Thank you all - this smacks of hunting for compliments (there is someone here that knows I would not do such a thing), so I am going away now. Yes, it made my day and yes, had to share. Yes, my powers are only for the good of man- (and woman-) kind.
Okay, I am officially dropping the UOM (Ugly Old Man) thing. For today, at least. Thank you Jay, Jeff, and
True story - and I am a horrible liar. Some would find this a virture, perhaps less so for one that works at an ad agency.
I left the office early today, since I am looking at an 18-hour day tomorrow shooting a commercial. I'll be up at 3:00 a.m., and on the road at 4:30 for a 6:00 a.m. call time up in Altadena.
I get in the elevator, mind reeling with logistics. A most pleasant-looking woman joined me. She smiled. I smiled back. My mind kept going with the logistics. Was it supposed to be an automatic transmission or a proper stick?
"Excuse me," she said. "I hope you don't mind, but I am going to say this anyway. You are one of the most handsome men I have seen in a while."
I was temporarily speechless, and certain I was turning brilliant red.
My mind works very quickly. I prepared a number of responses to this:
"The men from your country must be VERY ugly."
"Sorry your health-care plan does not cover optometry."
"I am for hire. How much you got?"
"You are way too kind. Thank you for making my day."
I went with the latter. We parted ways. That was it.
As you know, I'm a little jaded by my surroundings, but I was really taken aback by someone simply being nice. Wow. In fact, she did make my day.
This is a government that could rush thousands of troops and the commensurate arms into Iraq in next to no time, but could not get bottled water to people on rooftops in our own country.
Even the administration admits there were mistakes, and the director of FEMA did not lose his job because they got in there too fast. And lest anyone think I am playing partisanship, EVERYONE got it wrong.
RE: what are you like to live with ?.....tell the truth now ?
Ask the cat. It will answer very positively. That, or no food.