Is the the party to whom I’m speaking?
// September 29th, 2010 // 8 Comments » // My Fabulous Life
Imagine my surprise when I got an email inviting me to join a conference call yesterday with Michelle Obama (yes, that one) and Dr. Mary Wakefield (Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration). The discussion was around nursing and the ACA (Affordable Care Act, or Health Care Reform as we peons know it).
Wow, really? Me?
I dialed in, only to have Phyllis Phonemail tell me my phone would be muted during the call, which in retrospect probably included hundreds of nurses. The content was directed at a nursing audience, and the presenters proceeded to discuss how bad the nursing shortage is, how hard nurses work, and how we need to put provisions in place to train more nurse practitioners. Preaching to the choir is not always a bad thing. We all need our egos fed.
There were a couple of questions from the “audience” that were obvious plants, but all in all it was just kind of cool to be on the phone with someone who’s someone. Good thing my phone was muted – I’d have asked Michelle how her garden was growing and what the heck she does for upper body exercises to get her arms so buff and cut. That girl has some guns.
One of my esteemed colleagues was also on the call. I hang with a pretty high class crowd in my professional life, though most of my imaginary friends don’t realize that. This brilliant woman has authored books and spoken internationally, is well published, and recognized as outstanding in her field. Golly, she has even been baptized in the Jordan River. That’s worth nothing if not holy.
In Iowa, “outstanding in your field” simply defines your location because many of us actually are out standing in our fields. And Patti, as brilliant as she is, has never forgotten that she, too, puts her overalls on one leg at a time.
Allow me to elaborate on Patti’s classy and respected public behavior.
One evening at a TGI Friday’s dinner on their patio, she got cold, removed the red checkered tablecloth, and wore it like a Snuggie. When the waiter said something she gave him this incredulous look like “Whaaaat? This wasn’t place here to counter the chill of your fine patio on these cheap plastic chairs??” The poor kid cowered in embarrassment. That girl has class. She was also one of the principles in the famous Ron Burgundy Waits Tables incident.
I tweeted my Facebook status while I was waiting for my call with Michelle begin. Note we’re now on a first name basis. Patti, never one to miss an opportunity to make her friends feel encouraged and successful, decided to comment. Then one of my favorite co-workers saw it, thinking I was ALL THAT and an empty bedpan.
I confessed, it was all a PattiPrank.
I’m going to a conference next week in Milwaukee with Patti. I’m pretty sure she will get me in some sort of trouble while she ends up looking sweet, innocent, selling books, and signing autographs.
Feel free to donate to my bail fund through PayPal.
