Tech Savvy Chica

As many of you know -- I've avoided the cell phone craze. For one brief moment when I first moved to Chicago back in 2002 I had a cell phone. It was never turned on, I never used it and once it rang in purse and I peered around the store I was in trying to figure out which idiot wasn't answering that annoying phone with it's shrill ring tone. Shortly thereafter I got rid of the cell phone and only occasionally borrowed Rob's for emergency situations (like grocery shopping when I needed Rob to help carry in the groceries and our doorbell didn't work). Once I was envious of Rob sending text messages to Nanny who was sitting one table away from us at a restaurant in Las Vegas. Other than that -- I never really wanted one and in fact termed myself as someone who should not have a cell phone, i.e. I am the person in the airport terminal answering Rob's cell phone in a ridiculously loud voice, screaming "Can you hear me?" when I know full well everyone within a 10 mile radius can hear me.

Alas, my life has come to a point when I really need a cell phone. We are currently living at the cottage which has no landline (and also receives only 3 TV channels, but whatever). I am also working from said cottage at an office which consists of a dining room table, laptop and awesome view. So I knew I need to get technified.

On our second day in Buffalo, I headed to a cell phone store, and proceeded to go all out. I got a Blackberry (no small steps for me!) Rob and I now have a family plan with unlimited text messages to each other. Thank God, because I don't know what I would have done without texting Rob about the security dogs while waiting in line at Canadian customs in the same car as him -- and also it provided an amusing moment when I got yelled at by a customs officer with said dog through an open window. For your reference, cell phones must be turned off while waiting in line at the Rainbow Bridge.

However, despite my miraculously mastering proper volume control while talking on my Blackberry, we are still quite technically challenged. The Blackberry functionality still can't be set up because apparently Blackberries require a stronger signal. So if I turn on any of the functionality I loose my connection. Additionally my reception drops periodically and people get the impression (obviously with which I do not agree) that I am not cut out to have a cell phone and constantly turn it off -- not the case people! If you have my cell phone number and are trying to call me, don't give up, call back later!

Rob's cell phone somehow manages to work. Despite an incident last night when our neighbor called to tell me he was going to bring us flowers and Rob's cell phone battery died as soon as I answered, prompting said generous and kind neighbor to think that I hung up on him. (He still brought the flowers).

We have also purchased a plug-in USB connection, the sort that Bill Curtis my almost work-landlord/neighbor advertises on TV. Thankfully, this connect-miracle seems to work down here quite well, and is even faster than dial up. Sadly it cannot sustain a strong enough connection (or bandwidth -- whatever that means) to allow me to video chat, an integral part of my job as my boss LOVES video chat. So thus, we will be driving up to Buffalo every so often. Those of you in city are welcome to come down and see us, or if the drive is to much, call my cell and we can do dinner or after work coffee or something. Just remember my cell phone may be out of range -- NOT turned off. I am savvy in the way of the modern girl.