Roger that...

One night while the children were away with their dad, I decided to make my way towards the ocean front and try my hand at pool. Hadn’t played in a long time, but understood the game somewhat and just like with golf, execution of actually getting the ball to go where you want it to and doing it requires some skill. Plus, I admit I was a little bummed with nothing planned and no real plans for the weekend. Off to the beach I go! I checked in at the bar of a local pool hall and karaoke bar combination. Before long I had “picked up” a pool partner. A few tables into it, the guy introduced himself as Roger and we started to share a few laughs at my inept skills at a game I somewhat understood, but obviously had little to no skills at. Nearing midnight we exchanged numbers and thought to return another night, driving our separate ways.

A few phone calls and at least a week or so later, in fact I think it was even three weeks later, I met Roger out at a cute little beach restaurant and bar area close to the beach but equal driving distance for the two of us. Everything was going pretty good until another girl approached and started bubbling over with “OMG…Roger, I haven’t seen you in nearly six years! Great to see you again; it’s been too long! You look so good! Who’s your girlfriend; she’s so cute!” Issues already arising in my little head: one, she’s getting on my nerves with being too charismatic and two, I am not his girlfriend. I’m just the date for the night. Roger began an introduction saying with assertion: “Rachel, this is Kelly. Kelly, this is Rachel.” We exchanged “nice to meet you’s” and she continued to bubble over with questions for me about how many kids do you have? Do you live locally? What do you do? and more absolute digging deeper than my comfort of questioning for a true stranger. After about ten minutes of questions and I’m sure sensing that I was not on trial here, she excused herself and said “nice to meet you, Kelly.” I said
‘same to you” and walked away. When she was completely out of ear shot range, I turned to Roger and announced rather smoothly, “Oh, by the way, my name is not Kelly. Kelly is my sister and one of my closest friends, but you wouldn’t know that because we really only started talking a few weeks ago” Of course, by this he was a bit embarrassed and asked if he really called me Kelly. I answered a short and simple: “yes!” Maybe Kelly was an old girlfriend or someone I reminded him of. Either way, I basically turned around and started walking towards the door thinking to myself while laying a $10 bill on the bar for the one drink I had: “Roger that, over and out!” A phrase heard before, but never really used myself…until now!

It was truly probably one of the quickest one date wonders out there in my few, but growing experiences. It’s a huge joke now between my closest friends and I when we are truly ready to rid ourselves of any situation, whether work or personal, we simple laugh and say…”Roger that, over and out!”