A guest at an upscale hotel wanted my services at 3 o'clock on a Sunday afternoon. I had no plans till dinner. Freeway traffic would be no problem. It was a perfect time for a housecall. What a great job….

The desk clerk added that the guest hadn't arrived yet. He would check in at 11 p.m. Could I come then? So I set the alarm that evening and dozed until it went off.

I regularly complain of how far I drive, but sometimes I hit the jackpot. A travel insurer sent me to a motel in my own neighborhood, a mile away. I was there and back in half an hour. As I congratulated myself on my good fortune, the phone rang.

"Did the patient pay the deductible?" asked the dispatcher for the insurance service.

"You didn't mention a deductible."

"I forgot. It's $75."

That was annoying. Cheap travel insurance requires a deductible, and guests never remember to pay. So I made a second trip.