IT'S SNOWING!
snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow...

That word starts to look weird after a little bit...

I have much deeper things on my mind than snow right now, too...but I need to get back to work.

Chau,

Michaela

Today, I was at my cleaning job when Christy came by to pick up the equipment from me. She said she hadn't called beforehand because she was having trouble with her cell phone.

A few minutes later I was finishing vaccuuming when my rear end vibrated...it appeared Travis had left me a voicemail! I tried to call them back, but the phone wouldn't go through. I thought maybe the reception was fuzzy, so I went outside. It didn't help, but I eventually got through. Then I tried calling my voicemail to see what the message was...it dialed...and then the call ended before the phone rang. I tried several times, and then someone answered the phone. I was naturally confused. Normally when I call my voicemail, I get a recording of my voice, not some random guy. So I checked to make sure that I had called my voicemail -which I had - then told him that I had called the wrong number.

Eventually I got to my voicemail. The message was from Christy saying she was coming to get equipment. Travis hadn't called me. He had been my last missed call on my call log, but Christy's missed call never showed up there, so I had just assumed it was the former. Anyhow, I tried calling Travis and Tara both to see what their ride situations were for the barn dance (which was a lot of fun!!). It wouldn't connect.

Christy had to come back to pick up a key, and I asked her if she had Alltel. She replied in the affirmative. It wasn't the phone. (cue "Twilight Zone" music...du du du du du du du du)

I finished cleaning and called my mom. I was able to call people as long as Alltel wasn't their carrier. She said she'd call their 1-800 number. I tried calling Travis again. This time it went through! And someone who wasn't Travis answered the phone. Had aliens attacked and eaten him, changed their names to Joe and taken his phone? Or was my call just magically getting transmitted to Joe on Verizon's side with a phone number that started with 613, not 525. Those are completely different numbers!

I stopped by Tara's house. I was forced to do things the old fashioned way because nearly all my friends have Alltel. I called Andrea, my non-Alltel friend and gave her the mission of getting ahold of Alltel-connected Travis. On my way home from Tara's my mom called and said Alltel was well aware that they were experiencing "major technical difficulties" in Lincoln, but they weren't sure exactly what. Then Andrea beeped in. That's what my caller ID said. The person on the other end wasn't Andrea, but a mother wanting to talk to her daughter. I'm not her daughter. That being said, I told her that the whole system was whack and we went our separate ways. Andrea and I eventually did get in touch.

I gathered my barn dance gear together, and headed out of my dorm. There I encountered two girls who were trying to get in, were completely lost and freaked out that everytime they called their cousin in the building, some "freaky guy" answered the phone.

At the barn dance, I found a lot of fun stories. One friend, for instance, called his voicemail and was sent to someone else's inbox. Or Travis said I "called" him. Someone else said, "Where are you?" He said, "Where are you? And who are you?" That was a short conversation. My roommate is telling me Andrea also tried calling me...and someone else answered.

Maybe this was a plot to get people to make new friends. It was fun...except for when I wanted to actually talk to certain people. And alien Joe and I have a date later this week.

I'm kidding. And everything is back to normal.

The end.

Michaela

1) You just slip out the back, Jack
2) Make a new plan, Stan
3) You don't need to be coy, Roy
4) Hop on the bus, Gus
5) You don't need to discuss much
6) Just drop off the key, Lee

Those are only 6 ways of leaving your lover. Paul Simon, you told me there were 50. What are the other 44?

Speaking of numbers, in 3 days I will be on a jet plane. However, I do know when I'll be back again :)

Until later,

Michaela

"The price of freedom of religion, or of speech, or of the press, is that we must put up with a good deal of rubbish." ~Robert Jackson~