Today, while leaving work, I was talking to C—, who exclaimed, “Oh! This is the best kind of weather!”

“It is warm, isn’t it?”

“It’s perfect.”

“I was out of town last week, and everything became green while I was gone.”

“You picked a good week to be out of town. It was cold, and it rained every day. I hope you went someplace nice.”

“It was really that bad?”

“Yes. Where did you go?”

“A funeral.”

“Ooohh.” She looked very sheepish. “I’m sorry. Where did you go?”

“New York.”

“New York!” We were parting now. She didn’t know what to say, so she repeated, “I’m sorry. It’s a long way….”

As she walked away, I thought, I can kill a conversation better than anybody I know.