Happy Friday the 13th.
I just had a very surreal phone conversation.

My washing machine still needs fixing, so I called Don's Maytag. Two years ago when my washer got tricky on me I called Don's, and they sent me this handsome repairman who smelled like good aftershave and had clean fingernails and looked just fine in that little Maytag uniform. Oh yes, send him again. But the soonest they have time available is next week.

In the interest of having clean clothes and avoiding country music hell at the Speed Queen laundromat this weekend (since I need clean underwear and socks), I called Fix It For Less, which I found in the yellow pages.

The fellow who answered was quite pleasant, asked what was the problem with the washer, got pertinent info about location etc. & then asked how I'd pay for the repair, cash or check.
A legitimate question.
I replied, "I can write you a check."

He said, "Uh-huh, and... what bank?"

Not a usual question but whatever, so I said, "B of A."

"Yeah, sorry, we don't accept checks from Bank of America."

I laughed.

"No really," he said, "We don't take checks from Bank of America. We've had problems with that bank in the past."

I still thought he was joking, like it was April Fools's Day except Friday the 13th, so I said, "What? You don't take checks from Bank of America?"

"No. You probably should call someone else."

"You don't take checks from Bank of America?"

He started getting snotty and defensive and said, "No, we've had problems in the past, and I think you should call someone else. I don't really know what's wrong with your appliance and I don't know how much the charges will be, so I can foresee problems here. You should probably find a different repair service."

So I said with utter incredulity, "This is the most absurd thing I've heard."

He replied, "Well, you're entitled to your own opinion, but..."
I cut him off and said, "What the hell?"

His voice got all high pitched and defensive and he said, "Now there's no need to get nasty..."
I hung up on him.

I figure either he owes Bank of America money from some bad account or other, which would explain why he's had problems with "that bank," or else he's a wacko, in which case I don't want him in my house.

I'll wait a week for the Maytag man.