The Card In The Hat

You may remember back in March I told you the saga of an American business card found in an American Marine’s cap, which had made its way to the UK via Afghanistan.  You can read the full story here and here.  The card belonged to Shanea Vernon, Sales Representative.  I wanted to discover how and why the card was tucked into the cap.

I also wanted to test the Six Degrees of Separation theory, but my impatient readers simply Googled Shanea Vernon, Sales Representative and found a possibility through Facebook.  Donning my Creepy Stalker head, I tried sending a message.

Nothing happened.  A whole lot of nothing.  Until ten days ago.

Unfortunately, I didn’t know that, because I don’t check my Laughing Housewife email account as regularly as I should, because most people contact me via comments.  It was therefore five days later that I learned Shanea had written to me!

Here she is:

Shanea has given me permission to share some of her email, so I will let her tell you in her own words, the story of how I frightened a total stranger halfway across the world:

Last Sunday afternoon I went to church and then headed to my aunt’s house for a cookout in Valley Center CA. Being that I’ve been traveling a lot lately, I haven’t seen my aunt and cousins in over a month. My cousin Nikki asked me if I’ve ever googled my name, while giving her a strange look, my response was no and why. With excitement in her voice she exclaimed, “Oh my gosh, I totally forgot to tell you…. One day I googled your name and there are people on the internet looking for you”. She pulled up a website on the ipad with a title called “The Laughing Housewife”. I began to read, but for some weird reason my heart was beating fast and I was nervous/paranoid with thoughts about why someone would be looking for me, especially with the name “The Laughing Housewife”, I just knew it had to be a joke she was playing on me. I continued to read the article, “Do you know Shanea Vernon, sales representative”……..and…………..I LOVED IT! I feel honored that someone in Stockport England came to know about my existence! I even read the comments of your readers and I must say, they also are amazing people with a great sense of humor! I laughed plenty of times.

My name is Shanea Vernon, pronounced as “sha-knee-a”. […] I started a company called EntertainmentPC 3 years ago. We have kiosks in malls that finance and sell electronics.

I’m pretty sure I met [the man who had the card] in San Diego CA which means that he’s probably a marine I’m guessing. Maybe the six degrees of separation could actually work being the idea that everyone is on average approximately six steps away from any other person on Earth in six steps or fewer. Maybe I met him in the mall and he either purchased a laptop from me, or was inquiring about a purchase. There might have been and instant attraction/connection and then he deployed to Afghanistan but held on to my business card which was folded and put in his hat. Although I have no clue who he is or how we met, I find your article somewhat fascinating and my mind is now inquiring who, what, when, where, and why. […] When I read the article I was like “oh my goodness, that was such a romantic and sweet story, I felt like I was watching it on TV and then I said…wait, that’s me”!

Sadly, there’s no happy ending for us strangers (that’s you and me, readers, poking our noses into an innocent person’s life): we still don’t know who the marine is; or why he had Shanea’s card.  I’m going with the theory that he intended to ask her out but was suddenly shipped out; and had to buy his laptop elsewhere.

If anyone wants to turn this story into a novel, I have Shanea’s business card and a percentage of the movie profits will buy it from me.

See: stalking can be good.

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Joke 413

From Will & Guy.

A Montana ranch, comfortable if not elegant, and the home of many well-to-do persons engaged in mining or stock-raising. – NARA – 516622 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Old ranch owner John farmed a small ranch in Montana.  The Montana Wage and Hour Department claimed he was not paying proper wages to his workers and sent an agent out to interview him.

‘I need a list of your employees and how much you pay them,’ demanded the agent.

‘Well,’ replied old John, ‘there’s my ranch hand who’s been with me for three years. I pay him $600 a week plus free room and board. The cook has been here for two months, and I pay her $500 a week plus free room and board. Then there’s the half-wit who works eighteen hours every day and does about 90% of all the work around here. He makes about $10 per week, pays his own room and board and I buy him a bottle of bourbon every Saturday night.’

‘That’s the guy I want to talk to,’ said the agent.

‘That would be me,’ replied old rancher John.