I'm sorry, but you have reached an incorrect number

So, what has Cookie been up to of late?

The latest fresh Hell is that our house phone has been ringing off the hook with people wanting to volunteer in training therapy dogs for wounded U.S. Veterans.  And just not a couple calls - lots and lots of people want to volunteer.  And who wouldn't want to - puppies and wounded vets.  Everyone wins.

Evidently, a good hearted volunteer in area code 440 (Ohio - naturally) incorrectly put their number in as 410-XXX-XXXX.  The problem is all those X's are our exchange and number.

So we have been getting calls like:

Person: "I am calling about the volunteer opportunity to work with...."
Cookie: "I hate to tell you, but there was a misprint in the paper that put the wrong number in."
Person: "But I dialed 410-XXX-XXXX like the ad said."
Cookie: "I understand that.  It's why we are talking, but..."
Person: "Can I speak with someone who knows what's going on?"
Cookie: "You can if you hang up and call 440-XXX-XXXX."
Person: "Can you just connect me, I'll hold."
Cookie: "I'll try, but if I lose you, you'll need to direct dial them yourself."
~CLICK~

If the calls were coming in looking for One Million Mom's then I would hang up.  But who am to question the steely resolve of people who want to clean out dog crates so that others can rehabilitate canines into service dogs.

Sometimes they call back and tell me that the mailbox is full on the other end, or that their voicemail's aren't being answered.  I tell them that I'm just the answering service, and all I can do is pass on their complaints, but I would be happy to do so the next time they call in for them.

The calls are slowing down, which tells me that either they fixed it, or the paper it was published in has become stale news.  They should update the column next week.

Until then, it'll be Cookie playing Ernestine on the phone.  Complete with snappy come backs and snorts.