I set my cell phone to vibrate last night during the movie. (Side note — the first time the lawyer’s cell phone rings loudly off-screen, someone in the theater shouted out “Please turn off your cell phone” to the audience. Unless that was in the movie. In which case, it’s even funnier.)
So this morning I’m driving in. It’s cold and wet and slushy-icy out, so I decided, even with the New Car, I’d take I-25/US-6 to the office, rather than C470 — better travelled, so fewer snow and ice problems.
(And, yes, the car handled like a dream.)
Alas, with all the construction, and the wet pavement, it was a slightly-white knuckler, trying to make sure I stayed in the lane I was supposed to, guided only by the tail lights ahead and take your pick of which dotted lines, past or present, to pay attention to. And midway along it, my cell phone went off.
I’m of mixed minds about using the cell phone while driving, but in those circumstances, no way I was going to take a hand off the wheel or gear shift. If it’s Margie, she’ll call back again if it’s an emergency, I thought. I hoped. I always get a bit of catastrophizing running through my head in those circumstances.
When I got to the office, I looked at my cell phone. Jackie? At 5:46 a.m.?
Oh, crap. We’re in the process of selling the Saturn to Jackie and Doyce, which (as noted yesterday) is not sychronizing quite well with Doyce selling his truck. So last night, after the movie, Doyce drove home in the Saturn anyway because, well, I know where he lives and all that.
So why is Jackie calling me? Something wrong with the car? Some deep, dark, terrible secret to its operation that only I can unlock, and there they are, standing in the dark and cold, trying to figure it out while I ignore them?
I called her back.
Ah. Jackie encountered black ice on C470 transition to I-70, and wanted to warn me about it, knowing that I take that route.
It’s good to have friends. Even if you can’t always call them back right away.