Downstairs Neighbors

Our downstairs neighbors, Tom and Laura, are a youngish married couple originally from Los Angeles. Tom is studying some liberal-type garbage at Berkeley while Laura works in an office and studies to be a nurse. They are some chatty cathy's.

Yesterday I decided to walk down (about a mile) to the nearest ATM in order to avoid having to find a place to park. At first I had planned on walking the perimeter of Lake Merritt but I wasn't in the mood for the 3 miles. I had dinner plans at 8 so walking the whole thing wasn't on the agenda.

Then I passed Laura on the way down. We did the requisite polite chit chat. Then she asked me what I was up to.

Now here's the part where I tell the truth, right? I just say, "well I'm walking down the ATM to get cash before meeting my friends for dinner". Right? NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.

I figure that's too long and involved so I say, "I'm going to take a walk around the lake." Concise. Not too much information. A LIE. Easy way to cut the chit chat and get on my way.

Then Laura says, "Oh, well I haven't done that in months! I'd LOVE to come with YOU!''

By this time I'm in too deep. Its just too late to say, "oh my bad, I meant I was walking down to the ATM, I don't have time to walk around the lake." So I just went.

It took only an hour and I had a good time listening to her stories.

My favorite was when she said, "I usually leave for work early so that I can look for free parking. You know how us Jews are, we're reeeeal stingy" Then she looked over at me like she wanted me to fall into her racial joke trap. So I played it cool and commented on how I would've never guessed she was Jewish, given her normal sized nose. Good thing I got my wits about me. That could've been awkward.