a story and conversation repository (est. 2000)

2007 ( 39 Years Old )

i began working at a university in april of 2006. the greatest perk, and there are many, of working at a university is the people you get to interact with. they are ridiculously great on numerous levels. of the people i get to work with, there is one lady on campus who is extra bright and shiny. few people who meet her can do anything but fawn over what a neat and inspiring woman she is. and this is the adults. you can only imagine how the students eat her up, especially the female students who could use more powerful and principled female role models like her. and as if this all wasn't nearly enough she has this untamable, twisty mane of red hair! seven kinds of awesome.

in my second year at the school i was invited to a work holiday party. marty was with me. i was still new enough at the university that there were still lots of folks i didn't know. shortly after arriving marty and i were standing by ourselves getting a feel for things. as i perused the faces at the event i suddenly saw the big locks of red hair a few rooms away. i uttered a surprised "oh!" and grabbed marty by the elbow and started directing/dragging her to meet this lady. on the way there i explained to a surprised marty that there was this amazing woman she had to meet. when we arrived in front of the lady she gave a bright hello and dealt me a warm hug. i introduced her to marty and the red-headed dean began this effusive outpouring of nice things about me.

there was a guy standing next to dean joy. he was wearing khaki pants and button up shirt. he stood there quietly and i just assumed he was a colleague. i turned to joy and asked if her husband was here. she said of course and i asked where he was and she said, well he's right here silly and motioned to the buttoned up guy. i took him in, re-apprising him up and down.

TROY
really?

JOY
yes really.

TROY
i don't know. knowing you, i just expected some pony-tailed hippie type.

JOY
no. no hippie. just jeff.

TROY
hi jeff. i'm troy.

JEFF
hi troy.

TROY
so you married dean joy. do you know you're married to like the most popular woman at the whole university.

JEFF
yeah she's pretty great.

TROY
so are you a professor?

JEFF
no.

TROY
administrator? researcher? some kind of academic right?

JEFF
nope.

TROY
what industry are you in?

JEFF
valves.

TROY
valves? what do you mean valves?

JEFF
valves. big, industrial-grade valves. the kind of valves that if they break, people die.

TROY
you're telling me dean joy, dean extraordinaire is married to a valve salesman.

JEFF
i guess i am.

TROY
get the hell out of here.

JEFF
-

TROY
you're serious?

JEFF
this is rapidly becoming one of my favorite conversations. ever.

it may be hard to believe but this fellow and i have gone on to become fast friends. it really started minutes after the above exchange, which i admit was a bit unorthodox, but i'm a believer in unorthodox moments. the way i view it, whether he liked me or loathed me, he was going to remember me.