random stuff

there are some funny random things that don't really fit in any other category...so i'm giving them their own post.

random work happenings...
i'm working at a call center for a well-known research company. my job is to call households and ask them a series of questions about their television viewing. then we send them something to fill out. most households are very willing to participate if you can get past the whole, "i'm not a telemarketer speech" in the beginning. but the few weeks that i've been working there, i have encountered some pretty funny stories and i thought i'd share some of the funnier ones.

• because most numbers are randomly selected, i have reached some pretty crazy places including, a motor home sales lot, bed bath and beyond, a cruise line, a contractor building a house, a pay phone, a ranch in far east texas, and wal-mart tire center (where they answered the phone "we sell tires and lubes for less. wal-mart tire center").

• i've talked to about ten 80-something year olds and a couple 90-something year olds who are so excited to be participating in our research. a few of them even said "i've been waiting my whole life to do this." wow.

• a lady answering by saying "who dis is? you callin' me unavailable."

• after i'd explained everything to this one guy, i asked "do you have any questions?" to which he replied "yeah. will you be delivering these personally?" i could see where this was going, so i just said "no sir, i'm sorry. they'll be coming priority mail with your regular mail." then he said "well, i'm sorry too." weird old men.

• i called this one house where the lady answered the phone. after i explained who i was and where i was calling from she started yelling to her husband, "alfred, get on the phone. i promise you're going to want to be a part of this." so he picks up the phone and i'm talking to both of them.

• i've been asked numerous times where i'm calling from. once i was even told i didn't sound like i was from kentucky. it was a guy from new york, so it made me feel pretty good. one guy from louisiana that asked me that question was my age. after he found out where i was calling from, he started asking me about different things in ky...apparently he'd been here before. he then preceded to ask me somewhat personal questions which was sort of weird.

• i've been told some pretty random stuff by people. things i'd never expect to hear. things about how they're a widow because their wife died and all their kids grew up and left home. how one woman had brain surgery, and it makes it hard to concentrate while talking on the phone. how some people just want to talk for the sake of talking, even after i'm done with everything i have to say.

• and everynow and then i do get a phone call that makes my whole day worth while. yesterday i had this lady ask me at the end of the conversation if i had any kids or a family. once i reponded by saying no, she asked me how old i was. then she said "i hope that you have a wonderful, blessed life with a remarkable family. i hope that everything you do and the decisions you make leave you incredibly happy." i really wasn't expecting that at all, but she was so sincere in the way she said it.