My husband is not allowed to answer the phone if the caller ID isn’t familiar.  Why?  Because he does NOT know how to say “NO!”  This became a rule about 8 years ago when he took a call for a ‘free trial’ of $475.00 golf clubs, to use for 30 days and then return at ‘no cost’ if he didn’t like them.  But…JUST FOR TRYING THEM….he’d get a FREE putter!  Ooooooooo!

Needless to say, he had to ‘give his credit card as a deposit’….which all women understand clearly is a big no-no.  The company did send the clubs but immediately charged the $475.  Not only that but they were one of those places that goes out of business every couple months and reopens as another.

Lost that $475. 

He’s been banned, also, from watching infomercials.   It’s like being on crack…you can stay up all night just waiting for the next 30 minute fix.  I cannot tell you how many things we have that we don’t need, don’t work or weren’t as advertised. 

I lost count of the times when our credit card companies have called and offered a ‘free 30 day trial’ of insurance or credit monitoring….and to get off the phone Shane’ll say, ‘Just send me the information’, or….’Okay, I’ll try it’.  Only to find me there, frying pan in hand, asking him ‘who do you think is going to have to cancel after 30 days?  Do you realize they’ll charge your card $79.95 for this service?’.  Arghhhhhh! 

Yesterday, while I was cooking dinner, there’s a knock on the door.  I hear Shane talking….and talking.  Now, we have no money to dole out, so I’m thinking…what the hell is  he doing? 

He’s giving out our phone number and email address to a new group who is trying to gather support in the upcoming election.  Shane thinks it’s a great idea helping to get citizens involved in monitoring government or something or other. 

So at 9:50 this morning, the phone starts ringing.  They want to talk to Shane about his interest in ‘volunteering’ for the cause.  I informed the eager caller that he was golfing for the day….my son just chuckled, he’s like…”Uh, yeah, that’s not really my thing” (he said in his best dad voice) 

And, I can hardly wait to see how many messages are in my inbox.  So now it looks like he can’t answer the phone, watch infomercials OR talk to solicitors at the door.