Friday, January 22, 2010

good question...

There are many questions without logical answers.

Questions like:

  • Why do men's bicycles have crossbars?
  • What was the best thing before sliced bread?
  • Why are a wise man and a wise guy opposites?
  • Why do we drive on a parkway and park in a driveway?
  • Why do we pay tolls on the freeway?
  • Is it possible to be totally partial?
  • Why do people look up when they think?
  • Why do steam irons have a permanent press setting?
  • Why is yawning contagious?
  • Why is there an expiration date on SOUR cream?
  • What does the Q in Q-tip stand for?


Though I don't really know the answers to the above mentioned questions...I haven't lost any sleep over it. But I have a question of my own...one I am quite perplexed about.

How is it possible for a caller to leave a message on an answering machine that is turned OFF? Impossible, you say? Obviously not.


Before we leave on vacation, we tend to turn off the answering machine...putting the machine in 'telephone mode' so that the answering machine is no longer active. Our reasoning is that if we will be away for some length of time...we don't want people leaving us messages on our home phone...and not getting a response. Last summer we were away for 10 days...and came home to find a message on the answering machine that was 'turned off'. The message had been left the day of our departure...and required a response. It had been left by Alex from our church office. Several months later...the same thing happened again. We returned home after a few days away...re-activated the answering machine...and listened to a message that had been left in our absence...once again by Alex from the church office. Now we decided to do our own detective work. We called home from the cell phone while our machine was turned off...and listened to the phone ring...and ring...and ring. There was no way we could leave a message! I called Alex...and asked her if she had a secret for leaving messages on on my answering machine...even when it was turned off. She had a good laugh...but no answers to our mystery.

We were gone for a few days earlier this week...and turned off the answering machine before we left home. We came home to find two voice messages...one from Europe...one from nearby. None from Alex. I will be the first to admit I have no understanding of technology...but this one has me baffled! There are some questions that have no right answers. I'm not planning to lose any sleep over this one either...but if you have any explanation...I'm listening.

Have a wonderful weekend!

12 comments:

  1. Now that is strange and I'm afraid I have no answers for you. I will, however, stay tuned to see if anybody is able to explain it.
    Have a nice weekend.

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  2. That is too funny. . and I love your list .. .very clever. I've heard a few of them before but reading them all again was a perfect wake up post to make me smile.

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  3. Another one of life's mysteries - be interesting to hear if you ever get an answer.

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  4. I do hope someone knows the answer to this one. Way too techie for me.

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  5. Yes, I've heard of this phenomena...I believe the explanation given was that the machine can be "bumped" on by repeated calls or by allowing the phone to ring and ring and ring and ring...well, you get my drift. My family has a very funny story about this, but we don't tell it in polite company.

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  6. Had to chuckle over those good questions. I, too, have no clue how you had a message but when my cell phone is turned off I still get messages from people that will then show up once I turn the phone on again...

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  7. I believe if the phone is allowed to ring and ring over 10 times, or even more, the answering machine may kick in. Try it! Maybe the answering machine manufacturer would have the answer if that doesn't work? Very strange!

    We leave our machine on as we can access it from the road by calling our own number and keying in a password. It is very convenient.


    PS: Road trips are our favorite type of trips! :-)

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  8. Well I am glad some one had an explanation. Since HH will not go anywhere any more, we are never gone long enough to worry about that. That was a neat list of questions. Gave me a good laugh. That is worth a lot. Blessings
    QMM

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  9. We're always trying to find too many answers to solve life's problems.
    That is strange though...next time ask me to be in charge and I will fw/up with each call...
    I will be your secret security.

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  10. I must copy that list out...very funny. How odd about your answering machine.....you may never know. Kathy

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  11. Judy! loved your post ! Your list was great... and I have one to add... "why do ravel and unravel mean the same thing?" The English language is a puzzle for sure! smile...

    That is weird about your answering machine.. like it has its own list of number that have VIP status !! I would think 'turned off' is turned OFF no matter how many rings!

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  12. Those questions bring back memories of "Air Farce" on CBC. Don Ferguson's nutty proffesor character used to pose those questions and they alsways had us in stitches. who knows what your answering machine is up to?

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