Tuesday, January 27, 2009

That'll Teach Me

I like to talk. I like to listen. I like to talk and listen to friends. Especially when they have interesting accents and live in foreign lands that I'd like to visit someday.

And it almost got me into trouble.

Sigh.

I'm not used to calling internationally, but got a wild hair to do just that around 2:15 a.m. one morning. I just knew Linds would be up and about, being the early riser I was sure she was.

So I called her.

It was 8:15 a.m. her time, and the sleepyhead was still in bed! IMAGINE!! It took her a while to shake the cobwebs out from between her ears, and even though she'd had no coffee she gradually woke up enough to hold up her end of the conversation. We chatted and solved the problems of the world until around 3 a.m. my time - 9 a.m. hers. 45 minutes in total.

And I didn't think another thing about it, other than I'd had a perfectly lovely conversation with a perfectly lovely person and I really needed to get some shut-eye.

And then the other shoe dropped.

Today Hubster called me at work.

"Uh, did you call Linds the other day?" he asked.

Why yes, I had.

"Well, the long-distance provider called today. Seems as though there was an unusually large charge on our bill and they wanted to make sure it was a valid call."

Unusually large?

Gulp.

How much could it be? We'd only spoken for 45 minutes... INTERNATIONALLY....

Uh oh.

"Turns out it was around $75.00. WHAT ON EARTH WERE YOU THINKING?"

Good question. Maybe that it wouldn't be that much?

"Thankfully, they have an international plan that they'll let us put on that will take it down to $3.15 instead. I just wanted to let you know you are somewhat of an airhead sometimes."

Duly noted, dear. Duly noted.

12 comments:

Linds said...

WHOAH!!!!!!! I am in hysterics here, Chris. $75!!!!!! Thank heavens for international callin gplans. Good grief, I nearly STOPPED BREATHING there for a second. Hang on.... I think I am going to call you. Right now.

Linds said...

So I did. I am still laughing now.... Oh my.....

Anonymous said...

Oh my! Have you guys heard of Skype? I've never used it but they tell me it's nice. And free. Might save you some bucks over the long haul and give y'all more opportunities to call each other.

someone else said...

I'm here because Linds sent her readers over. This is truly a funny story. But isn't she great to talk with? I called her a few months back, but we actually met in person in London last May. What a treat!

Vee said...

Linds sent me over... You mean there is such an International Program where calls are NOT so terribly expensive? I just assumed that these calls were an outrageous cost. Oh, Linds, remember that time you called me and I acted all weird? I was just trying to get you off the line not wanting to run up your bill. Ditto for Barbara! ROFL!!

Sandra said...

LOL Linds sent me over and I'm dying here because I had a similar experience.

I called South AFrica the other day and talked for only 26 minutes but paid $59 dollars. I was shocked when I got the bill LOL

Janine said...

Hi. I've also jut popped over from Linds' blog. I would have had a heart attack with news like that. The phone account arriving is always a stressful day in our family. All I can say is thank goodness for SKYPE!

Olson Family said...

popped over from Linds. It's outrageous if you don't have an Int'l plan. When we lived in the States, we once paid over $300 for an 84 min. call to Germany. It was hub's sister, Christmas, all the family talked..... expensive Christmas call.

Brenda@CoffeeTeaBooks said...

I came over because of Linds, too.

My husband only wishes I liked to talk on the telephone.

When it rings, I ask him to answer it.

I need to show him this post and let him realize how fortunate a man he is... :)

Linds said...

Can I just say that if you live in the UK, you can call using telediscount and it is 1p a minute, so 45 mins would have been 45p! And I DO have skype!

So when I call you, my friends, I am only paying 1p a minute, so let me chat if I want to!

Susanne said...

Oh my. That is a bill that I wouldn't want to surprise me. Thank God they shaved it down so much!

HeyJules said...

Makes that $4 cuppa cuppa with me seem like a real bargain now doesn't it? LOLOL