If you don't know what an answering machine is, it's what we used to use before voicemail.

They were machines that sat on our desks or kitchen counters or night stands.

Back in 1974, answering machines were pretty new. If you had one, it was a novelty.

And Dad went out and got one. He took the instruction manual a little too seriously, and left a very detailed outgoin messages that told you EXACTLY how to leave a message.

This was fine in 1974, but by 1975, alsmot everyone had an answering machine. But Dad refused to change his outgoing message.

So for ten years, if you called my parents, you got a very long and dramatic message that told you EXACTLY how to leave them a message.

Technology changes fast. What worked a few months ago might be old-fashioned by now. The same was true in 1975.

So when it came time to leave