In the past few days it seems that my Kirksville, MO phone number [(660) 627-####] has made it to every prerecorded-message telemarketer in the nation. Six calls this week so far that I’ve answered once I got home in the evening; more in the week before. I’ll make sure I’m on the National Do Not Call List but I actually have to report a telemarketer who calls, which means writing down the contact info given in the message and when they called. Ironically, in order to do this I have to listen to the message I did not want to listen to in the first place.

All of this is 99% more effort than I’m willing to do. If only they made phones with a big red ‘FINE THE DAMN TELEMARKETER’ button….

Who on this Earth is so bored with their life that they actually sit and listen to an overly perky woman telling you that you’ve won a 10 day Bahama vacation? On a Friday night no less?

SO: In absence of a big red button, I’m unplugging anything and everything that rings. I will use my cell phone exclusively from here on out, despite the poor coverage and dropped calls. What hurts the most is that I work for the telephone company. I’m turning off my own company’s product because of the relentless free vacations and people offering help with my home mortgage (I rent).

Bottom line: If you need me, call my cell.