ring....ring....ring

I hate when the phone rings early in the day

     I am retired.  After 9 a.m. is a good time to call me.  Please don't call me at 7:45.
     I bring this up because I got a call this morning at about 7:45.  Jackie has a hard time sleeping, and she usually sleeps to about 9.   I try to grab the phone quickly so I don't wake her.
     So when the call came, I looked at the name and recognized it.  I picked up.
     This was a person who reads my column in the Sunday paper.  She called to say she liked my recent column and agreed with most of my thoughts.
     But she did have a question.
     Now usually when someone says that there is a mild criticism involved, or they are pointing out a minor mistake, or a glaring error of omission.  Mark my words, everything I write is filled with all three.
     But she asked me a question  that floored me:
     "What channel are the Cubs on?"
     So I told her to get a piece of paper and a pen and write down the four channels that the Cubs are on.  She had another channel she wanted to watch, so I told her the number of that one.
     To be fair, she is a little older than me....probably in her early 80s.  And finding the right channels on the Comcast guide is a little daunting.
     But 7:45 a.m?
     I don't think this person has Internet, so she will hopefully never read this.  I did enjoy talking to her, and I have enjoyed talking with her in the past.
     But it has always been afternoonish. You know, when I am awake.
     Besides, I did feel bad talking on the phone quietly with another woman while my wife was asleep in the bedroom and I was in my totally sexy boxer briefs.
Usually that type of call costs me $3.99 a minute.
     Also got calls today from a bank telling me it was urgent I call them about my credit card balance, a call from Utah (probably the Mormons) and two from downstate Illinois.
     I did not know any of those people, so I did not answer.   Maybe they were looking for the Cubs too.