Sandbo Family out-going messages

The Sandbos got an answering machine in 1989, for Christmas. We spent 4-6 weeks creating the perfect out-going message. We started with me reading a script. We thought it'd be cute to have a little kid voice, but alas I sounded too robotic. Then we played R.E.M's "Stand" in the background, while my older sister Robyn asked the caller not to rob us while we were out of the house. Next, five of us kids wailed and made smacking sounds, as my oldest sister Stephany informed the public that we were at the hospital after being beat-up. The 'rents didn't think child abuse was funny, so that one was short lived. Finally, we found one we could be proud of. You see, Robyn is a bit of a piano prodigy, and she learned to play a popular rag-time tune, whose name escapes me, just by listening to a babysitter we had. Then she wrote a song that went a little something like this:



We are the Sandbos
And we can't come to the phone
So leave a message
Leave a message at the tone!

That was pretty good, but the coup-de-gras of answering machine messages, came to the oldest girls after watching an episode of Beverly Hills 90210. Emily Valentine was involved in a talent show, yada yada yada, anyway this is what came out of it:

(Emily Valentine as played by Christine Elise)

(Sing to the tune of "Breaking up is hard to do")
We can't come to the phone
So leave a message at the tone
We're sorry that we just missed you
But being home is hard to do

Robyn sang the lead, while the rest of us had the honor of singing the back-up "dum dooby doo dum dum"s. It really was something special.