Rick says... I like to interview people in the process of having a conversation. THEY think it's "just" a conversation but after many years of being in sales, in the music business, my conversations are never "just" conversations. I can turn ordinary every day encounters into "instant interviews". Of course, guys do that with gals all the time but in my case, it's a profession.

So I'm at my bank doing my routine weekly visit for things I do and I find the doors are locked when the hours of the branch say they should be open. I grab the handles on the glass metal doors and shake them to be sure, reading the sign on the window saying that you may speak to a banker by calling this number and making an appointment. Whaaaaat? I mean... scuze my lingo but WTF???? My bank branch is closed? No notice? More bad lingo. Holy S***.

The laser printed unprofessional sign has no explanation,  but yields a phone number so you can make an appointment with your banker. This was at noon, a busy time on a Wednesday. At lunch time. Several people came up to the door with me. I chatted as I do. Long to short, one woman middle aged was aghast and shared her thoughts with me as a good conversationalist ... and we shared view after view after view after view... because what is happening is that the awake-people are fully-awake and the dead-head-masked-vaxxed sheeples are out-of-it. We covered several categories of agreeable points and departed but while we chatted a lady in a Mercedes Benz... a sporty looking new one, pulled up... came up to the door... and as I was chatting with the middle ager, and as the lady looked at the sign, I blurted out "they closed the branch"... and she looked at me with a gorgeous face and beautiful blue eyes.. that bulged out as large as flying saucers to make me laugh... "Your eyes just fell out of head!".. I said. She was in no mood to acknowledge and got on her cellphone racing back to her Mercedes Benz for an appointment at an alternative branch. "Drive fast!", something in me said-- but catching myself I said "Just kidding!". ...

Earlier. before the Mercedez Benz lady, an couple pulled up who may be in their 70's or 80's. They saw me try the bank doors, and read the sign. As I walked back to my car beside them, I stopped and shrugged my shoulders as the gentleman wound down his window.
"Not open?" he queried.
"Not today... not ever it looks like they closed the branch".
I guess he assumed it was covid and said "it's crazy this mass hysteria". I agree with him. He wasn't wearing a mask but his wife sported a blue mask.
"Imagine that!", I continued. "The Bank gave no notice and there's no explanation. They just close and you have to use the ATM or call for an appointment. You know", I then continued even more... because I'm an idiot... "you know-- they used to have free donuts and magzines... and coffee!", I recalled. I continued even further like a blithering idiot, not just an ordinary idiot. "In my day, they'd give you a free toaster for opening an account!". The Genteman started to look a little bewildered as I rambled.
"You know what I want?", I continued since he seemed to be still listening. "I want my donuts and free coffee and I want my toaster... and I want this g**d***** branch to be open"... and OVER the TOP I WENt... not realizing that my lower brain had taken over... and made me utter an expletive I don't normally do....possibly offending the couple. Darn it. I felt like George Castanza on a roll doing a speech the crashing the moment with ineptitude.
Me and that couple denoumaad.... that's French for denoumat... which means a gentle ending... and parting... and that was it. But I thought about it... and in my attempt to be a stand up comic, which was working-- with donuts and toasters, I blew with the curse word. Lesson: Don't curse when attempting comedy.

BANK COULD BE CLOSED FOR GOOD DUE TO COVID
I don't know if the branch is closed permanently or not. I called the number and got a call wait, voice mail and nothing. The ATM works thank God. That's not a curse, that's a prayer.