Story 161: Connection Failed

            “I can’t believe that Thanksgiving is a week away.”

           “I know, right?  It still feels like I’m just getting over summer, and Halloween was a blip even though the decorations were everywhere since July.”

            “Yeah… Yep, just got the notice that most of I.T. will be unavailable on November 24.”

            “Oh, man!  They’re always unavailable for something – what is it this time?!”

            “…?”

            “Oh.  Right.  Never mind.”

            *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *         

            “Since it’s Tom’s birthday next Wednesday, I’ll mail his gift tomorrow so it should arrive a day or two before then.”

            “That’s a good idea – he told me he'll actually be out of town on a ski trip on his birthday, so you might even want to mail it now.”

            “Sure – thanks!  By the way, I have an extra ticket for that concert on Wednesday, if you know anybody who’d want to go.”

            “Hm – what about Tom?”

            “Tom?”

            “Uh-huh.”

            “For the concert next Wednesday.”

            “Yeah?”
            “Wouldn’t that be a little impossible?”

            “I don’t see why – he likes that band a lot.”

            “Would he be able to see the show from the slopes?”

            “Ohhhh….”

            *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *         

            “I have a meeting at 2:00, so I need to move our other meeting to right now.”

            “No can do – I have a meeting in five.  How about 4:00?”

            “Got another meeting then.”

            “Hm.  Mind skipping lunch today?”

            “Yes.”

            “OK.  I’m taking my lunch after this meeting coming up, but I should be done around 1:50.  Want to do our meeting then?”

            “I have a meeting at 2!”

            “Oh, right.  How’s tomorrow looking?”

            “Terrible.  I have meetings all day.”

            “Um-hm.  So would 3:00 be all right then?”

            “!”

            *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *         

            “That new finance manager is so nice – I think she’ll do well here.”

            “I haven’t met her yet, but I hope so.  That last guy was an absolute troll.”

            “I’ll say.  Oh look, the newsletter’s in: here’s a picture with the new hires this month.”

            “Uh-huh, I’ve met all of them, except – who’s that lady on the left?”

            “…The new finance manager.”

            “Right!  Heh, heh, heh, hoo boy.”

            *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *         

            “It’s A applies to B except when there’s C; why can’t you remember that?!”

            “Sorry, the mind’s synapses fail to fire sometimes.  I’ll try harder.”

            “Please do – we really can’t have any more mistakes.” (Leaves)

            “Getting yelled at again?”

            “Yeah, I keep messing up the C bit.  Can’t seem to make the connection when it appears.”

            “Maybe just be on the lookout for it more often – that usually works for me.”

            “What does?”