Momnesia

Press 1 to press 1 again

Multitasking is a big part of my job. I have a desk full of equipment with cords that sometimes tangle together like a big pot of noodles: a telephone, fax machine, printer, laptop, and dictaphone. Today, I was trying to leave a message for a client...

“To leave a message, press 1,” said the voice on the mail.
I pressed 1 and waited. Nothing.
“To leave a message, press 1,” said the voice again.
I press 1 again, and waited. Nothing!
“To leave a message, press 1,” said the voice, with a just hint of smugness.
“I did,” I muttered under my breath, and pressed 1 for a third time.
“To leave a message-” Gah! I jabbed the 1 button with a ridiculous amount of force.
“To leave a mess-” “What the-” I pressed 1. Then 1,1,1,1,1 and, for good measure, 1.
“To leave a message...” I took the receiver from my ear and looked at it, seething, for some explanation, and reached forward to press 1...

...on my laptop