Monday, November 12, 2001

I got yer midday segment right here

I spent 20 minutes on the phone today, pitching dates and times back and forth, trying find a mutually agreeable period for my friend Paul and I to get together for drinks or lunch or dinner or something to celebrate my birthday.

Twenty minutes on the phone...with his secretary.

In my circle, it's usually a joke when someone says "Have your people call my people; we'll do lunch." Usually. I'd bumped into Paul leaving The Complex a couple of weeks back and he'd said he'd be in touch. "Gotta catch up," he said.

His secretary administrative assistant, Janine, called around 11 a.m. and, in clipped tones, explained that she had Mr. Decker's book in front of her and would Tuesday the 27th be good for me, say around 2?

It wouldn't, actually, and there the negotiation began, hampered only somewhat by my incredulity that my convivial celebratory glass-lifting with my friend of ten years had been reduced to an action-item for his staff.

We finally settled on a luncheon date, three weeks after my birthday, after much effort on Janine's part to dissuade me from "the midday segment."

"How about 10:30?" she had asked.

Yes, I said stiffly. 10:30 a.m. is just what I had in mind when Paul suggested we get together for lunch "or something". "Something" at 10:30 would have to be a PowerBar and protein shake, I imagine.

I know he's busy and out of town and I know Janine was just doing what she was told and I'm probably being a little petty bringing the whole thing up since the end result is that I'll get to spend time with a good friend.

But so help me, if I ever have my assistant call you to schedule an activity not directly related to our business, you have my permission to march directly over to my office, bop me on the nose with my to-do list and insist that I reorder my priorities.