The Unusual Phone Tree

Today, I sold a baby item Linden had out grown on Craigslist. Although the item was not special, and I didn't make much off of it, I doubt I will ever forget this particular transaction. Well, I'll never forget the phone call I received regarding the purchase anyway.

Yesterday, I received an email asking if I still had the item, and if I did, to please text my address to a phone number that was supplied. So I did.

Later that day, I received a phone call from a woman that lives in Kyle, about 15 miles away. Her daughter-in-law was the number I had texted earlier, the number which had been supplied by the woman's daughter - who is expecting. It seems her daughter moved out of the state recently. She (the daughter) found my item listed on Craigslist and contacted her sister-in-law (who lives in Pflugerville - 35 miles on the other side of Austin) and asked her to pick up the item. When the sister-in-law saw our location, she called her mother-in-law and asked if she could pick it up, since she lives in Kyle.

As the woman on the phone told me, she would love to pick it up for her daughter, but she doesn't have a car. However, her mom is driving from Austin to take her to a doctors appointment in the morning, and she (the grandmother) is willing to drive her (the mother) over to pick up the item.

How could I refuse the request to save the item for the next day?

I could hardly wait to meet mom and grandma, and I sort of secretly hoped a few other relatives might show up for grins and giggles.

Although, I do have to admit to being a little jealous of how the entire family pulled together to ensure a young mom from out of state would end up with this incredibly exciting used vibrating bouncer that has only mild scratches and light fading.

In fact, I've come up with my own slightly skewed phone tree for the next time I want something from Cedar Park (about 35 miles north). I'll call Dave, in ND, and see if he can pick it up for me - because he does live north of me. Then Dave can call Kathy, in AZ, since that is much closer to Texas than where he lives. Kathy, being the smart one, will remember that Greg and Stephanie actually live in Texas and call them to pick it up. Then Stephanie's no-nonsense German raising will have her calling Oma and Opa to pick it up since they really are closer to Cedar Park than I am.

Or, maybe I'll just go pick it up myself.

Or, and tell me if you think this is weird, maybe I'll only buy stuff in the area I live in.