In which we get a new house phone

My first post!
‘We’ have issues here with cordless phones. ‘We’ replace the cordless phone about every 12-14 months. Now every cordless ‘we’ve’ purchased tells you not to have it mounted close to a microwave. Where is the only place in our kitchen to plug in the cordless phone? Yup, right next to the microwave! Has HE every read the instructions for ALL the phones HE has had to buy? Does HE every remember this when I read it to HIM every time a new phone is installed? NOPE!
This time I tried to ‘save’ him money by going to Radio Shack for a replacement battery. Never trust the clerk that DOES NOT check their computer that the replacement battery you hold in your hand is the correct one for the cordless phone you brought with you and are holding in your other hand! Two batteries and plus $20's later the phone is toast!
So today ‘we’ decided to get another cordless phone. I mentioned about the microwave problem and it might be a good idea to move the mounting away from the microwave. I literally could see the light bulb go off over his head!
'We' have a long phone cord that would reach through the doorway into the dining room where there is a short bookcase that has an outlet next to it!
So HE went to K-Mart to buy a new cordless phone. This time HE got a little smarter. HE purchased a unit with 2 cordless handsets complete with a new answering machine and both handsets have caller ID. Bonus! (The old machine has had issues since we bought it. Every other message that was left was garbled. Sorta like the trying to listen to a cassette tape that had be previously chewed up.)
Now comes the fun part! HE hands me his cell phone to call the house phone to check out what the new machine message is. This way I can decide to replace it with a differant one if I don’t like it. (That’s another story). So I call the house - Ring! Ring! Ring! And it’s not picking up!
Duh! It’s not plugged in to an outlet!!!!!! It took about 20 rings with him asking questions like “Is it ringing? It’s not picking up!” Then the good one – “I used the old power pack.” Different manufactures AND it’s not even plugged into the phone.

PS – correct power pack plugged in, phone picks up after 4 rings! And I like the message on the machine. Very male and the exact message I would have put on it.

PSS - a few hours later, after the handset were charged we got a call. I couldn't figure out how to what button to push to answer it! Got that straightened out (niece calling long-distance to see if she could use our couch for a few days) and asked where the instruction book for the new phone is.
It's in the box.
In the basement that has a river running though it.
Taped up!

Sigh........ I do love him.

Fiber Content - I've finished knitting the striped raglan cardigan and have started to sew in the ends. If all goes well, this will live at work for the summer.