Hell Week, Phones, LJ Idol, and Internet Friends

It's Hell Week, and my phones are still iffy. For some reason, when DH uses his phone to call me, it comes through as a 218 area code. We live in a 651 area code, with Minneapolis as 612. Either of those would be acceptable. However, 218, which is the northern part of the state, is NOT. I'll be contacting the phone people today. They need to get moving on getting our phones fully operational, AND the incorrect area code HAS to be fixed. Quickly. 

The 218 area code takes up most of the northern portion 
of the state. The 651 and 612 area codes are for the 
Twin Cities only, and they barely appear on the map because 
the Cities are a very small part of the greater state. 

So that's one PITA. The fact that this is Thanksgiving Day week, and it's a week later than last year is also a serious problem. It cuts a full week off the Christmas holiday shopping days, and that's going to hurt our bottom line. Just what we DON't need right now. I have my Black Friday email ready to send, the same as it's been for the past two years or so. However, DH is making changes, and I don't have them yet. I need to get that out, and he's sitting on it. ARGH!!! 

I won't get my Friday off this week, and we'll also be 
working Sundays for several week (restricted hours, 
but still, another day at the shop *sigh*). In many ways 
I hate the holiday season, but we really need the added 
business and dollars. Now if the phones could just be 
operational. I have to get my email sent out too - TODAY. 

Posting for the latest stories in LJ Idol ends tonight, and only two of us from the six remaining have posted our stories. Tinnean pointed out that I switched from third person into first person. A stupid mistake, but it's out there now and I can't do anything about it. I don't think it harms the story, but grammatically, I certainly know better. It's a clear indication that I only had a few short hours to pull this together before diving back into the maelstrom of my current life. *sigh* I'll let everyone know the links for reading and voting when I can, and as usual, I'd REALLY appreciate your votes. I'd LOVE to make it into the FINAL FOUR! Wow! Wouldn't that be awesome! 

Internet friends - I treasure each and every one of you! 

So, I'm off to the pool. Every electronic item I carry with me is recharging right now - my phone and my watch. It's rather silly how attached we've all become to electronic items. I still remember (and own) watches that had to be wound, and my phones at home are still hard wired (that will be changing next year). Progress keeps progressing, but I'm not so sure it's always progress that we're dealing with. Sometimes it's a bad idea gone viral. Still, the Electronic World has allowed me to meet and interact with all of you, my friends and readers, so I'm grateful for that. Be well and enjoy your Tuesday, I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini.