Even though today started with me feeling a bit better than the day before, it didn't start great. A month ago Ella called the vet to book an appointment for her kittens to "get fixed". Today was that day and it was left to me to get them there. Everyone else had more important thing to do like go shopping or Canada's Wonderland. Geez. Once both kittens were located and packed into the carrying case off we went. On the way there and then back I wondered where my phone had ended up - satisfied that it would be at home on the table. It wasn't. I had run it over, and not with the wheels on my chair, with the wheels on my car. On the gravel driveway.
It's a bit of a lifeline, my phone. I have been warned, by people more experienced in a chair than I, to always have my phone with me. You never know when you are going to get into trouble and need a bit of assistance. I do remember calling Theo from back lawn and I have gotten myself into slippery situations (remembering one particular pair of snow pants). The wheelchair makers have even taken this into consideration. They designed a little phone size pocket right under the seat and between the legs. Easy to get to, but also easy to forget when loading the chair into the car. Which is how it ended up on the driveway.
Aside from the lifeline aspect of my Samsung, like everyone else, it also stores all my contacts. I have a sinking feeling that they will not be there when my new phone is turned on. All my therapists, doctors, numbers that I will have to dig for in short order - that will take some time. I am learning a lesson in the importance of backing up information. My Google contacts only seem to hold emails - retrieving 265 numbers will take some time. I know it was that many because on Saturday I went through them all looking for people to contact about Greg's Ride.
I think when I bought this phone I must have sensed its' importance because I bought a warranty. I never do that. For the past eight months I have been paying $7 per month for protection. Today it paid off because tomorrow UPS is bringing me a new phone. I know I am not the first person to smash the screen of their phone to smithereens, I saw a lot of those in my classroom. My old Blackberry was so indestructible I never thought it would happen to me!
I spent some time this afternoon using my landline calling numbers that I still had in my head. Landline numbers that I had memorized long ago. Four, to be exact. Doing this allowed me to make some plans, for everyone else I was supposed to talk to today, sorry, I ran over my phone. Which actually made it kind of quiet. Maybe we all need to disconnect for a little while :)
Hi Julie: Phones can be fixed and screens replaced, fairly easily. I have replaced the screens on a dozen or so smashed iPhones, mostly to see if I could do it. Also, your data is still on the broken phone, and is possibly retrievable. I'd be glad to help.
ReplyDeleteHi Gord - would love your help. Send me an email sawchukfriends@gmail.com I have 15 days before I have to send the broken phone back!
DeleteGah! Phones. They've become so important. When I was on a co-op visit two winters ago (that horrible winter we had in 2013-14) I was in northern Huron County and pulled over on the side of the road--I thought! Unfortunately, it only looked like the side of the road and was really the ditch filled to the top with snow. My car sunk. Luckily, I had my phone. However, my hearing doesn't allow me to really use it and you can't text CAA! Happily, this happened next to the emergency services centre near Sparlings on Highway 4 and they were able to place the call for me. We can get through many days feeling pretty invincible and able, but then we are faced with our reliance on technology which is just about as unreliable as anything else. Thanks for the reminder to try to figure out how to back up numbers. Your friend, Gord, has made a kind offer.
ReplyDeleteThose warranty protection payments are paying off! Gord has the right idea, he may be able to talk to your phone through a computer (ADB if Android) and retrieve info. I try to save contacts to the cloud rather than the device for such reasons. Hope you are successful in recovery! (multiple meanings)
ReplyDeleteGlad you got a new one. I have too many terrible cell phone experiences...I think the more you use them, perhaps, the easier they are to keep track of? Sometimes I wish I didn't have one at all...on the other hand, I'm glad that you've got that 'life-line', for safety and for indepedence!! Hope this one lasts a good long time for you.
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