jft,

-Ad quote (sung opera-style by people in flagrantly bad Viking costume): "I have an annuity but I need cash now!"-

No memory of my dreams last night except that the dream that I had was rather charming. And there was a part where I was going (I don't know if walking or driving) down my home street. This is the worst, when you know that the dream you had was interesting but can't remember a whit of it.

I have an idea for the people who make the voicemail setup sequence (beyond volunteering them for the company dunk tank). Instead of making people listen, then press an odd pattern of buttons, then quickly return their phone to their ear to make sure they don't miss the next instructions (or worse, wait so long that the annoyingly cheerful lady's voice asks "Are you still there?") and by the end of the call melt into a ball of hopeless futility, have a little sheet on the phone to fill out -- perhaps in the options or settings section. Then, when you're done filling it out and/or recording your voicemail message, press send and the PHONE will emit all the tones needed to go through the service, instead of making YOU have to press the right buttons. Honestly, isn't technology advanced that far by now? I mean, whoever thought of voicemail obviously didn't take into account that on a cell phone, at least, you can't press buttons while simultaneously listening to the phone. Furthermore, even if you could, you still would have to remember what each button stands for and also probably be juggling in your head what you're going to say as your voicemail message (in my case, a corny limerick) and wishing Annoying Recorded Saccharine Lady would repeat herself or at least go slower and not think you're about to hang up on her if you're trying to think of what button to press and wait a split-second too long.

Seriously, it's way too much pressure to go through if you have to remember what numbers mean what AND worry that pausing to remember them will result in "Are you still there?"

Reality check. Bah, humbug, and voicemail.