“You know what phrase I’m surprised got adopted into common ussage? ‘Revenge is a dish best served cold.’ It’s an old Klingon proverb.”

“Huh?”

“Star Trek.”

“Oh. You know what I think is a weird phrase that gets used a lot? ‘It is what it is.’ I mean, of course it is what it is. Everything is. Dumb.”

“Not Transformers. They’re ‘more than meets the eye!’”

She’s one of those “Let’s go let’s get it done, no nonsense, Let me tell you how it is” kind of ladies. You know the kind. Every church and temple has one, every ladies group has one, every office has one. She’s friendly, and she does things quickly.

She is a real estate agent who called me back to tell me that two dogs would be fine but THREE, the owner said, was too many. She sighed. “I have two dogs myself. I know where you’re coming from. He doesn’t get it.”

“They’re small!” I said. “They sleep a lot! We’ll pay an extra deposit for them, too! We’re homeowners! We know about wanting to keep your rental nice.”

“What? Do you own a home up in Connecticut?” she asked. How she knew I have no idea.

“We own two! Trust me, we’re responsible people!”

“I’m going to call him back and tell him that. He should consider you. You know?”

“I know!”

“Amber, I like you!” she said. “I’ll be in touch.”

I have a feeling she’s going to win this argument.