Phone Number Management
I remember when I was in college that a large piece of paper tacked to the wall covered with phone numbers was a key part of the decor.
Cell phones weren’t even marginally part of our communication so this number-filled paper were our only way of keeping in touch with that cute guy from the bar or my new study partner from Organic Chem.
Now that phone numbers are stored in Caller ID
Now that my cell phone address book has removed the need for number memorization
Now that my Bluetooth enabled phone can beam numbers and contact info anywhere
Why would I have need for that piece of paper?
Because, dear pretties, phones get lost and stolen.
Power goes out.
Caller ID can lose its history thirty calls from a psycho ex-girlfriend later.
So we keep our contact information for friends, family and business associates the old-fashioned way.
On paper.
With pencil.
Grouped by letter from last name.
When we get new address and phone number info?
We go to the binder, grab the pencil that we keep inside the binder, erase the old information and carefully print in the new.
The binder is regular sized, the paper is regular three-punched paper.
I know electronic means can be handier, but I don’t always want to fire up the computer to make these changes,
Plus, sometimes I get these changes on the phone and my scribbles can go directly in the address book.
Those extra ten minutes can mean the difference between my numbers and addresses shoved in a drawer and a neat allinoneplace solution.
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but but but the folder could get lost (or maybe it never leaves the house when you need it most), the pages could get ripped out, or catch fire. if you keep addresses in outlook, they can easily be printed out every other month (in a address book format) along with birthdays, anniversaries and other notes.
I keep track in a regular (purchased) address book (the current one is from the Art Institute of Chicago) in pencil, because damn, people move too often these days to write it in ink.
The other things that keep me sane are: putting all the newspaper subscriptions under ‘N,’ all doctors, dentists and pediatricians under ‘D,’ all golf courses under ‘G,’ all restaurants under ‘R,’ etc., regardless of their specific names.
For the boys (when they were younger, and before they had their own cellphones) I used a small Rolodex for their contacts. On each card I would write the friend’s name, address, and phone number, as well as their parent’s names, and directions to houses and birthdates. This saved me many not-remembering-your-name moments when I would have to call these people for one reason or another. Also, when this rolodex was sitting on the kitchen desk, the kids could look up their friends’ names themselves.