Overheard in March 2014

I did not actually overhear a lot in March. Okay. That is a lie. I overheard a lot of stuff I felt was too inappropriate to share. One thing in particular I cut out because it involved a young teenage girl. Gotta use my common sense.

It’s in there, I swear.

Somewhere.

With that in my mind, here are some funny or interesting conversations I overheard or took part in in March:

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I find dynamics between women fascinating. When we were eating a meal in Vegas one day, I happened to overhear an awkward woman in her late forties approach the table of two women the same age who were currently all ready halfway through their lunch.

“Hi!” She screeched. And the two women at the table exchanged glances. And I cringed inside for the loud girl.

“How are you doing?” She guffawed. But before they could answer, she immediately jumped to, “Did you hear I got promoted?!”

They acknowledged that indeed they had.

The awkward girl tried to downplay it like it was no big deal, but one of the women interrupted her and said, “It’s obvious you’re really proud of it. You can’t play it off like you aren’t.”

The girl could not take a hint and stood there for a good five minutes longer, looming over their table describing the entirety of her new job and title. She could not seem to sense that the two women were not only not happy for her, but that she had long overstayed her welcome.

After she finally made it back to her own table, I was able to breathe a sigh of relief. It was a tough one to witness.

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Yesterday, my family and I went to a falconry lesson (post to come soon). While we were driving home, we were discussing the things we learned and the many different raptors there are in the world.

My son said, “I would really like to see a Golden Eagle.”

To which my daughter replied, “You know it’s not really gold, right?”

My son sighed heavily, and sadly said, “Really? Darn! I really wanted to see that.”

My husband said, “It is more like a brownish gold.”

My son replied, “Oh! So, like a perfectly toasted marshmallow?”

I will never be able to see or hear the words Golden Eagle and not think of marshmallows again.

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We were walking back to our hotel in Las Vegas and a couple was fighting in front of us. Not in front of us, but rather, they were walking directly ahead of us and their conversation was loud enough for me to hear. And not necessarily fighting, but having a loud conversation that neither of them was likely to win.

“You do this every time!” The husband proclaimed. He was neither indignant nor was he sad. Just kind of factual and emotionless.

The wife did not seem to care. “I’ll make it up to you when we get back to the hotel.”

“Great.” The man said in a slightly uplifted way. Meant I am sure to be sarcastic, but the wife was all ready rushing ahead, intent on whatever new pursuit had caught her attention.

The man begrudgingly began to follow her and I was just close enough behind him to hear him mumble, “But you won’t.”

And I wish I had not been that close, because that made me sad.

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I was at a bar with my friends. Wait. That sounds rather seedy and dangerous. Oh? It doesn’t? Okay, good. No need to explain further, then.

There were two young couples in their early twenties seated at a table next to us.

I noticed that one of the four young adults would jump up, tour the bar area slowly and then come back and the next person would get up and do the same thing. It was too loud to overhear what they were doing. My talent lies in observations not in conversations. I was far too shy (and frankly far too lazy) to go to their table and ask them what they were doing.

My outgoing friends had no such qualms. They approached the table and inquired as to their curious behavior.

It turned out that the two couples were in town to celebrate one of the couple’s engagement. They were all old friends and had decided to meet there that night.

The bar had a long wall of paintings and each of them was getting up, picking their favorite painting and coming back to the table. The game was in deciding if the other members of the table knew the person doing the choosing well enough to correctly guess their favorite painting.

It was a cute, innocent drunken game. And I was happy to witness easy fun between friends. Us girls were so much older than the two couples and it saddened my heart to think of the light-heartedness eventually coming to an end as the heaviness of the years takes over.

I hope it doesn’t. I hope their light is trapped within each of them like the oil on the paintings that they each picked. And does not tarnish.

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Speaking of friends. On another night while walking in Las Vegas (oh! My feet. My poor, poor feet. This blog would take on a new tone if they could speak), a trio of men would burst ahead of us. And then stop. Then run. And stop. They were all over the place.

This might have been scary.

Had they not each been under one hundred thirty pounds. In their very early twenties (little boys, really). Dressed in pastels. And had not been so completely oblivious that there were other individuals in the world besides the three of them.

They were yelling back and forth to each other. Somewhere along the line, the three of them got separated (how this occurred is beyond me, as it was a straight walk back to our hotel).

I walked in front of the dark haired young man with the purple pants and blue checkered shirt. His eyes focused. Then refocused on me. “Hey!” He screamed, even though we were two feet apart. “Hey! Have you seen Ferdinand?”

