Written on November 04 2005, and filed under General

Daniel’s grandmother, for the most part, is an okay woman. Sure, she looks down her nose at older people who are sick (which strikes a nerve with me because of my grandmother and now my grandfather), she brags about raising six kids but apparently can’t support a one month old infant’s head and neck, and has this tendency of buying second-hand goods that are dirty and unusable (I prefer picky consignment shops; she loves Goodwill). But that aside, she’s okay, for the most part.

Except for the fact that she refuses to accept the idea that not everyone operates on the same schedule she does.

Daniel and I operate on second shift schedules (did I not mention this in my last blog?). We have been for years. We work later hours – 3pm-11pm rather than 8am-4pm. So we’re nightowls. We come home from work and we’re up for a bit. We eat dinner at midnight. We “relax” and “unwind” until 2-3am…sometimes 3-4am. Hell, sometimes 4-5am. And then we go to bed. Alyssa is on a similar schedule – except that we have her down between 12am-1am.

So, since we’re up so late, we don’t get up early like everybody else. Our waking time is anywhere from 11am to 1pm, depending on how late we were up the “night” before.

Now here’s the thing: if the phone rings in the morning, I may hear it in my sleep, but unless it’s a phone call that’s really important, I’m not going to answer it. As it is, there are times when I don’t hear it, or the answering machine, because I have the ringer in our bedroom off, and the ringer in the living room set to low, with the answering machine set to low as well.

Daniel’s grandmother has herself in bed every night by 9pm or so. So of course she’s up with the damn chickens at dawn, and ready to go by 7am or so.
Now, this woman knows we’re not on the same schedule as she is. We’ve informed her many times throughout the years – so has Daniel’s mother, for that matter. And this woman isn’t dumb. Stubborn perhaps, but not dumb.
We’ve also made many requests to not come around (she has this annoying habit of dropping by unexpectedly – at like 9 fucking am) until noon or later, and to not call until 11am or later. But does she listen? OF COURSE NOT!

So anyway, what brought all this on? The message on my answering machine from around 9:00am this morning. I deleted it, but one thing she said really sticks out: “Get yourself up already!”
…
……
………

Excuse me?

How dare she call my home in the morning, knowing that we are all asleep, and dare to say that. I hate that whole “Oh well I’m up so you should be to” attitude. I’d love to turn it right back on her, and call her at midnight. Or better yet… 3am. Maybe a few calls that late and it’ll teach her to be more considerate.

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27 Comments

, on November 11 2005 at 11:50am:

I know I shouldn’t laugh, but I can’t help it. I can’t wait until I get old because I’m going to be just like that. Really ignorant and rude to everyone. I’m going to say things like “in my day, we didn’t do that”.

Karl’s grandma makes me laugh. She’s gone a bit doo-lally and tends to repeat the same thing over and over in the same 10 minute period, heh.

, on November 11 2005 at 12:09pm:

I would do the calling-at-3am-thing. lol If people don’t listen to me and interrupt my sweet sweet sleep, then they’re going to get the same treatment. If they think they can be stubborn.. I’d let them meet the Queen of the Stubborn.

, on November 11 2005 at 12:15pm:

eww thats so not nice. I would def call her and leave a message on ur answering machine that says WAKE UP! Some people are just so rude!

, on November 11 2005 at 12:52pm:

My grandpa’s wife is the same way! And she’s so snide about it. “I had an appointment at 9am today but I got so much done. I noticed the lights weren’t on at your house yet” etc. (They live next door)

, on November 11 2005 at 1:21pm:

That is just rude. I would definitely call at ungodly hours of the night and say “get up already!”

, on November 11 2005 at 2:06pm:

AMEN!! You tell ‘er! I’m a night shifter myelf.. and with class I have to be up early, but believe ME! I’m not all too thrilled about it! My mother thinks my sleeping habits are atrocious, but… I’m quite the night owl.. didn’t use to be either.

, on November 11 2005 at 2:15pm:

My Mum’s like that. She seems to think it’s such a virtue that she goes to bed early and gets up early, whereas I go to bed at 1 or 2am and get up at 9. I’d call her, yeah, call her! LOL!!

, on November 11 2005 at 2:29pm:

what a way to start the morning, for both you and i… she sounds like shes downright doing it on purpose (obviously), and i dont like the sound of her :\ i think you really should ring her up late!

, on November 11 2005 at 2:50pm:

Do it! I’d call her when you guys get home from work or when you’re done supper (w/e). It’s convenient for you *shrugs*

, on November 11 2005 at 2:53pm:

She really does need to learn, my nan is the same. She just assumes everyone works the same way she does, when it’s obvious we don’t.

