Conversations With Judy: Episode 30: Speak Up

Hello, again, Gentle Reader(s?),

As some of you may know, I have been the proud owner of some really great hearing aids for the past few years. And, as some of you may know, I don’t wear them all of the time. And as some of you may know, that means that I can go fairly long stretches without wearing them at all. And, as some of you may know, it drives Judy nuts when she has to repeat herself when I don’t quite pick up what she is trying to tell me. 

Well, this past week has been a game changer. I actually wore my hearing aids all week long! Really! It’s been great! 

Well, yesterday, Judy and I were on the road, returning from five days in San Diego where we were celebrating our 50th (Golden) Wedding Anniversary. We were conversing quite a bit along the way, and I was able to pick up just about everything she said! It was GRAWESOME!!! And she was happy that she didn’t have to repeat a lot of things!

Just after we came over the Grapevine, she asked me a question…

Judy: “How come, when you are wearing your hearing aids, you don’t talk as loudly as you do when you’re not wearing them?”

Bill: “Well, because I can hear myself better.”

J: “Yes, but I can’t hear you as well. In fact it’s hard to pick up what you are saying.”

B “Hmmm… You should get hearing aids.”

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Conversations With Judy: Episode 29: When To NOT Utilize Your Sense Of Humor

Well, hello again Gentle Reader(s?)… It’s time for another foray into the world of “How To Live A Successful Life”.  

In this episode, we (I) will be discussing the proper neglect of the use of a sense of humor. And I will be doing so through the example that I have most recently set for myself…

Permit me to provide a bit of background, here.

Judy and I are in the process of designing (Judy’s part) and building “just one more house – honest. I promise”. 

*Some of you may remember that our house burned down September 16, 2010 and that Judy designed the new one. Well, as it happened, she really loved doing that and she got the bug to do it just once more, hopefully before we die. 

She has been working on it for about three years, drawing, changing, changing, changing, changing, upgrading, changing, changing and changing on, pretty much, a weekly basis over that entire period of time. She has finally got it right. 

Over the past several months, we have submitted the plans to the contractor and the architect to have them drawn up numerous times. And, oddly enough, they have returned to us the finished plans an equal number of times for our inspection. Equally oddly enough, Judy has made a few changes and corrections. The last set of plans required  changes/corrections to about twelve items. the first two items on the list appear here:

bidet-1

**Some of you may remember that I have a way of being joyfully light-hearted in just about any situation (I make stupid, though always hilarious, comments and jokes). This situation presented, to me, anyway, a good opportunity to, once again, employ my never-miss sense of humor, particularly in light of the fact that we had met with both the contractor and architect on many occasions and they have gotten used to me. 

I thought it would be fun to throw in my own two cents on the suggested changes. 

So I did…

bidet-2

Hmmm… There were no “Haha’s” from Judy…

This was unusual.

Moving ahead twelve days…

Phone rings…

Bill: “Hello.”

Judy (in a sweet voice): “Hi, Bill.”

B (somehow recognizing the ‘falseness’ in the sweetness in her voice): “Uh… Hi Judy.”

J (same sweet voice): I just wanted to let you know, ahead of time, that I’m going to strangle you when I get home tonight.”

B: “Gulp…”

J (ssv): “Would you like to know why?”

B: “OK…”

J (in a somewhat changed tone of voice): “Because the plans for the house were sent to me and they are being submitted to the county.”

B: “Well, that’s a good thing, right?”

J: “Guess what they include…”

I’m just going to leave it right there and let you use your imagination. 

Suffice to say that the use of humor, no matter how funny, may, in rare cases, be wise to avoid. 

Seriously. 

 

Until next (I hope) ti–