Earlier this morning...

At a grocery store in the aisle with cereal...

Business Woman: Heels, Gray suit coat, matching skirt, thick-ish and wintry. Yellow, ruffled blouse. Dangling jewelry from wrists. Somewhat pointed nose. Estimation: Probably has never seen, nor heard of Monty Python. Only eats things with utensils.

Store Clerk: Young, slightly overweight. Ill fitting clothes. Brown, dry, pony tail. Thin goatee. Black tennis-shoes. Estimation: Could walk a complete stranger through a Tivo set-up from memory, over the phone while playing Modern Warfare II on the X-box 360. That is, if he ever talked to complete strangers.

BW: Excuse me
SC: (turning slowly) Yeah?
BW: Do you have dry cereal? (they are surrounded by dry cereal varieties)
SC: (pointing) Yeah.
BW: (looking at where he is pointing) No, I need dry cereal.
SC: What kind of dry cereal?
BW: I don't know, I was just asked to pick up dry cereal.
SC: All our dry cereal is right there (pointing again)
BW: (Looking at her list for a moment) Are you sure this is dry cereal?
SC: Yeah (he pauses) Do you mean oats?
BW: Oats?
SC: Oatmeal?
BW: No, definitely not oatmeal. I know he doesn't want oatmeal, he said dry cereal.
SC: But he didn't say what kind?
BW: No.
SC: Well this is all dry cereal.
BW: But don't you put milk in it?
(Pause)
(Pause)
SC: You can...if you want to...you don't...
BW: But its made to have milk in it...
SC: I guess.
BW: (staring at her list for a moment) He said he wanted dry cereal. He said specifically to make sure it was dry.
SC: Maybe he just didn't want milk in it.
BW: He doesn't drink milk
SC: Oh, well there you go.
BW: He's lactose intolerant.
SC: Sure.
BW: It runs in the family.
SC: Ok.
BW: You didn't need to know that.
SC: (shrugs and goes back to work)
BW: (walks over to shelves and begins to look at cereal)(Sighs)
(pause)
BW: Excuse me.
SC:(turning) Yes.
BW: What kind is good?
SC: I don't eat cereal much. I used to eat Cherrios (pointing again)
BW: Oh, (grabbing the box off the shelf to look at it) you like these?
SC: No. just all my room-mate would buy.
BW: Oh. (putting the box back on the shelf)
SC: (Realizing she is not going away) Does he like healthy cereal or sugar cereal?
BW:Who?
SC: (pause-confused) The person who wants the cereal!
BW:(flustered) Oh, healthy I would think.
SC: Cherrios are healthy, Raisin Bran, Life, Chex, Corn Flakes...
BW:  (picking up a box of Coco Puffs off the shelf) He likes chocolate.
SC: Those have chocolate in them.
BW: Healthy?
SC: Good for your soul I guess. Taste better with milk though.
BW: He doesn't like milk.
SC: (under his breath) So I hear. (walking a few feet away and reaching out to grab) Grapenuts! I hear these are good--and healthy.
BW: And its dry cereal.
SC: Until you put milk on them.
BW:(smiles) Thank you for your help.
SC: No problem, have a nice day mam. (turns around to go back to work)
BW: (after putting the box in her cart) Oh, do you have corned beef?