Feeling Blue

As was mentioned a few weeks ago I used to work for a retail chain. I worked at Best Buy. I was one of five computer techs in the store. In fact I was also the only traveling tech in the store, making house calls for customers. This was long before Best Buy came up with the 'Geek Squad' and I can at least be very thankful for that.

Because of my position I wasn’t required to wear the Best Buy polo shirt on traveling days. I hated my polo. First off it cost me ten dollars, because although I was required to wear one, it wasn’t provided with employment. In addition to that it fit me like a wet suit. I was constantly at war with it, tugging, stretching and pulling. Days that I did not have to wear it found me a much more pleasant person.

When traveling I wore a nice shirt tucked into my khakis and my happy yellow name badge with the 'Intel Inside' sticker I’d salvaged from some dying computer. Back in those days we got a lot of vendor toys and we all liked to dress up our badges to show appreciation. I have lots of geekware from Iomega, Sony and the like. Additionally I have an unused ‘Pentium II Bunny Suit’ keychain if anyone wants to trade.

Patricia and I are living in our first apartment in town. For the nostalgic among you we were paying $595 a month for rent. It seems almost unreal now. So I step out onto our porch in my khakis and smart black button up dress shirt.

I slid across the porch and onto my rump. I now had a thick blue racing stripe from my heel to my shoulder. It seems someone decided to paint the apartment porch and not warn the occupants. The painter was leaning on his long handled rolling brush looking horrified. I was mortified and in trying to stand up, I slipped and fell on to my knees to complete my stunning attire.

The painter apologized then started knocking on doors and warning the rest of our neighbors. This of course brought new onlookers to my plight. I managed to get up, and get back inside. I had no option but to wear the pants, I didn’t have another pair. I was able to get them mostly clean, and the blue was pretty faint. The shirt was a bust. I had to wear my polo. I believe my mantra for the day was “don’t ask.”