Don’t you hate telemarketing calls?
Me too.
Well, read on to see how my mom and I handled one the other day in this True Story I call PLAYING THE MARKETEER.
The other day my mom and I were having lunch when the home phone rang, with a number coming out of Colorado. The answering machine picked up, but whoever called hung up. We ignored it.
Almost immediately my cell phone rang, it was the same number. I answered, the person on the other side asked for William . . . This was not good, William was my father, who died in 2009. I asked who this was, then my mom pounced.
“If you can find him, please let me know,” She said. Yep, she went there.
There was dead silence on the other end. I thought the guy hung up, he didn’t. “Is he missing?” he asked.
My mom repeated herself. This guy seemed in shocked and asked again, “Is he missing?”
I asked him how he got this number. He didn’t answer for a few seconds, then said, “Give me a minute. I just found out something disturbing.”
“What?” My mom asked.
“William is missing?” He said/asked again.
“How did you get this number?” I asked again.
This is where he slipped. “It’s on the paper they give us.”
“This was never my dad’s number,” I repeated, “how did you get this number.”
“It’s on the list of numbers they give us to call,” he said. He was really rattled by what my mom said, more or less admitting what he was.
“Well, like I said, if you can find him, tell him to get in contact with me.” My mom said.
“I’m sorry . . .” The guy muttered than hung up.
Yeah, we played the telemarketer, and this guy seemed really rattled by my mom. No one said my dad was missing, but he took my mom’s comment to mean he was, and for some reason that bothered him.
In case you’re wondering, no, this guy couldn’t have been a friend or family member of my dad. If he was he would never have called him William. My dad only ever went by Bill, and hated to be called William.
- Ace Masters
Wednesday, February 7, 2018
Thursday, February 1, 2018
Paper and Fire
Some people are just stupid.
Something I really hate is when people give out my cell number and tell other people I will do things, without asking me or telling me anything.
I also don’t like it when people just expect me to drop what I am doing and come running. People may not like this, but I’m not “Mister Helpful.”
This is one of those time in a True Story I call Paper and Fire.
Over Christmas I got an odd call from an elderly lady – a nutcase of a woman I really don’t like. I don’t know how she got my number, but for some reason she is convinced then when she needs me, I will come running. She has told me so.
This is an ongoing thing.
Anyway, she called me around 5:00 P.M. telling me she needed me to come over and burn some papers for her. Yep, burn paper. She didn’t give a damn that I had plans.
She had bank statements and other sensitive papers she needed me to “burn in a bucket.” Her exact words. I told her to shred the papers, it would be faster and safer. She claimed she didn’t know how to use the shredder, her late husband use to do it.
It would only take a few minutes, she told me.
Yep, this woman expected me to drop everything I had planned to run over to her house and burn paperwork. Never mind that that is illegal in Arizona!
Some people are just nuts.
No, I didn’t go over.
- Ace Masters
Something I really hate is when people give out my cell number and tell other people I will do things, without asking me or telling me anything.
I also don’t like it when people just expect me to drop what I am doing and come running. People may not like this, but I’m not “Mister Helpful.”
This is one of those time in a True Story I call Paper and Fire.
Over Christmas I got an odd call from an elderly lady – a nutcase of a woman I really don’t like. I don’t know how she got my number, but for some reason she is convinced then when she needs me, I will come running. She has told me so.
This is an ongoing thing.
Anyway, she called me around 5:00 P.M. telling me she needed me to come over and burn some papers for her. Yep, burn paper. She didn’t give a damn that I had plans.
She had bank statements and other sensitive papers she needed me to “burn in a bucket.” Her exact words. I told her to shred the papers, it would be faster and safer. She claimed she didn’t know how to use the shredder, her late husband use to do it.
It would only take a few minutes, she told me.
Yep, this woman expected me to drop everything I had planned to run over to her house and burn paperwork. Never mind that that is illegal in Arizona!
Some people are just nuts.
No, I didn’t go over.
- Ace Masters
Hey, Watch That Hand
There is a lot of talk going on about sexual harassment nowadays (long overdue). Unfortunately it happens, and it goes both ways. Yes, more women are harassed by men, no doubt. But men do get harassed by women.
