Clarification!!!

Okay, so between Lauren and my mom, I am going to get my butt handed to me for the Southern accent comments. (If you read the comment posts, the one addressing me using my full name would be my mother. For anyone who couldn’t guess.) Let me clarify. I use y’all a lot, as y’all are probably aware. And I am proud of my upbringing. However, the times I am aware of that have used the word “y’all” in a business setting outside of Charlotte (or other parts of the South) usually ends up getting a huge laugh and lots of jokes. So I try to be a little more formal when I am not at home. Otherwise, I could care less. Over here, though, since I already have an outsider accent and there are big differences in what certain things mean, I try to be a little more formal with what I say, just to avoid any confusion. (See my post from the weekend on the word “route.”) Hopefully that explanation clarifies it a little...
So this morning was a cold and rainy morning. But as I headed out of my building into the rain, I at least got a laugh to start off my day. There was a note on the concierge desk by the lifts this morning. It was from one of the other tenants, and in black marker stated something similar to the following:
Dear Inconsiderate Jerk who steals my newspaper every morning,
I have cancelled my subscription to the newspaper so that you can no longer steal it and read it every morning. Thank you so much for taking away the one thing that brings me happiness in my day.
The note was gone when I got home that night. And to help you understand, each morning there is a stack of papers delivered to the building. The papers are left sitting on the desk, and each paper has a number on it that correlates to the flat number that subscribes. Some days, some of the papers are still sitting there when I get home in the evening. It is up to the owner to come down and pick it up. So I have seen people read through them at the desk, and, I will admit, I have even stood there and glanced at the fist page to see the headlines. But I can’t say I ever thought they were free for the taking. Kind of bold, especially since there are video cameras in the lobby. Maybe this guy will try to hunt down whomever it was that stole his paper. Sweet!
As I got onto the bus, you could tell that school was back in session. I took a different bus today than last week, only because the one I rode last week was so packed. This one was less crowded, but it was full of school kids. I managed to find a seat in the back, right there with most of the kids. In fact, I sat next to one of the students, but he just stared out the window the whole time. If I had to guess, I would say the kids were mostly 12-15 years old, and most of the kids were girls. (The boys on the bus were pretty quiet.) At first, it was kind of entertaining to hear these girls talk. Picture the 12-year-olds you hear at the mall (Oh My God! SQUEEEEAAAAL!), but with Australian accents. So I was laughing as I listened to them carry on for a few minutes. But by the end of the ride? Freaking annoying.
While the bus was riding along, I looked over at one point, and saw this woman riding a scooter. It made me laugh. It was not a moped, but one of those Vespa kind of things. You know, a seat on wheels with a floorboard for your feet? Anyway, the reason it was so funny was because she was on this scooter, and obviously had her hair pulled up into her helmet, because you could see part of the bandana hanging out the back. But she was wearing one of those pirate-pant Capri pantsuits, and she had on these boots with stiletto heels on them. It just looked hilarious to see this woman in her professional outfit (not sure of the profession), while riding a scooter. Hilarious!
When I got into work, I learned that a couple of new people started here today. So I am no longer the newbie here! Although I’m not sure that’s a good thing – now what do I blame things on if I screw up? Of course, I think the new people are all from Australia and the UK. Go figure.
Not much else to share in the series of events for Monday. So, as usual, I will leave you with my mX update for the day. Drum roll, please...
TEXT VENTS:
“To the hot blonde who catches the 7.32am train from Guildford: Tell your hairy friend to hurry up and leave – I want your number.” – Anthony, Guildford
“Gem, your joke about Heath Ledger, although funny, was a little too soon. Is it wrong that I laughed loudly on the train when I read it?” – Erin, Sydney
Prelude to the next one: A guy put a comment in mX the other day saying that he would never get up on the train just so a pregnant woman can sit down, because he has been working hard all day and is tired. In response:
“Bernie, it’s people like you that make me angry. I’m seven months pregnant and can’t stand for long or I’ll vomit. I hope you’re near when I do. I’ll aim.” – Amanda, Blacktown
STORY OF THE DAY:
It’s a tie! There are two, both set in the US.
1. The first is news from Michigan. Apparently two teens kayaked across a lake and stole beer and Red Bull from a tiki bar on the lakeshore. The owner saw the guys paddle away and called the cops. How did they catch the guys? I guess you shouldn’t paddle while intoxicated, either. One guy spilled some cans out into the water when his kayak tipped. The police simply followed the trail of cans...
2. Always good arrest stories from the US: A Chicago man had robbed the same gas station three times since December. Apparently he frequented this place because he lived pretty close to the gas station. At the final robbery, the cops showed up relatively quickly, and the gas station employees were able to point the robber out, as he was walking home.