E-mail to ****

—My friend **** ******, a retired RTS bus-driver like me, read my “Say goodbye to *****” blog, and commented that proper etiquette was to say hello and goodbye to friends.
But to me saying hello and goodbye to an attractive female friend has a little more to it.
Ergo:
“If that cute young lifeguard had not waved at me excitedly earlier — the ‘happy to see ya’ wave — I probably woulda just walked out.
It looks like I oughta say goodbye to *****, and thereby let her know I like her. Not lust, just a girl I like as a person.
To do that:
-A) I hafta look inside the pool area to see if she’s there. My exit is the other direction. If I avoid her I save a minute.
NOPE! I prefer striking sparks with *****. I’ve happily struck sparks with females too many times.
-B) She’s in there, so walk all the way around the pool fully dressed (“CALL SECURITY!”) to her lifeguard stand — 50-75 yards. Maybe two minutes.
-C) Shoot the breeze with pretty *****. 4-5 minutes lost.
—Saying goodbye to ***** burns 5-10 minutes, but she smiles and her eyes sparkle. I made ***** happy — which makes me happy.
Of course that’s worth 5–10 minutes.
No way am I avoiding *****.
Go the extra mile. Her smiling tells me she likes me.”
(“DREAMIN’!”)
“No pretty ***** will like you, Bobby! You are EVIL and disgusting!”

• “RTS” is Regional Transit Service, the public transit-bus operator in Rochester, NY, where I drove bus 16&1/2 years (1977-1993). **** also drove RTS bus while I was there.