Archives of Our Lives

{a narrow and broad look into the lives of people I love}

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

{Good Things Come in Reds.}

A couple of weeks before I got married to Poor Kyle, I went to Canada for a little visit. You know, just to make sure that I really wanted to take the proverbial plunge.

While I was visiting, my husband-to-be took me to sign up for a cell phone on his account. [Some might call me a money-grubbing woman of the night. Others might say Poor Kyle was my sugar daddy. But the way I figured it, we were getting married in a few weeks, and I needed a Canadian cell phone number. It only made sense.]

It was a lovely new phone—all shiny and red, just like most everything else I buy...

...like these twins...

...and these twins.

[Owning a pair of Steve Maddens has always been a goal of mine. The fact that my first pair were shiny, red, and on sale...it was fate. But I digress.]

Right away, I took the phone home and sat down with the manual, determined to figure out what all the buttons and cords and icons meant. I turned it on, and to my delight, realized that Poor Kyle had already left me a voicemail. (Little did I know that once we got married, his voicemails would almost immediately turn from “Hello, gorgeous—I know I just saw you five minutes ago but I just wanted to hear your voice,” to “Cuhmeal, where are you? I called twice already. Listen, I need you to bring me something for lunch—I forgot it again. Also, could you put my black hoodie in the wash today? I know you already did seven loads yesterday, but it’s my favourite hoodie. Oh. And I’ll be late for dinner—don’t wait up.” Oh, to be young again…)

Hardly being able to contain my joy at finding a new message, I pressed and held “1” to retrieve it, assuming that—along with every other cell phone I'd ever owned—voicemail was pre-programmed into the phone as speed dial #1.

It rang once, but instead of connecting me straight to the Voicemail Lady, it continued to ring a few more times. Suddenly, I heard a voice.

“Hello?” it greeted. He sounded about my age, and with a Canadian accent. He was no recording.

“Umm…hello? Is this…is this my voicemail?” I was dumbfounded. Surely it was a joke. Were Canadian voicemail systems set up with actual humans? “Is this guy sitting in a call center somewhere taking messages for me?” I wondered.

“Uhhh…pardon me?” came his equally perplexed--though very polite--reply.

Finally coming to my senses and realizing I must have simply dialed incorrectly, I apologized and hung up. I was so flustered, I didn’t even wait for him to say goodbye.

I checked my “Sent Calls” menu, and found that I’d just made a call to a number I didn’t recognize [and not just because I'd gotten a new phone number myself]. “How odd,” I thought, “I’d better try that again.”

Sure enough, the second time I tried to call my voicemail, I was met with the same human guy. Luckily, though, I [sort of] had the presence of mind to explain myself.

“I’m really sorry to keep bothering you,” I apologized. “I’m not an idiot. It’s just…I got this new cell phone today, and I’m trying to check my voicemails, but for some reason my phone thinks its phone number is you.” Even to myself, I sounded like a fool.

“Oh, sure,” he replied understandingly, as if that sort of thing happened all the time. [And as if I actually made sense.] “Well…I hope you get it figured out.” And then, in parting, “Talk to you later.”

Hanging up, I decided two things: One, that I had just made a new friend whose name I forgot to catch, and two, that Poor Kyle would know what to do. So I called him next.

“Hey, babe,” he answered.

“Hi. Hey, so a few minutes ago I saw I’d gotten a new voicemail, so I went to check it, but instead of the Voicemail Lady answering, it was a guy. And at first I thought he was my own personal assistant, but then I just realized my phone thinks its phone number is his, and now I have a new friend. He’s the guy whose number my phone stole, and we’re friends. What should I do?”

He didn’t believe me of course, until he saw it for himself later.

We still haven’t gotten the problem fixed, and it’s been a nuisance the entire time I’ve had this phone. I can’t text Google™, for one. Rather, I can text Google™, but Google™ thinks my cell phone is the other guy’s number, so Google™ replies to him. It took me nine months to figure out why Google™ never texts me back; I can only imagine how strange it’s been for my friend to receive random texts from Google™ these past nine months. Things like “Definition of onomatopoeia,” and “Linens ‘N Things. 1235 S. Arizona Ave. Mesa, AZ 85679 (602) 898-1234.”

