Sister, Can You Spare a Cordless Phone?

Today I had an unexpected death in my home. My cordless phone croaked. It was a painful death for me because it died just as I was scheduled to do a telephone interview with actress and fellow baby boomer Nancy Cartwright. I told Nancy I’d get back to her in an hour after I trouble-shooted the problem.

I tried to put the phone on life support with a new battery---but no such luck. I tried not to panic or miss this wonderful interview opportunity so I went across the street and asked my neighbor, Adair, if I could use her cordless phone. She said she didn’t have one. I couldn’t believe it! There was actually someone who doesn’t live in a cordless world! Then I thought, “My next door neighbor, Kathy, sometimes comes home for lunch so I’ll ask her.” Several minutes went by. No Kathy. I had to do something so I sent her an email:

Kathy,

I'm hoping you're at work to see this message. Are you coming home soon? I need a cordless phone and mine is DEAD.

Beverly

I waited impatiently for a response. No response. Then I decided to go to the nearest store to buy a phone. Well as luck would have it, the nearest store didn’t have any more cordless phones left. What? Does that mean the whole world has gone cordless??? Yes, everyone except my neighbor across the street.

I finally found one and rushed home to charge it. The directions on the box said it needed to be charged for a minimum of 12 hours before use. But all was not lost because Kathy did come home for lunch. She saw my desperate message and responded:

“Well I was just sitting here trying to decide where to go read my book at lunch time so I guess I have my answer! I'll be home in 15-20 minutes.”

My neighbor, my fellow baby boomer, my friend Kathy saved the day! I’m so glad I know my neighbors. And I also know what I’m getting my other baby boomer neighbor across the street for Christmas.

Baby Boomers and Charity

Imagine my surprise when I checked my mailbox and found an invitation to attend a Monte Carlo Night in the San Fernando Valley of California. At first I thought it might’ve been SPAM but when I took a good look at the invite I realized it was from someone I knew.

Cartwright Entertainment has requested the honor of my presence at a $250 per person event on September 29. Oh, and the $250 is just to get in the door. There’s another $250 to “donate” if I want to play in the Texas Hold ‘Em No Limit Poker Tournament. This annual charity event benefits the Devonshire PALS Youth center for at risk kids. It’s an event Nancy Cartwright holds near and dear to her heart.

Now I know you must be wondering, how in the world do I know Nancy—the actress and the infamous “voice” behind the Bart Simpson character? Well, it just so happens this fellow baby boomer and I went to college together and were members of the Forensics Team. Since then, we’ve kept in touch on and off over the years. Nancy is still the same sweet person I remember from back in the day. She hasn’t let success and stardom go to her menopausal head.

I am, indeed, honored, to have received a "personal" invite and you can believe I’m going to do everything in my power to get there. How could I pass up an event that will have an open bar, valet parking, dancing under the stars, with an opportunity to win prizes like: A day on the set of several top TV shows; A Simpsons Pinball Machine signed by the cast; Four tickets to the American Idol Finale 2008.

Certainly, anyone who cares to donate to the “Beverly Mahone Monte Carlo Night Fund” can do so and I’ll be sure to let everyone there know I couldn’t have gotten there without your help. I’ll even pass out your business cards if you like since I know there will be lots of celebrities there to mingle with.

And who knows, I may even be able to convince Nancy to come to my Baby Boomer Girlfriends’ Retreat in March.