What are the odds?

In June, my colleague faxed in a tradeshow contract to an organization's office. Unfortunately, that organization outsources its tradeshow management through an event agency. The paperwork never, apparently, made it from Point A to Point C.

I realized this today.

I called our contact at the organization and left her a voicemail. It was a 202 (Washington, DC) exchange. The voice on her voicemail had a thick Eastern European accent. Her name was Natalia.

Two minutes later, I received a call from a 202 phone number and the woman on the other end had a thick Eastern European accent and identified herself as Natalia ... Well, I didn't wait. I launched into my tirade.

"I have the paperwork here. We faxed it in. It should have been forwarded to the event agency. Are there still booths? Was our Amex charged? Please explain what's going on!"

It tooke me nearly five full minutes to grasp the fact that this was a DIFFERENT Natalia. A Natalia that, yes, was from Eastern Europe and, yes, she also worked in Dupont Circle, and yes, was involved in higher education conferences, and yes, I had called her and left a voicemail this morning. But NOT a voicemail about pre-existing tradeshow registration since, apparently, they only released their exhibit prospectus yesterdayand this was a different conference event altogether....

OOPS.

But, seriously, what are the odds? Only me. Only today.