"Hello?" "Oh, hi, Diane." "No, nothing." "I just finished the dishes." "Sitting around." "Dancing?" "Oh, that sounds great." "Oh." "No, it's the 15th." "Bob pays the bills tonight." "Well, you know, it's a monthly ritual." "It's a big deal." "He's probably getting into his outfit right now." "I'd really love to go, but I'd feel funny dipping by myself." "Maybe another time." "Thanks anyhow." "Yeah, give my love to the boys in the band." "Good-bye." " Be still, my heart." " Who was on the phone?" "Gentlemen's Quarterly." "They want you to be a centerfold." "Emily, if I have to do the bills, I want to be comfortable... and these are my most comfortable clothes." "You know, Bob, you are the only man I know who has a costume for paying bills." "Fine." "Who was on the phone?" "Oh, it was Diane Nugent." "They want us to go dancing with them tonight." "Well, I'm not really dressed for it." "Honey, I'd really love to go." "Couldn't you do the bills another night?" "Emily, I always pay the bills on the I 5th." "Today was the 15th." "Tonight's the night." "That's what you think, Bob." "Emily, it's a job that has to be done." "I don't enjoy doing it any more than you do." "Well, you must." "Otherwise, you wouldn't make such a big production out of it." "I'm just trying to do it efficiently, trying to save a lot of wasted effort." " I can't work." " What's wrong?" "I don't have my rubber thumb." "I can't sort without my rubber thumb." "Of course you need your rubber thumb." "I mean, Emily, you don't seem to understand." "There's a right way to pay bills, and there's a wrong way." "And then there's a crazy way." "Yes, but I'm a psychologist, and I should be able to deal with that." "My thumb, please." "You know, Bob, I bet I could get all the bills paid in the time it just takes you to get ready." "Emily, it's taken me six years to perfect this system." "Yes, but two of them were spent inching your chair back and forth." "If you have a better way, I'd certainly love to hear it." "How's this?" "Sit down, write out the checks and be done with it." " Hmm." "Sure, take the easy way." " Oh, Bob." "What is wrong with the easy way?" " It won't work." " Yes, it will." " All right." "Okay." "You do it." " Fine." "No, wait!" "It's not fair." "I'd be giving you another job." "You could take one of my jobs." "You could make the bed, or you could do the dishes or you could dust or vacuum." "I wouldn't want to take away one of the glamour jobs, Emily." "Well, how about, grocery shopping?" " Grocery shopping." " You know, like in shopping for groceries." "I'm sure I could handle that." "You sure you could handle this?" "Oh, ho." "I have been sure for six years." "Okay." "Now, let me show you how I have this laid out." " This is very important, so pay attention." " Could I" "Could I just get my chair in place?" "Pay attention." "These are communications bills  telephone, newspaper, magazines." " Mm-hmm." "This is bodily maintenance- doctors, dentists, et cetera, et cetera." "These are domicile debts- rent, groceries, so on." "That's my system." "15th of every month." "Any questions?" "Nope." "I have my own system." "I pay the bills on the 16th." "On the 15th, I go dancing." "Thank you." "That was, "In The Mood."" " Well, I'm not." " No, I didn't mean that." "That was one of the songs that Emily and I danced to last night." "Great band" "Ray McKinleys Glenn Miller Orchestra under the direction of Peanuts Hucko." " "String of Pearls."" " Great." "Wanna hear "Tuxedo Junction"?" " No." " Just checking." "Hi, Carol." "Is the coffee ready?" ""Hi, Carol." "Is the coffee ready?"" "Every day you ask the same question." " And every day it's never ready." " Then why ask?" "Boy, somebody got up on the wrong side of the bed this morning." "Not me." "I only have one side." "The other side's up against the wall..." "like my life." "All I wanted was a cup of coffee." "It's the same thing every day, Jerry." "I get off the elevator." "I sit down behind my desk." "You come in and ask me if the coffees ready." "Nothing ever changes." "I got an idea for you, Carol." "Tomorrow, instead of sitting behind your desk... why don't you head right for the coffee machine?" "Shake things up a little." "Thank you for being so understanding." "Hey, that's okay, chum." "Listen, if I have any calls, switch them on downstairs." "I'll be in the coffee shop... having my coffee." " Coffee ready, Carol?" " No, it's not ready!" "Wanna hear "Moonlight Serenade"?" "I'm sorry I yelled at you, Bob." "That's all right, Carol." "Some people get up on the wrong side of the