Busier than Grand Central

Hubby does not like to talk on the phone. He never has. Sometimes when I call home he is irritated when he answers. He always tells me the phone is ringing off the hook. I have always kind of thought that this was just him complaining as he is upset that he had to stop what he was doing to answer the phone and the caller just happened to be me. Ya know.....making it up.

Well I no longer think he is making this up. I so totally understand what he means. Yesterday I stayed home while Hubby went to work. I just happened to have the phone upstairs with me since I called into work. It was a good thing I did or else I would have been more upset having to go up and down the stairs. We used to have an answering machine but it broke. We do not have caller ID (except on my cell phone).

I think it all started around 7:30am. I was reading and the phone rings.

"Please hold for a very important message...."
"ummmm no."

I hung up the phone and wanted to keep it off the hook but that dumb computer kept my phone line open so I could not even call out. The phone then rang again. I did not answer it.

The phone finally stopped ringing after 12 times (am I the only one that counts the rings). I settled myself back to reading. I was drifting off a bit when the darn phone rang yet again. I again did not answer it (I did manage to jerk my shoulder as I sat up, startled). I ran to the computer to turn on the computer answering machine but the caller hung up before the machine picked up the call.

That darn phone just would not stop ringing. I took downstairs so it did not bother me too much but I sure wish it had the option to turn off the ringer. I did not want to unplug it from the wall like hubby does - cause who knows....what if I had to answer it.

Here is what I had to deal with all afternoon:

2:21 - Hubby's friend from out of town saying he was in town (he is moving back)
2:22 - Hubby's friend calling back to give cell phone # and again to say he was in town
2:30 - Hubby calling to see if I was home (Oops. I missed this call and did not see it until after 3pm)
3:00 - "please hold for a very important message"
4:00 - Hi. Hubby's friend again. Just want to make sure you know I am in town.
5:00 - Hang up (what my answering machine message is not good enough for you?)
6:44 - Hubby's friend again. Just wanted to let you know I was here. Call me .......this one I answered. I then reminded him that hubby works and would call him as soon as he got home.

At around 7pm hubby got home and I let him deal with answering the phone (as it is never for me anyways).