I didn’t recognize the Kent, Wash., number that flashed on my cell phone screen.

I answered with my usual, “This is Stephanie.”

“Hello, ma’am. This is Jeff from Home Security Systems….”

Immediately, I cut him off.

“Jeff.”

He’s still talking, “and I’d like to talk to you today….”

“Jeff.”

He doesn’t even slow up, “…about…”

By then, I’ve had it.

“Jeff. Please take my name and telephone number off your call list.”

Click. No apologies for interrupting my day or anything. There wasn’t a confirmation of following through with my request, either.

I’ve added my name to every “do not call” list I can find, and I’m still getting those blasted telemarketing calls. I get them at home and on my cell phone – all of which are equally infuriating.

I generally average two telemarketing calls a day. While that might not sound like a lot, it’s just enough to tick me off, especially when the callers are rude to boot.

One day about a month ago, I got eight – yes, I counted them on my recent call list – eight calls from the same 1-800 number about lowering my interest rate on my flipping credit card. I answered the first one and hit “2” to opt out. Then I ignored the next five, but on that last one, I answered.

See, they make you listen to this automated spill before a live operator picks up. I’m thinking that by then, the person on the other end has a live one since they’ve patiently listened to the poorly-scripted dialogue about dropping your credit card interest rate to less than 5 percent.

That day, as I listened, I could feel the anger creeping up my neck. I will tell you right now, it takes a lot – and I mean a lot – for me to get to that point.

As soon as I got the operator, I’m almost embarrassed about how I lit into the poor woman.

“Listen. I may be the one person in the world who understands that you have a job to do, otherwise you wouldn’t be the person that I’m talking to right now; however, I will tell you two things – one, I don’t need your company to autodial my number every hour on the hour for eight consecutive hours. Secondly, I have one credit card that has less than a $300 balance on it, so, no. I do not need to lower my interest rate. Please. PLEASE, for the love of all things holy. Take my number off your list. Call me again and I’m reporting you to the Better Business Bureau. Are we clear?”

Her response: “You only have one credit card, and you owe less than $300 on it? That’s amazing.”

She totally skipped over the fact of the eight phone calls that day.

I know it’s not Christian to hate things, but I really, really, really hate telemarketing calls.