However, today she called her dad on his cell phone. I missed most of the conversation, but at the end, I heard him say, "Try not to go to gas stations that are closed." Huh?? That made me chuckle!
Apparently, she needed gas on a Sunday morning and went to her usual station (the one she claims is 'not scary' near campus). She inserted her credit card, chose 'regular' and tried to pump the gas, but nothing was happening. She decided to ask for help inside the station, only to find the door locked and a 'We're Closed' sign on the door. Not good. She took the nozzle out of her car, but noticed the pump was still blinking, waiting for her to pump gas. After much button pushing of 'clear' and 'cancel,' still blinking! She was worried that her credit card number was still in the machine, waiting for the next person to pump. That's when she called dad! During the phone call, where he told her to keep pressing cancel, etc., the pump finally stopped blinking and said 'thank you.' Disaster averted.
After husband relayed the story to me, I asked him why he thought she phoned him, instead of me. He said that anything car related was a dad phone call! Looking back, I think he's right. I didn't have a car when I moved out, so I never called my dad! I think I still need him though, even at my age. Dads are good back up!
I think the only non-money help call I've gotten was about laundry. And yeah, of course he'd call his mom for that one!
ReplyDeleteI was pretty independent by the time I moved away from my parents' home. It used to mildly annoy me when Dad would call every Friday evening, just before I went to dinner, until I figured out that (a) he was just checking to make sure I was OK, and (b) he missed me. Which helped me to see my dad in a whole new light. . .
ReplyDeleteOur kids have been all over the board. A couple of 'em have yo-yo'd in and out of our house a few times, and a couple of 'em have pretty much left and gone on with their lives (altho they do come back for Sunday brunch). I just tell 'em that living in our house when they're 35 will NOT be an option. . .
Mom gets all the calls around here, Dad gets the referrals .... :-)
ReplyDeleteBut that's my fault, I grew up quite independent after Dad passed and Mom spent my teen years in depression. When our brats were young i taught 'em to reason things out THEN call for help when reason failed. Somewhere in there they decided 'call Mom' instead. Oh well, a guy can try .....
Mine just text me because they are teens and that's how they communicate, and my ex doesn't have texting.
ReplyDelete"During the phone call, where he told her to keep pressing cancel, etc., the pump finally stopped blinking and said 'thank you.' Disaster averted."
ReplyDeleteOMG, that sounds like some I would have done too (forget to press cancel). I've done that at an ATM machine before.
"My oldest is more like me in that she'd rather just figure it out herself than ask someone for help. And I appreciate that!"
I'm the same way, especially when it comes to life instructions or learning something new. I'm a self-teach kinda guy.
Have a great Monday, my friend!
X
Agent - Yes, a laundry question is definitely a mom call.
ReplyDeleteCraig - I waffle between wanting my kids here and not wanting them here. I miss them when they're gone, but they sure can get on the nerves when they are here!
X - My oldest tends to only call me to complain about stuff (dorm issues, professor problems), which is weird since I'm not all that sympathetic!
Me - I can see how not having texting is detrimental to a relationship with kids! And I'm becoming more like them in that respect. It annoys me when people tell me they don't text (or worse yet, don't email)! I privately think, "Well, I don't make phone calls."
Ron - It's easy to panic at a machine when you are in public. You don't want to seem like an idiot to any casual observers!!!!
interesting. the calls are divided up in this house according to who the daughter thinks will be most sensitive and deep pocketed.
ReplyDeleteI get emotional thinking about the day that my kids have grown and moved on to homes of their own making. And panicked when I think of what I yet have to teach them before that time.
ReplyDeleteHaha I have absolutely done that! However my "closed gas station situation" actually charged me a dollar "use" fee on my card! Ugh!
ReplyDeleteLime - Fortunately, no requests for money here, besides the tuition.
ReplyDeleteFlutter - They somehow survive. I made mine do their own laundry starting in high school. The cooking has been another story though.
Vie - Oh no! She will be royally pissed if she gets charged for that!
Sometimes my daughter calls me 5x a day. If she can't get me at the house, she's buzzing my cell, if she can't get me there she'll call her dad, if she can't get him she'll call me back until I'm finally available and will then ask something like what time does the post office close. GAH! I don't work there! Call THEM! So I'm all worried sometimes thinking it's about one of the kids being sick but alot of the time it's casual stuff.
ReplyDeleteWe don't pump our own gas here in NJ so if there isn't an attendant at the station you have to go elsewhere.
I used to have my Dad as back up and 'got my back' situations. For years. Then he had a pretty devastating stroke 16 years ago, and while he's still my Dad and he's still got my back, the impact of the stroke and the changes it caused in his personality really changed our relationship. I miss the days when I'd call him in the middle of the night for help or to lament a break up. We love our moms, but girls need their dads!
ReplyDelete