Mestee Blogger

"It is what it is." -Britney Spears, in a statement to the press last week, regarding the incident of being spotted driving with her baby on her lap.

"It is what it is." White House Press Secretary, Scott McLellan, commenting on Dick Cheney's little hunting mishap, during which he shot his friend in the face.

I probably wouldn't have even noticed Scott McLellan saying that had I not heard the quote from Britney Spears last week, specifically noting to myself what a ridiculous non-answer that is. If I were a reporter and someone told me "It is what it is", I would probably ask them why they were even bothering to waste their breath saying something that means nothing. For a complete transcript of the press conference held at the White House today, click here. I'm surprised Scott McLellan didn't just resign at the end of it.

For those who hadn't heard, on Saturday night, I became the one millionth person to leave their cell phone in a cab on the way home from a bar. I actually didn't even realize it until Monday morning, when I wanted to call my parents to work out some logistics for dinner that night. I wasn't too worried about it. I mean, it sucks, but it's not as bad as losing a wallet. On last night, I got these emails from Brendan:

"Hey, Abdul has your phone."

Followed by:

"Seriously, the cab driver from 2 nights ago has your phone.....his number is 781-244-**** and his name is Abdul".

And Finally:

"No joke, Brian's cab driver from the other night just called me and wants to give Brian his cell phone back... now why can't I run into a nice cabbie like Abdul?"

I called Abdul from the phone in the kitchen at work today.

Me: Hi, Abdul?
Abdul: Yes!
Me: Hi, this is Brian. I think you have my cell phone?
Abdul: Okay! Where are you?
Me: Well, I'm at work. Where do you want me to meet you?
Abdul: Where you want to meet?
Me: How about Davis Square, where you picked me up?
Abdul: You are in Davis Square? How come I cannot see you?
Me: No, I'm not in...
Abdul: Are you in Cambridge?
Me: No, I'm in none of those places, but...
Abdul: Call me tonight. 5:30.

Our misunderstandings in that conversation, coupled with what I recall of Abdul's poor knowledge of the area, lead me to believe that a rendezvous might be complicated.

I showed up at Davis around 5:45 and gave Abdul a call from the payphone at the bus stop. He told me that he was at the CambridgeSide Galleria and he would be in Davis within 15 minutes. This seemed like a very ambitious time estimate, but whatever, as long as he got me my phone. I waited and waited and waited. I definitely shouldn't have had those 3 big glasses of water before I left work. Oh boy. I have a bladder the size of a raisin, so this was not making the waiting any more pleasant. It had been about a half hour, so I ran over to the pay phones and called again. He said he had hit traffic, but he was in Porter Square. Good news.

I figured that he would be there within a few minutes and now I knew what direction he would be coming from. Forty-five minutes later, I was beginning to think that either Abdul was not in Porter Square when he called or he was not going to show up. I was just happy to have avoided wetting myself by this point. Just as I was contemplating taking off, I hear frantic honking from across the square. It was Abdul. He's yelling and waving out of his window, stopped at a green light with a lady in the back seat of his cab. I ran up to his window in the middle of traffic as he handed me the phone and I slipped him some cash for his trouble. I think the lady in the back seat of the cab was pretty sure she had just witnessed some kind of drug deal. Anyway, I got my phone back, which is all I care about.
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