Taking advantage of her long drive, daily commuter Shelly Glass frequently phones friends on her cellular phone while on the road.  "It's a great way to keep in touch," she notes.

"God, it's fucking annoying when Shelly calls me on that cell phone," complained friend Nan Walters.  "I mean, first of all she's practically yelling, blowing out my eardrums, then she fades out half the time," she continued.  "Plus, I get this real warm feeling that I'm just a good way to pass the time."

"My cell phone is the greatest thing," beams Glass.  "We all lead such busy lives, that I think my friends really appreciate that I take the time to call."

"I've had to start screening," lamented Glass friend Meg Pearce.  "I realized that she'd call around the same time every day on that damn cell phone, so whenever the phone rings around 6:30, I let the machine pick it up," she added.  "I got tired of being the in-flight entertainment on her commute.  Turn on the radio, for Chrissakes."  Pearce went on to note that sometimes Glass catches her, but much less frequently than in the past.  "Now when the screaming and scratching in my ear become too much, I start pretending I can't hear her," added Pearce.  "That's usually pretty effective."

"Friends are so precious," adds Glass.  "It feels good to make the effort to stay in touch and keep the bond strong."