mike: so someone comes up to him at a party and asks him about his name…and this guy like [siiiiiigh] gives an audible sigh. come on, you’ve gotta know that if you legally change your name to “beanbag america” you’re going to have to answer some questions.
eric: what about “peembom”?
[silence. silence, then laughter]
mike: [laughing so hard as to almost be squealing] PEEEEEM bom??!!?
eric: yeah, that was my like imaginary friend. you know that sound the phone makes when you leave it off the hook?
[pat cackles. kate and kara titter in delight]
eric: yeah, ok, so i would say that, you know, that was peembom calling me.
later –
diana: you never told me about peembom!
eric: well, you never asked
diana: when did you have this imaginary friend?
eric: i don’t know, like for a few years when i was 5 or 6.
diana: wait, i want you to imitate the sound that a phone makes when it’s off the hook
eric: ehh ehh ehh ehh ehh ehh ehh ehh ehh ehh ehh ehh ehh ehh ehh ehh
diana: i don’t understand how the sound the phone makes is peembom…
eric: look, i had an imagination, ok?
* transcript not verbatim. events have been ellipsized for the sake of time, space, and not having to type “laughing so hard i almost (peed my pants/choked/cried/etc)”