Sesame Street Hit By The Recession?

My new, fabulous coworker and I went to a local vendor yesterday that assists us with a yearly project we do at work. She and the woman who regularly works the cash register met and that was all good. I then asked about another employee that has worked there for several years:

Me: "Is Chaparro still here?"

Her: "No, but we have Big Bird now."

I look at the woman with a crazy, confused face and look around the fruit stand and ask to make sure I heard the right thing, "Big Bird?!" I was looking for a big yellow bird acting like a dork or a tall man dressed in yellow.

The woman, without even pausing from what she was doing, patiently corrects me and says, "No, Vic-tor."

Me, laughing: "Ohhhhh--Victor. I thought you said 'Big Bird' and I would have believed that someone was actually named that for a nickname or something."

The woman behind the counter is shaking her head, chuckling. The woman standing next to me looks at me in disbelief with a twisted face. It was obvious that she thought I was an idiot, which didn't bother me: I really thought the woman said "Big Bird".

I had to share this at the office when we got back. After hearing this story, one of my coworkers says, "Wow, the recession is really hitting hard. Even the muppets at Sesame Street are being affected: Big Bird has to work at a fruit stand to make money. Oscar the Grouch is probably working at the DMV, behind the counter, and is shouting 'Next!'."

I just lost it. I was laughing so hard that tears were streaming down my face. Then the phone rang and the call was for me. I quickly regained composer and took the call.

But, seriously, I can't stop laughing about this.