Several years ago I stopped rushing to get the phone (unless I’m specifically expecting a callback).

This morning, 7:30 am, the phone is ringing. I’m laying in bed (Worked till 8pm last night, visited Flying Saucer, The Big Top, and Catbirds, for one beer each, then The Daily Show till 12:30) and the phone rings, only a room away. I stay in bed. It goes to message.
The phone rings again – usually a bad sign, but my familiy knows that I’m not gonna answer the second one if I didn’t answer the first one – so I stay in bed. A few minutes later I drag myself up. After dealing with the usual waking up sundries, I check the message,… messages.

The first one: what I call the “extended hang up”. It’s like someone temporarily forgets they’re holding a phone, or hasen’t used one in the past 30 years and isn’t sure what they’re supposed to do. Delete.

The second one, in mumbled Spanish. Sorry guy, I’m not going to have it translated. Delete.

Totally vindicated in my choice to pick me and now over some pavlovian input, even when me and now is being in a daze at dawn.