Kate it could also be someone putting down your phone number. I got a ton of bill collector calls on my home phone for the first year or so after I got the number. They were looking for someone else-- I just had to repeat many times that I did not know that person and this was not her number and to stop calling.

Yeah, I wouldn't return the call.

When I'm doing tech support, people often say "Oh, you're so patient, I don't know how you can do this job." I'm never sure how to respond to that, because A) it's my job, it's not like I was bored and had nothing else to do and B) I don't think I'm that patient, I just know there's a particular process that needs to be gone through to get the job done.

At least this is better than Windows tech support, where you have to deal with people who are iffy on the concept of the mouse and are surprised to find out they were supposed to keep track of that cord that plugs into the electrical outlet.

Got a call from the zoning department, a first for me. Nosy busy body PITA neighbor who keeps using us as an excuse to complain about a mutual new neighbor (who is nothing but supportive and down to earth) and telling lies. So, yeah, zoning lady calls me, I explain how happy we are with what the new neighbor is doing, and how cooperative they are being, and yes, we are working with their landscape architect on how they are going to transform their property. It was a really pleasant conversation, which I was not expecting from the heart-stoppingly terse and severe voicemail I'd received.

Then old old boss lady showed up, and I remembered all over again why I'd strongly discouraged any idea that we should offer her the job again now that evil ED is gone (the reason she'd quit after five months in the first place). I feel gross after talking to her. Everything she says and asks is a not so subtle search for gossip, and she's well-networked, which makes that dangerous. And then she went on to deny that she'd been the one who'd started a project at work that is still, three boss ladies later, still in the process of being realized and is also a giant PITA. Honey, don't blame it on evil old ED. This was the first thing you worked on instead of addressing immediate issues and the evil ED was pissed that you started this project without consulting her (mainly for control freak/only she can have "good" ideas reasons).

I got home almost two hours later than usual because she "popped in" and wouldn't shut the f*** up.

I can't believe that I got through 500+ posts on Natter!

I got a ton of bill collector calls on my home phone for the first year or so after I got the number. They were looking for someone else-- I just had to repeat many times that I did not know that person and this was not her number and to stop calling.

The first phone number I had in Arizona kept getting very loud, very insistent collection agency calls, not because someone had used my number but because someone with the same last name as me had once lived on the same street (not at the same address) and ran up whatever bills. They. Would. Not. Stop. Calling. Me. No matter how many times I told them my name is not Bernard, and that I have no relatives named Bernard, and that I did not know anyone named Bernard. I would ask them to remove my contact information from their list, and I don't know, maybe they did, maybe they didn't. Finally one of their representatives explained that he could take my information off their list that day, but whatever automated process they did to run searches for information would end up putting it back on at a later time.

I ended up calling the phone company and getting a new, unlisted number.

JUST PUT BERNARD ON THE PHONE, JEEZ.

;)

We know the TRUTH, Windsparrow! This whole thing is A LIE, and you are really BERNARD! How could you hide from us for so long??

I wonder if it was Bernard from Lost?

omg, by not paying attention to my shipping settings on an ebay listing, I am paying $1.50 to have sold this item. stupid.