Full Moon A'comin

For years, I have been hearing about the weird things that happen during the full moon. Some people say that is just an old wive's tale, that nothing out of the ordinary happens then. But if you ask nurses and doctors who work in emergency rooms and obstetrics, they will tell you that their respective areas are always busier on nights when the moon is full, and some police departments report they have more to do then also.

Back in the 70's, there was a local call-in radio program. They often had special guests, who would speak on some point and then field calls from the general public. One night, there was a psychiatrist on the program, and somehow the subject turned to the full moon and its effects on humans. I really wanted to call the show, but I really didn't want anyone to recognize me talking about the subject. When I finally got up the nerve, I covered the phone mouthpiece with a piece of cloth (just like they used to do in the movies) and called in. I had heard another woman on the program say that when the moon was full, her husband was, as Richie's mom used to say about Howard on "Happy Days", friskier than usual. Since that was my experience too, I had to share (all in the interest of scientific research, you understand).

After I had been married about 5-6 years, I began to notice that the days leading up to the full moon always brought out a certain friskiness in my husband, and after a few more years, I could tell when a full moon was approaching even if I had not looked at a calendar that month, and it always culminates on the day of the full moon. This is what I told the doctor on the radio, while disguising my voice as best I could, both with the cloth and also speaking higher than usual. The consensus of opinion was that many people seem to be affected by the full moon, and it bears looking into. I hung up the phone, still somewhat nervous from the call, and prepared to listen to the rest of the program.

After 5 minutes....riiiiiinnnnnng......riiiiinnnnnnng......my phone trills loudly, and I quickly pick it up so as not to wake the children. It was my friend Annette, who says "I can't believe you just called a radio show and told that story". I was, for the first time in my life, speechless. How could she have known who it was? How could she tell it was me - through the cloth and despite the higher voice? Her answer was "You disguised your voice and spoke higher, but you didn't change your speech patterns, and that is what gave you away". I was flabbergasted, but she thought it was funny and applauded me for having the courage to call the show. Since that time, I have been afraid to call any talk show, for fear that I will be recognized; apparently, my speech patterns and cadences are very recognizable (it's that darn West Virginia twang!).

So......here are my questions:

1. Are you or anyone you know affected by the full moon?

2. Is it "friskiness" or does it manifest in some other fashion?

3. Are your speech patterns so specific as to be instantly recognizable?