Impatience is my (second) middle name...

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Sometimes my impatience gets the better of me.

You know those times when you say something pretty inconsequential and the person you're saying it to doesn't hear it the first time, doesn't hear it the second time and only just manages to catch it the third time even though you were talking so clearly, verging on your outdoor voice and making direct eye contact at all times?

It's times like these that I realise I'm pretty deficient in the Patience Is A Virtue respect. In fact, I don't think I even give the person on the other end the benefit of the third repeat, I just inwardly implode, shake my head and declare:

"Nup, I'm not saying it again, I can't be bothered."

Poor them.

Last week, my sister was in the kitchen washing the dishes (remember: running water drowns out 80% of sound) and I called to her from the next room:

"Hey we should watch Julie and Julia!"

She said: "Huh? Watch what?"

I said: "Julie and Julia!"

She said: "Huh? What? and What??"

I said: "Julie and Juliaaaaa!!" thinking that the elongated syllable would enable her to hear me better.

Later, she confessed that she wasn't sure if I would give her the benefit of the third repeat. She said she was waiting with bated breath and was expecting me to internally implode and give the "can't be bothered" line like I always do. In fact, she even said she was relieved when I maintained my composure and my measured tone and repeated it again without so much as a huff.

Man from Mars wasn't so lucky this long weekend. The fact that he's a good 30cm taller than me also doesn't help things. Even when I use my outdoor voice it's like noise doesn't carry upwards. We were waiting in the check-in line for Tiger Airways and I said something like:

"Far out how long is the line"

He stooped down half heartedly: "Huh, sorry?"

I leaned upwards and said: "I said, far out, how long is the line!"

He stooped down lower and said "What?"

Well of course by that stage my comment had lost its oomph because I'd already had to repeat it twice, and so I zipped my lips up and declared that I'm not repeating it again.

Man from Mars promised that he'd listen if I'd just say it once more and I gave him the "Sorry Buster, but you lose" look and we mosied on down the queue.