Geek on Call

Riiiiing. Riiiiiing. Riiiiiiiing. Answering machine. "Hi, you've reached 830...

Mom: [Like she's just run a marathon] HELLO!?!
Me: What on earth are you doing?
Mom: [Laughing] Well, we're having the new TV installed and there are boxes and styrofoam everywhere.
Me: So you thought my call was so important, you hurdled them. You're so good.
Mom: Actually, I was running away from your father.
Me: What'd he do this time?
Mom: [Whispering] Oh Dave, after those poor kids took three hours setting our new TV and satellite up, it took him only about 10 minutes to completely screw it up.
Me: That long, huh?
Mom: He won't read the instructions! He just started pushing buttons and everything went crazy. It's not anything like our old one, he doesn't know what he's doing.
Me: Just call the people back out to fix it.
Mom: He won't do that, he's too proud.
Me: Then you do it.
Mom: Yeah, right. He'd kill me. When you get here, you better be ready to help him.
Me: Of course I will.
Mom: And I need help putting songs on my new iPod. I lost my "iPod for Dummies" book.
Me: So you didn't read the instructions, either, huh?
Mom: Hush. And while you're here, I want you to download that new FoxFire software you were telling me about.
Me: Firefox.
Mom: And if you have time, do you think we can get a few of Daddy's old Anne Murray cassettes onto the iPod?
Me: Mom, I'm only there for two days. You know I intend to eat cookies and coke floats for most of that time, right?
Mom: [Grinning at her adorably funny son] I can't wait to see you.
Me: Ditto.