Where Are They Now? I

So I was at work yesterday afternoon.

I'm in the back room, when the phone rings. Sitting at the desk, I throw it on speakerphone.

"RadioShack, your answer store, Kyle speaking."

"Is Kyle there?" was the question, spoken by a woman with an accent.

I remember dealing with a French woman who speaks very little English. And she was waiting for a CD-ROM to come in. I switch over to Franglais.

"Oh, oui. Ton, um, Say-Day ROM est arrivée hier. C'est dans le magasin maintenant."

"Eh?"

I think to myself, stupid speakerphone. And proceed to speak slower.

"Ton CD-ROM est dans le magasin. Tu peux le ramener chez vous. Il est arrivée hier."

"Hunh?"

Me, practically yelling: "Ton Cee Dee ROM! Pour ton ordinateur! C'est arrivée hie-"

"Can't you speak English?" the woman on the other end asks.

"What? I'm sorry?"

"Is Tyler there?"

I almost knock myself unconscious by ramming my head against the desk.

"Hold, please."

Nope. One of my coworker's customers, who doesn't speak French, but has an accent.

* * *

While talking with Jeff, I was reminded of one of my friends from high school who has made it big in theatre in the past ten years.

You know him. Most likely not by name (Dean Balkwill), but you've definitely seen him on Canadian TV.

I knew Dean as my friend Scronk's boyfriend. He lived in Regina, and he was part of the Campbell Classics, a vocal jazz group we envied.

He was a very friendly guy, always took the time to talk with me and whatnot. He'd appear every second week or so. Cool guy.

His claim to fame then (for me, anyways) was for the story that went around my circle of friends as to his and Scronk's tryst en route to Regina.

Yup. While driving to Regina. In Scronk's car.

It's how I got the phrase, "No, hold on. In a Fiesta??? But it's so small!!!"

He's since been in productions of Rent (Canadian, a touring company, and on Broadway) and The Lion King (Toronto).

I tended to see him in commercials, mostly at my residence. For a while, you'd get to the point where I'd be watching, and all of a sudden: "GAH! DEAN! TV!"

He'd eat a Pizza Pop as a sped up slacker. And, of course, probably his most famous role: That of the one office worker, who, after eating some Trident gum, starts singing.

That's right. I know the "Filin'" guy.

Needless to say, when I saw that commercial, I pretty much freaked.

So, thanks, Jeff, for helping me to remember that.

Stay tuned for more stories of "Famous People I know But For The Life of Me, I Can't Get Ahold Of..." in the near future.