Sometimes, attempting to contact someone on ship is merely a comedy of errors. Witness yesterday: Amras had IPM, I did not, so after about an hour of trying to decide whether or not I wanted to go ashore, I told him I’d be back in an hour and he could call me then. So off I went on my merry way, came back an hour later, shot a note under his door figuring he’d probably be asleep (2- 5 is pretty much universal nap-time on board, if you’re off work during that time period, chances are you use it to sleep) – and proceeded to set up my embroidery, turn on Lost Girl and wile away the rest of my afternoon.
About twenty minutes later my roommate’s cell phone rings (she had her boss’ cell since she was on call for kid’s club that day), she utters about three sentences, then hangs up and pokes her head over the edge of the top bunk to look at me.
So guess what.
What?
That was your brother.
What is Amras doing calling your cell?
He was looking for my boss…
And as she’s finishing this sentence, our cabin phone rings. Now, we have caller ID, so I knew who it was, and I was laughing as I picked up the phone.
Hey big brother…didn’t you just call my roomie?
Yeah so NOW I’m calling for Shaughnessy…
Yeah yeah, whaddya’ want…
I’ve got a bit of running around to do so…
Okay, why don’t you relax and call me when you’ve finished running around like a headless chicken. I’ve got to do laundry anyway. Deal?
Deal.
So I go off to do my laundry. As soon as I open the door on my return, my roomie looks at me, laughs, and says
Yeah, you can go upstairs now…
Let me guess…five minutes after the door closed behind me?
About yeah…
So I pack up my laptop (we were trying for an X-files day today), hopped on the elevator and rode the seven decks up to my brother’s cabin. I knock on the door, and no one answers. I just stand there and shake my head in disbelief. This timing thing is just not working for us right now. About five minute later of course he comes around the corner.
Let me guess, you were on the elevator down while I was on the elevator up.
I totally just came from your room.
My roomie is going to think she’s an answering service!
Eventually we did get the whole thing sorted out, though we ended up with not much time left in the day. Of course, it made me laugh even more when I dashed into my cabin mid-shift (I had forgotten something) and the first thing my roomie says to me is
Call your brother.
WHAT?
I literally JUST hung up the phone from him..
Sometimes…things just get seriously ridiculous…