'you, too'! With no clue to what was said. My least favorite is the reply of 'awesome' to EVERYTHING.
For instance at the grocery store the total was 5.03. I said I have 3 cents, 'awesome'. AND nearly everytime I say thank you when out and about the reply I receive is, 'no problem'. What happened you you are welcomed.
Hugs Cecilia and madi
Stepping off my soap box

DeniseinVA said...

Laughing at the thought of the card aisle, and the new word I have learned today, AND your 66 deg. temperatures. We are having a heatwave, it is going to get up to 45. Can't get too excited though. We are expecting several inches of snow tomorrow.

From the Kitchen said...

Our mechanical conversations are pretty much the same as yours.

Best,
Bonnie

eileeninmd said...

Sandra, funny story about the men in the isle with the Valentine's Day cards..What is it about men and Valentine's Day anyway? Rote is a new word for me, hubby and I have had similar conversations though.. Have a great day, I wish you could send up to some warm air to us..Happy Wednesday!

Cranberry Morning said...

What fun it was to read of the people watching. Lol we have mechanical conversations here too.

'Did Misty go out yet?'
'Yeah.'
'Did she go 3?'
'Yeah.'
'Great!'

Then there was the time I made someone mad when, after dinner, I asked if they would like apple pie or peach pie for dessert. While they were pondering the great question, I told them that there wasn't actually any dessert, but I was just wondering.

Anonymous said...

This blog is too funny. I enjoyed all with my cuppa Coffee.

Oh they say coffee is good for the heart now.

I will have another pot Sid. I am in computer room looking at Sandra's
blog. Sandra asks Bob if he wants another cup of coffee but she don't have anymore. Ha-ha. Poor guy.

Sid yells back to me . I drank the last cup. We don't either.

Hmmmmmmmmmmmm

TexWisGirl said...

laughing at your conversations. :)

EG CameraGirl said...

Yep, your conversations sound somewhat familiar. ;)

Marie said...

Kyle plays xbox and I've never heard of that game.
Your conversations crack me up!

Rose said...

I bet if we were together watching those guys, we would have had even more fun.

I am couldn't name all the conversations by rote...the one thing is my oldest daughter has never the first time wanted catchup with or on anything, yet my husband always asks her.

If we are at a restaurant and it offers country fried steak for breakfast, he points it out to me...I don't want beef for breakfast..I don't care if it is a t-bone or ribeye, or whatever, I don't want beef with eggs and biscuits and gravy. We have been married almost 39 years and he still asks that.

Daughter has more patience about the catchup than I do about the beef.

Ginny Hartzler said...

I LOVE this post! And I always think of men as grabbing the first decent card they see and running out the store. So this story is incredible! Hmmm, here is one for us.
It is is 0 degrees!!! Silence...
0 DEGREES!!! Silence.
ZERO!!!
"Why are you screaming?
"Because I thought you did not hear me, being partly deaf now."
"I heard you, but this was a statement so it needed no answer"
"But you could at least have let me know you heard me!"...and so on and so on...

DawnTreader said...

Valentine's Day not so big here. The shops do display some stuff so I suppose they must also sell some - but I never witnessed any scenes like those you describe :)

The routine question I hate is the "how are you" that is really only expecting the answer "fine" whatever the truth might be. That still doesn't stop me from doing the same to others, though - it's so deeply rooted in most of us as the common greeting phrase...

Debby@Just Breathe said...

Working at Hallmark for 7 years we would laugh how the wife or sections designed for men to buy would be the last to go and usually on the very day!
That's an interesting word and we certainly have those kind of conversations here.

Ann Thompson said...

That would have been fun to watch all those men.
The most common conversation around here is
What do you want for dinner?
I don't know what do you want?
I don't know

Grandma C said...

Now that sounds like fun watching men decide on which card and gift to buy.
Even the wild looking ones have the desire inside them to treat their loved one special.
Now I can hardly wait till next year so I can be a fly on the wall too. lol

Chatty Crone said...

Love the poor men there - never knowing what to do for gifts.

And yes - many ROTE conversations here! lol

Betty Manousos said...

too funny conversations. lol!

Cheryl @ TFD said...

lol! We have lots of those kind of conversations.
And I love to see men trying to pick out flowers at WalMart. Most of them know don't know beans about them and think nothing of picking up a bouquet of half wilted flowers! Oh well, it's the thought that counts.

diane b said...

You have people watching down to a fine art. Yes we have those rote conversations. "Do you want a cup of tea?" "Is the pope catholic?'

Susannah said...

You and Bob are the best! I read your blog every time with a big smile or giggle! Especially when you repeat the great conversations between you and Bob. That happens here but ....remember Jim wears 2 (two) hearing aids......and it is difficult....but I love the old boy!!!

Sorry I have not been up to date with your blog lately.....You know I have the bad back, Fibro and now....guess what? they are pretty sure I have had gout. It was bad, Sandy. Too much pain all over the place every day.

Hope you are fine. I have missed talking to you.