It’s not the fact that people don’t believe men when it happens. It’s the fact that most people don’t believe men can be sexually harassed because, well, we are Men.
This is a True Story I call HEY, WATCH THAT HAND.
At one time I worked with Senior Citizens for years and had my own clientele. I did handyman work, odd jobs, errands and took them shopping and to appointments.
At one time I had a particular female client that was a little too attached to me. Before I go any further here, I have to mention this: She did NOT have Dementia or Alzheimer’s. I know this because I took her to her doctor regularly.
How much is too attached? I was once in her bedroom, flipping her mattress when she said this: “If I was twenty years younger, I’d jump your bones.” Yep. She was pushing eighty at the time and was a horny old lady.
It became somewhat of a joke, as she said it quite often.
It stopped being a joke one day when I was taking her home from a doctors’ visit. When we got in the car, she repeated it again. Mere moments later, when I pulled onto her drive way . . .
She reached over and tried to shove her hand down my pants! True! She failed and tried to get my belt buckle undone!
It was very uncomfortable, very awkward and very much across the line. I shut it down, help her out of the car and got her in her house. Then I got the hell out of there.
NO, I didn’t like it. I really didn’t know how I was feeling at the time, other then I wanted to get home and forget it.
- Ace Masters
It’s not the fact that people don’t believe men when it happens. It’s the fact that most people don’t believe men can be sexually harassed because, well, we are Men.
This is a True Story I call HEY, WATCH THAT HAND.
At one time I worked with Senior Citizens for years and had my own clientele. I did handyman work, odd jobs, errands and took them shopping and to appointments.
At one time I had a particular female client that was a little too attached to me. Before I go any further here, I have to mention this: She did NOT have Dementia or Alzheimer’s. I know this because I took her to her doctor regularly.
How much is too attached? I was once in her bedroom, flipping her mattress when she said this: “If I was twenty years younger, I’d jump your bones.” Yep. She was pushing eighty at the time and was a horny old lady.
It became somewhat of a joke, as she said it quite often.
It stopped being a joke one day when I was taking her home from a doctors’ visit. When we got in the car, she repeated it again. Mere moments later, when I pulled onto her drive way . . .
She reached over and tried to shove her hand down my pants! True! She failed and tried to get my belt buckle undone!
It was very uncomfortable, very awkward and very much across the line. I shut it down, help her out of the car and got her in her house. Then I got the hell out of there.
NO, I didn’t like it. I really didn’t know how I was feeling at the time, other then I wanted to get home and forget it.
- Ace Masters
HEY – WHAT THE HELL??
Ever run into somebody who thinks you are someone else?
Ever had somebody ask you if you are so-and-so?
Yeah, that is sort of what happen in this true tale. Sort. If only . . .
This is a True Tale I call – HEY – WHAT THE HELL??
This happened in the late ‘90’s, so I was about 25 or so. It happened at what was once the great Metro Center Mall in Phoenix.
I was leaving the mall by the second floor entrance/exit, next to the Skate Board Rink they had just put in.
As I was going out the doors, I heard someone calling. I had no idea who they were calling. It wasn’t my name.
Then someone jumped me from behind. I found myself in a headlock with someone giving me a ‘noogie,’ rubbing their fist back and forth across my skull as fast and hard as they could.
I was pissed. I stood up, threw this fucker off right into the side wall outside the mall entrance.
He looked stunned and scared.
The only thing that stopped me from beating the shit out of this guy was that I saw two Cops eating lunch on a bench outside the mall.
He then muttered something about me NOT being his friend.
I remember vividly staring at him, not saying a word. The image in my mind was me putting him face first through the glass door.
He eventually (after a few seconds) ran back into the mall, where two of his friends were waiting. They never came out, probably had no idea what was going on.
I was so pissed at that moment that part of me wanted to follow this guy – who looked about 20 at the most – but I didn’t.
Though I think he thought I was. He and his friends were at the top of the escalator when I walked back in. He quickly hightailed it down the escalator.
All I went back in for was to get a coke from the vending machine.
- Ace Masters
Ever had somebody ask you if you are so-and-so?
Yeah, that is sort of what happen in this true tale. Sort. If only . . .
This is a True Tale I call – HEY – WHAT THE HELL??
