So I was sitting at home on Thursday morning, working on the computer in the office upstairs. I went down to the kitchen to get a cup of tea and when I passed the phone in the hallway, I noticed the display said “Extension in use”.
“That’s ODD,” I said to myself.
I picked up the phone, and listened to the crackling sound of static. I then went all around the house and disconnected every other phone, and even checked the two empty phone jacks to see that they were clear.
I tried calling the telephone company repair line, but of course I couldn’t get a dial tone! Then I tried calling them on my cell phone. When I tried to call the Bell Canada service number (416-310-BELL), my Rogers AT&T cell phone said it couldn’t complete the number as dialed. Odd that! (Anybody want to fire up the Conspiracy Theories on that one??)
Eventually, the phone line cleared itself and I was able to dial 6-1-1 and place a repair call. The earliest they could come out to check would be the next day. They would send somebody out, but there would be a charge if it had anything to do with the phones or lines INSIDE my house. I gave them my cell phone number so they could contact me if needed.
Yesterday, I was at work when my cell phone rang about 2:30 p.m. I looked at the display, and the call was coming from my home phone! The Repair Guy (he was French Canadien, doncha know! heehee) said he was at the house and wanted to know when I would be home in case he needed to get inside to check stuff there. I told him “after six o’clock”, completely forgetting that I had to go to a Bowling Birthday Party then! Oh, well! He said he would investigate outside in the meantime.
After work, I went to the Bowling Birthday Party. There was no further call from The Repair Guy. When I got home, I noticed the snow in the back yard had been trampled, and there was a new telephone wire stretching from the pole at the back fence to a new junction box on the side of my house!
Well, duh! I told them I was having problems with my phone line. Why don’t people believe me?
You can try calling me now if you want. Just press “Button 3” on my parents’ phone set…
