Val Is Feeling Unseen

Unseen and unheard! Like a child in the '50s and '60s, only not SEEN as well as not heard. Like an invisible woman in the Twilight Zone. As if I don't exist.

On Thursday, I sent a text to Genius. It was a question about getting those winning Pennsylvania scratchers back to him for redemption and payout. Not that I care so much, having won only $10. But it matters to The Pony with an $80 win, and especially to miser Hick, with his $150.

Anyhoo... this text was sent at NOON:36. That would be 1:36 Pittsburgh time. I did not feel it was being intrusive. I don't text Genius often. Less that once a month, and always with a specific purpose. He generally responds within minutes or a couple hours. But this time, there was nothing. I didn't try again. It WAS New Year's Day. Maybe he had plans to go out to some swanky restaurant. Surely he was not still sleeping off New Year's Eve. Yet when I checked my phone the next morning, my text was still UNREAD.

I shrugged off my invisibility, figuring I would just go ahead with my plan on returning those lottery tickets. If Genius had a better plan, then he should have VALidated my attempt by at least reading the text, and proposing something else.

Meanwhile, I called The Pony, since our Errand Day had been shifted to Friday, because of the holiday. I wanted to confirm the time I was stopping by. I considered 9:15 a reasonable time. Not too early to call. And it was during a commercial of my show, My True Crime Story, about Yonus Davis and Canadian Football and Molly.

The Pony did not answer. My call went to voicemail. I tried again at 10:00. Voicemail. Well. If Pony was out driving somewhere, doing other errands before our afternoon plans, of course I wouldn't want distracted driving just to answer me. I sent a text at 10:45.

Aha! I got an answer within minutes. The Pony had been soaking in a jetted-tub bath, with phone on the charger in another room. So it turns out I was NOT invisible after all.

Which was further VALidated when Genius sent a text at 11:02, approving my ticket plan, and saying, "Sorry, busy day yesterday with a friend in town."

Whew! That was close. I was starting to feel like I was the last woman on earth.