Friday, February 24, 2006

Deciphering my fathers' message.

I just rang my father to tell him I had transferred some cash in to his account and this was our conversation:

(Phone ringing)
Dad: Yes.
Me: Whaa..? Hello?
Dad: Yes.
Me: Dad?
Dad: Yes.
Me: What are you doing? Why are you answering the phone like that?
Dad: Like what?
Me: What do you mean "Like What?" You just answered the phone by saying "Yes" instead of "Hello". Is this your new thing?
Dad: Yes.
Me: Dad, that's getting tiresome and annoying. Why are you doing that?
Dad: Because I don't know who you are.
Me: What do you mean you don't know who I am?
Dad (kissing teeth): Ay-ya, I don't know who you are when you call me and the phone is ringing. No caller I.D..
Me: Dad, you are progressively making less sense. Do I need to send a doctor over to check your head?
Dad: No. I am good. I just don't know who is calling.
Me (shaking head with frustration): So get caller I.D. I have no idea where you are going with this.
Dad: Ay- ya, I just don't like when people call and don't say anything.
Me: Dad, I have absolutely no idea what you are talking about now. How can someone say something to you, when you haven't said "hello" first to initiate the call? You have totally lost me.
Dad: People call all the time and don't say anything. I hate it. So now I say "Yes."
Me (shaking head in frustration): Are you getting crank callers?
Dad: No, I just don't know who they are and they don't say anything.
Me: Wha...? Forget it. So this is not a joke? Your being serious?
Dad: Yes.

14 comments:

Andy said...

My problem is that my father's going progressively deaf-er. We had lunch at a restaurant while I was home and people were staring at me because I WAS SHOUTING AT HIM and then he'd shake his head and say, "I don't understand why you mumble all the time." ARGH.

Snooze said...

I think 'yes' is kind of a cute way to answer the phone. You need to be more tolerant with your dad and RB and their phone issues ;-)

The Raven said...

*LOL* oh that's funny! My dad never answers the phone. My mother will be in the bathroom and the phone will ring and dad just sits there. Mom comes running out to grab it see him sitting there and gets all pissed off. So, now he WILL answer, but since 99% of the calls are for mom, he now tells them "She's on the toliet" or "She's playing the french horn". She hasn't hassled him about answering the phone anymore;)

tornwordo said...

When callers don't speak right away, it's usually telemarketers. I always hang up if there is a pause after my "Hello".

Still, I don't understand the connection between "yes" and caller id. lol.

The Persian said...

That sounds like something my gram would say. It's like older people lose touch with part of reality. I guess you just have to have patience with them and overlook some of the humorous/odd things they say sometimes.

Have a great weekend :)

Aethlos said...

SO like my mother.

The Catshark said...

If he answers like that again say thanks for agreeing with me! So when should I expect that new BMW? LOL!

But at least yes is more polite than a whaddya want? that I get from my dad! Most of the time when he answers like that I say oh I would love it if you would take me on a trip around the world. After that we kind of get into the good old teasing game to see who is the bigger geek of the two of us. Kind of odd I know but thats my family for ya!

ink said...

I agree with tornwordo. Sounds like your Dad's getting calls from telemarketers. But I'm still having trouble with the part where you're calling him "Dad" and he says "I don't know who's calling."

Did you ever manage to tell him you'd transferred the money?

JM said...

That was actually a very cute exchange between father and son.

Anonymous said...

OMG your little dialogues are such a total scream. I would love to be a fly on the wall(s) for that one. It made so very little sense and yet I could totally hear it in my head, and see the rather puzzled and increasingly boggled expression on your face.

Either that or very little sleep is finally hitting me.

Anonymous said...

idiosyncracies are the spice of life. Whether we like them or not, they certainly make life interesting. And I would have been frustrated, too.

Greg the Surly said...

If you don't know who's calling, isn't the last thing you'd want to say is yes? Especially if it is a telemarketer.

dantallion said...

You've just decribed my father exactly - he used to drive me nuts with stuff like that.

That being said, I often answer the phone the same way (at work, anyway: "Oui?"

epicurist said...

Andy - My grandfather who is now in China, is also hard of hearing and I have had similar conversations with him.

Snooze - Oh, I'm tolerant. I just think it is super funny and cute when they do it! lol

Raven - That is too funny! Parents are such a good inspiration for posts!

trnwordo - Neither do I, and the theory I do have would take too long to explain.

Persian guy - Patience is a virtue isn't it?

Catshark - My dad will say stuff like that as well! "What do you want?" ummm, just calling to say Hi.

ink - the second call was when I told my father about the money transfer. I lost track on the first call.

angel - it was funny wasn't it? My dad sometimes reminds me of a kid. lol

daelyn - So, you can imagine my confusion right?

Dickeybird - smartass.

Mr. Brian - idiosyncracies ARE the spice of life! I completely agree.

Greg - Ummm, true.

Dantallion - Great, so your'e turning into your father? lol
Aethlos - Scary isn't it?