the phone rings and I stop breathing

[threeplusfire]

I have been up since 8am baking. I couldn't think of a better way to displace my anxiety.

Last night I went to bed early, tired and worried. I left my cell phone on and by the bed in case Edward or Joan called from the hospital. The phone woke me up twice, my heart pounding. Imagine my surprise and relief and irritation when I saw the caller ID. I didn't answer the phone, because I was too irate. I checked the messages later to stop the beeping so I could go to sleep. While I'm sure my friends had good intentions, who the hell calls at 11:30pm and 1am when I'm worried about a family member in the hospital? I was supremely peeved last night, but I've gotten over it.

When I was growing up, I remember a set of rules about when to use the phone. No calling before 9-10am on weekdays, much later on Sundays. No calling after 9pm, and certainly not after 10pm. I wonder if that was just my family or a secret code of the neighborhood. These days when my phone rings in the middle of the night, my first thought is always that something terrible has happened.

Mostly I was worried the phone would wake Alan. He hasn't been sleeping well at all in the past three days, getting only a couple hours a night. I realize it's been a little sketchy over the past year or so working at Flood because of the shift differences. Perhaps the universal telephone laws are not universal.

Edward said he would call a little later on. I think I will keep making pie, maybe clean for the hell of it.

And now a poll to satisfy my curiousity on the issue.

[Poll #338990]

Comments

[lawnrrd]

Whether I'll answer the phone or not depends on how I feel, not on the time. And thank goodness for caller ID, since I really takes a burden off of my memory and imagination. Before, when the phone would ring, I'd usually have to do a mental inventory: "Is there anyone who is likely to be calling now, with whom I actually want to interact."

[tsarina.livejournal.com]

Ah yes Caller ID has made life so so so much easier in that regards.

I've taken to just not really picking up the phone all that much.

[lawnrrd]

Of course, what I'm really waiting for is Caller IQ.

[tsarina.livejournal.com]

Bwahahahah.

Sometimes I am sad, because I think of all the kids who will grow up unable to make prank calls unless they are techsmart. :P

[eleanor.livejournal.com]

I"m actually pretty cranky about the phone. Just because it rings doesn't mean I shold have to drop everything, regardless of the hour. I could be having a conversation or changing the kitty litter or working under deadline, and somehow, people assue that you'll drop everything because they decide to call, when they wouldn't dream of ringing your doorbell unannounced and being invited in.

I believe it's always resonable to let the phone go to voice mail. I believe that if you know your friend might be expecting an emergency call, stay off of the line.

As an aside, I recently was flirting with someone online, who asked if he could call. I said sure, Saturday morning would be fine. When he phoned at 8:19, I told him not to call again.

[tsarina.livejournal.com]

Who one earth calls at 8 on a Saturday morning? Yeesh. I might be up at 8 but I'm not ready to interact with other human beings at that hour.

[jonqui.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry I woke you. Logic wasn't my strong suit last night. I'm sorry.

[tsarina.livejournal.com]

It's okay. Be glad I didn't answer the phone and give you an earful! :P It probably would have been completely incoherent too. I was even more irritated when Al called me at 1am.

[tsarina.livejournal.com]

I have to agree, I refuse to deal with other humans that early in the morning. People who call too early or too late tend to make me rather cranky.

[unlovablehands.livejournal.com]

I honestly almost never answer my landline because most people I want to talk to won't call me on it. When I was at school, I'd answer my landline between 2pm and 8pm. I pick up my cell whenever I'm awake. The thing about cellphones is that you can turn them off/set them to silent, and they are often quieter than landlines when they ring, so I think rules are less strict about them.

At work, I have to call people to let them know their parts are in, and I won't start calling until 9:30am. The people I work with think that's strange.

[xiuzan.livejournal.com]

I didn't answer the cell phone vs. landline one, because it's dependent on the person. I have friends who turn their cells off or leave them outside the bedroom. I have called those people off hours to leave messages. In those cases, it's usually the fastest way to get in touch with them, since I know it won't disturb their sleep, but they'll get the message as soon as they wake up.

However, if I don't know for sure that their cell won't bother them, then I won't call it late at night.

[delchi.livejournal.com]

I only have a mobile, and the only people who have the number are " People that matter " - thus if they are calling at an odd hour it's for a good reason. Though as RM can tell you , if you call at 3 am there is a 35% chance I will fall asleep while on the phone with you.