Some people feel their cell phone is their life line and the only thing that connects them to reality.  Those same people would describe what happened to me today as a true “out of body” experience.  My cell phone died!  It was almost as bad as “the day the music died”, Miss American Pie.  I went to the repair place, not the store where I bought it, the place where they really fix cell phones.  This was serious business.  I thought it would be just a little cosmetic out-patient surgery, but I really under estimated this time.  The do-not-resuscitate order was signed, and life support was turned off.  Its little keypad went dark and its sweet melodic ring tone was silent.  Hard to believe, but before my little green friend was even cold a shiny new model was alive and filled with all my personal information, phone numbers I haven’t been able to remember since I put them so carefully into my contacts.  I said my farewells and thought I would be on my way with my new friend and connection to the real world.  But Life is never that simple, my new life line knew all my personal info, but it seems the little fellow wasn’t quite ready to leave the Mother Ship.  Something about not being able to activate service because the server was down and nobody was sure when it would be up.

You and your cell phone are one!

I had already spent almost an hour, and my choice was to wait some more or leave without my active lifeline to reality, so I decided to wait a while longer.  Since I wasn’t close to home, but I was close to Arden Fair Mall I decided to go there and amuse myself while the resurrection continued.

It’s a good thing I had this opportunity because I found out exactly what’s wrong with our economy.  No one has a job; it’s not even the weekend and everybody was hanging out at the mall in the middle of the afternoon.  I usually don’t get to observe this phenomenon but I swear it’s true; Friday afternoon and nobody was at work.  Even if all these people do have jobs, no wonder nobody can afford houses and cars, they are spending all their money on fluff and stuff at the mall.

Cell Phone Ankle Bracelet

Not wanting to stand out in the crowd, I got in line and paid my bucks for the grande size frozen coffee drink, sugar free of course, and with whipped cream to offset the calories saved.  Sipping with my green straw I blended easily with the shoppers and I’m pretty sure they weren’t able to tell I was the only one there without a cell phone.  I really can’t explain the crowds, unless maybe they moved Christmas to September and nobody told me.

If you’re a people watcher, the mall is the perfect place to spot all sorts of human species.  I saw a girl with a shirt that had a picture of an Uze and the words “shoot your local drug dealer“, not a bad thought, but I’ll bet there is some obscure law against it.  Then there was the couple with matching blue hair, and the people getting a free make over at the “Dior” cosmetic counter that made me wonder just how bad they looked before the purple eye shadow and orange lipstick.

After about an hour of this aimless wandering and observing what the real world is doing in the middle of the afternoon, I was ready to give up and return to the waiting room and check to see if my new friend (phone) was activated and ready to leave with me.  But, like I said, life is never that easy, and neither is getting your cell phone fixed.  It wasn’t ready to leave yet so I continued to wait until it was time for the people to leave.  I was told that even though its ability to connect me to the real world hadn’t happened yet, it would magically happen at midnight.  So I left the repair shop with my shiny new phone and brought it home to wait for the great pumpkin to come at midnight and turn it into a prince  or maybe the little green thing is just another frog.  I have my doubts about this magic awakening, but if it doesn’t happen I may just have to sign up for that network that has all those people follow you around all the time.  The only problem with that is I sometimes like a little privacy.

Actually I’ve been thinking maybe this afternoon wasn’t so bad.  I didn’t have to check in with anyone (I didn’t have a cell phone you know), and nobody called to see when I would be back, (I didn’t have a cell phone).  Maybe I’ll just unplug the little shiny green monster and just forget about the magical awakening at midnight.  It doesn’t really matter, it’s the weekend now and those people at cell phone repair won’t be there until Monday.  I think maybe the whole midnight thing was just to get me to leave so they could make their get-away.  Who knows, I made it at the mall without a cell phone, maybe I will even try going to the grocery store without the little technology monster.

Cell Phone Technology Monster

It looks like the Governator took my advice and pulled out his “Kindergarten Cop” skills and got all those legislator types in Sacramento to see it his way. Actually he just used his “Terminator” weapon called “The Veto”. He said not only will I veto the budget, but I’m going to veto all these other bills on my desk. Now that’s playing hard ball! Who cares how it happened, it looks like even though it’s 80 days past due the people at the Capitol are finally going to agree on a state budget. Click on this link Budget Crisis if Over to see the whole story.

The Governator Looking Out for California

Don’t you just hate it when the kids can’t get along and learn to share their toys…….. I know I’ll sleep better now that I know all you guys and gals up at the Capitol have agreed to settle this budget thing and put our tax dollars back to work.

All is peaceful at the Capitol