a story that rings a bell…

Keith's Ramblings

for Friday Fictioneers which is hosted, as ever, by Rochelle who also provided this week’s picture prompt.

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hehku.regular

 

006 (1)I  like proper telephones with curly cables.  I feel more connected to the person the other end.  It’s like having them on a leash!

I got myself a cheap mobile yesterday.  Just now it beeped.  Vibrated too.  It was a text.

‘hi k. c-in m tomoz. 4t u mite cum 2. luv R’

I assumed it was Rosey.  I tried replying using something called predictive text.

‘Hell raspberry. Watch yolk massage abort? I did nut undertake it. Plaice cool me. Key.’

It was worse than the one I got from her!  Fortunately,  a couple of minutes later she called me on my landline!

N

Click the frog to join in the fun!

 

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61 thoughts on “a story that rings a bell…”

  1. rochellewisoff Jan 1, 2020 / 13:37

    Dear Keith,

    My first inclination is to tell you to disable autocorrect. We’re all tired of its shirt. 😉 What did we do before texting? Oh yeah, we actually talked to each other. Of course the frog knocked me off my chair. Love it! Thank you so very much and a Happy New Year to you and Rosey.

    Shalom,

    Rochelle

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
    • Keith's Ramblings Jan 1, 2020 / 13:47

      Haha! I really think I should! They say what goes around comes around – like vinyl records which are suddenly all the rage again, so who knows? Talking could become the new texting! Here’s to a Happy New Year of Fictioneering and of Rosey in small doses!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  2. Lynn Love Jan 1, 2020 / 13:47

    I kind of like texting – but them I’m rubbish on the phone! Fun tale that made me smile Keith

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    • Keith's Ramblings Jan 1, 2020 / 13:50

      Oh, not me! I watch youngsters texting at vast speeds and wonder how on earth they do it! I blame my problem on chubby fingers! Thanks Lynn.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
      • Lynn Love Jan 3, 2020 / 15:47

        Try swipe texting. My 15 year old introduced me to it, now I do little else. I make a lot of notes on my phone, so it comes in handy for that too 🙂

        Liked by 1 person

      • Keith's Ramblings Jan 5, 2020 / 15:53

        A couple of good suggestions. I need to be more adventurous!

        Like

  3. granonine Jan 1, 2020 / 13:52

    Had to laugh out loud on this one. I HATE texting! Stupid auto-correct drives me crazy and offends my expertise as a picky-fussy English teacher 🙂

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  6. Christine Goodnough Jan 1, 2020 / 14:18

    Another great post, Key! Trouble is, if I ever talk to you on the phone now, I’ll feel like I’m on a leash. 😉

    I’ve suffered long and loud about auto-correct, but on Sunday I handed my phone to my daughter so she could she text someone — and auto-correct changed her words. She said, “Enough of this,” and disabled my auto-correct. Ahhh!
    I still hit wrong keys, but now the text goes as Mary had a little lanb instead of Mary had a little land. So I STILL have to read before sending.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    • Keith's Ramblings Jan 1, 2020 / 14:30

      I’m fast discovering I’m not the only one with predictaphobia! I’m pretty sure my kids and grandkids find my texts and WhatsApp’s hilarious and probably think I’m beyond help!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  7. pennygadd51 Jan 1, 2020 / 16:19

    Well, that made me laugh heartily! I was particularly delighted by the idea of a hell raspberry!
    In fact, I quite like predictive texting, but your phone has first to learn the sort of things you say. That might be a problem with your left-field brand of humour…

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    • Keith's Ramblings Jan 1, 2020 / 16:39

      Perhaps I should try prodding my phone with the fingers of my left hand then! Anyway, I’m delighted you enjoyed it Penny.

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply
  8. pensitivity101 Jan 1, 2020 / 16:35

    It took us almost two years to realise our mobiles could send and receive text messages, and that was only hen we received one and wondered what the beeping noise was!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    • Keith's Ramblings Jan 1, 2020 / 16:43

      In that case, you are worse than me Di! I trust you’ve got the hang of it now.

      Like

      Reply
      • pensitivity101 Jan 1, 2020 / 16:45

        Yep………… it was over 20 years old and served me well. However, replacing the battery was more expensive than buying a new one, so this one has a camera on it and the potential for a lot of other whizz bang things but I only want it for calls and texts, so I’m happy.

        Liked by 1 person

      • Keith's Ramblings Jan 1, 2020 / 16:52

        It may even have a torch – if you can find where to switch it on!

        Like

    • Keith's Ramblings Jan 2, 2020 / 09:18

      My texting is even worse without predictive! Thank you for your kind wishes, and a Happy New Year to you and yours.

      Like

      Reply
  10. ceayr Jan 1, 2020 / 20:08

    I admit to being a Grumpy Old Man, I don’t do textspeak.
    If folk don’t write in a known language – Scots, English or French – I don’t respond.
    But I enjoyed your exchange with Raspberry

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    • Keith's Ramblings Jan 2, 2020 / 09:14

      As it’s only form of communication my youngsters use, I have to partake, like it or not!

