"Do you hear me now? No?"

Other people use my phone more than I do.

A vendor at the Farmer's Market gave me a bar of soap that smells like redwood forests, cuz I let him use it to call AAA.

Hey, as long as they arent trying to make long-distance or overseas calls, Im cool.

Since the chica went on her way, no one I wanna hear calls. But I leave it on, cuz I have the number on my business card.

Feh.

Frankly - phones irritate me. Always have.

And people calling for free services irritate me even more.

Hell, I only use the phone to check for the time. And apart from a few that Im always happy to hear from, my friends know better than to call me 'just because'.

I toasted Hamid a new asshole when he gave my number out to his friends.

As they only call for .. guess what?

Free tech support.

Therefore Ive taken to turning off the damned thing.

Naturally, I get a shitload of messages when I turn it off.

Including one just now from .. Hamid.. whose friend of a dear friend needs.. you guessed it.

I had a conversation the other day:

"I'll pay you to help me fix my computer."
"No."
"What? You have a job?"
"Being broke doesnt mean I have to do things I dont have to or want to do."
"So, will you help me?"
"No."

And unless I do a passive-aggressive routine to get out of it, Im locked into helping someone who I barely know - cuz, Hamid is my friend.

Gah.

And people wonder why Im terminally grumpy.

This does not help.