One ringy-dingy ...

It's been a long time since I've had a day that was as non-stop busy as today. I have had my headset on (for my phone) ALL day. I'm working on several extra stories this week so I've had phone calls in to countless people all day -- I know it has to be at least a dozen people. Have I mentioned that I HATE the telephone?

Some of these folks have been physicians and health care administrators, sources for a story on rural health care. Very interesting, but very, very busy people. One called me back from a plane bound for Dallas. He called me back after he landed, from a lounge at the airport there during his layover. Good interview, but dang, the background noise from the lounge was loud. Glad I had the headphones. But I hate the telephone.

I kid you not. Every time one call ended today, the phone rang. After the airport interview, I clicked the "end" button on the phone, took off the headphones, ran to the bathroom while realizing I hadn't been in there all day. No wonder it was URGENT! It was 5 p.m.!! Man, I hate the telephone.

So there I was... when... "Ring! Ring!" I said to myself "Self, NO, it is not that important. I don't care if it's Prince Charles or President Bush. Sometimes, they just have to leave a message." Damn phone.

It wasn't royalty, just a royal pain. Not really, but kind of. It was a builder who I needed to set up an interview with. One of the last loose ends of the day, so it was OK to call him back and get that taken care of. I'm going to cut the cord on that phone yet.

In the midst of the afternoon, while expecting calls from umpteen different people, I got one unexpected call, from a kind of nutty friend who lives in Shawnee. I don't know if nutty is too harsh a description, but she does look at the world a little differently. But you'll have to read my (eventual) book to learn more about her, because I'm writing her in as a character. She won't have a phone in the book.

Anyway, today's distress from her was that a neighbor, "Mary" was walking down the street carrying large black garbage bags filled with her possessions. And on top of that, "Mary" was waving a 10-inch knife in the air. I think she hates phones too.

I advised my friend to call the police immediately to report a person in danger of causing harm to herself or others. USE THE PHONE!

My friend decided she would drive down to the police station instead of calling, because she didn't want them coming out to the neighborhood right then. Say WHAT? OK gotta run... whatEVER. I think I hear your phone ringing.

See, that's an example of why I call her nutty. Maybe it's just me, but if someone's walking down the street with a knife on MY block, I'm calling the cops and locking the doors. Quick, hand me the phone!

Wonder if she gave Mary a ride somewhere.... Maybe to a pay phone.

See ya, guys, I'm going to go play handbells and decompress a bit. It's going to be a long night when I get home. Gotta superglue the pieces of my phone back together.