Friday, July 18, 2008

The Chicken Story

I’m off to a slow start this morning and feeling a bit in limbo with things I want to do, things I gotta do, and things I shouldn’t do. This weekend is the "World’s Largest Garage Sale" in Duncan. I would like to go and look around, but I don’t have anything particular that I need. I certainly do not need more junk – especially someone else’s junk. Yet every year, people say, "Ooh I found this at the garage sale for $2.00!" And I think, "How cool!" This year, Toby wants to do some sailing the sale to look for old bicycles – he and Bo have a new project. So I could wait until tomorrow and go with him. I don’t really need to waste gas driving into town this morning, when I am planning on going to WF later this afternoon. But I don’t really want to stay home today either. I hate the "coulda, shoulda, woulda’s."

Bob’s Chicken Story:
When we lived in NM, there was a man named Bob who also lived there. He was a single young man, a bit of a nerd, an engineer with the Moly Mine. He struck me as an intelligent idiot – you know - one of those people who seems very intelligent, but very scatter-brained. He was from some place like Oregon where they do not speak Texan or Okie. In RR, most of the business owners are Texans or Okies – some have lived there for ages, while others have only recently moved there – most have not lost their first language. Bob told this story on himself.

He was eating breakfast at one of the local cafes one summer morning. Sometimes the locals gather at one table (the family table) at a restaurant and eat together or just have morning coffee to visit and catch up on the latest gossip. Bob was at such a table when one of the old Texans who ran a lodge said, "We had some check-ins at about 3 this morning." Now, the old Texan said "check-ins" kind of slow, but all run together (like any good Texan) and it sounded to Bob as if the old Texan had said "chickens."

Incredulously Bob asked, "Chickens?"
Without batting an eye the old Texan said, "Yeah." And continued to drink his coffee and visit.
Bob (in all seriousness): What did you do with them?
OT: We put a few in room 3 and some in room 5.
Bob: Chickens?!
OT: Yeah.
Bob: Where did they come from?
OT: Oklahoma.
Bob: Chickens?!
OT: Yeah.
Bob: How did they get here?
OT: Suburbans I think.
Bob (totally perplexed): Why are they here?
OT: Well, I think they came to square dance.
Bob: Chickens?!
It was here that Bob began to catch on to the conversation.

9 comments:

GUYK said...

Yep, that Okie/Texan drawl. I still have it although I have sent more of my life in Florida than Oklahoma..

Now, about them garage sales..I am a garage sale junkie and have the junkie to prove it! My area of Florida is one of the best for garage/yard sales..lots of old folks and old folks have this way of croakin' and the kids dump the household/shop for what they can get out of it..I have bought everything from guns and fishing tackle to shop tools at the yard sales..heck, I have not bought a new shop tool..electrical or otherwise..in several years. And no doubt when I croak sweetthing will have one hell of a garage sale..just hope she makes money on the guns and stockpile of lead..

Anonymous said...

Hope to see you soon...when us two chickens head north to "chick-en" to your Mom's B&B! :)
(you write with such delight, Lou! - love it!)
Catherine

Inquiries said...

Yes the Texas/Okie dialect is rather interesting. In Hawaii someone asked me what barrie meant. Dad said something like I need to barrie ... Barrie being borrow. I'm working on breaking him of that. My grandfather says winder instead of window.

Buck said...

I hear ya on the dialect/accent thing. As you probably know, it's strong in this part of NM, too. I'm immediately branded as a furriner the very moment I open my mouth... for now and for always, as long as I stay here. The ex-GF used to have great fun at my expense, mimicking my accent. And I reciprocated, of course. I suppose that's a classic "ya hadda be there" sort of comment... there's no way I can duplicate it in print.

PS: didja get my e-mail about scheduling? I have to ask, coz I know Hughes eats your mail from time to time...

Bag Blog said...

Buck, I have an Okie friend who married an Englishman - they have a great time mimicking each other's accents.

I did get the scheduling and it worked great. I had thought that might be the way to do it, but was hesitant until you confirmed it.

Guyk, my father was the same way. He loved estate sales, garage sales, etc. We had quite the garage sale recently when my mom moved from her house of 31 years. We were passing out tools to every family member. Some of them were just pretty cool - others were just junk.

Jesse Baggett said...

Nothing like a bunch of square dancing chickens!

Becky G said...

That was too funny! I loved it.

I don't go to the garage sales around these parts. They usually start at around 5 AM (Saturdays) and only last until noon. The only way you're going to get me out of bed before 5 AM on a Saturday is if I have to work.

Bob said...

Joyce was trying to tell me your story as a joke just this afternoon and she got exactly the same reaction from this old Bob, "Chickens???"

Jenny said...

There is coke all over my computer screen that came out my nose. Thanks alot!!!

(JK. But that was so FUNNY!!!!)