Listing the Unlisted

Oh man, are we getting excited.

Three weeks till we take possession of our new house.

Lots to set up – some of it has already been done. Some still has yet to be done.

The packing? Still needs to be done.

In our current home we have two phone lines – one for our residential phone, and one that I was told by my office that I needed to have at home. This second phone line has two numbers – and office voice number, and FAX number with a distinctive ring, When you dial the FAX number – the FAX picks up. When you dial the office number, you get my home-office voice line. The DSL internet also comes in on this line.

So now I have two phone lines – with three phone numbers – and DSL. It adds up.

There is another problem as well. We have always kept our home number unlisted. The best way to avoid telemarketers is to un-list your phone number.

I have never gotten a call that I wanted because somebody found my name in the phone book.

[RRRRRIIIIIINNNNNNNGGGGG]

“Mr. Brill?”, boy am I glad I found your name in the phone book! I have been trying to find somebody to give all this money to!”

I never get that call.

[RRRRRIIIIIINNNNNNNGGGGG]

“Fred? … “How ya doing?!! It’s me, Robbie, Your best friend from high school!”

“Robbie? .. wow! .. how did you find me?”

“I’m in town for a plumber’s convention at the Windsor Casino! I was just looking through the Windsor phone book seeing if there was anybody in town here I knew! And I found you! Boy am I glad your name starts with ‘B’!”

I never get that call either.

I do get calls from every charitable organization going. And I am rotten at saying no. The company I work for actually strongly promotes charitable contributions and will match them. I do most of that through my office.

I do not want them to call me at home.

But they do.

The company gave me a real hassle for having the unlisted number. No, they didn’t tell me not to have it. They just questioned every expense report because the bill listed the unlisted charge, even though I didn’t list the listed unlisted charge on my list of expense on my report.

Are you still with me?

It got confusing. So I dropped the service to not list it.

It is amazing how much some companies will charge to not do something.

Everyone I know knows not to call my home-office line. I won’t answer it. Call me on my cell instead. It plays Classic Rock and Johnny Cash when it rings.

So my home office de-un-listed phone rings all the time but I don’t answer it.

You’d be excited to move to!