Random thought of the day

I really need to get my basement sound proofed.

My "office" is down in the basement.

Occasionally when I'm on the phone with a client the dogs will bark, but they are upstairs so it's a bit muffled.

Today howerever, I was on a conference call and I had my phone on speaker so that I could surf the web work at the same time when someone upstairs flushed a toilet and the sound of rushing water coming through the pipes was very loud!

Everyone on the call asked if I was OK.

:::sigh:::

Ok...so I think you all know by now I was a total dork most of my life.

Actually...I still am, but when you are an adult you turn the term "dork" into: eclectic, eccentric, "has experienced life" or "well...she grew up when that was popular" excuse!

My taste in music has..."developed" over time and it isn't as bad as it was...but I have to admit that I like most music that most people "my age and generation" don't really like.

When I was a teenager...TV was my companion. I loved variety shows: Sonny and Cher, Donnie and Marie, Flip Wilson, The Smothers Brothers, and of course the queen: Carol Burnette.

But there was one that not too many people remember: The Shields and Yarnell Show

Anyone remember that one?

Anyone?

Anyone at all?

Didn't think so.

If you don't remember them...let me tell you about THE best talent that ever graced the television screen!

Shields and Yarnell were Mimes.

Yes...you read correctly...Mimes.

And they had their own show...so you KNOW they weren't just your ordinary mimes...they were "special" mimes!

Robert...(and I can call him Robert because I met him in person doncha know) actually studied with Marcel Marceau! The most famous mime of all time!!!

Lorene was a dancer and they met...fell in love...mimed together and had a show!

One of the routines that made them famous was this robot routine...it was pure genius!

Here is a taste just so you can get an idea of what they did:




Brilliant right?

Well...I thought so.

So much that I practiced the robot in my room all the time, and actually became quite good at it.

I had dreams of running away and joining Bob and Lorene on the road.

Here I am in my white face....damn I went through a lot of grease paint and eyeliner back then.

:::sigh:::

Unfortunately, their show was cancelled and I kind of got over my "mime" phase.

My dream of stardom...crashed on the rocks of low ratings.

The crowning glory of my teen-dom was meeting Shields and Yarnell in person! My Dad used to do a lot of PR work for the casino's in Atlantic City and got comp tickets to their show...and I got to meet them...shake their hands...TALK TO THEM...and...

yes...

I got their autograph!

I am soooooo totally cool I can't even stand it!

This post is dedicated to my brother and author of Monkeytooth...because he shared my love of Shields and Yarnell and was always secretly jealous that I had their autograph and he didn't!

I am not smooth

I'm a bit rough around the edges.

I am certainly not eloquent either - but I do try to keep myself from sounding like an idiot, most of the time.

It doesn't always work.

On Saturday, a colleague from our UK office who was attending the same conference I was had invited me out to dinner "with some buddies" after the reception that was being held at the Phoenix Art Museum.

My colleague - who I shall refer to as "B" is kind of high up in the food chain in our UK office. She's the director of this and that and has gobs and gobs of experience....knows all the right people...yadda, yadda, yadda.

I was very flattered that she invited me.

At dinner, I was seated right in between two people (these are "B's" buddies) that are verly well known and respected within the industry that I work in. We'll call them Mr. C and Mrs. H.

I felt immediately "out of my league" in the company of these people, but did my very best to keep up with them...learn from them...etc. I had only one beer - because I needed something cold and refreshing after walking 15 blocks in the freakin' AZ sun and thought it would be best if I didn't have any other alcohol to drink so that I can keep my wits about me. (Now I'm thinking I should have had LOTS more)

They were having a conversation about technology in the market...something and something...and it was a topic that really interested me so I attempted to "jump into" the conversation.

So....I waited for my moment and then lept in with: "I had a very interesting conversation with a few librarians while waiting in line for hors d'ourves about something very similar....."

Then it happened...

my mind when completely blank....

and I totally forgot what I was going to say and what point I was trying to make.

The heat in my neck started to rise up to my face as I felt myself blush. My ears turned bright red and felt like they were going to burn off my head.

I paused...attempted to pull myself together...I looked at them both and just said:

"I have totally lost my train of thought and have forgotten what point I was trying to make."

They chuckled - politely (which is like the kiss of death) and resumed their conversation.

As sweat poured out of every pore in my body and my heart felt like it was going to burst out of my chest and leap across the table....I sunk slowly back into my chair and hoped I could recover.

There were a few redeeming moments later on and in the taxi back to the hotel Mrs. H. and I did have a very nice conversation about the project that she is working on and I actually understood what she was talking about, but I hope I won't be remembered as the idiot they had dinner with.

Please tell me I'm not the only one this has ever happened to?

Aaaachooooo

Has this ever happened to you?

You are leaving a voice mail for someone - like a client and then all of a sudden in mid-sentence - you SNEEZE?

Please - someone tell me I'm not the only idiot this has ever happened to.