April 18: Write a story for The Onion
DES MOINES (AP) - Des Moines elevator repairman Edward Frick annoyed
several guests - including his own mother - when he refused to laugh, or
even crack a smile, at the majority of the humourous greeting cards
that were presented to him at his 31st birthday last Friday evening.
Mr. Frick, who attended the party at Big Al's Pizza Shack in the city's downtown core, seemed to be enjoying the cards at first - even laughing out loud at one card presented to him by his girlfriend, 27-year-old graphic designer, Mary Beth O'Connor. However, his responses to the cards cooled quite rapidly - moving from forced laughter to a tight smile and then to virtually no reaction at all.
This was particularly galling to Mr. Frick's mother, Louise Frick, 56, who says it took her seven minutes to pick out the perfect card during her weekly shopping trip to Wal-Mart.
"I finally settled on a card that showed a cute little kitty cat riding in a spaceship that was orbiting Earth," said a tearful Mrs. Frick. "On the inside of the card, it said 'As a son, you're out of this world.'"
She said she picked the card because she agreed with the sentiment and because the cat was green, which is her son's favourite colour.
"I absolutely believe that he's out of this world," she said. "He graduated third in his class at Maynard Technical and Trades and he volunteers two night a month serving meals at the Drop-In Centre. I just don't understand why a boy with such a big heart and such a great sense of humour wouldn't laugh at my card."
Mrs. Frick isn't the only one to receive a less than mirthful reception from Mr. Frick. Tommy Chaput, inventory supervisor at the Des Moines Elevator Repair Shop, said his co-worker barely smiled when he read his slightly risqué card.
"The front of it showed a pretty girl's face and it said 'Inside this card is a picture of this girl's ass,'" said Mr. Chaput. "And when you open it, there's a picture of a donkey."
Mr. Chaput says that presence of Mr. Frick's girlfriend should not have discouraged him from laughing at the PG-rated joke.
"The three of us sat through The Hangover and we all loved it," Mr. Chaput says. "Both of them have amazing senses of humour. That's why I'm so shocked that Eddie didn't find my card funny."
Edward Grochmal, marketing director of Hallmark Greeting Cards, says he is shocked and appalled that Mr. Frick seemed amused at so few of his company's cards.
"We know it's a challenge to constantly come up with new and witty birthday cards," he said. "But that doesn't mean everything we print is as unfunny as Rosie O'Donnell. I think Mr. Frick must have lost his sense of humour somewhere."
Mr. Frick, who attended the party at Big Al's Pizza Shack in the city's downtown core, seemed to be enjoying the cards at first - even laughing out loud at one card presented to him by his girlfriend, 27-year-old graphic designer, Mary Beth O'Connor. However, his responses to the cards cooled quite rapidly - moving from forced laughter to a tight smile and then to virtually no reaction at all.
This was particularly galling to Mr. Frick's mother, Louise Frick, 56, who says it took her seven minutes to pick out the perfect card during her weekly shopping trip to Wal-Mart.
"I finally settled on a card that showed a cute little kitty cat riding in a spaceship that was orbiting Earth," said a tearful Mrs. Frick. "On the inside of the card, it said 'As a son, you're out of this world.'"
She said she picked the card because she agreed with the sentiment and because the cat was green, which is her son's favourite colour.
"I absolutely believe that he's out of this world," she said. "He graduated third in his class at Maynard Technical and Trades and he volunteers two night a month serving meals at the Drop-In Centre. I just don't understand why a boy with such a big heart and such a great sense of humour wouldn't laugh at my card."
Mrs. Frick isn't the only one to receive a less than mirthful reception from Mr. Frick. Tommy Chaput, inventory supervisor at the Des Moines Elevator Repair Shop, said his co-worker barely smiled when he read his slightly risqué card.
"The front of it showed a pretty girl's face and it said 'Inside this card is a picture of this girl's ass,'" said Mr. Chaput. "And when you open it, there's a picture of a donkey."
Mr. Chaput says that presence of Mr. Frick's girlfriend should not have discouraged him from laughing at the PG-rated joke.
"The three of us sat through The Hangover and we all loved it," Mr. Chaput says. "Both of them have amazing senses of humour. That's why I'm so shocked that Eddie didn't find my card funny."
Edward Grochmal, marketing director of Hallmark Greeting Cards, says he is shocked and appalled that Mr. Frick seemed amused at so few of his company's cards.
"We know it's a challenge to constantly come up with new and witty birthday cards," he said. "But that doesn't mean everything we print is as unfunny as Rosie O'Donnell. I think Mr. Frick must have lost his sense of humour somewhere."
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