Should I Be Concerned?

One of my co-workers - an energetic, middle-aged man who has a rather contentious relationship with technology - asked me if I could do him a favor.

"Sure," I said. "What's up?"

"Well, see, you're good with all of this equipment around here. Could you help me patch a song through to a girl's answering machine? Today's her birthday and I'd like to butter her up; make her feel good."

"Yeah, I can do that. This your new girlfriend?"

"Well... I mean, we see each other now and then. You know how it is."

"I see. So what's the song you're looking for?"

"Well, that's the other thing I need your help with," he says. "It's this birthday song... all about birthdays..."

"I assume you're not talking about the usual birthday song..."

"No, no, no, it's this other birthday song from back in the day."

"Is it the Beatles song?"

"No, not that one. It's a guy singing to his little girlfriend - something about teenagers, sweet sixteen, happy birthday..."

"Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen?"

"Yeah! Who did that one."

"Neil Sedaka, I think," I replied, quickly turning to Google to confirm my suspicions. "Yeah, Neil Sedaka."

"Yeah, so that's what I wanna play for her."

"Okay. I hope it's not actually her 16th birthday?"

"I'm not sure which birthday it is. She lives on her own in Atlanta, though, so she's old enough. She made me some cake on my birthday, too, and that's definitely a grown woman thing to do."

"Your evidence seems pretty unshakable."

"Oh, that reminds me - when you dial the number for me, be sure to press *67 so nobody can look at her phone and see who's been calling."

Back at ya later