I hate waiting for plumbers, repairman, and especially the Cable guy. I just loathe it. I've been waiting to get my rental basement ceiling to be repaired for over two weeks now. After wiating all day at home yesterday for them to show up I find out they can't come until Friday. Fine, just wasted a whole day form work and school prep. So Friday comes and I wait for a call saying that the drywallers will be over. I wait... it's 8AM. They can't be expected to call this easier adn I have been bugging them all week. I wait some more.

9AM...I call to see what is going on, feeling like an ass because I been calling every other day for the past two weeks. I get the answering machine. Ok, either he is really busy or he is avoiding my calls. I try a different phone line and get the same results. OK, maybe he is busy and me staring at my cell phone is not going to make him call any faster. I really have to be at work.

10AM.. Ok they may call after lunch, so I may get something done. I get in the car for the 45 minute drive to work. My cell phone is set on LOUD. I just know I'll pull into my parking space and they will call.

11 AM ...No Call and I'm at work. I keep my cell phone in my pocket because I don't want to take the chase I'll miss my call. I clean up my classroom and office. Check my Email. Return some phone calls. The lab Assistant says "Long time..no see"...indicating she did not see me Thursday. (You just saw me less than 48 hours ago, Bitch! Beside my Dept. Head knew where I was and that's all that matters. SO Screw YOU! Can you tell my mood has soured?)

12AM ... OK, I'm convinced they aren't coming and I should dug in to my work. I set my cellphone down it's 12:01. I need to step out to my car for just a moment to get my notes and textbooks so I can work on my syllabii. I'm gone for 4 minutes. FOUR FREAKIN' MINUTES! It's 12:05 PM and I have 3 missed calls and 2 voice mail messages! All timed between 12:02 and 12:04. WTF!!!!! I just knew as I walked to my car this would happen!

It's the drywaller and they we be at my property in 20 minutes! I tell them I'll see them at 1 PM and drive back to Iowa City using the back roads.

I drive in and see the two men waiting for me. One is like the god Vulcan and the other reminds me a Loki. Vulcan is the 6'4 black guy and introduces himself as "New York". I never met a whole state. (Why do I have to take after my mother and get the short genes in the Family?) They are both nice guy and get to work. New York says he is a storm chaser. Spent two years chasing damage from Hurricane Katrina, and is know in Iowa after the floods.

I know it's not really their fault. I'm sure they have more work than they can handle with all the flood damage. What gets me the most worked you is the waiting!