#130 Last day in El Paso

It is not so early on Tuesday morning. I have been reviewing the stories that Mom has told me. Putting them in order and making sense of my notes will take more time.

We did solve one mystery yesterday. Mom tried to order some pecans from Stahmanns, they are well known for their pecans. She uses the phone in the dining room so she can sit at the table and have all of the information available. The phone there has larger number buttons. Her problem: She dials the number correctly, not always an easy task for her due to her very diminished eyesight. A male voice answers suggesting that she can order on-line at www.stahmanns.com. She then hears the voice tell her to push one to make an order, which she does. In about 10 seconds or less a female voice says, “I do not detect any signal.” After a few attempts at this, she is frustrated and hangs up. She likes to believe that she is on top of everything. Finally, she is confronted with something that is a complete mystery to her—computers and the internet.

Now for the solution of the mystery of why no entry data was detected. Mom agreed to let me make the order for her. Wouldn’t you know it; I get the same response. I tried several times. I even pushed number two. I get the same response. No signal detected. I tell my brother and he finds another phone that we install. He is reluctant to leave that phone on the wall. The top three buttons on the phone are used to dial emergency numbers for fire, police and ambulance. Mom’s fingernails are a little long. She is prone to stab at the numbers in an attempt to make a call. All emergency ambulance calls will result in a considerable charge even if it is a mistake. Another solution must be found.

A closer look at the phone hand set reveals a two-position control labeled pulse-tone. The control is set to the pulse position. No wonder no signal was received. No signal was sent. We slid the switch to the tone position and were able to successfully get through to Amber at Stahmanns. It was then we discovered that the item we wanted was no longer available. It was a gift basket from the Christmas catalogue. We also learned that there was a considerable additional charge to send chocolate. Amber was thanked for her service and informed we would have to do a little more research and would probably make the order on line. The research was completed. The order was placed. All was right with the world.

Now it is time to get up, have breakfast, post this missive, pack for my trip back to Kansas, and figure out what I am going to do to pass three hours of time in Houston waiting for my connecting flight.

#130