iphone Meltdown

I came close to sobbing last night.  That was precisely 11 hours after I had begun a day, which among several other planned items, included upgrading my iphone.

After all, for the past couple of years, I've heard, "Mom, you need a new phone."  My sisters have also chimed in on occasion when text messages sent from my house to theirs (all of 3.5 miles away) don't arrive for several hours or maybe even days. 

Yup, I've been carrying around one of those Apple dinosaurs for at least four years. It's a No. 4 phone with an Otter case. Its screen has seen better days, but for most items, it has worked for me.

I have noticed, however, that the phone hasn't exactly kept up with many options now available on the Internet.  For instance, if I see an interesting headline and want to read the story that goes with it, I click.  Soon the screen goes black, and I have to start all over again. 

One time Willie didn't show up for Friday night dinner, and we could not figure out why. Well, later when we talked about it, I learned he had never received the text I'd sent telling him where and when we'd be. 

So, those items along with a few others convinced me that it was time. 

Only problem was my sister Laurie had to go with me.  She's the one in charge of our family plan, and she must be there in person if we're to do anything that alters aspects of the family plan. 

I learned that a few days ago when I went on a scouting mission to see if it would be reasonably easy for me to upgrade my phone----especially since I haven't remembered its password almost ever since the day I got it. 

Well, Justin fixed that after a little sleuthing and asking me a few questions that I should know until the day I die----what's your mother's maiden name---where did you take your first airplane flight, etc.  With that information, he arrived at the designated spot, and we came up with a new password for my phone.

Next, I learned of the necessity to have Laurie there should I proceed any further. 

So, when I mentioned this situation to my sisters, both of them decided we should all get together because they needed to upgrade also. 

We set yesterday morning at 9 o'clock as our time to take care of telephones, figuring we'd be at the store for maybe an hour. 

When I pulled into the parking lot, Barbara and Laurie had just arrived.  Barbara was trying to tell me something from her driver's perch, so I rolled down my passenger window.

"They don't open until 10," she announced.  

My sisters had errands to do, but I drove home and vacuumed my house. Twas a perfect amount of time to complete that much-needed job, thanks to cottonwood blizzards and shedding dogs. 

I drove back to town, and as I walked to the door Nikkia (sp?), unlocked it and welcomed me inside.  Barbara and Laurie soon arrived.  First, the rules of our plan were altered slightly, allowing me the convenience to make changes to the account without Laurie's supervision.  

Then, we shopped for phones, each of us selecting a different upgrade.  Then we shopped for protective accessories.  Then, Nikkia asked us about insuring our phones.  We decided that might be a good idea. 

I knew the importance of insurance from learning a few weeks ago that our neighbor Mark had mowed his iphone to smithereens with his lawnmower.

Once all the $$$$ we'd be owing were established and the out-of-store purchases paid, it was time to transfer data from old phones to new. 

I started with a sense of confidence that all would go well since Justin had changed my password, and certainly now he could get into my old phone,  just push a button or two and everything would work like magic. 

Confidence eventually turned to concern.  Concern turned to tension.  Tension turned to near implosion when I whispered to my sister Laurie, "I think I'm going to scream."  These stages ensued over a period of about an hour. 

Barbara and Laurie were due in Spokane at 1, and I had Terra coming to ride Lefty at 12:30.  

As Justin quietly worked with my two phones occasionally mentioning "runarounds," I could tell that the magic of the new password was not working as expected.  Justin kept his cool, and I tried my darndest. 

Soon it was time for Barbara to call and tell Monty they might be late on arriving at the equine facility near Spokane.  Then, it was time for be to text Terra and tell her to come at 1. 

Later, it was time to call Terra's mom at her work with Barbara's new phone (her transfer worked but Laurie's was taking time. I no longer had access to either of my phones.  I would ask Tricia to please call Terra and tell her that it might not work out today. 

That's when Justin walked over to me and said, "Why don't you go ahead and dowhat you need to do, and when you come back, bring your laptop."  Then, he figured he could transfer the data from the old phone to the new.  

Since two new customers had come in the store, Justin knew he should to attend to their needs, so nicely get this woman out of the store and deal with her later. 

He gave me all my new stuff and old stuff to take with me.  My new phone had about a.0001 battery charge, so I knew I would not be using it for a while. So, off I went for the second trip back to Selle.

