Actual Conversation with Indigo

Actual conversation with Starbucks employee today:
“What can I get you?”
“I’ll have a grande mocha.”
“And the newspaper as well?”
“Yes, thanks.”
“Okay, that’s $4.84”
“Thanks”
And I drank the coffee, and read the paper.

…

/i kid

Actual Conversation at Public Health while getting my child’s first immunization:

Nurse: “O.K., go ahead and measure him now.”
Student Nurse: “He’s 61.”
Student Nurse #2: “61 what?”
Student Nurse: “Let me look at the ruler….hmmm…. millimeters.”
Student Nurse #2: “61 millimeters?”
Student Nurse: “Yup.”
Me: “That would be CENTIMETERS.”
Student Nurse: “Ummm… The ruler says millimeters… but yeah… I guess it’s centimeters.”
Me (to myself): “Note to self… do NOT let Student Nurse measure any medication for my child.”

By the way, how can anyone get to UPEI without knowing the difference between a millimeter and a centimeter?

Actual conversation my daughter had while serving a customer at the retail store at which she works:

Customer: Do you have any Christmas stuff?
My daughter: Well .. there’s this whole wall here with the big sign saying “Christmas.”
Customer: Oh, I like those wall hangings there. Do you need a wall for them?
My daughter: *blink*

Darin (seems like Santa wishes do come true) said: “By the way, how can anyone get to UPEI without knowing the difference between a millimeter and a centimeter?”

Two words: Senior’s Bus.

UC Berkeley’s physics department didn’t sweat the difference between millimeters and centimeters when I was getting graded there. It’s the “61” part that’s important in that height example. I bet Einstein (famously lackadaisical) gained and lost factors of ten like there was no tomorrow. Now when Air Canada instead of a specified number of gallons fills up with the same number of liters (as has happened), you have a problem, but I’d give it full marks in certain contexts.

Actually, how do we know that Public Health employee didn’t get her degree in physics at Berkeley? That could explain a lot.