Answer my call already!!!
Melody | Wednesday, 13 December, 2006 at 7:37 PM Around the same time my friend Dena Harris decided she needed to overhaul her website, (soon...be patient!) I had the same realization. We both got to work on our thoughts, and a lot of overlapping occurred. I'll spare you the details. Then her site revision was put on hold entirely. So not only are we both revising our site designs, but Dena has all these articles to write, some speeches to give, some manuscripts to edit, and did anyone mention a half marathon she just had to run? In another state? So while I needed to put web dev on hold for a few days to address the demands of a hardcore festival schedule (where I sell my jewelry,) recently past, Dena went off to conquer her part of the world. (We've broken it up into parts, deciding it'll be easier to manage that way, see.)
Well, Dena's not only a friend, but also a client. I built the website for her book, Lessons in Stalking, published at the end of last year. (If you're a cat person, or love someone who is, it's a cool book to have around. Very funny stuff. Great gift. Yes, I'm promoting a Cat Humor book. Buy two.) You might think it would be a bad idea to work for/with a friend. Especially with her being slightly Type A and me being Nothing Remotely Close to Type A In Your Wildest Fantasies. Remarkably it's worked. It's working again, too.
I've been observing how different things are the second job around. Once you've worked with someone in the past and have a good handle on their rhythms and the way they're likely to respond in certain circumstances, things just get a whole lot easier. You can cut to the chase on so many details. So much just doesn't have to be said.
So Dena gets all funny and writes this post on her blog about how she and hubby Blair don't even bother to raise an eyebrow of recognition when the phone rings nowadays. Maybe they turn up the remote so they can hear the TV over their callers' messages but nope, not gonna' answer it.
About the time I read this piece, I'd been drafting an email to Dena saying that finally it's time to share some samples with her of the work I've been doing the last couple of days. I'm thinking, "I'll just call. Tell her I've sent the links. Maybe chat a bit about it." (Although actually Dena and I are not phone friends. We call, say what has to be said, then hang up. No chatting going on. Our chatting gets done in person, baby.) So I'm reading the blog, then thinking..."Well, surely she'll take my call!" Um...won't she? Er...we have important things to discuss. And stuff." Then I feel all dorky, 'cause why is it again I think we have to talk on the phone about this site this very minute? Well, that'd be because I'm ready to talk about it this very minute, thank you very much!
So she didn't answer the phone. And I'm confident I did not get screened, or even drowned out by the remote. I'm sure this particular night they just weren't home. Yup. My very important call did not go through because there was nobody at home on two legs to answer it. And the kitties? Well, they got no opposable thumbs...
Reader Comments (2)
I would never screen someone kind enough to refer to me as only "slightly Type A." People--that is a good friend.
Cheers!
Oddly, I just found my way back here. Not sure why I didn't reply to this post last year... Thank you, Dena, for not screening my calls. I thought as much, but it was glorious to read your confirmation of my suspicions! :)