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Mike's on the Line

2/16/2011

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Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Two funny phone updates:
1)      Here’s how it works when I call someone at the Soldiers Home: I call a mobile phone at the nurses’ station, and the nurse takes the phone to the person I’m calling. So Monday I called Mike to tell him I wouldn’t be out until Wednesday. The first try, he was at the Valentines party in the Activity Center, so I tried again later. I heard the nurse tell Mike he had a call, but when he said “Hello,” he didn’t sound so hot. 
   “Happy Valentines Day!” I enthused. “What are you doing?“
   “Just lying here,” he said, decidedly unenthused.
   “Are you OK?” I asked. He really did not sound like himself. “Didn’t you go to the Valentines party?”
   “No,” he said. “I didn’t go this year.”
  Suddenly a little light bulb blinked.
  “Could I talk to the nurse a minute, please?” I asked.
  She got back on the phone.
   “That wasn’t Mike Marquie, was it?” I asked her.
   She gulped, then laughed. No, in fact—it wasn’t. She’d given the phone to the wrong Mike, a very nice man I know but have never called, and I’m sure he’s still wondering exactly why I suddenly felt the need to tell him Happy Valentines Day.
   Within seconds, I was talking to the right Mike, who sounded like the right Mike. Whew.  
2) The right Mike just called to tell me Happy Birthday.
   “You remembered!” I enthused.
   “No, I didn’t,” Mike laughed. “Someone told me.”
We both laughed. I thanked him for calling and told him I’d be out in a bit for Trivia. I am very happy he called—not just for the sweet birthday wishes, but also because now I don’t have to call out there to alert Mike—any Mike—that I’ll see him soon.

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    Author
    My name is Sandy Deneau Dunham. I'm a journalist who’s worked at The Phoenix Gazette, The (Tacoma) News Tribune,  The Seattle Times, Town Hall Seattle and Pacific Lutheran University. I'm now back at The Seattle Times, as associate editor of its gorgeously glossy Pacific NW magazine. I've been a volunteer at the Washington Soldiers Home and Colony in Orting, Washington, since January 2009, and I am still a remedial videographer.   

     

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