Thursday, August 18, 2005

Caller ID - The Greatest Invention Since the Telephone

NOTE: from now on, the majority of my responses/thanks will be found in my comments section.

I truly believe that caller ID is one of the best inventions of this century. Being able to see who is calling - and deciding whether to answer or let voicemail take a message - is a boon to society in general, and me in particular. If there is no message at all, I am doubly justified in not having answered that call, as it was obviously not important.


However, we need the same kind of invention for our front doors. This morning, just as I was receiving the refrigerator repairman into my kitchen, a woman approached the house. My husband let her in, and she was a bride-to-be who suddenly realized her appointment was for Tuesday the 23rd, instead of today, as she had thought.


I was somewhat frustrated about her untimely arrival, coming as it did while the repairman was ripping the guts out of the back of my fridge (exposing the mountains of dirt underneath it and setting free another cascade of water). After rushing upstairs to get yet another stack of towels, I decided it would be silly to turn her away - so I put on the coffee and invited her to my office for our consultation. Her explanation was that she had written "Flo" on the Thursday square in her calendar, and realized too late that "Flo" is the name of her physical therapist - and did not stand for florist.
Now I ask you: am I wrong to suspect that this wedding might be more trouble than it is worth? Should I forgive and forget her ditzyness? Some people are "labor intensive", and I might be better off in the long run if I don't book this one. And on second thought - that seems harsh, since I am certainly not perfect (although I never mess up appointments like that!) I suppose I will do her proposal and see what happens.
In case you are interested in the refrigerator repair; the latest in the saga of water troubles in our house, it is now working well. Seems there is nothing that cannot be repaired if you are willing to throw money at it.

19 comments:

Duke_of_Earle said...

Uh oh.

Judy, you've just hit one of my "hot buttons." The fridge repair you speak of will almost certainly lead to plumbing rpoblems and other electric appliances malfunctioning. It's a conspiracy well known to my faithful readers. I described my own experiences in postings of several months ago, and my readers have weiged in with their own. Suffice to say that once it starts, the plumbing and wiring and appliances will work together against you to make your life Hell.

You'll see! Sorry.

John

kenju said...

John, it has already started. First the water holding tank (we're on a well) burst and then 3 days later, a pipe burst under the house and flooded the crawl space for the second time in a week. The next day the fridge started peeing all over the kitchen floor and one of our toilets doesn't want to flush properly. The last time we had a driving rainstorm, the ceiling leaked in our master bathroom (around the sky-light), and I had to go on Lasix for my own "water problems".

The oddest thing is: last week I read an on-line astrology site I check every month and it said that the planet Neptune (the water planet) is in my "house of home" for the next two years - so I should expect water problems in my house. Now they tell me!

srp said...

About the client: Makes you wonder what she told her physical therapist. And why would a bride-to-be NEED a physical therapist? I hope she puts something more down in her date book for the day of the wedding.

About the repairs: In Mississippi it was the Rotor-Rooter man that brought the problems. If I saw his truck on our street you could rest assured that within two weeks I would be calling him after hearing that glurb-glurb sound in the toilet while taking a shower. Usually on a holiday or the day company was to arrive and ALWAYS on a weekend so higher rate.

Anonymous said...

Yes, I agree. Caller ID is wonderful and it should somehow happen with front door ID! I am lucky that I live in an apartment complex which you have to buzz to be able to get in. And I have to activate the lift to my floor. It's great as I don't get any door to door salespeople or people trying to sell me religion!

I am here via Michele today. Cheers

Anonymous said...

I have confused appointments before and felt like a fool. It happens to the best of us.

Kim said...

Michele sent me .... I can't live without my caller id. Now front door id, that would be something, however with dogs going crazy at the sound of a doorbell, it might be hard to pretend I'm not home.

That bride-to-be sounds like she's in for a fun life if she can't differentiate between a floral appt. and a therapy appt.

Anonymous said...

I hope that this bewildered "bride to be" has a sense of humor and blogs all her wedding bloopers for us to laugh at. Somehow, she reminds me of the "Runaway Bride" of a few months ago.

Good luck with the refrigerator.

Duke_of_Earle said...

Judy,

I couldn't resist. Your comment reply gave me an excellent opening for my post today. It'll be up later this afternoon. Thanks!

John

Thumper said...

If I'd read "Flo" on my calendar, I wouldn't be thinking PT or flowers...

I love caller ID, I screen calls, and thank god for the front door peep hole.

I think this means I'm anti-social...

Michele has not yet sent me, but I don't doscount the possibility at some point today :)

OldHorsetailSnake said...

When we sold a house we had major problems that needed repairing before the transaction could go through. I asked a builder, "Can it be fixed?" He says, "Anything can be fixed if you've got enough money."

kenju said...

Hey everyone! Go read what the Duke_of_Earle has to say on this subject: http://cherishauthor.blogspot.com

Weary Hag said...

Finally, I made it back to you! Phew.

I just hope that bride to be doesn't write down "Wed" for her wedding day and think it means a "Wednesday" showing up on the wrong day of the week! Sheesh.

Sorry for all your water-woes, but really Judy, what do you want? A computer that works AND a functional water system in the house? Come ON. Tch. Some folks just want it all.

poopie said...

*at the sound of the beep*....Is Flo there? I need to check my range of motion before I order a cake!

Jamie Dawn said...

Well, Flo,
Money does solve most things, but not everything.
You should charge her a fortune to do her wedding.
Then if she's willing to pay it, it may be worth whatever other ditzy moments you have to endure with her.

Dawn said...

The appliances across the country are apparently going on some sort of strike.

My Fridge was freezing my food in the refrig section. Ever try to eat a frozen apple? Then it started squeeking. That lasted for awhile. It finally died last Sunday.

It now resides in the front yard while garage fridge now lives in the kitchen. My kiddo wants to enter our yard in the yard of the month club for Redneck TV.

Plumber was able to repair leaking shower faucet without having to tear a hole in the wall. Thankfully he was able to get the handle off. Toilet fixed as well. To fix this one thing on the toilet he actually used a wire coat hanger. The only one I had in the house. I had to remove my wedding shower bows(from 20 years ago).

Then we were off to look under the kitchen sink as Dishwasher wouldn't drain since the last time Plumber was here (different plumber, same company) to replace the p-trap because we broke it trying to unclog the drain...

Anyway dishwasher worked great up until we unclogged the drain... after that it dumped water on the floor. So now 2 months later the stupid dishwasher won't even dump water on the floor. The pump is out.

I hate washing dishes.

It's a conspiracy!!

brendalove@gmail.com said...

Regarding the bride-to-be: if she's that scatter-brained now...just wait till she has a few kids! LOL! I'm glad its her and not me!

Regarding caller-ID - definitely one of the best inventions EVER.

carmilevy said...

Caller ID has saved my sanity more times than I care to admit. Bless the anonymous inventor who came up with it.

I so relate to this entry. Isn't home ownership grand?

Tabor said...

Since it IS a wedding I would give her a second chance. It may just have been a bad day.

melinama said...

1. contractors charge MORE when they work for somebody they don't trust to be professional and reliable.

2. I have the ID blocked on my outgoing calls - I think I should have the choice of whether to leave notice of my call should the other person not be home. If they have no-ID calls blocked, I just don't talk to them.