this was a real conversation i had at work. it was wednesday afternoon, and coworker was going over some stuff in a database about recent movie releases.

coworker: [aloud but not really directed at anyone, from his cubicle] did that movie the importance of being earnest ever come out?

brian: [confidently] yeah. it’s still out right now, i think.

coworker: [surprised at my quick response] how’d you know that?

brian: because i was thinking about going to see it a week or two ago but i ended up doing something else.

coworker: really? you were going to go see this? why?

brian: well i’m a big oscar wilde fan . . .

coworker: oh; is he in it or something?

yeah, that really happened. after i pointed out a few seconds later that he had made a mistake and oscar wilde was the playwright, dead for over a century now, not an actor (and a second coworker had a quick chuckle at his expense, being shown up by the intern, me), he said, something like, “yeah, i know, i was joking, i know who oscar wilde is,” but i don’t know if i believe him. he’s a real standup guy, this coworker, but my gut tells me he was just saving face. maybe he does know who oscar wilde is and it just didn’t occur to him straight off, which i could believe, but i’m pretty sure by the way he said it that his initial response was not at all feigned.

and it really was pretty funny.

so tonight i went to see about a boy again and it was still a good movie — consider this my second recommendation — and tomorrow night it’s down to santa ana to see david cross live and in all his glory. and right before i made a trip out to pick up the new mr. show dvd set too. what timing. i’ll let you know how that goes.

[now hearing this: roommate’s cool piano jazz cd i wish i knew the name of, alternating with the badly drawn boy soundtrack snippets left over in my head from the movie.]