The anti-SPUNK

At One Weigh Or Another, they have something called "SPUNKS." It's basically when someone notices you've lost weight and gives you a compliment.

I've had my share of those over the past year and a half, but yesterday was a first.

An anti-SPUNK.

I got a call in my office, right before I left for the day. It was from a lady who is in my book club, and she wanted to complain about Walmart's new practice of handling checks.

Apparently, now when you write them a check, they give you a receipt similar to one from a credit or debit card. She was not amused. (I guess she never heard of Check 21). Anyway, she called the number the clerk gave her if she had any questions, and she said she kept getting disconnected by the computerized phone system.

When she called back to complain to the store manager, she was offended by the lewd content of the on-hold music.

All that to say, she wanted me to "investigate" and "write an editorial" about the matters.

Believe it or not, this is a fairly normal phone conversation around here. Lots of complaints and conspiracy theorists.

Then the call got weird.

She started off saying how glad she was to have spoken to me, "That pretty brunette" who comes to book club.

"Thank you," I replied.

"That chubby little brunette."

Huh?

Since when is it acceptable in polite society to call someone you know as a passing acquaintance "chubby?"

It's been a LONG time since someone has made a comment about my weight - like, maybe junior high?

I didn't know what to say. I wanted to say, "Yeah, you should've seen me about 75 pounds ago," but I didn't.

I just wished her a good day, and got on with mine.

Chubby brunette, indeed. I ought to bleach my hair before next month's meeting.