SEVERAL MEN ARE in the locker room of the local golf club. A cellular phone on a bench rings and a man engages the hands-free speaker function and begins to talk. Everyone else in the room stops to listen.

MAN: “Hello.”
WOMAN: “Hi Honey, it’s me. Are you at the club?”
MAN: “Yes.”
WOMAN: “I’m at the mall now and found this beautiful leather coat. It’s only $2,000. Is it OK if I buy it?”
MAN: “Sure, go ahead if you like it that much.”
WOMAN: “I also stopped by our jeweler and tried on a diamond ring that I really liked.”
MAN: “How much?”
WOMAN: “$50,000.”
MAN: “Is that all? Anything for you darling. Make sure you pick up some diamond earrings to go with it.”
WOMAN: “Great! Oh, and one more thing. I was just talking to Janie and found out that the house I wanted last year is back on the market. They’re asking $980,000 for it.”
MAN: “Well, then go ahead and make an offer of $900,000. They’ll probably take it. If not, we can go the extra eighty thousand if it’s what you really want.”
WOMAN: “OK. I’ll see you later! I love you so much!”
MAN: “Bye! I love you, too.”

The man hangs up. The other men in the locker room are staring at him in astonishment, mouths wide open. He turns and asks, “Anyone know whose phone this is?”

[componentheading] About our Jokers [/componentheading]

Lyle Husar, founder and CEO of Lyle Husar Jewelers in Milwaukee, WI, is quite the jokester, says his son, Craig, president and chief romance officer. Lyle, Craig, his sister, Christine Husar Anderson, and mom, Alice Husar, who serves as inventory manager and jewelry designer, all work together in the same store. “Working together in a space like this every day, you have to have a sense of humor; otherwise, you can’t get through the day,” Craig says. “Most people recognize my father by his laugh. His laugh is a constant reminder to me to loosen up a little and have fun. I tend to take things a little too seriously sometimes.”

[span class=note]This story originally appeared in the July 2011 edition of INSTORE. [/span]