Sometimes I wonder if I’ve told you lot things already. Most of the amusing things that happen to me get related in here at one time or another, with or without a little artistic licence. Thankfully I can usually take a spin through the files for a few choice phrases to ensure I don’t repeat myself. And, thankfully, I can usually take a spin through the files for a few choice phrases to ensure I don’t repeat myself.
After relating the following story to a workmate on the train home on Friday night I did wonder if I’d already told this one. I haven’t, at least not according to Mr Grep. So here it is.
I should probably add at this time that though this is an amusing enough anecdote, it is probably in no way worth a three paragraph introduction, building up the kind of expectation normally associated with a side-splitting, thigh-slapping classic story of hilarity.
A few months ago we decided to see "My Left Foot". It’s kind of got the status of a must-see movie, but we hadn’t seen it when it was originally released. So off to our local friendly video shop we trotted.
Our local friendly video shop is just the other side of the station – when we moved here we originally joined the one on this side of the station, but no sooner had we got our precious membership cards than they elected to give up the video rental business. Maybe it was something we said. Or perhaps the way we wrote "Ha ha ha" over the bit in the membership form about paying for any damaged or missing tapes. But I digress. Frequently. Actually it’s funny how often I digress at the most inappropriate moments, only to suddenly come back to the point I was trying to make.
`"My Left Foot"? Yes, we have it. But it’s out.’
Well no worries, we weren’t in a desperate hurry to watch it. It would only be a few days, wouldn’t it?
`Actually we’ve been trying to track that one down for quite a while. We think the people who borrowed it moved. We’ll follow it up.’
Ah. This doesn’t sound so good. But we decided to drop back a few days later and see if it’s back. It wasn’t. Every time we passed we’d pop in and check. Weeks went by. We could have easily gone to another video shop, or even forgotten about watching "My Left Foot" altogether, but customer loyalty and wish to find out what the hell has happened to the tape won over.
The image of a deadly video tape thief who has fled to South America rather than give back his copy of "My Left Foot" came to mind. Perhaps the cops have caught up with him.
"All right Kelly… come out with the video tape above your head!"
"Never!"
After several weeks, the memory of the movie we wanted to watch began to fade. Until about two months later, when walking past the video shop in question, we jokingly decided to ask again if it’s back.
It was back!!! So many moons later, we finally got to watch "My Left Foot". Good movie. Not sure if it was worth waiting two months to watch it, but yes, it was a good movie.
The worst thing is… we never did find out what had happened to the tape.