When I reached Selle Road, my new phone actually rang.  I answered.  It was Terra. 

"There's construction on your road; should I keep going?" she asked.  She had ridden her bike and had seen road construction once she turned off from Selle Road.

Two hours before there had been no road construction, so I didn't really know whether to send her ahead with her bike.  

"Wait there," I said, "I'll be there in a couple of minutes."  Sure enough, when I turned off Selle Road, two big dumptrucks, a front-end loader and another pickup were congregated down the road, with the dump truck nose coming out of our driveway. 

The morning had been strange and this was even stranger.  Finally I could see that the crew was scraping the side of the road near the ditch.  And, they would soon be moving up the road.

All turned out well for Terra's ride (the only part of yesterday which seemed reasonably sane). 

Then, it was back to the phone store so Justin could do the transfer with my laptop.  I pulled out the laptop and my purse and went on my way. 

Upon arriving back at the store and parking, I reached for the laptop and sack with my phone equipment.  The laptop was there but not the phones. 

I HAD LEFT THE SACK OF PHONE EQUIPMENT ON THE KITCHEN ISLAND.

Refusing to let my blood pressure boil over, I simply turned out of the parking lot, drove home, grabbed the sack and drove back to the phone store.  

By the time I arrived, Justin was waiting on another customer. I have learned that if you walk into the phone store and someone has just purchased a new phone, walk out.  It will be at least an hour of waiting. 

Well, I had already left the phone store three times, so I decided to sit it out.  In so doing, I met a nice man whose wife was buying a new phone.  Turns out he knows Bill so we struck up a nice conversation. 

I noticed that while Justin was working with his customer, he was also taking time out to get my laptop set up.  Nice when folks can multitask.

So, those folks left, and then Justin told me things were working, but it would be about an hour before everything transferred. 

I looked at my Fitbit which told me it was pretty close to the time that Festus needed his shot of insulin, so I drove back to Selle, did my chores and then drove back to the phone store.  For the record:  that's trip No. 4.

I walked in the door.  Justin greeted me, looked at the laptop and announced that it was taking longer than expected----still another hour's worth to transfer.  That would mean closing time for the phone store. 

I WAS NOT GOING TO DRIVE BACK TO SELLE, so I went to Sweet Lou's, had some dinner and came back.

Fifth time back at the phone store, and Justin told me that the laptop was getting more specific with its news----18 more minutes, he said. 

It was closing time, so Justin said to take the computer which was hooked up to the phone and massage the laptop from time to time so it would not go to sleep.  He assured me that everything should turn out okay. 

So, I drove home, massaging about every ten seconds, took the computer and phone to the travel trailer where dogs would not distract me and nursed the transfer event along. When downloads say 18 minutes, they really mean twice that time. 

Shortly before 8 o'clock, eleven hours after I had first driven to the phone store, the phone said it was ready to go "after a few more steps."  

It asked me for a six-digit passcode.  So, I came up with one.  Then, it took me through several other options and finally said it was ready to use.

I stepped out of the trailer, put the laptop and phone aside and went into see the dogs. Bill had not returned from fishing. 

Later, I went outside with the phone and decided to use it. I needed the new passcode to open it up.  By that time, my brain was all but fried.  

I COULD NOT REMEMBER WHAT PASSCODE I HAD JUST COME UP WITH TO USE MY PHONE. 

That's when the sobbing began to erupt.  I wanted to throw that phone across the yard, but someone was watching out for me and suddenly injected my brain with a soothing piece of information----the passcode.  

I typed it on the screen, the phone opened and I held back on the bawling my head off. 

Time has helped me come almost to grips with this new phone, and I even have taken some pictures and posted them.  

Nonetheless, I have learned a hard lesson.  REMEMBER THE PHONE'S PASSWORD SO IT CAN BACK UP YOUR DATA AND SO WHEN AND IF YOU EVER UPGRADE, IT MAY TAKE LESS THAN 11 HOURS TO ENJOY YOUR NEW PHONE. 

I've also decided that yesterday's experience was a close to a lobotomy as I ever want to be. 

With that tale told, I'm gonna "hang up" and wish you a good day.  

Also, Happy Birthday to my brother Mike and my dear friend Pat.