I replied, “I do not know who Ferdinand is, but it is a lovely name.”

He was back to ignoring that I existed and five feet a head of us a blonde haired young man was impatiently stalking.

“Ferdinand!” Yelled the young man. They happily rejoined each other as if they had not been separated for less than three minutes.

“Ferdinand, she doesn’t know who you are! She’s never heard of you!”

They both looked back at me and snickered. I was surprised he remembered speaking to me. The two boys took off running.

I wondered if the two of them remembered their duo had been a trio just moments earlier.

I turned to my husband and said, “Wow! I have never seen anybody drunk act like that before!”

My husband chuckled at my naivety. “Honey,” he said. “That wasn’t alcohol.”

“Ohhhhhhh.” I exhaled. It had never occurred to me that it could be anything else.

And I guess that is a good thing.

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I was at our hotel and a group of male escorts were behind us. I accidentally stopped and one of them almost ran into me. But before the collision occurred, he belted out, “BOOM!”

Which startled me and made me move.

And then chuckle.

Because if that is not the best way to get someone out of your way, I don’t know what is.

Have you overheard anything funny lately? Any good stories to share?

* If you missed February’s Overheard In, you can find it here.

15 thoughts on “Overheard in March 2014

  1. I couldn’t agree more the “but you won’t” also made me sad, but I mean, at least he was honest ….if only with himself. I love this series! I guess you never really know who is listening!

    • Thank you. It is one of my favorites to write. I love observing people. If that couple lived in my town, I would never write that. But because it was the huge city of Vegas, I don’t mind sharing their conversation. I am sure they were not the only unhappy couple in Vegas.

      Thank you again! Have a gorgeous week!

      Jenni

  2. I am sure that Vegas gave you lots of things to overhear 🙂

    I can’t wait to hear about your falconry lesson. My boys are obsessed with animals, falcons included. My olderst can pretty much name every type of falcon and why… They would love something like that when they are older! How fun.

    Anything I overhear that is funny is usually out of the mouths of my kids!

    • Thank you Alicia! That falconry lesson was amazing. We got to do it with hawks. I would absolutely do it again. The age limit here is seven, so in a few years check to see if anyone local offers it. My kids LOVED it.

      My three year old nephew says the funniest things. I wish I had written down everything my kids said when they were that age. It truly is priceless!

      Have a wonderful week!

      Jenni

  3. I am seriously upset you don’t have photos of those male escorts. I guess you hubby wouldn’t have been too thrilled about you posing for pics with them though ; )

    That couple sounds awful. I bet they won’t be together much longer.

    bisous
    Suzanne

    • Thank you Suzanne! Ha! My husband asked me if I wanted photos with them, but I would have felt like such a dork. Plus, I figured I might get charged for the pic. ; ). That was a fun chance encounter.

      That couple was sad. I hope they work things out.

      Have a delightful week!

      Jenni

    • Thank you so much Jessica. It is true. I just always assume everyone is listening, so I try not to say a lot in public! I am my own worst enemy! ; )

      Thanks again! Have sweet dreams!

      Jenni

  4. How could you not know who Ferdinand is?! Hahahaha….!! Oh man, that was too funny. Stupid kids, though. But I LOVE the story about guessing the paintings! That is the sweetest game ever. You could organise that into a party game and have friends pick secret favourites at your house, you know! 😉

    • Thanks Gwen! Right?! How could I not know?! They were seriously dumbfounded and very, very influenced. Hopefully the third guy had made his way to rehab.

      That would be a fun party game. Now I want to have a party! : ). My big task for the night will be changing my sheets! Yawn!

      Have a beautiful week!

      Jenni

  5. Oh. Those sad stories were… well… sad. Human beings are infinitely interesting. So much of the time we are so not nice to each other. I always enjoy these posts, Jenni. Very powerful stuff.

    • Thank you Cynthia. They are fun to do, but sometimes I feel like throwing in the sad stories too. Even though they make me sad, I like to share the human dynamic. I find it so interesting. I am glad you like this feature! : )

      Have a marvelous Thursday!

      Jenni

  6. I always love this feature. The argument you overheard makes me sad, though.

    I like how you’re not afraid to approach people and strike up conversations.

    • Thank you Liana! I never know what is going to stick with me and what I am going to overhear. I heard a lot of funny things today, so luckily this month is looking up in that regard. : )

      Have a stupendous Saturday!

      Jenni

  7. Pingback: Overheard In April 2014 | Gnome Lover

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