Sometimes when I’m in a hurry and try to check my messages quickly, I forget my broken speed dial. When that happens, and my friend answers, I always chuckle. “Oh, hi. It’s me again—that girl whose phone is struggling with an identity crisis. Sorry to bother you.”

“Oh, no bother,” he assures, the smile in his voice transmitting itself over the telephone signal. “Talk to you later.”

I really like my nice friend--it's almost like we're pen pals, but without the pens. Maybe someday I'll get to meet him.

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17 Comments:

Blogger afton said...

i really hope he reads your blog. how awesome would that be!

September 17, 2008 at 4:23 PM  
Blogger HeatherPride said...

I can't believe he's still so nice after all this time! You should see if you can set him up with any of your single friends! ha!

September 17, 2008 at 4:25 PM  
Blogger Cristin said...

I had a friend who that was happening to also. Her "mystery friend" was also very nice and would forward the messages somehow. Weird.

September 17, 2008 at 4:35 PM  
Blogger Aimee said...

Oh, hee hee, haha, that's a funny phone story. Glad the dude's such a nice guy.

And those shoes are HOTT!!

September 17, 2008 at 4:50 PM  
Blogger Geevz said...

I think I need those shoes.

September 17, 2008 at 5:41 PM  
Blogger RPH said...

I am envious of your red things. love the washer and dryer. love love love the red shoes. i sort of love the phone, only because i have one just like it but no interesting friend came with it!

September 17, 2008 at 7:29 PM  
Blogger Alicia said...

Seeing those red shoes reminded me of a little-known fact.

Apparently, if you wear red shoes in Mexico, they assume you are prostitute. If you happen to accidentally wear yours there and the police approach you, you can either go to jail and pay $200 to get out on bail, or you can pay $60 for a prostitute license. Just thought you should know your options.

(information from unlimitedmagazine.com)

And, by the way, I love your shoes.

September 17, 2008 at 8:22 PM  
Blogger ☂niki. said...

can i just tell you that i love, love your blog. i found you a few days ago, it seems we have mutual friends, and i've been checking back regularly ever since. i think you are absolutely hilarious. i thought i would quit stalking you and give you some credit for making me laugh out loud while my husband sits in the other room and asks, "what are you laughing at?" i don't think we know each other, although i feel like we should know eachother...you just look familiar. and i'm from mesa. anywho...thanks for the laughs.

September 17, 2008 at 10:44 PM  
Blogger ✩Molly✩ said...

Okay so I'm not only jealous of the shoes but even more of the Red matching washer and dryer. I love red and utterly agree that good things come in reds. I just love your blog, thanks for allowing me to read it. I also love your friend story, it would make a great plot for a movie :)

September 17, 2008 at 11:51 PM  
Blogger mistakes for marion said...

That's so cool! I'm jealous...but not.

September 18, 2008 at 9:22 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

My best guess is you paid $19 and change for the incredible shoes. Am I right?

September 18, 2008 at 10:03 AM  
Blogger Whitney said...

Why havent you taken your phone in to get fixed? I love Poor Kyle's messages before and after your wedding. Why do they do that? Act all charming and leave lovey dovey messages and then BAM its all gone. we Should have thought about this.

September 18, 2008 at 11:06 AM  
Blogger Joel said...

I still leave lovey dovey messages for my wife.



Ok, I don't anymore, either. Sorry, dear...

September 18, 2008 at 2:57 PM  
Blogger RatalieNose said...

If one day you're looking for those shoes and you can't find them anywhere....it's because I stole them.

September 18, 2008 at 3:50 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I am your anonymous stalker and I still want to know who this Jami Parker Pitts guy is. He sounds like one mean fellow. Is he Canadian or American? Why do you have friends like him?

September 18, 2008 at 7:21 PM  
Blogger Steph said...

Jam is like the nicest person I know. SHE is so sweet!

September 18, 2008 at 8:22 PM  
Blogger lindsay said...

rumor has it camille, that those adorable red shoes of steve-madden joy and awesomeness, aren't actually your proper size...

how do you plea?

September 19, 2008 at 8:06 PM  

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