I Screwed Up Big Time Today

Bill waiting for his eye surgery appointment this morning

Today was one of THOSE days in which I screwed up, BIG TIME.

This morning Bill had an appointment for his second cataract surgery. 

We arrived half an hour early. 

The fine folks at the Delaware Eye Institute cataract surgery center took Bill in right away.  I left, asking them to call me when Bill was ready to leave.  

That was 8:00 am this morning. His appointment was at 8:40 am.

I took advantage of my time down the hectic Route One and did some chores. First was Walmart.

Then I stopped at Food Lion and Ace Hardware.  Then I went home, awaiting a call.  

9:30 am. No call. 

10:00 am. No call.

10:30 am. No call.

11:00 am. No call.

Now I was getting worried. I thought maybe there were complications with his eye surgery.  I left home at 11:20 am to take my place on the backed up traffic on Route One to the Delaware Eye surgery center.

After a couple of close calls (yes, two close calls, this is Route One in the summertime after all), I pulled in the parking lot of the Delaware Eye Institute.

I walk to the front desk.  I tell them I'm here to pick up Bill Kelly. 

The woman behind the front desk says to someone in the back "He's here."  She doesn't look happy.  In fact she wasn't happy at all.  

I soon found out the reason why.  They had been trying to reach me for TWO HOURS!

Bill was in the back, distraught.  He was crying.  I don't want to go too deep into Bill's psyche but he cannot handle any kind of stress.  That's why I advised him to quit his job thirty-three years ago and took over the sole position of bread winner for our household.  

One of the nurses had her arms around Bill, trying to comfort him. I was trying to figure out why I wasn't getting their calls.  I tried to call them but all I get is a voice mail.  

I figured out why I wasn't getting their calls. Apparently my iPhone has to be cleared out of "Recent Calls" or else my mailbox fills up and calls don't go through.  And no, I didn't have the Do Not Disturb Sign on.

Now I know why I wasn't getting calls from the surgery center prior to Bill's surgery.  In fact, when I checked Bill in this morning at the surgery center I asked them to check the phone number they had on record for calling me.  They had the right phone number. What I should have done is ask them to call my number and then I would have realized my mailbox was full.

Well, now I had a group of nurses who didn't like me.  A position I'm not used to being in.

I'm a firm believer in always showing up for appointments on time and doing the right thing.  I believe in always being cooperative and patient, especially when dealing with the medical establishment.

This morning I screwed that part of my reputation up big time.  One of the nurses told me "You caused us a big problem this morning."  I know why, because they operate on more than one person and by having Bill sitting there in a wheel chair, distraught and crying, my stupidity disrupted that assembly line process.  

Bill after his eye surgery this morning

I apologized but they weren't interested and I don't blame them.  Especially seeing how upset Bill was.  

This morning I felt as bad as I've felt in many a year.  How to fix this?  For one thing clear out all the "Recent Call" on my frigging iPhone.

And good thing because as soon as we got home I received a call from Bill's gastroenterologist scheduling an appointment next month for an endoscopy. 

I guess you could sum up this morning with that famous quote from "Cool Hand Luke"

"What we have here is a failure of communication."  

And folks, yours truly failed big time today.  

The only thing I can do is make sure it never happens again.  But I don't think I'll ever get those nurses to like me. 

Gone Baby Gone!

Some of our telephones soon to find a home at a local thrift store

Today I made a decision that I have been mulling over for years, I got rid of my landline.

Folks, this wasn't an easy decision. But I had to make it.  99.8% of the calls I receive on my landline were from telemarketers ("Credit Card Services of America - "this is your last chance!"), charities (American Cancer Society, Fraternal Order of Police, et al)l and political robo calls.

Telemarketers, the bane of our existence in our modern day society

You ask "Weren't you on the Do Not Call List?"  Of course.  But as you know folks (and I'm sure most of you are also on it), 

IT.DOESN'T.WORK.

Folks, I have lost count of the thousands of times I have answered the phone at around 6:00 PM only to hear a "Click!".  That's a computer checking to make sure someone is at home so the telemarketer can call later. 

The solution, REMOVE THE PHONE

How many times have I received phone calls from "Credit Card Services of America" informing me this was the LAST time they were offering me the "opportunity" to switch my credit card balances to their scam company.  I push the "0" button on my phone to get a live person only to have them hang up on me when I ask them to take me off of their calling list.  Countless times folks, countless times.  But no more. 

Then there are all the calls from the charities.  The deep voiced man calling from the Fraternal Order of Police (always a "butch" voice when THE POLICE call - which by the way isn't THE POLICE but a company that takes up to 97% of the funds they raise for themselves, giving the FOP only about 3%).  

Oh, and I almost forgot.  There are the calls incoming me "You have been chosen . . . . " or "You have won!"  Yeah, right.

Yesterday I received a call from the American Cancer Society (another regular) and the FOP.  The FOP call was the one that did it.  I told Mr. Deep Voice "That's it.  I'm done."

Last year I called Verizon to cancel my service for which I was paying $59.99 a month.  They offered to reduce my rate to $30 a month, which in my weakness (and lifelong habit of having a landline) accepted.  However, during the last year the only calls I received on my landline that were legitimate were from the VA (Veteran's Administration) reminding me and Bill of our appointments.  I called the VA this morning and gave them my cell phone.  

So how do I feel now not having a "regular phone" in the house?  I have to admit I feel nervous but on the other hand, it sure was nice not to hear my phone ring at 6 o'clock this evening like it does almost every evening.  

By the way, I think I got a lot of those calls because I have contributed to political campaigns in the past.  And they sell those phone numbers. That's why I was receiving so many phone calls.  

Now moving forward I will no longer give to any political campaign no matter how worthy (sorry Donald).  And I will not give out my phone number except to our doctors.  And I'm even leary of that because I suspect they sell my phone number too.  

Folks, I have to tell you that it was a great relief not to hear that phone ring tonight.  Ah, peace and quiet.

Ernestine, I am in charge now.