Communications Breakdown, redux

[marnanightingale]

I have a new cel phone!

Good things:

1) My old celphone, Brave Little Toaster that it is (I've had that cel since 2002, people! And it's always worked!) is going on to a new and productive life: I asked the guy at Bell if they did environmentally friendly cel-and-battery disposal, and he said actually they refurbish them and donate them to women's shelters. So I'm going to take it in with its charger and spare battery and cetera and know it's going on to better things. This makes me smile.

2) I am not an Early Adopter. I am what you might call a Late, Cranky, Fussy Adopter.

I've wanted a phone/PDA/camera for ages, because when you have fibro and are flaky the life-in-a-small-light-box thing is appealing, but I was determined to hold out until they got to where they were a) stable, b) useable, c) not insanely expensive.

What with one thing and another and having been a customer for a long time and having been entitled to at least one hardware upgrade I didn't bother to take because the old phone was fine and a bit of Canadian Attack Politeness:

I have this phone. $599.00, in theory.

And I got it free. Ok, free with a 3 year contract -- but I wasn't going to change providers anyway -- because Bell? Gives me good service, good coverage, and FREE SHINY THINGS -- and a bottom end data package -- which I wanted anyway.

I handed over $10.00 for the nifty black leather case. Well, $11.40 with tax.

I also have the salesedude's cel number. I can't decide if this is incredible customer service or if I'm being hit on...

3) My cel number remains unchanged.

So, that's the good. Here's the bad.

The phone book from the old phone is unrecoverable.

My phone book is gone and it isn't coming back.

And here's the thing:

I only ever kept my phonebook in my cel.[1] And I memorise numbers very badly.

So if I've ever had your phone number(s), I need it/them again.

Even if I call you a lot. Even if I've known you forever. Even if, I am ashamed to say, I am actually DATING YOU. (But not if I'm married to you; those two and my father's number I have memorised. Beyond that, it's all a big blank.)

So if I used to have your numbers, or if you want me to have your numbers, well, comments are screened, anonymous comments are on, you know the drill.

(If you're not in North America, have mercy and give it to me with all the widgets? I DO, in theory, know how to dial overseas. But if I'm calling overseas from my cel, it is probably safe to assume that I'm not in an optimal case to remember which prefix is Australia and which is Great Britain and which zero I have to drop.)

(Also, if I reply to a screened comment, it unscreens, so random personal insinuations, etc, which are always welcome around here, should go in a seperate comment from personal info, please.)

[1] Yes, I know. Do I kick you when you're down?

Comments

[idiotgrrl.livejournal.com]

I ran into the problem of losing my numbers on my landline once when it failed, so I took a little pocket journal that has scads of data in it - the Mokeskine ones are neat but pricey - and listed what was on my cell where. Then when my old cell phone got lost in a snowbank in January and I had to buy a new one, I had it.

Alas, they required me to buy a more expensive service plan since the one I was on was no longer being offered. Sigh.

Anyway, a pocket journal full of data and kept in a zippered compartment of your One & Only Tote Bag is your friend. Or has proven to be mine.

Just my $0.02,

Pat

[commodorified.livejournal.com]

... and, see, then I lose the bag.

Fortunately, this phone backs up to my computer, so with even a moderate amount of luck, this will never happen again.

Also, I'm finding out who's changed their number, so there's always a bright side.