talking to Barry

Actual communication with Barry Hunter has taken place! When I pulled into work one day recently, I parked right in front of Barry's room since it is one of our two coveted shaded spots, and he came to the door and waved, hooting "Hello!" at me. I went back outside a few minutes later to get a Diet Coke from the Coke machine (being in desperate need of caffeinated fuel), and as I was bent over retrieving my soda, he came up behind me. "Are you staying here?" he said, speaking more coherently than I'd ever heard before.

"Barry, I work here," I scolded him. "You know me."

"What room are you in?" he asked.

"Barry, I work here. I know you!"

He then followed me into the office. "You new?"

"No, Barry, I've been here two years."

"Schatzi?"
"Yes, that's me!" And I shook his hand. In retrospect, that may have been a mistake, because ever since then, he comes in to talk to me multiple times a night. Later that same evening, Barry came into the office.

"You must be rich!" (Everything Barry says sounds like an exclamation, when you can decipher what he's said from his usual Muppet/Mr Bean mumbles.)
"No, Barry, definitely not."
"You pay a dollar fifty for that soda! You must be rich! Two liters fifty cents!"

"I can't get a two liter here at work, Barry."

"Tuesday, at Providence, slice of pizza for two dollars! I get pizza at Providence for two dollars!"

"Do you?"

"Fred Meyer chicken for six dollars! Buy a chicken Fred Meyer!"

"That sounds great, Barry."

He staggered around the lobby for a minute or two, then came back up and leaned on the desk, and proceeded to mumble confidingly. I'm not quite sure what he was saying, and most of it was incoherent, but once in a while he would throw his arms out and utter something like "In our fast-paced technological world," and then continue with the gibberish. After a few minutes of that, he left, then came back in and stood at the desk.

"Have pizza with me Tuesday?"

Oh. My. God. Did Barry just ask me out on a date? "What did you say, Barry?"

"Pizza Tuesday at Providence? Pizza with me Tuesday?"

Yes, yes he did. "I'm afraid not, Barry."

After that he left, but for the rest of the evening, he'd come in, stand around, then leave. I think I have an admirer.