I've run across that problem several times. It ain't funny! I don't know where they pick up these clowns!

those kinds of people answer phones, too...
i called the department of motor vehicles in the state we'd just left to arrange for the transfer of the truck we'd left behind before moving to germany....it was a simple transaction as i was giving the truck to a friend, not selling it...i just wanted to know what paperwork i should mail to the dmv as i was too far away to come in the office...the lady asked why i couldn't come in to the office and i told her "i'm in germany"...
i swear to holy heaven she said "oh, i don't speak german" and put me on hold...it was a good thing i was on hold because i had no idea how to respond to what she'd said...the supervisor came on the line and we worked it out but i did suggest that she smack her clerk on the back of the head -- not to hurt her, just to move her along...

Ms Diana, it would have been interesting if she had given you time to say, "well, what about English? Do you speak English?" She would probably say she had to check with her supervisor and see...gees louise! These people vote AND breed!

JJ

On my recent trek to the DMV to renew my licence, I noticed that the first clerk I dealt with had three different possible answers, and 3 only, to any question we might ask, and she probably said these same 3 lines 1,000 times a day.

The DMV does not get "the best and brightest", but frankly, I don't think the best and brightest would want this job.

It's bad enough to talk to computers but then, you finally get a human and they don't know anything either. This is the age of service?

JJ, I look forward to my Monday morning all things royal. It starts the week off with a lighter tone. I really appreciate you and your humor and when is your next book coming out and do you think you'll ever run out of material? I think you get some good stuff here!

Thank you Lady Di...I enjoy sooo much writing it too. I've started on book 2, and I'm proud to announce it will be a narrative style book. Chapter 1, "Getting Laid Off" is complete. Chapter 2, "Getting Past Vacation" is almost done. Run out of material? No way. Course, you don't know my family, do you? And the fact that I've raised two boys, AND I worked with engineers for 25 years, AND I'm single, AND I was married, And I was married...talk about fodder.

Life is my material. If I run out, then it means I'VE run out. eeek!

JJ

That's my Monday morning highlight too. I love your newsletter!

Great questions Dianne, and fantastic answers! I just read my All Things Royal. Boy can I relate. One night the kids were all out so Ross and I thought we'd watch a movie on the big screen TV in the basement. There were three remotes: one ofr the TV, one for the DVD, and one for cable. We never did figure out how to get the dang movie we wanted. So much for that idea. WE are lost without the kids.

Georgia, tell your mom I"m so impressed that soemone from her generation kows how to do that. I gotta tell ya, the grandparents around here don't know how to do that stuff!

Ohhh no you don't. I ain't tellin' her that. She holds it over me as it is...nu uh. No way! Like I'm gonna give her ammunition? ha! Fat chance.

She is, in my opinion, one of the nicest, and smartest women I know. She is kind, beautiful, and spends every spare minute she has helping other people who can't help themselves. I lovingly call her Saint Bettye.

She's a tuff act to follow, let me tell ya.

But if I had the opportunity to be born again AND to choose any parents in the world, I'd choose mine.

JJ