This happened in the late ‘90’s, so I was about 25 or so. It happened at what was once the great Metro Center Mall in Phoenix.
I was leaving the mall by the second floor entrance/exit, next to the Skate Board Rink they had just put in.
As I was going out the doors, I heard someone calling. I had no idea who they were calling. It wasn’t my name.
Then someone jumped me from behind. I found myself in a headlock with someone giving me a ‘noogie,’ rubbing their fist back and forth across my skull as fast and hard as they could.
I was pissed. I stood up, threw this fucker off right into the side wall outside the mall entrance.
He looked stunned and scared.
The only thing that stopped me from beating the shit out of this guy was that I saw two Cops eating lunch on a bench outside the mall.
He then muttered something about me NOT being his friend.
I remember vividly staring at him, not saying a word. The image in my mind was me putting him face first through the glass door.
He eventually (after a few seconds) ran back into the mall, where two of his friends were waiting. They never came out, probably had no idea what was going on.
I was so pissed at that moment that part of me wanted to follow this guy – who looked about 20 at the most – but I didn’t.
Though I think he thought I was. He and his friends were at the top of the escalator when I walked back in. He quickly hightailed it down the escalator.
All I went back in for was to get a coke from the vending machine.
- Ace Masters
A FOOTBALL PLAYER, A STUDENT AND THE PRINCIPAL WALK INTO THE LOBBY . . .
Sometimes you just have to see things to believe it. Even then it can be hard.
I know this happened. I witnessed it firsthand. I still find it hard to believe. I don’t find the consequences afterward hard to believe though.
This is A True Story I call A FOOTBALL PLAYER, A STUDENT AND THE PRINCIPAL WALK INTO THE LOBBY . . .
I started at my new High School in the middle of the school year on the first day of the second semester. This actually happened on the morning of my first day when one of the counselors was showing me around the school, starting with my locker.
Students were pouring into the lobby getting ready for school to start, and I was meeting the kids with lockers around mine when we all heard loud shouting. Two guys were in a full blown fist fight, really laying into each other. The female counselor showing me around never made a move. In fact the Vice Principal was in the lobby, then walked away when he saw the fight.
After a minute or two the Principal came barreling out his office and tried to break up the fight, calling for help. The bigger of the two guys fighting – who I learned later was a star footballer and senior – turned to the principal and slugged him right in the face, sending him sprawling to the ground.
The fight didn’t stop until the football couch himself (also a teacher at the school) showed up.
This was a nasty fight and the principal ended up with a broken nose and black eye. As I wrote, the bigger of the two students was a star footballer player, the other was just a student, not into any sports.
The aftermath and consequence of this? The student who hit the principal (on purpose) never received any punishments. He played out the football season, graduated and went to college on a scholarship.
The other (non-sport) student, was expelled.
Unbelievable, but believable.
Not quite fair though.
- Ace Masters
I know this happened. I witnessed it firsthand. I still find it hard to believe. I don’t find the consequences afterward hard to believe though.
This is A True Story I call A FOOTBALL PLAYER, A STUDENT AND THE PRINCIPAL WALK INTO THE LOBBY . . .
I started at my new High School in the middle of the school year on the first day of the second semester. This actually happened on the morning of my first day when one of the counselors was showing me around the school, starting with my locker.
Students were pouring into the lobby getting ready for school to start, and I was meeting the kids with lockers around mine when we all heard loud shouting. Two guys were in a full blown fist fight, really laying into each other. The female counselor showing me around never made a move. In fact the Vice Principal was in the lobby, then walked away when he saw the fight.
After a minute or two the Principal came barreling out his office and tried to break up the fight, calling for help. The bigger of the two guys fighting – who I learned later was a star footballer and senior – turned to the principal and slugged him right in the face, sending him sprawling to the ground.
The fight didn’t stop until the football couch himself (also a teacher at the school) showed up.
This was a nasty fight and the principal ended up with a broken nose and black eye. As I wrote, the bigger of the two students was a star footballer player, the other was just a student, not into any sports.
The aftermath and consequence of this? The student who hit the principal (on purpose) never received any punishments. He played out the football season, graduated and went to college on a scholarship.
The other (non-sport) student, was expelled.
Unbelievable, but believable.
Not quite fair though.
- Ace Masters
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