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PLEASE, READER DEAR, FOLLOW THE ASTERISK here before you prop your head on your hand and shake it in a "she's a hopeless mess" sort of way.

This afternoon I was running around--post office, grocery store, bank, drugstore.  I even spent a little time roaming a store that features some of  this and a lot of that and an abundance of other things--early Christmas shopping was what I attempted.  I was rather pleased with myself, too, though I'd have been an even happier errand-runner had I not had to fritter away so much time at the bank (At the drive-thru the wait seemed long. I snorted in disgust and pulled out of line, parked, entered the bank.  My goodness!  By the length of the lines inside,you'd have thought they were selling Cabbage Patch Dolls (Ah, Reader Dear, I'm jumping far out of the line-up of history, I must confess. It was an ancient time when I queued up to purchase two of these dolls!)  Well, so then I spun on my heel, exited the bank, got back in the car and returned to the drive-thru.  I heaved a big sigh and waited.

And then.  It was after I'd schlepped all my purchases into the house--I discovered I'd lost my cell phone!
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 (Yes, Reader Dear, I called the bank.  I even called the stores.  And of course I tried calling myself.  They say silence is golden, but that's downright false when one's ears are straining to hear a marvelous T-Mobile sonata!)  I challenge you, Dear Reader Dear, to tell me I must drop the word AAARRRRGHHH from my lexicon!
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