Monday, March 15, 2010

Census Bob Comes Through (Mostly)

Quite frankly, the actual census was a bit of an anti-climax. Sure, ole Bob of the U.S. Census Bureau came through and all. But there wasn't nearly enough detail in the questions. In fact, Honey wanted to know where we could put our dog, Bandit, on the form. Clearly, Bob did NOT think this through. Otherwise, this was a pretty boring form to fill out, particularly as there are but the two of us. Three, really, if you count Bandit.


I am hoping Bob and his minions will keep a running tally on the people who were so underwhelmed by the questions that they put their forms into the envelope backward and obscured the bar code. I'm sure it will be more than half because the directions were kind of confusing. PLUS, everyone is asked to respond to the number of people who will be living in said domicile on April 1, 2010 (not counting people in prison, nursing homes and caves). Choosing April 1st invites ridicule, people. Wasn't there some sort of Bureau vote on this date? Yeesh, can't you see some shmoe licking his No. 2 and writing "32" for the number of persons living in his house? "April Fools, Census Bureaucrats." The date ranks right up there with the naming of the Ipad.

Oh, well, I can't control everything, as much as I'd like. At least my descendants, when viewing the extracted information 100 years from now, will nod and say, "Yup. There they are in Naperville, Illinois. I wonder if they had a dog?"

7 comments:

Char said...

Bandit is so famous that he doesn't need to be listed for posterity.

Anonymous said...

Maybe it was April 1 because:

1. It is a test to see how many people can hold on to the form for two weeks, not lose it, and then remember to fill it out then., or

2. It will take them another two weeks to find enough staff that is intelligent enough to decipher the answers to the very cerebral questions.

Mr B.

Kathy and Freddy said...

1) Is it only people who have lived in Missouri who lick their #2 pencils?
2) What if you ARE the nursing home???

Kathy and Freddy said...

and #3: is Census Bob any relation to Bobesponga?

Anonymous said...

Love your sense of humor. You always make me laugh. Thanks for sharing a funny view of a really boring topic!
DC

Naperville Now said...

Dick Cheney, is that you?

Naperville Now said...

In response to Kathy, I believe Bob IS related to Bobesponga, on the Guatemalan side of the family.