Well, the only thing I have to report tonight is that while I was having my dinner, I got three calls from telemarketers, asking me if I knew about the government rebate on solar panels or if I needed my roof painting or would I like them to give me a bagful of money. I used to slam the phone down, no I didn’t, it’s a mobile, but I used to press the little red phone symbol really hard, or I would abuse them and feel remorseful afterwards, as people tell me they’re only doing their job, but what I want to know is, since when has annoying people at dinner time been considered a job? Anyway, what I do now is put the phone down quietly and let them prattle on for a while until they sense no one is listening, and then I quietly hang up. That way I don’t feel bad afterwards, and I also feel I’ve won, as I’ve wasted more of their time than they have of mine. I think everyone should do it. It would be better, of course, for everyone the telemarketers ring to ring them back at dinnertime, but they won’t give you their number. And where do they get mine from, I’d like to know?
I actually had to have my number changed a couple of years ago. Somehow an ad in a local paper on the other side of the country had (I assume mistakenly, or someone had it in for me, which is quite possible) provided my phone number for a lawn mowing business. It was funny for a while, what with me explaining to callers that I couldn’t get the lawnmower down the aisle of the plane, it would set off the metal detectors, they don’t like sharp blades on planes, I would have to include the cost of the airfare in the quote, etc., really hilarious, but eventually the novelty wore off, and I had to have my number changed. I did miss the calls after a while, however, especially as no one else much was phoning me.