The phone rang a moment ago, and I answered it politely, as I usually do. Over the ambient noise and cell-phone static, I heard an extremely fake voice on the other end of the phone, saying, "Hello, there… Violet?"

Ha ha ha, it was the Keelhauler doing some fake and unconvincing old-man voice. I started to laugh (silently), but wondered why he would bother to prank me on my work number--it's totally unlike him. I figured that boredom will drive a person to absurd lengths (witness this online journal!). So, I said, "Yes, this is Violet!" very politely, but not bothering to hide the fact that I was laughing. The voice rasped, "This is…. This is… Wilford Brimley calling."

That's when I realized it was not the Keelhauler pranking me, it was actually a call for my boss, from Wilford Brimley. In my surprise, I accidentally yelled, "Hi, Wilford!" thereby breaking the ironclad "Mr. Brimley" rule of nomenclature. D'OH! He didn't really recover from my insolence, but I tried to make up for it by taking a message in my neatest handwriting.

You just never know who's going to be on the other end of that phone.

*** Note: For purposes of protecting the innocent, I have used the name “Wilford Brimley” in place of the actual celebrity involved. ***

Star of the day. . .Steve Allen