bed." " Can I talk to you for a minute?" " Yeah, sure." "Thank you." "I'm so bored." "Well, put a little fun in your life." "Try dancing." "No, I'm serious." "Every day it's the same routine." "I get up, I have breakfast, then I go down four flights of stairs." "Then I drive through the rush hour to the office." "And no matter what time of the year it is- even in the middle of a blizzard- the parking lot attendant says the same thing to me." ""Hot enough for you?"" "Then I get on the elevator, and I go up the seven flights, and, well, you know the rest." "Well, Carol, you just have to look for different ways to- to make your life exciting, you know?" "You can't be afraid of change." "I think the Kleenex box was a little closer to the plant." "Oh." "Thank you." "As a matter of fact," "Emily and I are going through a- a drastic change in our lives right now." "She's going to be paying the bills, and I'm gonna be doing the grocery shopping." "Talk about throwing caution to the wind." "Well, you know, just- just an example." "I mean, there are a lot of things you could do." "You could, go back to school." "Oh, gee, Bob." "I hate to go to school." "Then you may grow up to be a mule." "What?" "A mule is an animal with long funny ears." "That was a song that the band played last night." "Oh, thank you." "Oh, Bob, hey, I know what you're trying to do, and I appreciate it." "And I feel a little better, and I'll go make some coffee now." "You wanna hear, "Pennsylvania 6-5000"?" " Cream and sugar, Bob?" " Fine." "Well, I'm ready to go shopping." "Where's the list?" "Oh, it's in here somewhere." "No, see, Emily, you're mixing up bodily maintenance with domicile debts." "Bob, Bob, this is my turf." "Now, please, don't mess it up." "Here." "Here's the list." "Bob, what's 37 and 15?" " Fifty-two." " Close enough." " What's a "carton of epps"?" " Eggs." "Looks like "epps."" "Your handwriting's terrible." "What's "chicky peeler buller"?" "Chunky peanut butter." "I just opened a fresh jar of "peeler buller" last night." "Yeah, well, it wasn't "chicky."" "Emily, why are you stuffing all those papers in the wastepaper basket?" "I'm gonna need those at income tax time." "No, you don't, Bob." "We'll have the canceled checks." "Yeah, but what-You know, what if we wanna cross reference?" " Bob, we won't." " Well, we might." "Bob, would you please go to the store?" "This, looks like "fennel?" "You mean "funnel"?" " No, I mean fennel." " What's fennel?" " It's a spice." " I never heard of it." "Neither did I... but it goes in the spice rack in that empty bottle between dill and garlic." "What do you use it for?" "Nothing." "Just that the empty bottle is driving me crazy." "Hi, Bob." "Hi, Emily." " Can I use your funnel?" " You mean fennel." "No, I mean funnel." "I'm baking some funnel cakes." "Flannel cakes." "Oh, well, then can I borrow your flannel?" "I'll bake myself a suit." "Flannel suit." "You get that?" "Bob, if you're going to the supermarket, you better get moving." "We gotta go to the Hultzes' later." "Oh, you're going shopping?" "I love to go shopping." "I know where everything is." "I'd love to do that." "Okay, Howard." "Okay, listen, I'll go with you, okay?" "I'll push the cart." "Just a minute." "Emily might have some questions on the bills." "No, I'm finished already." " What?" "Already, so fast?" " Yeah, well, there's nothing to it." "You just write out a check, stick it in the envelope and slap on a stamp." "Bob, we're going to miss the manager's special." "Howard, I just wanna double-check some totals." "Bob, look." "We have to be at the Hultzes' in two hours, and I am not gonna cancel again." "Come on, Bob." "We don't wanna be late for the no-stick fry pan demonstration." "All right." "I'll just find my hat." " Bob, you'll find it in the incinerator." " Not my hat." "Along with your entire bill-paying ensemble." " Oh, no." " Come on, Bob." "I loved that hat." "Remember, I get to push the cart." "Howard, I'll push the cart." "You can ride in the little seat." "Good evening, shoppers." "Here's another managers special" "Lip-smacking county-fresh day-old white bread with real crust." "Mmm-mmm." "Only 79 cents in our bakery boutique." "Here, Bob." "Howard, that's bacon." "I asked for pork chops." "What's the difference?" "It's all pig meat." "Howard, it isn't on the list." "Put it back." "Well, it goes together with beans." "Howard, celery isn't on the list either." " I know." "This is for me." " I'm not paying for it." "Neither am I." "Have this finished by the time we get through the checker counter." " Howard, that's