Friday, June 21, 2002

Reader to Reader

A couple of guys in suits closing in on 40 were having a perfunctory, killing-time conversation as they waited for an elevator at 190 S. LaSalle. It was the usual buried in work, commutes too long, weather could be better. Then one asked, "How's the wife?"

"She was in kind of a bad mood this morning," the other responded. "I asked her if anything was wrong, which was a mistake. She was ready for me. She said, 'You know what's wrong.' I said I didn't. Then she said, 'You only do selective tasks.' That kind of threw me off. I've never heard of 'selective tasks.' Is that some new Oprah expression?"

"You've got me."

"Yeah, well be ready for that one."

"Thanks for the warning."