      Like

      Reply
  12. Na'ama Yehuda Jan 1, 2020 / 22:40

    Haha! But first — 2000th post!!!!????? Wow! Good for you!!! (insert image of happy dance for you here).
    As for the phone stuff. … I still call people on the landline. My mom says she knows when it rings it is either me or my sister. The only two people who still use that line. She, for example, calls ME from her mobile. … 😉
    🙂
    Happy 2020!
    Na’ama

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    • Keith's Ramblings Jan 2, 2020 / 09:10

      That’s an unusual turn-around! When my landline rings I know it’s my either mother or a nuisance call – nobody else calls me on it. Thank you for dancing Na’ama- I really enjoyed it! Happy New Year.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  13. msjadeli Jan 2, 2020 / 01:06

    Congratulations on hitting the 2k postmark. I chuckled while reading your story. Text is a language all its own and predictive text is a crapshoot, and usually good for a laugh. The comment about the landline like having a person on a leash is so true. I don’t like holding the radioactive cell beasties to my head and use speakerphone whenever possible.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    • Keith's Ramblings Jan 2, 2020 / 09:06

      Younger folk, like Rosey, have a text language of their own. How long will it before before their books are written that way? You’ve got me worried about my land line now!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  14. Dale Jan 2, 2020 / 05:22

    This was a hoot! I always yell at my phone – it’s never “duck”!!
    Texting is such a double-edged sword. So convenient but at the same time… a pain in the ask 😉
    I kinda miss the landline ringing and NOT being a solicitor…

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    • Keith's Ramblings Jan 2, 2020 / 09:01

      Here here! A friend of mine was going for a job interview and I sent him a text that inadvertently said ‘good *uck?’ Cheers Dale.

      Like

      Reply
  15. bearmkwa Jan 2, 2020 / 20:23

    Sounds like an email from the inlaws. hahah! People who know me, who actually want me to get the message don’t use abbrev’s. I have about 5 I know, beyond that I’m toast! Great story, and oh so very real.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    • Keith's Ramblings Jan 3, 2020 / 09:17

      Five? You are doing well! I got a reply from someone yesterday that just said IKR. After consulting a young person I discovered it meant ‘I know right’!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
      • bearmkwa Jan 3, 2020 / 13:58

        hehe! I had to get one of the teens to break into my computer last week when I forgot my pass. Just saying…

        Liked by 1 person

  16. siobhan1967 Jan 2, 2020 / 21:55

    My dad uses predictive text and I get some crackers from him. Good story, thank you. Glad to see Rosey is back.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    • Keith's Ramblings Jan 3, 2020 / 09:23

      I think elderly people’s mobiles deliberately mess around just for a giggle! Rosey calls something called ‘textspeak’ apparently’. It’s a mystery to me!

      Like

      Reply
  17. plaridel Jan 3, 2020 / 00:39

    of course, like everything else, there’s a learning curve. once you get used to it, it would be a piece of cake. 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  18. Brenda's Thoughts Jan 3, 2020 / 02:11

    Love this! I’m terrible at texting. Often, my daughter gets impatient with me and rips the phone from my hands to type faster. I don’t mind, that was my intent all along (haha). Hopy you had a happy ushering in of 2020!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  19. draliman Jan 3, 2020 / 17:00

    This is what happens when the “older generation” (ie over-30) gets hold of a smartphone… 😉
    Fun!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    • Keith's Ramblings Jan 3, 2020 / 23:29

      Too right! By the way (BTW), why didn’t the skeleton have a smartphone? Because he had nobody to talk to! Cheers Draliman

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  20. GHLearner Jan 3, 2020 / 21:32

    Hehe, that was funny. I’m terrible with texting as well, but sometimes it’s useful. I didn’t understand a word of what Rosey wrote but it’s nice to see her. And congrats on the 2000!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    • Keith's Ramblings Jan 3, 2020 / 23:17

      ‘Hi Keith, seeing Mary tomorrow, thought you might come too. Love Rosey’! How did I know that? Because I made it up!!! To be honest, I doubt a young person would understand it either lol!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
      • GHLearner Jan 4, 2020 / 22:01

        Ah! Thank you. 🙂

        Liked by 1 person

  21. hilarymb Jan 4, 2020 / 14:32

    Hi Keith – I now don’t have a land line … so mobile it is … but I do try and influence everyone to use email! Predictive text is terrible … it’s around more and more. Good for Rosie … she’ll keep you on your toes – Happy New Year, congratulations on that 2,000 and for the years ahead – no time limit there! Cheers Hilary

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    • Keith's Ramblings Jan 5, 2020 / 15:50

      Predictive text was a good idea in theory, but it does seem to have a mind of it’s own which not always in sync with mine! Looking forward to hearing so much more from you in 2020 and beyond.,

      Like

      Reply
      • hilarymb Jan 5, 2020 / 15:53

        No – and now it’s doing it to an email list I have for a dinner I help organise (60+ or so) … and frankly it’s a pain …

        Thanks for the support – I’ll be around … got lots to say – as usual!! Cheers H

        Liked by 1 person

  22. Sascha Darlington Jan 7, 2020 / 01:00

    Funny stuff! I love the fun of autocorrect…and the predictive words. It could make quite an interesting little story just using that! 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

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