Don't bogart the boob-tube

Today I was at Wal-mart, strolling around; trying to find things to look at to entertain myself while Tori shopped.

I checked out automotive and electronic dept. as usual. I noticed they had a Xbox 360 going. There was a boy, probably about 5th grade or so, who was playing it.

I stood behind him, waiting for him to finish.

I waited... and waited... and waited.

One thing I've liked (and yet hated) about the video stuff at Wal-mart is how they put the screen up high above your head so you have to crook your neck to play. This is, of course, to cause people so much pain, that they can't play for TOO long.

Well, this kid must have taken some pain killers before he left the house. He would occasionally look downward and rub his neck; but then would go right back at it. I knew I only had so long in the store, so I was getting irritated with hogging. Even though I knew the neck pain was doing its thing, I decided to pull out a trick from the old "Charlie's Strange Tricks" bag. I call it, the "really uncomfortable closeness" strategy.

As you might imagine, this involves inching closer and closer behind the 4 ft. tall boy, until I'm right on top of him. Usually they become very uncomfortable about me being all up in their space, and it doesn't have to get to the point of actual collision. But this boy wasn't getting the signal. I actually stood behind this boy in Walmart, so close that I was literally touching his head and back. I was seeing how much he could take.

He didn't budge. Eventually I just asked him if he was done. ...He didn't even acknowledge my presence. Tori came around and asked me what I was doing. I began making Al Gore breathing noises; and telling her that I was STILL waiting to play.

Eventually (more from the neck trauma than from my antics) he moved out of the way and said something like "there you go".

Man....he was so juvenile.