In those days I worked at Florda Power and Light in Miami. I was a programmer in the Development Center and spent a lot of time on the phones. Well this story centers around an unusual phone conversation I had one morning.
Lisa collected penguins. You have met people who collect owls or unicorns or what have you, well Lisa's obsession was with penguins. She had many stuffed penguins, lots of penguin decorations and a favorite box which she often filled with cookies or candy and delivered to friends. I was a recipient of some ice-box cookies delivered in "The box of penguins". The box was so called because of a line of penguins marching around its border for the full length of the box. After a pleasant evening Lisa went home but forgot to take her box of penguins.
The next morning I was sitting at my desk when Lisa called and asked if I could bring her the box of penguins. I explained that I was at work and couldn't do that. Lisa was like that. I don't think she fully understood that some things had to be done repeatedly. After some discussion, I agreed to call my son Joey and ask him to deliver it to her. The delivery would have to take place at Lisa's work place. She was at work and couldn't come get the box, but she thought I could leave work to deliver it. That's Lisa.
As I picked up the phone to call Joey, my boss walked into the room. I held up a hand, told Joey what I wanted him to do and gave him directions to the place where Lisa worked. My boss knew the place in question, and he knew my son Joey. That is important.
My adopted son Joey is a dwarf. He is 4'4" tall and Puerto Rican by birth. He grew up in New York, however. Lisa worked at a head shop, one fairly well known in Miami. She worked in the back in their "new age" library selling crystals, books of "magick" and the like. When I called and gave Joey directions to the place, my boss knew who I was talking to and where I was sending him.
As I hung up the phone with Joey I turned to my boss, Fred, to see what he had come to see me about. He looked at me a little quizzically and asked "Did you just send a dwarf with a box of penguins to a magic shop?"
I told him, "Uh, yes." He turned and left without another word. I never did find out what he wanted.