Okay you know how much I hate hearing people eat over the phone, but if it was me or your mom or someone, eating your cereal would be okay. A business call? Not okay. Sacrifice the bowl and move on. ;)

I would take small bites and eat them quickly with the talking end of the phone away from my mouth while the other person was talking.

If they asked what the noise was (although, this move is so stealth they surely would not!) I would tell them there is something wrong with their line.

This is, as I see it, the beauty of caller ID.

They don't know you are seeing their number and munching on Delish cereal. I'd say, sit, enjoy the cereal, take a breath, call them back and say you just got back in from an errand and saw your "call missed" button blinking and so sorry you missed them then, but, hey, you're here now - let's tawk!

My phone rings Incessently, even though I'm on the Don't Call registry. If I jumped every time it rang - expected/important or not - I'd never have peace. If I'm available, feel like talking, and can identify who's calling, I answer. If I don't - any or all of the above - I do NOT under any circumstances, now rush to the phone and drop what I'm doing.
Just because we have the capacity to be in touch with anyone at the drop of a call or email or doorbell, doesn't mean you Have to be available at that very same moment.

I need and value my privacy with a vengeance.

I hate to admit it but I'd have to try to eat it quietly - read, no slurping. Hey, we gotta have breakfast.

Charge the person extra for interrupting your power lunch?

Oh that's a toughy. Could you pretend to be someone else and say, "I'm sorry, Ms. IPrettyMuchHateEverything is at lunch, can I take your name and number and haver her call you?"

I'd let the cereal get soggy, if it was a call that could determine something important regarding my work.

And if I'd used the last of the milk, my answer would stay the same. I just might have to treat myself to a nice bagel at a cafe after the call was over.

Take the call, not eat, let it get soggy and eat it once I hung up. If I was feeling really energetic (I'm usually not) I'd put it in the fridge so the milk stayed cold.

Being out of milk does not change my answer, nor does having more milk for that matter.

Oh, the eternal mushy cereal question. It's a toughie. I like M's suggestion...but I'd have to say that if I *had* to take the call, I'd throw the cereal out out, even if I'd used the last of the milk. I could always fix something else to eat.

But there are those times when NOTHING but cereal will do and the milk is gone and I get all pouty...so take what I wrote with a large grain of salt!

I'd have to sacrifice the cereal for the biz call.

But then I'd have some candy to make up for it.

i know exactly what i'd do. i've been in these sort of positions before.

take the call, take your cereal to your desk, and chew really quietly on the opposite side from where the phone is, only when they're talking.

heh.

um Torrie, why are you having cereal for lunch?

I would eat it.

EASY: take the call, toss the cereal, go downtown and eat some soba.

duh.

I always forget about the cereal, because I have to run and find the phone when it's ringing (My husband walks around the house when he's on the phone so you NEVER know which room it will be in next!). Then I run back to what I was doing and go, "Aw man!" at the sight of the soggy cereal and throw it out. Usually I use the last amount of milk in the house when eating cereal (that's how often I eat it), so I eat something else less breakfast-y.

Okay, I've never actually tried this, but if I used the LAST of the milk, I might consider DRAINING the milk from the cereal - maybe using a strainer? - and returning the milk to the refrigerator until I finished the call.

I HATE it when people chew in my ear, so I avoid the whole eating-on-the-phone thing at all costs.

I think you could chew really quietly, or better yet, put them on speaker phone so they chewing won't be in their ear. When you have a real quality cereal, why waste it? I mean, I hate hearing people eat while I talk to them, but there are ways around it.

Business is more important than cereal. Unless, you know, its expensive cereal.

Mute button when they are talking. Life's too short to waste yummy cereal.