Wednesday night Husband and I were talking about a recent complaint that my regulatory board received about a licensee, as Husband is the new Board Investigator. It is an unpaid position that I volunteered him for because he is semi-retired and very fastidious in his work and there wasn’t anyone else to do it and he is my spouse.
He said we would need to finesse the written response to the complaint. I thought he said defenestrate the response. I was confused. Once we got that cleared up, we had a good laugh and both did some research on The Defenestration of Prague. What a strange word and even stranger concept!
What have you been “volunteered” for something by virtue of being related to someone? Have you ever wanted to be an investigator? Who or what have you wanted to throw out of a window?
Trail Baboon 
My spouse has, on occasion, told someone that “we” would help them move to a different house, etc. I have overheard this as she speaks on the phone across the room from me, but I don’t remember having been consulted. By using “we”, she seemed to assume that I was just as enthusiastic as she to be of help.
I attempt not to be that kind of guy in the other direction.
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If, when you say “investigator” you include researcher, then yes. Research is something I do for entertainment.
I get “volunteered” when my kids call to ask for help with home maintenance projects. I wouldn’t know about the projects if they didn’t ask. I can’t see myself refusing their request. I help because I can. The same is true for Robin’s requests on behalf of her friends, although those are infrequent. If it’s something I can do, I will.
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But if anyone nominates me for a board I will not run and if elected will not serve.
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I’ll bet I have volunteered Husband for more stuff than he has volunteered me – I remember telling someone I was sure he’d be interested in joining the Board of the Winona Arts Center (I wasn’t sure…). He became treasurer before his stroke, and now we’re both on it.
I think I would like to be an investigator – maybe I am in some ways now, very informally. I love to figure out why people do some of the things they do… hope I can think of some concrete instance before end of day.
Well, a number of Husbands relatives, for one.
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Ditto
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Which part?
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Husband’s relatives out the window. 🤫
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Volunteers Jefferson Airplane
February 15, 2003, brought this song back to life with the protests against the impending Iraq War.
Throwing people, even vile liars, out of windows is murder so I have a metaphoric list.
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I guess the folks thrown out of the windows in Prague in 1419 landed in a large manure pile and survived the fall.
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That could be arranged.
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Husband volunteers me to provide Christmas goodies to more people than I am prepared to bake for, but I just soften the butter and assume I will bake like a fiend all November and December.
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It appears a couple of Russian oligarchs have been defenestrated lately, and not into welcoming manure piles.
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Robin has a friend that investigates unsolved murders in Minnesota as a hobby.
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I’ll stick in my paper crafts thank you very much
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She should write a book…
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Some of her research is for a woman who is writing a book.
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We are off to Sedona today. I investigated child abuse. Grim.
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I’ve been “volunteered” but not because of my family. I was asked to cook and serve backstage food at Rock Bend. It was an enormous job and not super rewarding. I had other jobs to do at Rock Bend too so it really got to be too much and made me unhappy. It also involved finding other volunteers to stay back there and serve food to the performers and other volunteers. It was nice to be backstage – lots of fun – but not many people wanted to stay back there for a minimum of four hours. So I was busy.
I think I might be good at investigation. I’m detail-oriented and and like to look at mysterious events in a thorough and complete way.
I’d throw a few politicians out a window, if I could. A manure pile might not be deep enough for all of them.
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We call it “Volun-told”. It happens in theater a lot. That’s why you can’t miss a meeting!
Kelly and I are pretty careful about volunteering each other.
It just has to be phrased better. For example, when I know so and so has a large heated shop, I might say “Who do we know that has a large heated shop?” and with any luck, their wife will say “He’d let you use it. I’ll talk to him”.
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The “I’ll talk to him” is key…
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I’m already a skilled investigator.
Law And Order
NCIS
Bones
Columbo
Ironside
Quincy
Dragnet
Magnum P.I.
Peter Gunn
Mod Squad
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Impeccable credentials, Wes.
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You forgot about Burke
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Gene Barry the first murderer Columbo caught.
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Prescription Murder!!
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Where is Jessica Fletcher?
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Mendocino.
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Not sure. I didn’t watch her much. It must have been on opposite a show I liked better.
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Out the window? My computers on multiple occasions.
C in O
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I trust you have never actually followed through on that urge? If you have, I’d sure like to hear about it.
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I used to have this video on my desktop for many years. Whenever I needed a little stress relief, I would play it. Sometimes repeatedly.
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At least he broke the least expensive and easily replaced items.
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LOL. No, I’m actually quite mellow 99% of the time. I limit my physical outbursts (other than verbal outbursts when I’m alone) to the occasional door slam.
C
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Just what I thought, all talk and no action. LOL. Just kidding. Thought you were too pragmatic to toss something breakable out the window, but I can well imagine, being a writer as you are, that there has been the occasional frustration expressed when technology gobbled up a big chunk of your work or otherwise screwed things up.
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I have occasionally suggested that a certain person, not necessarily Hans, might be willing to help with this, that, or the other thing if I knew said person had the necessary tools, skill, knowledge or interest to help. I’m very careful not to volunteer anyone other than myself, and I do that only after considering what kind of commitment is required. I’m happy to help just about anyone in an immediate situation, but I don’t want to be hooked into an ongoing obligation if I can avoid it, and I certain don’t want anyone else making that kind of decision on my behalf.
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I can’t really think of a lot of times when people volunteered me for stuff which leads me to believe that most of the time when it does happen it’s something I would do anyway or would like to do so I don’t remember the coercion part.
The one that does stand out of my mind, however, was my first Christmas as a young married. We were in Milwaukee. It was my first Christmas in the bakery business and it was brutal. I was working 70 to 80 hours a week and I was exhausted. I didn’t get anything done that I consider essential to my well-being during the holiday season. No cookies. No cards. No parties. Hardly any gifts whatsoever. I was distraught. We had decided as a young couple that we would spend our first Christmas together and start some little traditions of our own – and I wanted to rest up a bit. So imagine my dismay when a couple of weeks before Christmas I heard my wasband in the other room on the phone with his parents talking about the holiday – I could hear him slipping down the slope and sure enough by the end of the call he had agreed that we would visit them over the holidays. I was so angry – I thought if this is how we’re going to play then we have to go visit my family as well. So on the day before Christmas Eve we traveled from Milwaukee to Kansas City where we spent two nights and then on Christmas morning we flew from Kansas City to St. Louis and spent another two nights. Of course by the time we got home to Milwaukee it was time to go back to work at the bakery. I cried for days and I’m not sure I ever forgave him for that.
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Yeah, that might be a deal breaker if you weren’t consulted and on board for that.
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A rookie mistake when you’ve only been married a handful of months.
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Now when I’m feeling aggravated with someone, I can imagine tossing them out a window and into a manure pile! Thanks, Baboons!
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Defenestration into defecation.
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Jezebel didn’t land well.
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Snort!
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Just saw the sad news on Facebook, Ben and his family had to say goodbye to Allie today. So sorry, Ben. I know that old dog had a wonderful life with you, and she leaves a big hole to be filled. ❤
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Tomorrow’s post will have a lot about their beloved pup. I just love all the Baboons.
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Not looking forward to that. Loss of the member of a home is awful.
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Thanks
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My investigative idol.
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Oh, just one more thing…
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