stealing." " Stealing is when you walk out with it." "When you eat it here, it's called snacking." "Howard, can you make this out?" " It says "epps."" " No, under "epps."" "Oh, that's "Crinkle Jiggles."" " What do you suppose that means?" " Crinkle Jiggles." "It's a new cereal." "It has twice the vitamins an adult requires." "Well, then we should only get half a box." "Yeah, good idea." "What else you got on that list?" ""Canned tarantulas."" " I think that's "canned tomatoes."" " I hope so." "Ah, let me see." "Here we are." "Oh." "Uh-oh." "Let me see." "We have the whole, the peeled... stewed, Italian, tomato paste, tomato puree, tomato sauce" "Howard, doesn't it just say "canned tomatoes" anywhere?" " Nope." " What kind would you get?" "I wouldn't get any kind." "Tomatoes give me hives." "I wouldn't get cucumbers either." "They make my ears itch." "I think we should get stewed." "Yeah, maybe, maybe later... but right now I think we should finish our shopping." " Stewed tomatoes, Howard." " Oh, all right." "Attention, shoppers." "Another managers special in our meat department', meat." "Thank you." "Sounds good." "Let's get some, okay?" "Howard, just get the stewed tomatoes, will you?" "Okay, okay." " Wow." "Wait, what size do you want?" " Whatever is the cheapest." "Oh, that's not gonna be easy." "Oh, my goodness." "They have the six-ounce for 39 cents... the eight-ounce for 44 cents, the 12-ounce for 73 cents." "Wait a minute." "Six for 39." "Per ounce, that would be" "Carry the one." "What would that make it?" "20 after 8:00." "Great, Howard." "Now I gotta start all over again." "Twelve into 73, carry the six." "Sorry." "I just" "Howard, these are the cheapest by the ounce." "How come suddenly it's 10 cents more?" "Oh, I'm sorry." "It's supposed to be 20." "Why don't you just make it 40?" "Come back next week." "All right, Howard." "That's all for this aisle." "Ah-ah!" "My turn to push the cart." "Your attention, shoppers." "Another manager's special" "A two-bedroom home in Evanston." "Fireplace, wall-to-wall carpeting" "Only fifly-nine five." "Limit, one per customer." "Fifty-nine five." "Sounds like a good deal." "What do you think?" "Howard, it won't fit in the cart." "Where's the- grapefruit juice?" " Ah, here we are." "Right here." " We need two cans." "Okay." "Did you say two cans?" "No!" "No!" "I'll get it." "What's going on here?" "He did it." "I, took this off of him too." " Well, the groceries are all put away." " Wonderful." "It's only midnight." "You want to call the Hultzes and cancel?" "Yeah." "I'll wake them and cancel." "Well, I would have been home earlier... but they, they made me pick up the, grapefruit juice cans." "I had a hard time finding the fennel." "Then we, missed the, the first no-stick fry pan demonstration." "Howard insisted we stay for the second show." "Well, we still could have gone to the Hultzes' for coffee... if you hadn't insisted on reorganizing the entire kitchen." "Well, it's important to know where everything is, Emily." "I know where everything is, Bob." "Well, now you know where it is alphabetically." "Emily, how come my pajamas are in the, sock drawer?" "Oh, I must have filed them under "S" for sandman." "Forgive me, Bob." "Honest mistake." "Oh, by the way, I put the vegetables in the crisper in descending order of spoilage." "I figured that'd be a lot less waste, you know?" " Why didn't I ever think of that?" " Beats me." "Poor dumb old Emily." "I just throw the carrots in the vegetable drawer... and let them fall where they may." "Well, now that everything's organized it'll go much faster next time." "Bob, you know that's not the point." "You are doing the same thing with the grocery shopping that you did with the bills." "You are inflexible." "If I were inflexible" "I wouldn't be upset about your not putting the soap back in the soap dish." "Oh, just once I'd like to see you do something without planning it." "The soap is stuck in the sink, Emily." "Be impulsive, Bob." "Unstick it." "I don't know why you say I'm inflexible." "I mean, I picked up one manager's special wasn't even on your list." "Kohlrabi at 10 cents off a clump." "What am I gonna do with a clump of kohlrabi?" "I don't know." "Put fennel on it." "You're lucky I didn't pick up the second manager's special" "We would have had a two-bedroom house in Evanston." "Two bedrooms sounds very good to me." "Tell me, I'm inflexible." "Is the, electric blanket set at three and a half?" "You'll never change, Bob." "Oh, what the heck." "Set it at four." " Good morning, Carol. ls