Joke of the Day

---------------------- Forwarded by Kate Symes/PDX/ECT on 02/28/2001 01:13 PM
---------------------------

Enron Capital & Trade Resources Corp.

From: Jeffrey Oh 02/28/2001 01:01 PM

To: Kate Symes/PDX/ECT@ECT, Todd Perry/PDX/ECT@ECT
cc:

Subject: Joke of the Day

For anyone who didn't see David Letterman the other night, this is a true
story. A little long, but not dirty (for those who might be offended) and
totally worth the read:

On a recent weekend in Atlantic City, a woman won a bucketful of quarters at
a slot machine. She took a break from the slots for dinner with her husband
in the hotel dining room. But first she wanted to stash
the quarters in her room. "I'll be right back and we'll go to eat,"she told
her husband and carried the coin-laden bucket to the elevator.

As she was about to walk into the elevator she noticed two men already
aboard. Both were black. One of them was tall...very tall...an intimidating
figure. The woman froze. Her first thought was: These two are going to rob
me. Her next thought as: Don't be a bigot, they look like perfectly nice
gentlemen. But racial stereotypes are powerful, and fear immobilized her. She
stood and stared at the two men. She felt anxious, flustered and ashamed. She
hoped they didn't read her mind but Gosh, they had to know what she was
thinking!!! Her hesitation about joining them in the elevator was all too
obvious now. Her face was flushed. She couldn't just stand there, so with a
mighty effort of will she picked up one foot and stepped forward and followed
with the other foot and was on the elevator. Avoiding eye contact, she turned
around stiffly and faced the elevator doors as they closed. A second passed,
and the another second, and then another. Her fear increased! The elevator
didn't move. Panic consumed her. My God, she thought, I'm trapped and about
to be robbed! Her heart plummeted. Perspiration poured from every pore.

Then one of the men said, "Hit the floor." Instinct told her to do what they
told her. The bucket of quarters flew upwards as she threw out her arms and
collapsed on the elevator floor. A shower of coins rained down on her. Take
my money and spare me, she prayed. More seconds passed.

She heard one of the men say politely, "Ma'am, if you'll just tell us that
floor you're going to, we'll push the button." The one who said it had a
little trouble getting the words out. He was trying mightily to hold in a
belly laugh. The woman lifted her head and looked up at the two men.

They reached down to help her up. Confused, she struggled to her feet. "When
I told my friend here to hit the floor," said the average sized one, "I meant
that he should hit the elevator button for our floor. I didn't mean for you
to hit the floor, ma'am." He spoke genially. He bit his lip. It was obvious
he was having a hard time not laughing.

The woman thought: "My God, what a spectacle I've made of myself". She was
humiliated to speak. She wanted to blurt out an apology, but words failed
her. How do you apologize to two perfectly respectable gentlemen for behaving
as though they were going to rob you? She didn't know what to say. The three
of them gathered up the strewn quarters and refilled her bucket.

When the elevator arrived at her floor they then insisted on walking her to
her room. She seemed a little unsteady on her feet, and they were afraid she
might not make it down the corridor. At her door they bid her a good evening.
As she slipped into her room she could hear them roaring with laughter as
they walked back to the elevator. The woman brushed herself off. She pulled
herself together and went downstairs for dinner with her husband.

The next morning flowers were delivered to her room - a dozen roses. Attached
to EACH rose was a crisp one hundred dollar bill. The card said: "Thanks for
the best laugh we've had in years." It was signed;

Eddie Murphy & Michael Jordan