Hello, Is Dad There?

Guess what?!!  I talked to my dad on the phone today!!!!  OK, I can guess that I'm getting the same, "big deal", stare that I got from my preschool kids when I told them this this morning.  But, it really is a big deal.  You see, I don't think I've ever talked to my dad on the phone.  I was pretending that I have, but as I thought about it more, I realized that I probably just stole that memory from Lynn because she's talked about it enough that it felt familiar to me. 

My dad is hearing impaired.  So, he's always had trouble hearing, but over the years his hearing has gotten worse.  He can read our lips sometimes, and we write a lot of notes, but those things don't work over the phone.  Lynn says that dad used to call form work and ask to talk to mom.  Then he got to where, when someone answered the phone, he would just give them the message to give to mom.  I remember taking messages from the guys at work, because dad started having them call for him.  In the days before caller ID, telemarketers would call and ask for Mr. Breinholt.  We would tell them he couldn't hear on the phone.  Then they would say, "OK, we'll try back later."  And we would say, "he won't be able to hear then either."   So, as far as I remember, I have never talked to my dad on the phone.

Today, my mom and dad got a new phone.  When we talk, it types out what we say, then my dad can read it, and talk to us.  So, mom and dad called Lynn's this morning to test it out, and I got to talk to my dad on the phone!  It was super cool.