For years, I've crossed distances to "do coffee" or "do lunch" or "take a walk with" friends by phone. It's a habit that I figured could help me cross time as well as distance.
Friend: Hey! I want to hear more about that thing you posted. How about we "do coffee", 9am my time tomorrow morning? I'll have coffee, you can have wine!
Me: That's perfect! Since your time changed, I think I'm 13 hours ahead, so that's... 8pm for me. Easy enough. See you then!
The next morning, on waking up:
10pm previous night...
*missed call"
Friend: Okay, I've tried calling, so I'm going sit by my computer and work on some stuff, and you just call me when you're ready.
Me: OH CRAP! When you said "tomorrow" I didn't think of the fact that your "tomorrow" is my "today"! I realized after we set the time, that it would be 10pm my time, not 8pm, and I was so happy that I realized it, that I forgot to think about the date! When can we reschedule coffee?
Friend: LOL. I get it. How about MY Friday morning. I'll be driving, so I can focus on our conversation.
*I check my planner*
Me: Oh good grief. Friday is the day I had marked for our call, even though I was planning for Thursday and it should have been Wednesday! Apparently I can't figure out time. Talk to you Friday morning, your time! Friday NIGHT, my time, LOL.
Friend: Perfect.
*After putting it in my phone calendar*
Me: I'm such a mess! I had the first time in my phone set for the correct night, but 8pm, which was my first - WRONG - guess about the time! I think I'm finally set for YOUR Friday morning. I really can't wait to give you all the details.
*Friday morning*
Me: It's my Friday morning, which means your Thursday night, right? So we'll talk when you wake up! I'm on it!
Friend: Bad news. Crisis at work, so I won't be free to call, and actually have a meeting at 7am tomorrow morning. Sorry!
Me: I'm SO SAD that I messed up our first scheduled time! Please let me know as soon as you have an idea when you can talk.
Conclusion: I suck at time travel.
Oh my goodness. I wouldn't even be able to keep up! I hope you get to have a conversation with your friend soon!
ReplyDeleteWe finally connected yesterday. Whew!
DeleteIt was so much easier with the Eastern time zone. A straight 12 hours difference. Almost no math. But now with Daylights Saving Time, we have to add that extra hour and make sure he add it in the right direction.
ReplyDeleteBut now with DST, and the IDL, you mean! That date thing. Good and bad! (I love wishing people happy birthday a day early.)
DeleteLOL nooooo!!!! When I lived in Russia, I always managed to remember the time back home by telling myself I WAS IN THE FUTURE. But Moscow was only 8 hours ahead, it gets way more complicated when you start to get into the double digits!
ReplyDeleteI had this problem while dating Brett, living just one timezone over. I'd leave Illinois with enough time to get home when I wanted... if the time change went the other way! SOOOoo many nights driving home at 2 in the morning!
DeleteThat sounds utterly confusing. A good friend just took a trip to New Zealand, and we accepted that time zone math is well outside of our skill sets and we'd just talk when he was back.
ReplyDeleteOh it's just as bad with friends who are on my side of the Dateline! Did you India has an odd half-hour difference? Timezones go hour by hour, but India is 2.5 hours off from me! Why the half-hour?
DeleteThe world is screwy.