Don't Get Me Started

Who'd a thunk it? Everyone has their "hot" button, something that really gets them going, but what is the possibility of such a diverse group having the same pet peeve? Maybe one in a million, but the same ____ (number) people in the same location at the same time?George had traveled the world due to his occupation as a mining engineer, from the backwoods Appalachian community of Richlands, VA, to the vast, isolated outback of Western Australia, to the copper mines of __________. He considered himself to be a pretty mellow fellow, someone who took things in stride, especially the personality quirks of his fellow engineers. After all, people who burrow under the earth's surface to meet the needs of the world's citizens for everything from energy to beauty products, often have a slightly different perspective on life. How many people do you know who get excited about a six-foot seam of coal or recycling asphalt?Granted that George presented rather an imposing figure when one first made his acquaintance, he considered himself rather an ordinary guy. His occupation allowed him to lounge comfortably on the job in faded blue jeans and somewhat tattered t-shirts most of the time. Rarely did he dress up, except when required to, for the occasional summons to meet with the "suits" of management. Although he would have loved to indulge his one idiosyncrasy in attire, sporting a dapper Tyrolean hat with a jaunty feather, he restrained himself with supervisors.He was lounging around in his normal, casual work clothing when the phone rang. It was almost 5:30 p.m., his usual time for wrapping up the day and leaving the office. Most days he headed to the gym for some sort of physical activity to offset the kinks and stresses of the work day. Was that insistent, blaring phone his boss checking up on him or just some idiot who had dialed the wrong extension? He picked up the phone to the sound of soft, female Southern drawl. "Hi, y'all, is this the Capraro's? I have a gentleman here who'd like to speak to y'all." A million questions raced through his startled brain. Who were these people and how did they get his private extension? They were probably the same kinds of people who sent innumerable joke e-mails based on the oh-so-false assumption that the receiver would enjoy them as much as the misguided sender. Was this idiotic blond (with a voice like that she had to be blond!) never going to get to the point and disclose the reason for the untimely call? Even if he decided against going to the gym for a much needed workout, there was always some sporting event beckoning on the big screen TV in the corner of his sparsely furnished living room. He paused to reflect on his “minimalist” decorating style. How essential was it to have a bunch of pictures and “trinkets” cluttering up the clean, bare wall space? But back to the demanding telephone clutched in his hand.When the male voice that came suddenly on the line blared like a foghorn, "Capraro?" it came to him like a punch to the solar plexus just who it was. Just like the way he dressed in his memory and the image he had in his mind, the voice was one of a kind; if you heard it once it would not allow you to disregard it. The soft Southern accent blended with the raspy, drawn-out rumble automatically reminded you of a cantankerous old grizzly bear grumbling as he ranged the sparse berry patch late in fall, but it was also a pleasant reminder of past ___________. To hear a familiar sound and know who it is and catch up with an old friend is very nice ____________. George hadn't called or spoken to him in a long time and was delighted to restore old connections.