The Last Hello

Let me say first that I'm a bit illiterate when it comes to technology. Maybe illiterate isn't the right word -- I'm more reluctant to use technological advances when I can do things the old fashioned way. One year, I was given a palm pilot as a gift, but I kept it in the box, opting to use my trusty old planner. I use a laptop that I'm pretty sure is outdated, but I know nothing about the programs that are on the system. I mean, I know how to use them, but I'm not one who can get into a casual conversation about Windows XP and Vista.

I'm also one of the last people on earth to answer a cell phone by saying 'hello.' Yes, I know who is calling, but I still like to go back to common courtesy and give folks a warm welcome.

Anyway, I write all this to announce that I finally got a new cell phone. If you don't know me, this may not seem like a big feat, but trust me, it is. See, I've been using cell phones since 2000 and the one I just replaced was only my second phone. Yeah, I tend to get alot of mileage out of them.

I knew I'd been given a rebate for a new phone from Sprint a long time ago, but I didn't do anything with it. I don't like going into Sprint stores with all those sales associates so eager to help me, so eager to get me on another plan. I just wish I could just go to a drive thru, pick up a new phone and be done with it. But that's impossible.

Anyway, I went to get a new phone a few months ago, but couldn't do it. Basically, the Sprint folks are redoing their account system and that calls them to lock everyone out of the account system. Of course, they were doing my account at that time, so the saleswoman couldn't access my info to do an upgrade.

This was fine with me, because my relic of a phone doesn't bother me. It bothers everyone else, but not me. This account process was to take two weeks to do, but I let a few months go by until I tried to do anything about it. But things turned into crisis mode the other day when I got a text message that caused my phone to screech so loudly that I thought it was my fire alarm going off.

I returned to the Sprint store and get the same saleswoman, only to get the same story about them not being able to access my account. Something that was supposed to take two weeks wound up taking two months! I called the Sprint people and ordered my phone online. Because of the screw up, they tossed in an extra rebate that allowed me to get an even better phone.

So now I finally have a flip phone. It shoots and sends pictures and could probably manage my bank account if I allowed it. Of course, things in my life aren't that easy. I go to the store so they can do a data transfer from old phone to new phone. No can do. Unfortunately, they don't have a system that's compatible with both my phones. They have one that can hook up to my old phone, but not my new one; and one that goes with my new phone, but not the old one. So I'm stuck reentering all of my old numbers in my new phone.

Bummer.

But at least I have a new phone! Who knows, I may get another upgrade in 2010.

(Photo from http://blog.kir.com/archives/images/CellPhones.JPG)