April 23, 2014

My Ringing Telephone

April 23, 2014

Using the telephone is a monumental challenge to me.  It doesn't seem to be getting much easier to hear on the phone.  The least bit of noise surrounding me when I try to answer the phone makes it impossible for me to understand what is being said.  Today it seemed like I was answering the phone all day.  First thing while I was still at the house, the amplified house phone rang.  Normally I don't even try to answer it, but the caller ID showed that the call was from the Heart Clinic where I had an appointment set for late in the day.  I decided I needed to try to do it.  First off, I had to turn the TV off and then try to understand an unfamiliar voice.  Thankfully it was a male voice - lower pitch - so I  managed with only one or two requests for him to repeat.  He wanted to tell me that my appointment was moved up an hour and a half.  That was fine.  I had some things I needed to do in that end of town so that would allow me time after the visit to get them done.

Next, when I got to work, I had to answer a call at the office, which I rarely do.  Much of my day was spent in my office paying bills, catching up posting those checks I was writing, into the computer, balancing my checkbook, and a few other bookkeeping chores.  Then I spent time on our son's graduation invitations.  I did research on line to try to find some items I needed for the graduation party.  As happens many days, I spent time looking for things my husband had misplaced.  We take turns on that - he finds my missing things and I find his.

I had a quick lunch and returned to the same chores I had been doing in the morning.  Then it seemed to get busy with customers in the shop.  I needed to leave about 2:30 and that seemed an easy thing - until about 2:15 when we got really busy and I kept trying to get out the door - unsuccessfully.  It was 2:40 before I left.  Around 2:00, my youngest son had texted to ask me the dates of the family get together this summer.  I wanted to double check so I texted the daughter-in-law who started this and the daughter-in-law who made the reservations, thinking I would get a quick answer from one of them.  I did.  Both of them.  The dates didn't match.  Oops!  There was a one day difference.  So I was trying to leave the office and straighten out where we stood on the plans with each of them texting me with things like: "I don't have her phone number, please text it to me."  "Have her call me at this number."  and from my son, "The boss is in and I want to ask for those dates off.  What are they?"  It became funny.  My morning had almost been boring and the afternoon was turning into a panic.  Thankfully, most of the lights were green so I made it to the appointment with time to spare, but I had just found a chair when they called me in for the test.  I had just started to answer one of those texts when I was called in.  I was taken to another waiting room and tried again to send an answer and was called in for the test.  So I just turned the phone off.

The doctor had told me a man would be doing the test but a woman came to get me.  She is in our Sunday School class and said she would be doing the test.  I told her I thought it was supposed to be the male technician, but she said when she saw me on the list, she asked him to switch.  It was nice to have her take care of my test and after the previous hectic hour, it was good to be with a friend. 

This sweet woman is one of our newer friends and I had a chance to find out a little more about her and it was good to get better acquainted.  I think she had not been in our class for long when I went deaf, so there have not been a lot of chances to just sit and talk.  When I left there, I drove to a store parking lot nearby and spent the next 15 minutes answering the texts that had stacked up while I was in the doctor's office.  I think it is all straightened out and the plan is better than ever.  God had a better idea all along.

I did some shopping in that part of town getting office supplies and some of the items for the graduation party.  Then I met Ron and my brother-in-law, Jim, for supper to celebrate Jim's birthday.  The food was good and the visit was very nice.  Mom called Jim during supper to wish him a happy birthday and then asked to talk to me, but with all the restaurant noise, I couldn't hear her.

Once I got home I had phone conversations from a couple of our sons and I had to have them do so much repeating that it was very frustrating.  By the time that was done I was exhausted.  During those conversations, I was getting emails from two of the boys with photos; one son was sending photos from a weekend trip he and his wife took recently, and the other was sending photos from a month he spent in Israel a couple of years ago.  My sons (all four of them) are outstanding photographers!  What a treat to see those photos.  Some were new from the recent weekend trip and of the others, many I had already seen, but they were amazing. 

I must look into getting a CapTel telephone SOON.  If only I could make a phone call to work it all out!...

Today I didn't have time to take photos, so I am throwing in some of flowers I took Sunday afternoon at the Easter picnic.  Hope you enjoyed them.