The Growler

So I was just reminded of a funny story story that happened to me a few months ago, in the first few weeks that I started my job here in Memphis, and I wanted to share it, because its really too good/weird to not...

So one day, just like any of the rest here in the office, I was drinking some Diet Coke (aka LH) which subsequently caused the need to ahem, relieve myself, in the nearest restroom. Well, I made the familiar trek down the long hallway and to the ladies room. Now, here in the Memphis office at the Fed there aren't many employees, and surprisingly of those, there are very few females, and thus usually when I walk into the bathroom the lights arent on and the sensor kicks in when I open the door. This day was very different. As I opened the door, I noticed the bathroom was already lit up, therefore signifying another lady might also be accompanying me on my bathroom visit, but I still wasnt sure... and if you know me, you know that I am super jumpy and am scared very easily, so I was already a little wary... Anyways, so I opened the door wider and all a sudden I hear a door close behind the wall (where the row of toilets are) and a loud growl comes to my ears. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, a GROWL. So I stop short, still holding the door semi-open so I can make my escape if need be, when a little old lady about 5 foot 1 walks out from around the partition... and growls... again. But this time, she is looking straight at me, with her hands up by her face curled into a claw-like fashion (think: tiger) and then all a sudden bursts into laughter. Laugh-ter. Forreal. At this point, her sudden attack (yes, attack) had scared me not once, but twice, so my heart was pounding a little faster and for some reason my feet, or mouth, wouldn't move. When she notices I still hadn't moved, or recognized her existence with any sort of audible word or blink of an eye, she simply says, "Oh, I'm sorry, I thought you were someone else". Like its completely normal to be growling at other people in the bathroom, but since it was me, someone she has never seen or talked to, that makes it abnormal. No, lady, its never normal and never OK and it never should happen again, sorry. So she turned around and started washing her hands and I, still not uttering a word, walk straight into a stall to escape... the Growler... which my department has now dubbed her.

When I told my boss this story at lunch that day he told me I should have barked at her. Also, I just ran into her in the bathroom 5 minutes ago and that's what reminded me of that story. Hope you enjoyed.