Inopportune phone ringing

Isn't it always the same? Whenever you're trying to do something, that is when the phone rings!

It's that way every time at my office. I sit down, get ready to dive into a new project, then "rrrrrrriiiiiing!!!" - the phone starts ringing off the hook. Then it's drop everything and start answering calls - many of which are for everyone else in the company and not you.

Now, you're done fielding calls and you try to get back to where you were interrupted. You just start to make your way back to your last known position, start to go ahead a little...

"rrrrrrrrriiiiiiiiiing!!!"

I must say, there are days I feel as though I'm going to go completely batty! I mean, we're talking about Chinese water torture here! I can sit and stare at that phone for 5-10 minutes straight, doing absolutely nothing but waiting for that phone to ring and nothing. However, if I get my attention on something for more that 3 minutes, that phone starts ringing. We have the types that will divide into multiple lines so that we can get more calls at once (lines 1 thru 9).

I'm telling you strait, I can be in the middle of a "need-it-yesterday" project, and that's when 3-5 lines light up at once - with only 3 people to answer them (myself included!) The favorite hours for the phone to ring persistenly is usually at lunchtime (12-1pm ET) and at the end of the day (4-5:15pm ET).

Ever had one of those days when you wish the telephone was never invented?!

Now excuse me, I have to go answer the phone!