A package was on the front porch from FedEx when I got home from work. It arrived by way of Eric Fay in Garden Grove, CA. This phone was in the Village Road Pharmacy in Long Beach California decades ago. On the bottom of the phone, the phone number was listed as HA 5-6434. I assume they have the same number they’ve always had because they are now listed as (562) 425-6434 (the “H” is the 4 and the “A” is the 2).

At one point, the phone then belonged to (213) 390-4942. Google had no record of the phone number at all, so I called it. A recording of an operator said “lines are temporarily busy, please try again later.” This might explain why. It shows the 213 area code as a tiny section of Los Angeles. It used to be one of California’s 3 area codes. Now, it’s a tiny island in a sea of change.

The phone number could be in one of several Southern California area codes now. The fact that neither the surrounding 323 nor 213 works makes me think the phone number could still be used in one of the remaining area codes. As the new area codes were formed over the years, the number could have been excluded as an option in the newer area code overlays for the once larger 213 area.

On Saturday, I visited Mr. Hayes.

I listen to local AM station 1450 WGNS every weekday morning. It broadcasts from of the square in Murfreesboro and has ever since 1947. The radio I listen to it on is about as old - a Panasonic AM radio I bought in a yard sale for about 50 cents.

Yesterday, as I was brushing my teeth, Swap ‘n Shop came on. It’s been on the air ever since 1947. People call in looking to buy or sell all kinds of stuff. So I called in. I was quickly put on air and announced that I was looking to buy old rotary phones. Bart asked what I wanted those for. It’s the same question antique dealers asked me last weekend. Apparently, people want to throw these things into history’s pile of garbage. Rather than get into it on the radio, I just told Bart and those I knew were likely listening that I just liked the look and feel of them.

The phone rang today with a couple of calls from some very nice elderly folk who heard me on the radio. One of the calls was very promising, and the price sounds just right. Saturday, I’m heading to Rockvale to check out what he’s got.

We spent about 4 hours driving around to about 8 area Good Wills and Salvation Army stores Saturday looking for rotary phones. Vince found this 1972 rotary phone at the Good Will in Murfreesboro for $15. Needless to say, none of the other stores had one. I suspect the people that sort what comes in toss them in the trash unless they look like this one.

At the Smyrna Good Will, some guy wandering the isles of the store came up to me in a loud, but friendly voice, “Remember who loves you!” Startled, I asked him who. I had an idea where this was going, and sure enough he pointed his finger in the air and said matter of factly, “Jesus!” Even weirder, just as I left the store, the woman behind the counter said my full name. I was somewhat taken aback, looked her way, and saw it was an old acquaintance from MTSU.

Today, I plugged the rotary phone up to our VoIP and was surprised to find it worked perfectly. I still need to have longer conversations to see if the amount of power from the VoIP box is good enough.

Next weekend, we’re heading to the Tennessee Fair Grounds for the monthly flea market where I’ve seen several rotary phones for sale. I’m not sure how much they were, so tonight I tried bidding for a few on eBay. Some jerk out bid me on a very nice French-style rotary phone that was way under priced. I eventually got a batch of four rotary phones for about $20 + shipping. It was an amazing deal, and I’m not so sure I’ll be able to beat that deal next weekend, but we’ll see.

That look just about sums it up.

Vince brought the carriers in last night and set them on the living room floor, opened them, and Trudy decided she wasn’t going anywhere. I don’t blame.

Mimi seemed to be snapping out of her stupor following their surgeries, but her body remembered the anaesthesia just as quickly and took her over like a zombie spell. She stumbled to her day bed and collapsed.

Vince is off today. I’m off tomorrow and Monday, and we’ll have the weekend to watch them as they slowly come to. The Vet said everything looked fine. They even removed a couple of stuborn baby teeth and clipped their nails.

I wished the girls at the front desk good luck on the way out to join the morning commuters. I could hear Mimi and Trudy still barking at the Vet. They were fine on the ride in with exception to a sisterly whimper that seemed to be a constant acknowledgement that they were in whatever was about to happen together no matter what.

Poor things.

Vince is picking them up this evening. We have the rest of the week and next Monday off to tend to them as they heal up. I made sure to check the box on the form that asks whether you want them to charge you for some doggy pain pills. I couldn’t bear listening to Vince scold me. I hope they give them cones for their heads. That ought to be real cute.

Everytime I look at this picture of Vince holding Mimi, I get a nice chuckle. Earlier that day I bought that little outfit for Mimi at Lucky Pup in Nashville. The owner of the store, Kristin, told me she put this picture up on their wall. After putting the dress on her, it took some time for her to get used to it, but in no time she was running around and making her sister Trudy very jealous. There were little wimpers, then barks. Mimi was tattling on her sister for biting her dress.

Weird thing. Our neighbor behind us just got their own chihuahua, a cute little thing they named Polka. Vince told me last night that another neighbor, who lives next to his sister down the street, got two chihuahuas, too!

All the play date opportunities!

Things must be awefully desparate at the Tennessean for them to have hired someone to drive around my neighborhood this morning littering people’s yards with bags full of commercial garbage.

Don’t take this wrong way. I love the Tennessean. I like what they are doing online, and I think there is a lot on potential on the horizon as the Tennessean gets out of the business of delivering newspapers and focuses on delivering news and information electronically. If you haven’t seen their newer website, go check it out.

But the dying gasps of their industrial-aged print distribution has now crossed the line with me. All up and down my neighborhood street this morning were yards littered with pink plastic bags labeled “Yes! Your Essential Shopper” filled with a newspaper sized packet of nothing but advertisements and solicitations to subscribe to the Tennessean’s print product.

Before I take action this morning, I have some advice for whoever’s bright idea this was.

Stop it. I’m not asking. I’m telling you to stop it.

What other company in this area has the thuggish moxie to drive around our neighborhoods and toss unsolicited bagged up trash on our lawns? What kind of return do you expect for such abusive behavior?

If I knew I would not have diverted a police officer this morning from saving someone’s life, I would have called the police and have a report written up and go from there. Instead, I went to the Better Business Bureau website and filed this complaint there and listed as many advertisers as I could who hired the Tennessean to litter my lawn. After I mow the lawn, I’ll send that link to as many corporate offices of the advertisers as I can.

I know the Tennessean has to pay the bills, but this is where I draw the line as a consumer who is now a victim of a desparate company who has chosen to litter my property as a means to make money.