Strangeness

Tonight is our ward Christmas party and as luck would have it (or providence, maybe) I am in charge of the program for the third year in a row!  When I found out our Bishop had assigned the Primary to be in charge of the organization of the ward Christmas party, I just gave him that look.  'What?'

You realize that last year you assigned the Relief Society to be in charge of the ward Christmas party and at that time I was in charge of that organization's planning committee, so last year I was in charge of the ward Christmas party?  And the year before I was in charge of the Christmas party by special assignment?

He started laughing.  I didn't think it was funny.

I told him that if next year he assigns the ward Christmas party to the organization I am working in he is in trouble.

But here is the funny part about this year.  We are doing the program Misty put out a little while ago.  I have been trying to request one of the parts to be assigned to a specific young adult in our ward.  He is relatively new and from Utah.  I looked up his phone number on our ward directory on lds.org.  It was a Utah phone number.  That seemed reasonable.  I called the number.  A man answered.  It sounded like hospital stuff in the background, which is where this man works.  I explained who I was and asked if he was attending the ward Christmas party.  I could not understand his response.  Three times I asked him to repeat himself.

Then he said, "Oh, you are having trouble understanding me because of my accent.  I am wondering where the party is.  Is it at your apartment?  I can come if you give me a ride."

"If I give you a ride?"

"Yes, it is cold outside."

At this point, I was feeling uncomfortable.  I didn't remember the man I was calling to have an accent.  And I was pretty sure he had a car, but not positive.  And I live within walking distance to my building, and most in the ward know that.  And hello, it is the WARD Christmas party!!  You think I am hosting that at MY apartment, when I live in a house and am mother to nine children??!!!  So I told him I would call him back.

"Ya, ya, text me."

I did not.  I decided, once again, to use the ward website, although it has not been very helpful so far.  I decided to make my request through email.  So I sent the following:

"If that was you on the phone, I am sorry for the confusion.  I didn't remember you having an accent.

OK...next.  The ward Christmas party is this Friday at the church @ 6 p.m.  I need a reader for the program and was wondering if you would be willing to be one of our readers??!!

Let me know if that will or will not work for you, as I will need to find someone else, if it is not possible for you.  Also, the program is easy enough that we will not need a rehearsal.....we will just read it straight from the script and I will get you a copy today or tomorrow.

Thanks!"

No response.

The next morning, unfortunately, I sent a text to the previous cell number.  "I sent you an email yesterday.  Did you get it?  I sent it to your hotmail account."

Response:  "Nope.  You have my hotmail account?"

Me:  "I think so.  Is it......."

Response:  "No, hehehe, that's not me.  Where did you get that?"

Me:  "On the church's website."

Me:  "What is your email address?"

Response:  "claudethewise......"

What??!!  The guy I am calling is Ross.  Claude the wise??  Who is that?!!  Oh well.  People are a little strange these days so I forwarded the above email to the new address.

No response.

The next morning I pray, "Please let me figure this program thing out.  I really need to know if I have a reader or if I need to find someone else, not to mention now, if this isn't Ross, some strange person has my cell number and my personal email."

Later that evening, I received a text response:  "Hey, sorry I think you made a mistake.  This is not brother Ross.  Try to contact that person with email you found on that church website.  Sorry."

Finally, honesty!  Yesterday morning I just called one of my awesome stand-by's and asked him to read the part.  He said yes...and I KNEW it was his phone number.