But I don’t think it’s wise to call her at unreasonable times to her, it would just cause more problems. Maybe just make allowances cause she is old, we to have to do that? I know it’s very frustrating but I dunno what else you could do.

, on November 11 2005 at 3:42pm:

hehe old people make me laugh, but a lot of them really are ignorant & annoying… it gets better if you learn to laugh at them. im only 16 and al;ready really really irritated with my grandparents.

, on November 11 2005 at 3:53pm:

People are so weird about things like that Jenn. Some people just can’t get over themselves. Hopefully its just because she is old and not mean like that! By the way, do you have AIM? I hope everything stays better and second schedule seems interesting.

, on November 11 2005 at 4:06pm:

Damn that really sucks. I would, leave a message on your answering machine (the message people here) to say something along the lines of, we turn our phone ringers off between the hours of BLAH a.m. and Noon and explain the reason “As Daniel and Jennifer are currently sleeping due to late night shift work, if you want to speak to them directly phone back between the hours of 12:30pm and 2:30pm…. or whatever .. could get the point across to Daniels Grandmother, but also remember she is “OLDER” and comes from a differnt generation.

, on November 11 2005 at 5:54pm:

You should really call her at that time in the morning. Show her who’s boss!! Ttyl…

, on November 11 2005 at 6:38pm:

you could always tell her you were out, not sleeping, and after a few weeks of her thinking your out and about at 9am she will start moaning about how little you are in the house and she might ring at tea time?

, on November 11 2005 at 8:45pm:

I would deff call her at 3am to teach her a lesson, I am a night owl myself and when my son is here, he rarely goes to sleep before 1am, I just turn my ringer off at night until I wake up in the morning, if I can’t hear it, I can’t answer it.

, on November 11 2005 at 9:16pm:

Let us know if you do call her at 3 a.m haha, Im sure she’ll say something funny back. Ok maybe not funny, but funny to us anyway? haha

, on November 11 2005 at 9:34pm:

Ugh… I can’t stand people like that. I get so frustrated.
I would call her really early, and then say you called on accident, you thought you were calling a friend, and I’m sorry?
Sometimes the only way to deal with people like that is to confront them, but you sound like you’ve already done that.

, on November 11 2005 at 11:56pm:

1.) I am on the same type of schedule, so I know where you’re coming from; all my friends are early birds as are my parents and I am so not. Do I want to go out at 8am? NO. Heh.

2.) You should do that to her. Call her at 3 and then feign nonchalance haha. I know you can’t actually though, but it’s funny to imagine.

Older ladies can be like that. It’s the “me” generation, ya know?

, on November 11 2005 at 11:57pm:

Maybe she was being lovingly playful? My mother’s favourite thing to do it call me and let the phone just ring in the morning, and she knows that I don’t have an answering machine on my house phone, and that I am rarely awake before 10. So she’ll call at 7, and keep the phone ringing… and ringing… and ringing.. and ringing… until I finally cave in and answer it, where I’m greeted with, “What, you’re not awake yet? I’ve been up for 2 hours!” But I know she’s only playing with me.

, on November 11 2005 at 11:59pm:

Ew thats horrible. Can’t you disown her or something? lmao jks xD. Yeah I think that the midnight-call thing might work. o_O”

, on November 11 2005 at 1:46am:

I’d call her back at 3am. Give her a taste of her own medicine. Sure she’ll probably be cracky, but we all have to learn that lesson some how.

, on November 11 2005 at 3:39am:

All I can say, Jenn is …. U ROCK, GIRL!! I am a night-owl too and my hubby hates that alot!! My friends don’t get it either. Most of my on-line friends are night-owl too! Love your site and been a fan for a year and your little girl is so adorable!!

, on November 11 2005 at 4:57am:

Ha ha! I use to be on a nightowl thang but now I’m up at 6.30am along with the rest of the wakng world (nasty really)….

Turn the answerphone off?

, on November 11 2005 at 10:38am:

well talk about being inconsiderate..i HATE that..it happens all the time with me and my PARENTS who i still live with. They know i goto bed late which means i wake up later, but they always try to wake me up a lot earlier by watching television and turning up the volume to the max purposely.

the fact that Daniel’s grandmother left that message is pretty funny to me, but at the same time i probably would be very annoyed and disturbed too if i were in your shoes.

, on November 11 2005 at 12:03am:

That’s why I love my sleeping habit .. I mean you can play trumpets in front of my ears there is no way I will wake up … However, what the grandma said was not nice and what she is doing is even worse. I mean sorry to Daniel but that is not nice. Since she knows about your schedules I mean she should at least give you guys a sleeping break.

Good luck,
Bojan