My reading group met at my house a few days ago. Linda had prepared and brought dinner. It was delicious. We cleared the table and then proceeded to read and discuss our latest book, “The Anger Habit.” We each joined in the conversation and shared insights regarding anger. The book is interesting and enlightening. We finished the chapter, and will read the next one on Tuesday. Hugs all around… Diva, my dog,  and I escorted them out the front door, waved good bye and waited as cars were started… porch lights off.

I started cleaning up. The girls had helped and the only thing left was to turn on  the dishwasher. Dishwasher running, I poured myself a glass of wine and looked for my phone. Hmmm. I could have sworn that it was on the dining room table. Nope, not there. Let’s see, I went into the kitchen next. I looked on all of the counters and then had a frightening thought. Did I put it in the dishwasher?

I looked again in the dining room. No, it wasn’t anywhere in there. Months ago, I had put something in a very special ‘safe’ place that I knew I would certainly remember. I looked for that stupid thing for months before realizing that I had been sitting on it the entire time. I had placed said item in my sewing chair. The seat lifts up to reveal a storage area. My next thought was to look there just in case I had put it in a ‘safe place’. Wink, Wink.

I searched the living room next and then my bedroom and bathroom. Still no phone. I decided to try my new Echo dot.

“Alexa, find my phone.”

“Try under the couch” came the response.

I moved both couches. I did find one of Diva’s toys but no phone. Hmmm, maybe Alexa meant in the couch. I pulled all the cushions and pillows off … again, no phone.

Wait a minute. I have “find my phone” on my computer. I can also text from my computer. I texted one of my friends and asked her to call my phone. In the mean time, I pinged my phone. Weird, I heard a ding coming from my bedroom. I had looked in there. I followed the sound. Duh, it was my old phone which I use as an iPod. I had pinged the wrong phone.

Back to the computer. I found the correct phone, pinged it and saw that it was nowhere near my home. It was across town at another friend’s house. Yup, there it was in the South East Cape. I got a text on the computer from my ‘klepto’ friend. She would drop off my phone in the morning. Weird, our phones don’t even look alike. She just picked it up in addition to her own. While she was driving home she wondered what that weird sound was coming from her purse. It sounded like the ‘Happy’ song by Pharrell Williams. Since she doesn’t answer her phone when she is driving, she didn’t realize until she was in her driveway that she had my phone!

OMG, could I survive without a phone? It is my alarm clock. It is my connection to the outside world as I do not have a land line. Well, there is always texting and email.

When I went to bed, I set an alarm on my clock radio. Unfortunately, I did not change the wake mode to an annoying beep. It went off at the requested time but it was to the radio which, I ignored.

I got up and was able to make my early morning appointments.  True to her word,  my friend delivered the phone. Thank goodness.

What did I learn? I can survive 14 hours without my phone if and only if I still have my computer and/or iPad.

How long do you think you can go without your phone?

Frances Graziano Copyright 2017 All Rights Reserved