#1155 Schenected

I guess I’m probably like most people---I waste a lot of time on the internet. But I save a lot of time too. I can’t possibly keep track of all the time I’ve saved looking up useless and inconsequential information.
Are you saving time if you are making the process of wasting time more efficient?
Here’s what happened the other day. I was reading an interesting statistic. Seems some research firm or another had determined that 58% of people hate having their email address or phone number asked for at a checkout counter.
I wonder how those people felt about being asked about how they felt about being asked.
In any event, it got me to thinking. I hate that question at a checkout counter too. And what I really hate is being asked my zip code. I always say to the checker I’d rather not tell her but sometimes she’s stymied, as the computer program won’t let her go any further in the transaction without some number.
So I’ve started saying 12345.
Surprisingly, it works, but then the checker always gives me a dirty look. So I wondered, is there a zip code for 12345? I googled it and saved a huge amount of time on research because the answer came up instantly, without a laborious search through phone books and postal publications and libraries and stuff.
And guess where 12345 is? Schenectady, New York.
The good things is, now I can tell those skeptical checkout clerks that 12345 really is a place. And the better news is I have a new word to waste time and play with.
Schenectady.
Sounds like an operation of some sort doesn’t it? I had a Schenectady. Yeah, my skin had a big gash in it. It was coming apart so I went in for a Schenectady. That’s where they connect it again without stitches. Something they invented in New York.
Or maybe it’s some sort of social networking site where people are connected to other skiers. They all love skiing.
And they’re ski-nected.
Or possibly Schenectady is a Yiddish word that means time waster. He’s such a Schenectady...
America, ya gotta love it.