There are so many things happening that almost drive me to drink....do any of these things happen to you?
.....you are relaxing in the recliner; feet are up and your pets are on your lap - you are reading a book when the telephone rings......the pets won't get off your lap but FINALLY they jump down. The foot rest on the recliner is up and so stiff that you can't get it down...oh oh - there is the second ring.....you struggle to get out of that chair but something just won't let you...oh nooooo - there is the 3rd ring..........the answering machine will pick up after 4 rings so you are scurrying to answer before that. As you reach for the receiver, someone knocks at the door..but that phone MUST be answered first before the machine clicks on.....out of breath, you say, "hello"????"hello"?? and there on the other end is a RECORDING from a company. Your blood pressure goes up, and you run to the door to answer it...and find out it was just the door mat hitting the door from the wind blowing............
"CALGON, TAKE ME AWAY"......................am I just the only one that is so uptight??.....

Absolutely not!!! I really love my job. However, I can't stand the people I have to work with. They come in late, leave early, take 2 hour lunches, talk to their kids on the phone all day. Yet, "we are a TEAM" so I have to pick up their slack when they aren't there. I go home every night ready to strangle someone. Get this, on my evaluation, I got pinged because our supply room is not spotless all the time, even though 250 people can get a key with no trouble and they go in there and make a mess and drop off boxes of used stuff. And, by the way, I get yelled at if I am not at my desk to answer the phone when the other two are gone. So NO you are not alone.

he, he, he. I know just how you feel.

I know how you feel. I too have had issues with the recliner. And dogs. And that cell phone that isn't in my pocket or on the end table. And the toxic workplace. Glad I am done with that! Ha Ha.

Yes had a day like that yesterday. It ended with my dish washer going out big time. Today go shopping for new one.

Our machine rings 6 times before answering - long enough for DH to get to the phone. We had caller ID. Now we have U-verse and the ID shows up on the TV screen.

Most of the telemarketer/politicians ring 3-5 times and hang up. Some hang in and start their automated sales pitch as soon as our machine says "Thank you for calling..." so all we hear is the tail end of their pitch. Others hang in and cut off without leaving a message as soon as they hear our machine.

We don't even try to pick up the phone anymore since at least 95% of the calls are of this type. If they don't think we're worth a message, they are most certainly not worth any effort on out part.

I hate it when I hurry to answer and it's one of those recorded calls.

Maybe we can all consider this a cleansing purge?? It seems like there are more and more things that bug the **** out of me. In this area, you are going down the highway at 65 mph, and then on the crossroads, there is a car that wants to get to the other side, soooooooooo he pulls in FRONT of you! Can't they wait for 15 seconds???

Orrr, driving down the road, someone passes you and then gets in front and slows down.

Orrrrrrrrr, you go to a dr who takes xrays and tells you the diagnosis, You take the xrays to another doc and he said there is NOTHING on the xrays that substantiates that.

Whew! I am getting lighter by the minute - thank you for airing my peeves!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zspP13zYh8

ahhhhhhhhhhh ya gotta hear this!!!

I have no land-line, only a cell, which I conveniently leave in a pocket in my purse where half the time I can't hear it ring. I figure if it is good new or bad news, the news will still be there when I get around to checking my phone. If you come to my door, be prepared to stand there a while. I'll get there when I can and if you are a friend, you have been instructed to simply let yourself in anyway! I don't run to answer the phone or door anymore, now the only thing that makes me run is the baby crying or fresh brownies coming out of the oven! :thumbup:

I only have a cell also, 2 of my 3 children also only have cells. The only 'down" side of me having a cell is that they expect me to answer whenever they call !

I used to love my job but detested the people i worked with. i honestly think that the tension and stress of that job, coupled with the commute in ATL traffic, contributed to my heart attack late year ! The job was awesome it was the dumb butts, self centered self righteous know it all folks...from the top down that were my problem ! Seems like everyone was always trying to catch someone else doing something wrong and playing police !

ONE of my jobs was to buy all office supplies including toilet paper; I bought 2 ply toilet paper and got in trouble ! Can you believe that ? Boss said that we were on septic tank and had to use single ply; I tried to explain it didn't make any difference because the single ply was so thin that we would use twice as much ! It really ticked him off when I pointed out that the toilet paper that was used in men's bathroom was 2 ply......it came on those big industrial type rolls and the women's bathroom had to use regular toilet paper rolls !

The older I get, as I'm 64 now, crap like that is too small for me to stress over.......I'm much rather stress over what shade of red looks best on my quilt !

If that dang company calls from citi bank to tell me its my last chance to lower my interest I am going to scream.. I have had so many last chances its not funny. I keep telling them to take me off my list but they keep calling. Sunday they called me seven times..seven.. geez

Do we work in the same office? LOL.

I almost peed my pants reading your story. The phone ringing, and the recliner refusing to go down and the cat flying through the air trying to get out of the way. It happens to me so often. Two nights ago some research person called. It was 9:00 pm, and I was really upset about being bothered. I still can't believe that I actually said this, but I did, "What the hell are you doing calling me at 9:00 pm", and I hung up the phone. Naughty me, and I am even on the no call list. Now I keep the phone next to me, when I decide to relax for the evening.

We live in the woods and have to have a land line- no reception for cell phones including __Do you hear me now? brand.
We got the cordless ones with 3 extensions ( got them at walmart). So there is one between DH's chair and mine in the great room, one in the kitchen and one in the loft which is my sewing area.
We also have caller ID. If we don't know the number, we don't answer it!

That's what an answering machine is for, isn't it? It drives hubby crazy when the kids nor I run for the phone but he rarely bothers to get it himself unless he just happens to be standing near it when it rings.

I answer it when I'm expecting a call or bored. Otherwise the answering machine works just fine. If it's important--they'll leave a message.