the" " No, it's not ready." "That's what I figured." " What is this for?" " Oh, it's nothing." "Call it a token of friendship." "Call it being nice." "Call it my way of saying you're not doing your job." "I may not be doing my job much longer, Jerry." "There are other careers, you know." ""Famous Bartenders School." That's ridiculous." "Huh!" "Scoff if you will, Jer." "It takes a special kind of talent to be a bartender." "Right." "That's probably why there are so few bars here in America." "Please." "There's more to it than making drinks." "Sure." "You have to sober up drunks." "Of course that entails the brewing of coffee, so you're back in the same old rut." "Morning, Carol." "Morning, Bob." "I didn't know you were here already." "I came in a little early." "I wanted to rearrange my office just shake up my life a bit." "Me too, Bob." "What would you think about me becoming a bartender?" "I think you'd be a good one." "It's kind of a depressing line of work though." "Why?" "You gotta sit around all day and listen to other people's problems." " Like you do." " Yeah." "Except, you know, I don't have to worry about running out of pickled eggs." " Hi." "Hi, Carol." " Hi, Mac." "The usual?" " You sound like a bartender." " Oh, perfect." " Oh." " What are you doing here?" "You were gonna rearrange your furniture." "I thought I could help." "It's done." "You wanna see it?" "Oh." "Pretty wild, huh?" "What's different?" "Well, I rearranged some things on the table." "Oh, far out." "Well, it's a start." "And I switched my diplomas around." "Yeah, I've been giving it a lot of thought you know, what you said about, being inflexible and maybe I've been a little-a little too inflexible." "Bob, I'd really like to talk to you about that because, well, I'm not sure I was right." "No, you were right, Emily." "Change is good." "You know that?" "What would you think if I grew a mustache?" "Oh, Bob." "You'd look terrible in a mustache." "Oh, then I'll... shave it off." " What?" " My mustache." "I just started it this morning." "Ah." "Guess you don't like the beard either, huh?" "Honey, could I, could I talk to you?" "Yeah, sure." "Maybe you'll be a little more comfortable... if I put the Kleenex a little closer to the plant." " That helps." " What's on your mind?" "Well, you know, this morning I was making out the grocery list." "Emily, we need a carton of "epps."" "Oh." "Well, you know, I couldn't help thinking... that I kinda miss going to that grocery store myself." "Emily." "The market is my turf." "Well, I know, Bob, but, see, it wouldn't be your turf if I hadn't talked you into it." "Yeah, but I kind of enjoy it." "I mean, I'm looking forward to going tonight." "It's double-stamp night." "Bob, I know you're just being kind." "Because deep down inside, you have to resent me... because you did such a fantastic job on those bills." "And I know you loved it, and I forced you to give it up." "Yeah, and you burned my hat." "I think the only decent thing to do is to offer you your job back." " Wait a minute, Emily." " No, no, Bob." "What's fair is fair." "Emily." "Bob, who am I to waltz in after six years... and tell you that your way of doing the bills is wrong?" " Emily." " Hmm?" "How many checks bounced?" "Twelve." "Hello, this is Dr. Robert Hartley." "Yeah, could you tell me the balance in my checking account?" "My mother's maiden name was Smith." "No, I don't think I'm related to you." "Mom never lived in Santa Fe." "Well, I'm sure it can be beautiful... but she always found it a little too dry." "Well, maybe she's just as glad she's not related to you." "Are you gonna give me my balance or not?" "Forty-seven dollars?" "Could you tell me... how I'd go about stopping payment on about... 16 checks?" "Fine, I'll be down later to straighten it all out." " Good-bye." " Hey, Bob, you know what's in this cup?" " Coffee." " No, it's a martini." "Carol made it." "She's dynamite." "You want a sip?" "No." "Just finished one of her Singapore Slings." "Listen, let's get away early." "We can get in another game of handball." "Jerry, I'm sorry." "I gotta pay the bills tonight." "I thought Emily paid the bills, and you did the shopping." "Well, I had no choice, Jerry." "She" "She fell apart, you know, right after all the checks bounced." "It's pathetic." "I do it all now." "Vacuuming, laundry, shopping, bills." "She just sits in that rocking chair... looking at the bank statement... mumbling, "Get fennel." "Get fennel."" "They're coming to get her tomorrow." "Then we can play handball tomorrow night." "Don't see why not." "Terrific."