It used to be easy. You get a new job and when the person you replace leaves, you just go into the phone Audix system, change your password, and say your new phone message. Et viola- you're all set up on the phone.

But no, that would be too easy.

See, Super Mondo Corporation doesn't believe in simple, plan, boring old voice mail systems like that. Instead, they have this super automated system that not only allows for caller ID, but sends the voice-mail message to your computer so if listening to the voice-mail message on the phone isn't edgy enough, you can listen to it on your iTunes. I know, so, so cutting edge.

For the past couple of months, I've been able to access voice-mail no problem, but when I called somebody, I showed up as the person who I replaced on people's caller ID. So I decided to finally deal with it cause, obviously, I couldn't just punch in a code and have my name show up. I called IT support in Bangalore or New Delhi, or where have you, and told them to switch my voice-mail system. A day later, I got a ticket saying they did.

Now, for some reason, I thought that was it. Like all they had to do was go into a computer and switch out the old name with my name. But no. Turns out they had to give me a brand new phone number to do it. But to make life easier, they just switched one of the numbers so I went from 8514 to 8314. They also didn't tell me that they would do it. Well, actually, that's not true. On my work order ticket and my e-mail they gave me my new number but didn't actually say it was a new number. Yeah, stupid me, except that since I wasn't exactly expecting to get a new number I wasn't really looking for a new number. And considering only one number changed, it wasn't completely obvious. I mean, if you're going to change somebody's phone number, shouldn't you tell them that it's a new number? Shouldn't the word "new" be on there somewhere?

Now, I think all of this was explained to me this morning, but when I saw the blinking light and checked my voice-mail, my voice-mail suddenly went bye-bye. I got the .wav file to listen to on my computer but Sanjay's English wasn't so good and my headphones sucked so it made no sense to me. Regardless, none of it really mattered because I also noticed that my password no longer worked.

But wait, it gets better. Since I didn't know they changed phone numbers, nobody else did. Turns out they didn't tell anyone, not even the receptionist at the front desk who might actually need to know stuff like that. So, basically, for the past couple of days everyone whose been calling me has been getting my old voice-mail, the one that worked but had a different name as it's caller ID, and leaving messages. Messages I couldn't get because, well, it's not my number anymore.

Best part? Guess what I'm doing tomorrow morning? Phone call to tech support- yee haw!