I ordered it on a whim. My friend Deb was talking it up. She said it was at least as entertaining as TV. Of course she hasn’t had a TV for over a year, and I don’t think she realizes that just about anything is more entertaining than TV. Anyway, she told me about it after the power went out for 12 hours during the first of the summer’s heat waves. Along with the electricity went all of the soybean-related contents of her refrigerator.
I’ve had the service for about a month. It helps me decide when to pick up the phone and when to play possum. Old boyfriends don’t call me, but lots of yucky potential mates do. (Like Deb, I’m a creep magnet.)
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I ordered the free monthly trial during a fit of weakness; a failed relationship had left me hurt and vulnerable to clever marketing campaigns. So there I was, miserable and unable to leave the house, dialing 1-800-AROUND-U. I think it was the only thing I did that day. My choice was between that and the Time-Life Music Best of the 80s 25-CD collection. I already owned the Best of the 50s from my last failed relationship; the breakup before that compelled me to change long-distance companies.
“Yikes!” I thought. “I hope they don’t have Caller-ID.” A few years ago I misdialed a number, and a large, hairy-sounding guy called back and yelled at me–of course I denied placing the call.
Rich’s call came at 6:08. I turned off my answering machine and let the phone ring. He kept it up for about 20 rings. I hovered about the white box, studying the spelling of his last name. I felt harassed–trapped in my house and afraid to turn on the answering machine.
Now I was ready for war. I called the reverse phone directory (796-9600), prepared to harass Dick and his family for the rest of the evening–or at least until the ten o’clock news.
“No,” he retorted. “You called me, and you hung up.”
