Tabatha Deans

WORKING THE PHONES AND MAKING FRIENDS
With a a deadline looming for the Dumpster diving story, and my failed attempt at stalking divers, I fell back on an old news habit—I started working the phones.
Specifically, the random phone number programmed into my phone of people I’ve met since I moved to Denver. There’s the gentleman who stopped to chat with me in front of the office, a man who used to be a big-shot attorney before his fall from grace, and the REALLY drunk lesbian who groped me at the bar last week. All these people had given me their numbers, an invitation to call. Yet I haven’t. Okay, mostly because I’m not sure I want to form any kind of long-lasting relationship with any of them. Partly because I was shy, afraid and uncomfortable.
But, in the name of news, I bravely began dialing. My calls were well received. They all remembered me, (or at least pretended they did). None of them seemed at all surprised when I asked them if they were familiar with Dumpster diving, did they ever do it, of did they know anyone who did? I came away with several names/angles for the story, and enjoyed spending the afternoon talking with other people.
And I’m in love with my electronic book reader. As I began my ambitious goal of reading all 101 classics loaded on my gadget, I quickly began cursing as I ran across multiple words that I did not know the meaning of. Making a mental note to myself to buy a dictionary, I started fiddling with my reader. Sure enough,, not only did it have a dictionary included, but you could highlight the word in question and look it up immediately, without ever losing your place in the text. I’m officially taking back all the bad things I have said about electronic book readers.
Although now, I find myself in a state of analysis paralysis regarding the 101 great works. I can’t decide which to read first.

April 19, 2012 - Posted by Tabatha Stewart | Uncategorized