Anyway, Tom had a yarn.
Tom:
“This is about a time when my wife and I decided that we'd like to learn how to cross country ski. So we went down to Jindabyne and we were accommodated in a lodge down there. We arrived fairly early on a Friday night. We were the first to arrive in the group, in fact, so the guide said to us “You can have the option of using the owner's quarters downstairs, if you like. You needn't sleep up here in the multiple accommodation”. And we said “You beaut!” because the owners accommodation was a motel unit, self-contained, en-suite etc.

Anyway, when we were established there, we went upstairs and sat in the lounge as people started arriving and we introduced ourselves all around. I happened to be sitting next to the door and there was a fella sitting next to me and then his wife and a newcomer walked in and said “Hello! My name's George.” And I stood up and said, “I'm Tom” and shook his hand and the fella next to me said, “I'm Dick” and he shook his hand. And there was a woman sitting there, she was Dick's wife and George said “Oh! Don't tell me, you can't be Harry!” And she said, “No, my name's Harriet!” And we all thought that was fair dinkum and for the rest of the week-end we all called her Harriet. Wasn't her name at all, but it doesn't matter!

Anyway, next morning we took off skiing. They took us in a little mini-bus up to Charlotte Pass or somewhere or other and we skiied there all day and we were all complete newcomers so we were thoroughly exhausted by the time we got back. When we arrived back at the lodge, I said to my wife, “Look, you have a shower and I'll go down to the village to buy the Saturday paper.” Y'know, being a suburbanite I couldn't go without the Saturday Herald. So I went down to buy the Herald. I'd been away about half and hour, I suppose when I came back. Well, when I walked into the little unit, I saw that the bathroom door was closed. I thought, “now that's funny.” Because, you'd think if my wife had finished her shower, she would've left the door open to let the steam clear and all that stuff.” And I wondered if she was alright after all that skiing and being thoroughly exhausted. She might have collapsed in a heap or something. So I walked over to the door, opened the door and there was a woman in there but not my wife! It was Harriet! So I apologised profusely, shut the door and backed off. And that was my embarrassing moment!”

“You see what had happened was that when I took off to get the paper, my wife finished her shower, went outside, saw Harriet sitting on the steps on the way up to the upper section and said, “Haven't you had your shower?” And Harriet said, “No, it's choc-a-block up here, there's only one shower to serve everybody”. And Eilleen said, “we've got a shower of our own down there. You go and have a shower down there.” And that's what happened!”


Tom's story of an embarrassing moment for him and two stories in one. And Tom's story set off a few others in the audience at Jamberoo..

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