to be mildly irked everytime my DM asks my whereabouts when she calls me on my mobile?

[ChaosTrulyReigns]

Half the time she's only phoning me to regale me about her friend's cousin Bernice's piles situation. Surely which coffee shop I'm in my location has no bearing on this dangly information?

Is it because this newfungled technologicness is astounding to her and she's in awe of the fact that I can speak to her from places other than coiled to the telephone table at the bottom of the stairs? Or is she just a curious being?

Please reassure me that I'm not the only DD to hear "Where are you?" as a conversational starter for frustration?

Oh, and conversely, she'll call me on the landline and the first thing she'll come out with is "Are you at home?".

[growl]

Oh god I do this with my (adult) DS1. He hides any pissed-off-ness very well and the answer is usually "at work" or "on the sofa".

It's because I like being able to picture where he is - he has this whole other life in another city and it gives me a sort of understanding of his day that I miss having since he moved out. You'll do it one day with your DCs, I bet :o.

She's been watching repeats of Dom Joly and wants you to shout loudly into your mobile "I'm on the train"

My mom who lives in California, always asks what time is it? So irritating. And if she leaves a message on voicemail, she goes through this whole monologue: 'so, it's 9am here, so it must be about 5pm your time? But I read that Europe was going to change to the same time zone, so it might be 6pm? Or could it be 4pm? Do they do half hour time zones? When I was in Australia, they had half hour time zones....

Every single phone call.

She's just wondering whether you'll be free to listen/talk before she launches into the day's news. And probably a bit curious. I think I might sometimes ask people where they are when I call them, just to gauge how keen they'll be to chat, or to help me identify the background noise.

YABU, I think. It's not strange to want to know where someone you're talking to is.

YANBU!!!! I hate that question. Since I had the kids this question extents to them too (she passes on DH tho). So I have a variety of clipped responses: "at work", "out", "school", "nursery" or "with me". I swear she's even asked me what I've had to eat as well.

Drives me mad.

Ach, I had to alter some details of my OP everlong, you to protect the innocent and all that marlarkey. But Enid's bunions are doing well thanks for asking.

I truly guffawed at the image of DM watching DJ, isn't that on just before Dirty Sanchez?

you know to protect.....

[sigh]

Hahaha! Was about to say, "At least she doesn't ask you what you've had to eat!"

I am going to defend your mother here. I very often ask "where are you?" when I call someone on their mobile, before I launch into anything else, because I'm checking to see if it's OK to talk or if they're in the middle of something. Like if they're in a queue at the checkout, they'll only be able to talk until they are served. Or if they are with other people, or at someone else's house, I wouldn't dream of keeping them on the phone.

I thought I was being considerate!

I am always really astonished when my mobile rings. No one loves Kreecher.
Chaos, the next time she does it, tell her you are in an S+M dungeon, either about to start work or waiting for your turn to be seen.

My dotty mom kreech, would probably get the wrong end of the stick which is her wont, and ask me to pick up some Key Lime Pie at the end of my shift!

Oh I get it as well. Sometimes when I know its her ringing I just don't answer, then she rings about every 15 minutes, despite leaving a message on the answer machine. Then it is "where were you", "why", "who are they you were with", "where do they live". And on and on and on. Grrrr.

Come up with a selection of bizarre locations to tell her. I'm feeding lions at the zoo. I'm having a full body massage with George Clooney. I'm having lunch with Cameron Diaz. I'm taking a dip in the hot pools of Pamukkale. I've been arrested for streaking and am in the police station, waiting to be bailed.

Oh chaos I feel your pain. I am 38 years old and my Mum is precisely the same. It is all about being able to 'picture' where her precious DD is. When we go on holiday she asks for an internet link to the hotel/campsite/B+B so that she can 'imagine us' there. She has come to my office so that she can 'picture me' when she calls me there. She CANNOT bear it when my DSis moves house (which she does frequently) and won't sleep well until she has come to see it and then she can 'picture her' there.
Control freak? Oh yes. Mum's prerogative? I think so.

Mrsbabookaloo, I ask "Is this an OK moment to call?"

Oh LittleOneMum, I feel my mom's positively laidback compared to that.

Are you an only btw?

Oh chaos I feel your pain. I am 38 years old and my Mum is precisely the same. It is all about being able to 'picture' where her precious DD is. When we go on holiday she asks for an internet link to the hotel/campsite/B+B so that she can 'imagine us' there. She has come to my office so that she can 'picture me' when she calls me there. She CANNOT bear it when my DSis moves house (which she does frequently) and won't sleep well until she has come to see it and then she can 'picture her' there.

I think that's sweet that she's interested! Each to his own.

Re the OP, I think it's considerate to check if someone is free to talk. Asking where they are is just a way of checking that, so I think YABU (a bit)

Mu mum phones me every day. She wants to know:

Where I am (even when ringing landline)
What I am doing
Who I have seen or spoken to, and what they said
If I am going out, she wants to know what I am wearing.

She draws the line at asking what I have had/am going to have for my previous/next meal. That was my dear grandma's need-to-know.

As my granddad would say: "she wants to know the ins and outs of Meg's arse"..

Could be.worse.....I frequently call DM at work on her desk phone and ask "where are.you.?"

I do that when u call peoples house phone to :o

....oh dear