So as it may or may not have occurred to you by the subject line, today has thus far been a little "off."

Someone called here a few minutes ago saying that he has been "trying and trying to get ahold of the Peoria Civic Center. Isn't that where they play hockey and that?"

"Do you mean the Bloomington Coliseum?"
"No. The Peoria Civic Center. They play hockey and have events there right?"
"Yeah."
"Do you have their phone number?"

First, guy, we need to address the larger problem of calling a cell phone retail store to get in touch with a civic center over 60 miles from here.
I gave him the number to the Coliseum so that he'd leave me alone and could continue on his quest of finding things the EXACT opposite way that common sense would dictate.

I wonder what the number for IHOP up the street from me is?
I'm going to call Bob Evans in Champaign to find out. They HAVE to have their number.

That really happened.

The door and glass windows that separate me from the Coliseum are not sound proof, but they do block out a very substantial amount of sound.
During sound tests inside the arena when the music is at pretty much its loudest, you can hear it, but it isn't that loud at all. Open the door however and you have to yell to talk.

A lady came in here today asking about where to fill out an application.
I've recently started letting them cut through the arena because you have to cut through to get to the gift shop anyway.
She's standing by the door to the outside. I start to tell her where to go when I see a guy in funny black hammer jammie pants with little red peppers on them talking in our direction making odd hand gestures.
He opens the door from the inside and tells her she has to go around.

I have no idea how he heard us talking. He was a good ten feet away from the door.

So maybe he saw us gesturing? I think I was pointing toward the offices.

Ten minutes later, another guy wanting to put in an application does the same thing. I tell him he has to go around because the last person got yelled at. He says "If I get yelled at I'll ask them for an application."

Not knowing what the hell that even meant, I said, "Alright." Rolled my eyes at him and said "Best of luck."

A minute later he walks back out and leaves not saying anything. Mr. Hammer Jammies comes in after him. I tell him that the guy wouldn't listen to me, in case he's decided to come in and take the sad fact that he's forced into wearing those ridiculous pants out on me.
He repeats what the guy said to me about asking for an application.

I didn't see him anywhere inside when the guy said that.

Who the crap is this guy and what's with the sonic hearing?

You know me, I'm now no longer convinced that this guy ISN'T hearing every word I say.

A guy came in and asked how to retrieve a message even though he's had service with us for about 4 years he says.
I flip open the phone and it says, "NEW MESSAGE." And then "READ" just under it by the button. I tell him its a text message, and show him how to find even when there isn't an alert, because he's old and that seems to shoot over older people's heads.
I get done explaining and hand the phone back to him. He stares at me.
"I thought I was going to hear a message."
...Sigh...
It's ok that this new technology confuses people. There are phones that do more crap than a phone really should, so its no wonder when you come across stuff like this.

But if you want to learn how to do it, LISTEN when it is explained to you.