An Interesting Event From My Past.

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I had started a job in my local town as a bicycle mechanic and sales assistant in a local newly opened sports store. We were all shown around the new store. It was being finished off as we were being shown. In the little managers office was a fax machine which was about the size of an old small photocopier (2ft x 2ft x 1 1/2ft approx.). I asked a new work college "What does it do?" He said "You can fax things to people".
I was impressed. What marvelous technology we have. I was told I can use it whenever I needed to. I couldn't wait!
Now within a short period of time of about a month, I was quickly promoted to be head of the bicycle department while the lady who was head of the department became deputy store manager. (She was more suited to that roll then the one she was in).
Now I had ended up with a few bicycles which needed replacement parts as certain parts had come in damaged. I managed to swap parts around so all the damaged parts ended up on the one bike, so at least the other bikes were ready for sale. My manager asked me about the bike and I told him why I could not sell it and he said to contact the manufacturer. Now I had not yet contacted any of the bicycle manufacturers yet, so I thought it was an ideal opportunity to introduce myself and give a good impression as I was going to contact them many times in the future.
Now not knowing how I should conduct myself as being a head of a bicycle department, I assumed I was supposed to sound like I was someone in a senior role... So when I got through to the gentleman I needed to contact, I did my bestto make my voice sound rather posh... (Haha!). It was funny. I could somehow tell the gentleman was a bit put out by this, but I was doing my best to sound like a head of a department in the way I assumed heads of departments should sound!
Anyway. I informed the gentleman that I had a bicycle that needed several parts replacing and I had told him the reason why. "Alright" he said, "I'll send a lorry."
... And I thought to myself that I had an ideal opportunity here to impress him so he didn't think I was a stuck up person.... so I replied "No need. We've got a fax machine. I can fax it to you!"
Well.... You know when you get one of those silences over the other end of the phone where you start thinking "Have I said or done something wrong? Well, I had one of them.. and then, he said
"Ok...., You do that then."
So I politely said my goodbyes and went to get the bike. I took the bike over to the managers office, and though there was not much room in there, I brought it into the office. I picked up the bike, ad held it off the floor and looked at the size of the bike compared to the size of the fax machine. I had been looking forward soo much to using this machine and I had the right fax number to use with me, but how the .... How am I going to get this bike to fit in such a small machine?
I was standing there with these thoughts when my manager walked in to use his office. He looked at me holding the bike and he said unrepeatable words which translated meant "What are you doing with that bike in my office!" (Haha!)
I told him that I was going to fax it to the manufacturer.
He said "You've not used a fax machine before have you?"
Though I soo much wanted to impress and say yes, I had to admit that I had not. He the spent the next 15 minutes showing me how to use the fax machine going over all its functions etc. (It can also be used to copy things as well. Useful machine!"
When it dawned on me that this modern technology was not quite as good as I had thought it was.. I suddenly realized I will need to phone the manufacturer back. I said to my manager "Can you phone for me?" He smiled and said "No. That's your job!"
Oh... The phonecall was soo embarissing! I was a bit abrupt. I got through. The gentleman answered. I forgot all about a posh accent and said "Tell you what. I am going to need that lorry after all!"
Since that day and the time I worked for that company, somehow I got on so well with the man who dealt with returns etc for the manufacturer that nothing aas too much trouble. Somehow the event broke the ice much better then I would have thought. But a rather unusual way to get to talk to the manufacturers! Haha!

Don't go patting yourself on the back just yet ... but this just might be your funniest story, yet ...

Well... I have many stories like that. Stories that are easy for me to tell, as they happened to me in real life. Maybe not exactly stories... More recolections of events which did not go to plan?

I say this with great affection ... I truly don't doubt that !

You are totally unique, I swear(... and please don't take that literally ...) ... ! I was very quiet, so flew well and truly under the radar, especially being very into sports(solitary sports like long distance running, swimming, handball etc etc), but my sister certainly took things very literally. She's 10 years older, but we grew up very close ... she means the world to me ... she was diagnosed about 5 years ago as being on the spectrum. She was told to "pull her socks up" in school, so did just that. As we were chatting, I mentioned the book "Unintentional Humor: Celebrating the Literal Mind(The Literal Mind of Autism) ... An excerpt about the book ..."Phrases such as "frog in my throat," "you're in the dog house" and "give me a ring" took on an entirely different meaning for Brent, who had the habit of understanding phrases and statements quite literally. Working alongside an artist, Brent ensured that each illustrative account was captured exactly as he envisioned it in his mind at the time. Linda also shares stories alongside many of the pictures, offering lighthearted accounts that occurred over the years with her son, as well as others."

So clearly I wouldn't have had a hope of hearing you ... my nickname was "mouse". I later graduated to "Super Squeak". So our conversations in school would have consisted of boardgames in the library at lunch time(perhaps Mastermind), and sharing music perhaps ... very little dialogue ... you talk non-stop now though ... what happened ??

Prayer was very effective ... Love board games! I have a new boardgame, as yet unplayed ... Jumanji ... just hope no-one grows a monkey's tail or that a herd of elephants doesn't destroy all my recent DIY !

Oh ... at least ... definitely an R I'd say ...

If I had done that I'd be getting comments about it for years.

Do they have a less 'piss taking' culture in wales?

(Funny story)

Haha. Well. None of the other workers knew about it and the manger kept it to himself. He probably told his wife! I was too embarissed to mention it.

But other things I have done... Haha! Yes!

Ha that's great he kept it to himself. Don't know if I'd even be able to do that.