Chatter

I went to give blood today during some unscheduled time.

The phlebotomist was all chattery, about nothing really, but seriously, I couldn't have gotten a word in edgewise if I'd wanted to.

Then in the donation area (this center has four small rooms for the questions and doing blood pressure bits, and then a larger area with four donation spots, and then a spot for someone to rest if they need to, work areas, and then a small canteen area set off a bit), there was a woman maybe a bit older than me, who seemed to recognize me.  (I didn't recognize her, but that happens, since I do community presentations and such.)

Then this woman started to chatter and the phlebotomist was chattering, not really listening to each other, but almost holding two separate conversations.  Every so often one or the other would raise their tone slightly in a questioning way and look at me, and I'd nod as if I were closely paying attention.

When we two donors got to the canteen (where we were the only people), the other woman started talking about campus stuff.  She's doing an MA (at a neighboring campus) and it's so much better than anything else, and much more rigorous, and real MAs are like hers, and then she went into how some adjunct in some department here (one I don't know well) got "totally screwed" because she didn't get a job even though she was way better qualified and so forth.  Now I don't know one way or the other, but I'm willing to bet that this woman doesn't really know, either.  Yes, screwage happens.  But also, sometimes, the search committee chooses someone else for really good reasons.  And I said that, but then she was off on something else, and I gave up.

I feel like I can usually hold a conversation, but today I wasn't doing much.  Some days it's like that.  As if someone can hold a conversation by themselves, and all I'm supposed to do is nod or agree or something.  Sort of like out-loud blogging, eh?