Food is a good thing

Fanny has been in a better mood these days. She no longer gripes so much at us--it's more like good-natured grumbling at our apparent idiocy. We think she is eating enough now to function more like a normal human being (cutting back on food was one of her cost-saving measures--she was probably eating saltines for dinner, for all I know).

My coworker told me that sometimes I just need to say "I don't know," to her if the conversation is getting out of hand due to her incomprehensible mumbling and it would be best for both parties concerned to end it.

So I tried it on the phone the other day--it worked!

Fanny: "I'm at the bank!!! You know those mumble mumble mumble I was tellin' ya 'bout?").

me: "Um, I don't know."

Fanny: "Well anyways, I got 'em. GOOD BYE!"

Normally, this conversation would have stretched on and on for five minutes as I tried vainly to understand what Fanny was saying. Really, all she wants is someone to talk to (most of the time, she doesn't much care for what you have to say--sometimes I interject comments like "Yeah, I know about that," and she'll say, "Whatever, I don't care." and keep talking).