Jobs I should not do

Someone in HR went home sick today, so they fished up a replacement low-on-the-totem-pole to do her job: me. The job is making mass scripted phonecalls reminding people about an employee appreciation dinner, and telling them they have to RSVP at such and such a number (or immediately, in the slight eventuality that I am talking to a live breathing person of the right name). So I called for one dude, and his dad (I assume) answered, and asked if HE could go, because he was retired from this place. I said something like, "Ummmm, nooooo . . . I think [your son] has to take you, but I don't know the rules. I'm just the phoning monkey."

Seriously, I billed myself as "the phoning monkey".

So, I can totally work of a script - should it be an answering machine. But when there is something written in front of me, I suddenly develop problems when speaking to a person. I have to change things around yet still make conversation, and because it is just this side of mind-numbing, this can be very difficult. After the canned sentence "If you and a guest would like to attend, please leave a message at xxx-xxxx" I suddenly realize that I'm talking to a real person and go "or, umm, you could like tell me, like, um, now, or like phone before Monday". God, I hate this job. Only 40 phonecalls (out of 250) done, and my mind is mush.