I Know They're Pissed Now

I was supposed to have a follow-up call in this research study connected with the U. that I'm currently enrolled in back on Thursday.  I was all ready to receive the call ... but it didn't come.  Well, it did -- it just was sent automatically to voicemail.  I saw the record of it when I checked my phone (er, checked the phone app on my phone).  She called.  Up to five times over the course of the evening and night.  By the third missed call, I opened up my data to e-mail her that I am still around and that I apologize that my goddamn cell isn't letting me answer her call.

Eventually, I think a little after the fifth and final attempt of the night, which was around 9 p.m., I got an e-mail back from who I think was the person who tried to call me.  "We weren't the ones who blocked your call," she started, and in my reply I told her, once again, "No, it was my phone that blocked your call, and I'm sorry."

I may have blog posted about this before, but if I have, I'll repeat myself: I was supposed to have a phone call with these people earlier in the study which was also abandoned/postponed because my fucking phone for some reason blocked her call.  I still don't quite know why in the fuck this is happening, especially since I think I have called the number from which these people are calling me.  Regardless, from the tone of the e-mail I got back, they're getting real pissed at me.  I don't blame them, but I am at a fucking loss as to why this shit keeps happening, and how in the fuck I can stop it.

The person who e-mailed me Thursday night asked if we could try a call again tomorrow/Tuesday.  I told her that can't happen because I'm working The Fourth Department, and I might be tied up with work.  I asked if we could do a Zoom the following Tuesday (the day after Labor Day, and also after my parents leave so I can do a Zoom without them knowing), and I haven't heard back yet.  It feels as though they're frustrated.  Again, I can't blame them, but I don't know how defensive I'll be if they start giving me attitude as a result.

In the meantime, I may -- may -- have found a solution.  After looking in the Internet, I might have needed to turn off the Silence Unknown Callers feature on my phone.  That doesn't give me confidence I can field a call from them, however; I mean, if that feature is shut off, wouldn't I be getting dozens of spam calls from people I don't know?  I haven't, and I'm glad for that, but there is no proof that the feature is working.  If I knew it would, I would try to reschedule for tomorrow.  But now ... well, I've kind of put these people in a shitty situation, which means I am sort of fucked, too.

Technology goddamn sucks.