The Kat House

It was the late 1990s. I spent more than an hour each day driving back and forth to work, and then there were all the weekly errands. From time to time, I considered getting a cell phone, but I could never really justify the extra expense. It would certainly be a nice safety measure. If I were to break down on the side of the road, I’d be able to call for help. If my friends or family ever needed me, they’d be able to reach me. I had a whole list of good reasons - but there was one that sealed the deal.

I listened to B97.5 on the drive to work each day, and then all day long at my desk. I was addicted. All that adult contemporary music piping through my speakers was pure bliss. But that wasn’t the best part. There were the contests. The station gave away all sorts of cool prizes that I wanted to win, and the coolest of the cool were awarded in a trivia contest each morning - and it just happened to be during the middle of my work commute. There were so many times that I knew the answers, but with no phone, I was just another listener without a cool prize. So I bit the bullet. I bought a phone. One of those gigantic phones that resembled the walkie talkies we played with as kids. And then I was somebody - somebody determined to win a prize! Unfortunately, there was no such thing as a Bluetooth headset back in those days. I’d drive with one hand, frantically dialing with the other. I’d throw the phone up to my ear over and over again, praying to get through. I spent so much time with that phone pressed to my ear that I’m surprised I didn’t get brain cancer.

What I did get was a prize! Lots of them as a matter of fact! So many that TK in the Morning started to recognize my name. It was great. Sadly, at some point my luck ran out. I got a busy signal every time I dialed - or worse. Sometimes I didn’t know the answer at all! I eventually stopped calling, and thus ended a very exciting chapter in my life. Alas, I still have the memory - and now it is preserved forevermore on my blog!