I can relate to the recliner and the dog, but have to admit that I've given up answering the phone. We've given up our land line and I have ring-tones for hubby, the kids (all grown), and work, so if they call I know right away that I have to pick it up. Anyone else can leave a message and I'll call them back when it's convenient for me.

I'm getting contrary as I get older, but I figure that I pay for the phone for MY convenience not that of telemarketers, politicians, and my cable company to call me.

My new motto is: I did what other people wanted me to do for first 45 years! I will do what I WANT to do the next 45 years!!!!!!! Sometimes people don't like hearing that! Can you believe it? :lol:

Oh, yes! But I must add----wet pants from struggling to get out of the chair. :oops: :oops: :oops:

I find that a nice Bourbon in my Green tea helps at times like that...

:thumbup:

Right now I am in my recliner with the cat on my lap, the dog beside me and my coffee and laptop sitting on the end table. If the phone rings, my DH can answer it or it just rings. I have learned to not let 'things' rule me. If it's important, they will call back again and again. And guess what, rarely is it 'important'. So I rest here with my pets, drink my delicious coffee and read the board's news. Have a blessed and happy day today everyone.

IMHO bad news should always be delivered in person therefore no need to answer the land line at all. The machine can answer everything.

LOL

We only have cell phones here. DH keeps his in a holder on his belt. Mine is in my purse when we go somewhere and sometimes stays there for days. Usually I take it out and put it by the laptop and camera.

I don't run for it. It will show me who called and play any voicemails people care to leave :-)

Caller ID and cordless phones that you can carry around with you are both worth their weight in gold.

One thing to relieve the stress is to remember it is your phone. You are under no obligation to answer if you do not want to. It was installed for your convenience not others. Relax, oil the chair and give the pup a cookie.

My answering machine say, Sorry, can't get to the phone right now. Leave a message. If it's important, call my cell phone.

Of course, unless YOU are important to me, you don't have my cell number, unless you are one of the jerks who calls to tell me you can reduce my credit rate. However...I have an option...REJECT. After that, you can call to your heart's content, and my phone will not ring. I look all these unknown numbers up on Google, NEVER call them back. You will see listings of who they are, what they wanted, etc. I figure if it was important, I will have a voice mail, right?

As far as answering the door? Four doxies will be happy to run there when the bell rings and announce there is someone at the door. I don't run for anyone. I am sure they can hear me yelling, ALRIGHT! I'll GET THE DOOR! I am sure it is NOT FOR YOU!! Anyone trying to sell me something just can't compete with four hounds in full voice, lol...so I let them talk...the hounds, I mean. My baby, Molly, will put a full grown wolf to shame, my little howler.

I used to be a Scout leader. We often took our kids out to go door to door for one reason or the other. I would watch other groups or individuals who would ring the bell, and if the door wasn't answered immediately, just turn and dash off to the next house. I told my boys to think about it, and pretend it was their grandmas and ggmas who were coming to answer. No one took off until they were sure no one was home.

I think all recliners are made to do that....lol. On a more serious side, let the machine answer the phone. Even on the DNC list I get calls from companies. I look at it this way: my money pays for that phone and if I don't want to answer it then I don't. And heaven help the phone seller who does get to talk to me cause I let him/her know they have no business using my money and invading my home to try to sell me something. All said with a smile, of course.

Nancy, my daughter and I listened to this one together...got rather difficult to hear in some parts as we were laughing so hard!!! We are definitely going to be using this tactic the next time we feel like answering the phone for a telemarketer. Thanks for the great laugh :thumbup: :lol:

oh you ladies have WONDERFUL comments! tHANK YOU so much for answering - one does not like being the "lone stranger"I MUST remember.....I AM in charge, I AM in charge" My mother, bless her heart, instilled in me to PLEASE the other person first, be accomodating to others before ourselves.....has it really been this many years of trying to shed that way of thinking.....

I kick myself for not wearing my apron.. carries my two phones so when I am sitting, I don't have to hurry.

Have broken my foot and rebroke it as it was healing hurrying.

Yep.. this is the way of phone calls to sweep a chimney I don't have, to refinance my house I don't want, and the MAN at the door to sell me magazines.

Ha ha.. love your post ! :)

Ell

I feel your frustrations. I have an unlisted phone number so I very rarely get telemarketer calls anymore unless they are computer generated. Well worth the fee the phone co. charges. Also I live alone and work from home. I get a lot of door to door salesmen, politicians, and kids doing fundraisers. I do not answer the door unless I am expecting someone. I have instructed my friends and neighbors to call first or come to my back door.
The police officer who came to my door at 3:00 am did not appreciate this however and just kept banging on the door.

for a TON of laughs and suggestions, go to youtube.com and do a search for telemarketers.....WARNING tho - there are alot and you should get a cup of coffee, use the bathroom because you will be there for quite a while.

I never run for the phone, I figure if it is an emergency they will call back. Or they can leave a message. If I see who is calling and it isnot a friend or family, I let it go to the answering machine. Besides pretty soon it will be a lot of political calls. - J

I get calls from them too. I don't care about the interest rate; I pay off my card every month. And they can't even use a real person to make those calls --so that we can yell at them.

That was so funny. I wish I could think on my feet like that man did, maybe it would stop some of the telemarketers from calling.

You have an answering machine for a REASON! Use it! When you're relaxing and reading, and especially when the pets are snuggly, let the answering machine pick up. It's taken a long time for me to realize that the phone is for MY convenience, not someone else's!

Yes, Yes, Yes!! I just went to the national do not call list this morning. Somewhere on the internet, someone has gotten my info and phone# and have sold it to all kinds of telemarketers. Up to 6 calls a day and it is driving me crazy!! The govt site said it would take 31 days for all of it to stop including recorded calls.